CHAPTER IV.

Mr. Curran's early success at the bar-His contest with Judge Robinson-His defence of a Roman Catholic priest-His duel with Mr. St. Leger-Receives the dying benediction of the priest-Lord Avonmore's friendship-His character of Lord Avonmore--Monks of St. Patrick, and list of the original membersAnecdotes of Lord Avonmore-Mr. Curran's entrance into parliament.

MR. CURRAN has been frequently alluded to as one of the many examples in the history of the bar, of the highest talents remaining for a long time unknown and unrewarded. This, however, was not the fact: so general was the reputation of his abilities, and so numerous his personal friends, that he became employed immediately, and to an extent that is very unusual with those, who, like him, have solely depended upon their own exertions, and upon accidental support*.

* The fact of his early practice appears from his own fee-book, in which the receipts commence from the day

The failure of Mr. Curran's first attempt at speaking has been mentioned: a more singular instance of that nervousness which so frequently accompanies the highest capacity, occurred to him upon his debut in the courts. The first brief that he held was in the court of Chancery; he had only to read a short sentence from his instructions, but he did it so precipitately and inaudibly, that the chancellor, Lord Lifford, requested of him to repeat the words, and to raise his voice: upon this his agitation became so extreme that he was unable to articulate a syllable; the brief dropped from his hands, and a friend who sat beside him was obliged to take it up and read the necessary

passage.

This diffidence, however, totally vanished whenever he had to repel what he conceived an unwarrantable attack. It was by giving proofs of the proud and indignant

after he was called to the bar. The first year produced eighty-two guineas, the second between one and two hundred, and so on, in a regularly increasing proportion.

spirit with which he could chastise aggression, that he first distinguished himself at the bar* of this his contest with Judge Robinson is recorded as a very early and memorable instance. Mr. Curran having observed in some case before that judge, "That he had never met the law as laid down by his lordship, in any book in his library,” “That may be, sir," said the judge, in an acrid contemptuous tone; "but I suspect that your library is very small." His lordship, who, like too many of that time, was a party zealot, was known to be the author of several anonymous political pamphlets, which were chiefly conspicuous for their despotic principles and excessive violence.

* His first occasion of displaying that high spirit which was afterwards so prominent in his character, was at the election of Tallagh, where he was engaged as counsel, a few months after his admission to the bar. One of the candidates, presuming upon his own rank, and upon the young advocate's unostentatious appearance, indulged in some rude language towards him; but was instantly silenced by a burst of impetuous and eloquent invective, which it at that time required an insult to

awaken.

The young barrister, roused by the sneer at his circumstances, replied that true it was that his library might be small, but he thanked heaven that, among his books, there were none of the wretched productions of the frantic pamphleteers of the day. "I find it more instructive, my lord, to study good works than to compose bad ones; my books may be few, but the titlepages give me the writers' names: my shelf is not disgraced by any of such rank absurdity that their very authors are ashamed to own them."

He was here interrupted by the judge, who said, Sir, you are forgetting the respect which you owe to the dignity of the judicial character."-" Dignity!" exclaimed Mr. Curran; "my lord, upon that point I shall cite you a case from a book of some authority, with which you are perhaps not unacquainted. A poor Scotchman*,

* Perhaps it is unnecessary to remind most readers, that the Scotchman alluded to is Strap, in Smollett's Roderick Random.

upon his arrival in London, thinking himself insulted by a stranger, and imagining that he was the stronger man, resolved to resent the affront, and taking off his coat, delivered it to a bystander to hold; but having lost the battle, he turned to resume his garment, when he discovered that he had unfortunately lost that also, that the trustee of his habiliments had decamped during the affray. So, my lord, when the person, who is invested with the dignity of the judgment-seat, lays it aside for a moment, to enter into a disgraceful personal contest, it is vain, when he has been worsted in the encounter, that he seeks to resume it-it is in vain, that he endeavours to shelter himself behind an authority, which he has abandoned."

Judge Robinson." If you say another word, sir, I'll commit you."

Mr. Curran. "Then, my lord, it will be the best thing you'll have committed this term."

The judge did not commit him; but he was understood to have solicited the bench