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Declined

the usages

pany.

shop, and your shop will keep you;" as being no less true of a lawyer with respect to his chamber. But he was far from being a recluse; and as he loved conversation, so at fit times he was abroad with agreeable company, at entertainments, such as the inns of court gentlemen ordinarily use.

I never heard that he frequented either danof bad com- cing or fencing schools; which two rendezvouses are very dangerous as well as expensive to young gentlemen; and that consideration outweighs all the pretended advantages that the female faction propose from those assemblies. And for security of future good consequences, and escaping the bad, I think it may be a general rule in the institution of a lawyer, never to come to either; for since it is well known that the accidents of good or bad company determine, ordinarily, a young man to his happiness or ruin, and that the worst of company is to be met with there, one may bate the decorums of the step, or the skill of parry and thrust, in one 'who is to wear a long robe, and contend only with his oral faculty. I might say as much of places of game; but that entertainment is a gulph which swallows more elder than younger brothers, and more that have money gotten to their hands, than such as have but enough to live in a way as may enable them to get more; but I cannot say that his lordship was a stranger to any art or skill that was practised amongst

He joined in every

the better sort of company.
decent thing; and whatever games were stirring,
at places where he retired, as gammon, gleek,
piquet, or even the merry main, he made one;
but ever had a notable regard to his purse, to
keep that from oversetting, like a vessel at sea
that hath too much sail and too little ballast.

and advan

youth.

It is impossible for any youth to gather soci- Hazards able good qualities without running some hazard tages of of the bad; and much of the better, where it happens, will be ascribed to a well-inclined nature, that, after excesses (which youth cannot wholly avoid) discerning the inconvenience, takes

up.

But yet, in some of the wavering and less thinking geniuses, the worst of company will cause the worst of effects; whereas, in a tolerable society at first, such natures might have come off well enough. It were rare sailing if winds and weather were either at command or foreseen. So, in the launching young people into the world, it were happy if natural propensities and company could be known beforehand, or modelled to the occasion. Therefore that great work ever did, and ever will, depend much upon the common accidents of human life; and it is a great question, whether too much, or too little use of overruling authority, or persuasive discourses, do most or least harm. Probably either, coming opportunely, may do good; but, inopportunely, excites

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Confined

his living to

tion.

aversion rather than reconciliation to what is so. Let a youth be prepared at home, without any prejudice of evil examples or encouragements, and then be sent out, as his lordship was, to shift for himself; the rest must be left to Providence.

His lordship had reason, and also the good hap, his condi- to be sensible of his condition, and that it concerned him in the last degree to make the best of his profession. For his family was not in a posture to sustain any of the brothers, by estates to be carved out of the main sustentation of the honour. It was apparent that his lordship was far from a morose, or so much as a retired disposition; he had sprightly motives to follow the joys his fancy suggested, as much as any wit of them all, and was sensible of the labour and pains he was to undergo, and set himself to it as labourers to their work, for a livelihood; and after he had broke himself to the study of the law, so as might have rendered it easier to him, yet he had his inclinations to divert himself, and ramble as persons of better fortunes did. But, through the strength of his reason, he recollected himself, and persevered, and engaged in no entertainments abroad, that were inconsistent with his studies. I have heard him say more than once, that, if he had been sure of a hundred pounds a year to live on, he had never been a lawyer.

in the coun

died.

His lordship's grandfather took a fancy to have Attended him be with him in the country; for he loved to try, but stuhear him talk of news, philosophy, and passages in London. He made him play at back-gammon, and fiddle whenever he thought fit; for which, all he got was saving a little charges at the Temple, and an annuity of twenty pounds a year; which latter was taken away from him in displeasure, as is related afterwards. But this course of life, together with bowling, fishing, billiards, park, hunting, visiting, and such country diversions, which might have plunged a young man in idleness, and resignation of all endeavours towards a profession, did him no hurt at all; but rather the contrary, for he always had his boxes of books up and down by the carrier; and, in the country, alone by himself, read in his course, and commonplaced full as much, or perhaps more than he should have done in London. And the only disadvantage he had there, was want of a studious society; but constantly at terms, he got leave to repair to London, and there recruited his discontinued friendships, which were of vast benefit to him, as will be related afterwards.

mons and

He used constantly the commons in the hall at Used comnoons and nights, and fell into the way of putting putting cases (as they call it), which much improved him ; and he was very good at it, being of a ready

cases.

Of coin

of the law.

apprehension, a nice distinguisher, and prompt speaker. He used to say that no man could be a good lawyer that was not a put-case. Reading goes off with some cloud, but discourse makes all notions limpid and just; for, in speaking, a man is his own auditor (if he had no others at hand) to correct himself. Besides, there are diversities of opinions, and contentions in reasoning, which excite thoughts that otherwise would never have risen. And mistakes, almost incredible to the mistaker, being observed, cause a recurrence, for surety, to the authorities, where an inspection convinceth, and withal corrects the faulty assurance some will have in a mere memory.

It was his lordship's constant practice to common placing monplace as he read. He had no bad memory, but was diffident, and would not trust it. He acquired a very small but legible hand; for, where contracting is the main business, it is not well to write, as the fashion now is, uncial or semiuncial letters, to look like pigs' ribs. His writing in his commonplaces was not by way of index, but epitome; because, as he used to say, the looking over the commonplace book on any occasion, gave him a sort of survey of what he had read about matters not then inquisited, which refreshed them somewhat in his memory: and that had not been obtained in a way of mere what and where, as

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