: try to enter into its secrets, as the angry housekeeper, who having got hold of the wrong key, pushes, shakes, and rattles it about in the lock, till both are broken and the door still unopened. Take time, eager student; for there is a time for every thing, even in the law a time for study, and a time for relaxation. The clearest and strongest eyes, by too long exertion, become over-strained, and every thing is misty and confused. So is it with the mind. You can do nothing invitá Minervâ. Are you foiled, after hours, it may be, of patient thought and research? Quit your books; put on your hat and gloves; take your stick into your hands, and sally forth in search of air and exercise, wherewith to recruit your exhausted spirits. After but a brief interval, you will come "There can be no study without time," says South; "and the mind must abide and dwell upon things, or be always a stranger to the inside of them. There must be leisure, and a retirement, solitude, and a sequestration of a man's self from the noise and toil of the world."-South, vol. ii. p. 347. "Sir Matthew Hale," says Bishop Burnet," was naturally a quick man; yet, by much practice on himself, he subdued that to such a degree, that he would never run suddenly into any conclusion concerning any matter of importance. FESTINA LENTE was his beloved motto, which he ordered to be engraved on the head of his staff, and was often heard to say that he had observed many witty men run into great errors, because they did not give themselves time to think, but, the heat of imagination making some notions appear in good colours to them, they, without staying till that cooled were violently led by the impulses it made on them; whereas calm and slow men, who pass for dull, in the common estimation, could search after truth and find it out, as with more deliberation, so with more certainty."-Life of Hale, pp. 86, 87. back in cheerful mood; your head cleared, your temper cooled, and the difficulty disappears in a trice! “A man must use his body," says Lord Hale, "as he would his horse and his stomach; not tire them at once, but rise with an appetite*;" and this, if it be only for temper's sake, to render the study of the law a pleasure, instead of a plague. Its practice, secondly, by these means will lose many asperities. The young practitioner must not fret at the delay of business: and, above all-not at this trying period only, but throughout his career— oh, let him "beware of JEALOUSY!" "Puisse, Messieurs," said M. Dupin aîné, addressing his brethren of the Bar, in 1829, "cette emulation se développer de plus en plus au milieu de vous, mais sans jamais altérer le sentiment de la confraternité ! C'est assez vous dire qu'il faut se garder de l'envie : elle rend plus malheureux encore ceux qui l'éprouvent que ceux qui en sont l'objet. L'envie dégrade l'envieux; car il ne fonde son elevation que sur l'abaissement ou l'humiliation d'autrui; tandis que l'émulation, en laissant aux autres tout leur mérite, nous inspire seulement le louable désir de faire encore mieux +." He that brings to the law a disposition that "pines and sickens at another's joy," an eye jaundiced, a * Seward's Anecdotes, vol. iv. p. 416. + Discours pron. a l' Ouverture des Conf. de la Bibliothèque des Avocats.-Thémis, tome dixieme, p. 568. heart blighted with envy,-however great may be his learning, however splendid his talents, will certainly lead the life of a fiend. "The envious man,” says Bishop Hall, "feeds on other's evils, and hath no disease but his neighbour's welfare.-Finally, hee is an enemie to God's favours, if they fall beside himself; the best nurse of ill fame; a man of the worst diet, for he consumes himself, and delights in pining; a thorn-hedge covered with nettles; a peevish interpreter of good things; and no other than a leane and pale carcase quickened with a fiend." The torments of the Inquisition will be light and tolerable to those which he must endure. Oh, 'tis a pitiful, a despicable, a horrid propensity that some have of going about sneering, detracting, toad-spitting, at their more successful brethren," uttering innuendoes cursed" against merit, wherever it shows itself! Do YOU, reader, ever feel these demoniacal promptings? Then in this case, also, you had better "put a knife to your throat," for your very soul is cankering within you. But no, we will not insult you by such a supposition. Strive, if strife be needful, to cultivate a manly, frank, and generous spirit! Do not let your fellows, when they rejoice, rejoice at your cost; "joy rather with their joy,"—give the cordial, cheering, sincere look, and ready hand of congratulation, to successful merit, wherever, whenever it appears! If, at such times, a sudden excruciating twinge should be felt, then say with one of old, "down, down, devil," for you may be sure that your greatest enemy is at work within. The victory you thus achieve will be really a glorious one, as the struggle is severe, though secret; and a series of such victories will erect you into a noble character! Emulation—the very life-spring of honourable exertion at the Bar-is thus accurately distinguished by Bishop Butler from the base quality of which we have been speaking: "Emulation is merely the desire and hope of equality with, or superiority over, others, with whom we compare ourselves. To desire the attainment of this equality, or superiority, by the particular means of others being brought down to our level, or below it, is, I think, the distinct notion of envy. From whence it is easy to see, that the real end which the natural passion, emulation, and which the unlawful one, envy, aims at, is the same: namely, that equality or superiority; and, consequently, that to do mischief is not the end of envy, but merely the means it makes use of to attain its end *." But once more. You will sometimes meet with very unreasonable men, both among your brethren and clients, as well in public as in private. A cutting unkind expression may fall, in a moment of irritation, even from the placid Bench; your leader, charged with the exciting cares of conducting his * Works, vol. ii. p. 43. F case, may treat you sharply, and perhaps rudely; and your client, broiling beneath, may grow testy and unreasonable. All these, undoubtedly, are exquisitely trying and provoking; but not to him who bears about with him the talisman of an even and well-regulated temper! The author, some time ago, heard a judge in open court utter an extremely severe and uncalled for sarcasm against a very able and well known counsel. The latter, however, ready as he was, uttered not a word in reply, but fixed upon the judge, for a moment, a steadfast unwavering look, and then calmly proceeded with his argument, as if he had not been interrupted. He-the judge-the whole court felt where the triumph was! Suppose, now, instead of exhibiting this admirable self-possession and command of temper, he had flounced about, and entered into an unseemly altercation with the Bench! Then as to the ill-humour of your senior: really it is surprising, all things considered, that it is so rarely displayed. A manly mind will make allowances for the occasional hastiness, the unguarded expressions, of a man that is half beside himself with the anxiety and excitement of conducting an important case in court. A temperate and timely expostulation-a firm remonstrance-will soon set very ugly matters straight; while a snarling, captious, |