LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC. 375 



man, and nothing that can soften or rejoice it — the practice of the Old Bailey. — To 

 court the pickpocket as a client ; to become the patron of the petty thief, patron des 

 gens les plus meprisables ; to save the man of vice from deserved incarceration, and 

 facilitate his flight by brow-beating the magistrate until he accept bail ; to defend 

 the highwayman, the housebreaker, the assassin, and, by some quibble in the law, 

 send them once more at large upon society, to use again the crow-bar, the bludgeon, 

 and the knife — tigers caught, and then let loose to renew their depredations — ^these 

 are the objects to which the criminal advocate — ^I beg pardon — ^the advocate of crime, 

 must direct his mind ! And what a mind can that man have who, coming from his 

 college with Demosthenes and Cicero still fresh upon his memory, can degrade his 

 intellectual faculties by the exercise of so vile an advocacy 1 And what is his 

 reward ? — The last guinea wrung from misery and want 1 the contribution, perhaps, 

 of a wo-struck mother, to save from a dishonoured death the son to whom her bosom 

 had given life, eked out by the mite which an almost widowed wife has flung in 

 hopeless desperation from her famishing and naked offspring, so soon to be thrown 

 as orphans on the world I" 



Mr. Ball then entered into an accurate and judicious statement of the various 

 elocutionary duties to be performed at the Bar — and, in conclusion, enforced the 

 necessity of the study and practice of forensic elocution in its highest ranges. 

 " Every advocate," added the lecturer, " however great his talents, and exalted his 

 attainments, cannot be fortunate enough to meet with opportunities for their display, 

 but every advocate should hope for such, and be prepared to seize them. Every 

 artist cannot be a Titian — ^but place lines and limits beyond which Genius shall not 

 pass, check its aspirings, circumscribe the circle of its flight, and never, to the end 

 of time, shall a second Titian claim the homage of an admiring world 1 " 



The most interesting portion of the lecturer's discourse was in the pictures drawn 

 by him of the career of Mr. Curran, and likewise of that of the late Lord Erskine. 

 The eloquence of his language, enlivened by the most beautiful and appropriate 

 imagery, was rendered still more effective by the expressive intonations of his voice, 

 and the graceful application of his gestures. And thus, by an easy transition, he 

 prepared his auditors for his admirable illustrations of forensic elocution, exhibited 

 in his recitations of vivid and powerful specimens of modern oratory, selected from 

 the speeches of Lord Erskine, Mr. Curran, and Sir James Mackintosh. 



CHELTENHAM LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



This Institution, which was only established in the spring of last year, has 

 since that period, been steadily advancing in public favor, and consequently 

 realizing in a great degree the hopes entertained at its formation, that it would 

 ere long be productive of considerable benefit to its native town. The Report 

 of its first year's proceedings is, indeed, highly encouraging, and shows that it 

 ranks among its members many who are able and willing to advance the 

 interests of literature and science, and who, moreover, take a pleasure in con- 

 tributing their labours to the general interests of mankind. Lord Sherborne 

 and the Bishop of Gloucester, are the patrons of this Institution ; and Dr. 

 Boisragon, a gentleman occupying the first place in his profession, and 

 universally respected for the readiness which he ever manifests in furthering 

 every attempt to improve the intellectual character of the place, is the president 

 for the current year ; while in the Rev. George Bonner and Dr. ConoUy, the 

 two vice-presidents, the Institution possesses warm and zealous supporters. 

 Its present number of members exceeds one hundred and thirty. The Institu- 

 tion commenced its proceedings for the session of 1834-5 on Tuesday evening, 

 September 9, when Dr. Kay read a paper on the ** Natural History of the Class 

 of Plants called Fungi," a subject very judiciously selected for digcussion at 

 this particular season of the year, when these vegetable tribes usually spring up 

 in great abundance. On the following Monday, (September 15,) Dr. Simon 

 commenced his Course of Lectures on Electricity and Electro-Magnetism^ 

 continuing the ^subject on the 16th, 18th, and 20th of the same month. Upon 

 NO. V. 3d 



