420 where he gave the highest promise of future House of Lords he was laughed at, in the eminence, was afterwards placed for several Cabinet despised." An anonymous corres years in the office of a well known attorney, pondent of Mr. Cooksey, who published a Mr. Salkeld, brother of the famous Sergeant sketch of him in 1791. has gathered with whose " Reports " are in every good English malicious industry every story and piece of law library; and was called to the bar of idle gossip to his discredit on which he could the Middle Temple in I 7 1 5 . Before his call, lay his hands; and Lord Campbell, who was he had made the acquaintance of Lord always ready to accept scandal without siftMacclesfield, Chief Justice of the King's I ing it, has relied too much upon these writers Lord Chesterfield Bench, and the friend gives a juster estimate ship of this distin guished man, togeth of Hardwicke's char er with his own fami acter, saying that " he ly's legal influence, was never in the least speedily gave him suspected of any kind the introduction to of corruption," that private professional "he was an agree practice which was all able, eloquent speak that he needed or er in Parliament," and desired. He was soon "that he was a cheer recognized as a rising ful, instructive com figure at the bar. In panion, humane in 1 7 19 he was return his nature, decent in ed to Parliament as his manners, and un member for Lewes. stained by any vice In 1720 he was raised (except avarice)." to the solicitor-gen Even the charge of eralship and the hon avarice resting on or of knighthood. In such testimony is 1724 — at the age of not very formidable. thirty-four! — he be This opprobrious came Attorney-Gen term is apt to be ap plied to a man who, eral. In 1733 he was made Chief Justice of having no great pri LORD HATHKRLEY. vate resources, hus the King's Bench, and as Lord Hardwicke, bands his professionin 1737 he was appointed Lord Chancellor al income with care. The Earl of Hard wicke's memory is now cleared, however, from — an office which he held till 1756 — hav ing in the mean time ( 1754), been created the reproaches which some of his contempo Earl of Hardwicke and Viscount Royston. raries heaped upon it. His private character stands as Lord Chesterfield described it, He died on 6th March, 1764. Hardwicke had the misfortune to have minus the avarice. His personal qualities many bitter enemies, some disclosed, others and attractions were thus not less accurately anonymous, and they unhappily supplied than elegantly summed up by Savage : — the materials out of which his biographies " Were all, like Yorke, of delicate address. have been written. Horace Walpole charges Strength to discern, and sweetness to express. Learned, just, polite, born every heart to gain.'1 him with baseness, and asserts that " in the
