LORD ELDON. 303 



member of the Inner Temple, and in 1776 he was called to the bar. 

 He was then 26 years of age, and possessed a tolerably fair person ; 

 but he cared little for that, and less for those who studied the outward 

 man ; in fact, with his dress he was a few grades beneath negligence, 

 and it is recorded of him, " that his habiliments were by no means 

 remarkable for their superiority, or his appearance and manners for 

 gentility." This, however, was no great detriment to his success. He 

 cared little for fashion, and shunned its votaries. Even the society 

 of the Mitre possessed no attraction for him ; and we have heard his 

 brother state, that he has frequently, but always in vain, endeavoured 

 to induce him to abandon, for a few hours, his black letter studies, for 

 the society of Johnson and his satellites. Literary and other amuse- 

 ments were never allowed to interfere with, or lessen his zeal for a 

 thorough knowledge of the law. He had an habitual aversion to all 

 acquaintances who were not strictly professional, and who could not 

 either argue a legal question, unravel its intricacies, or in some way or 

 other aid him in his studies. His companion was Coke, and he very 

 frequently dined from its contents. If, for a moment, he allowed 

 a disposition for lighter pursuits to occupy his time, it was so blended 

 with his studies, that little difference could be discovered by an ordi- 

 nary hard-reading student. Upon such occasion, the text-books and 

 reports would give place to the Pandects, Vattel, Grotius, and Puff- 

 endorf. About half a dozen times he was caught flirting with the 

 muses, but he even carried his profession to Parnassus ; and he has 

 left us a parody on the ballad Chevy Chase, in the shape and style 

 of a bill in Chancery. 



During one of his professional visits to Newcastle, Mr. Scott was 

 fortunate enough to gain the affections of Miss Elizabeth Suttees, a 

 lady of considerable charms, and superior attainments. The intimacy 

 first commenced in the Court House, in the gallery of which Mr. 

 Scott first beheld and admired the being destined to share in his suc- 

 cess. At that time, however, Mr. Scott was a briefless barrister, and 

 though Miss Suttees thought that a consideration of little consequence, 

 her parents were of a different opinion, and the alliance with Mr. 

 Scott was indignantly declined. This avowal, instead of making the 

 lovers sentimentally wretched, merely nerved them to deeds of de- 

 fiance, for it determined them to pursue the bent of their inclinations, 

 and oppose the grave commands of parental authority. Miss Suttee 

 became a fugitive, but Mrs. Scott. She had exchanged the dwelling 

 of her parents, for the roof of a husband, the luxuries of their table 

 for the limited fare of a barrister, without practice arid without means; 

 all overtures for a return to favour were inexorably treated,* and the 

 poor, but happy couple, were left to meditate on their indiscretion, 

 and entirely rely on their own resources. Thus were the difficulties 

 increased that had obscured his early dawn, and the poor lost young 

 man became an object of commiseration and neglect. Even his own 

 relatives were indignant at his marriage, and beheld nothing in his 



* As indicative of the mutability of human affairs, it may be observed, that 

 when Mr. Scott became Chancellor, he had to affix the seal to a commission for 

 rendering his father-in-law a bankrupt. 



