Lord Thurlow kept a school at Searning, in Norfolk. Here what he chiefly learnt was the art of "cockthrowing"—that is shying sticks at an un fortunate cock, as the mid-Victorian age did at an "Aunt Sally" and a cordial detestation of his reverend preceptor. In after life, when this gentleman claimed his old pupil's acquaintance in a bookseller's shop at Nor wich, saying, "Mr. Thurlow, do you not rec ollect me?" Thurlow—very rudely, it must be confessed—remarked, "I am not bound to recognize every scoundrel who recognizes me." To Thurlow, despite his talents, his first years at the bar were—as they must be to all who start without connections—years of stress and often discouragement. But every man gets his chance sooner or later, and the traditional story is that Thur low got his chance in connection with the great case of Douglas v. Hamilton. Thurlow had studied the evidence—which was very voluminous—with great care, and one evening, the topic coming up for dis cussion at Nando's, he held forth on the subject, argued with great force and plausibility that the Scotch court had come to a wrong decision, and gave a masterly analysis of the evidence. Now, as luck would have it, there happened to be among his listeners two law agents of the curators of the infant heir, who had come to London to enter an appeal. Greatly impressed with Thurlow's sagacity and powers, they made inquiries about him, ascertained that he was a member of the bar, and the next morning he found awaiting him at chambers a brief in the great case, marked with such a fee as had never brightened his career before. The appeal took long in the hearing, but the result was a triumphant vin dication of Thurlow's opinions, and it was achieved, to a large extent, by Thurlow's zeal, industry, and ability. It was fortunate that the trial did not prove the end as well as the beginning of his career, thanks to the insane system of duelling which then prevailed in the country. Thurlow, in opening the case, had made some strong re flections on the conduct of Mr. Stuart, the law agent on the other side. A challenge was sent, which Thurlow at once accepted, only stipu lating that the meeting should not take place till he had concluded his argument. That done, the parties met in Hyde Park on Sun day morning, the 14th Jan. 1769, and pistols were discharged at ten yards, but, happily,
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without effect. Swords were then drawn, but the seconds intervened. It shows Thur low's coolness that on his way to the ren dezvous he stopped and ate an enormous breakfast at a tavern near Hyde Park corner. "At times," says Mr. Butler in his Reminiscenses, "Lord Thurlow was superlatively great," and he gives us a scene in the Lords. Thurlow's dictatorial tone in debate had, it seems, given some umbrage to the Peers, and the Duke of Grafton seized the opportunity of an inquiry into Lord Sandwich's adminis tration of Greenwich Hospital to reproach him with his plebeian extraction and his recent admission to the peerage. At the close of the speech Thurlow rose from the woolsack and advanced slowly to the place from which the Chancellor generally addresses the House; then, fixing on the Duke the look of Jove when he grasped the thunder: "I am amazed," he said, in a loud tone of voice, "at the attack which the noble Duke has made on me. Yes, my Lords"—considerably raising his voice— "I am amazed at his Grace's speech. The noble Duke cannot look before him, behind him, or on either side of him, without seeing some noble peer who owes his seat in this House to successful exertions in the pro fession to which I belong. Does he not feel that it is as honorable to owe it to these as to being the result of an accident? To all these noble lords the language of the noble Duke is as applicable and as insulting as it is to my self. But I don't fear to meet it single and alone. No one venerates the peerage more than I do; but, my Lords, I must say that the peerage solicited me, not I the peerage. Nay, more; I can say and will say that as a Peer of Parliament, as Speaker of this right hon orable House, as Keeper of the Great Seal, as guardian of His Majesty's conscience, nay, even in that character alone in which the noble Duke would think it an affront to be con sidered, I am at this moment as respectable— I beg leave to add I am at this moment as much respected—as the proudest peer I now look down upon." The effect of this speech, adds Mr. Butler, both within the walls of Parliament and outside of them, was pro digious. It gave Lord Thurlow an ascendency in the House which no Chancellor had ever possessed. Dr. Johnson was well acquainted with Thurlow when the latter was at the bar, and had a high esteem for his powers. "Sir," he
