234 Court of Chancery, [Sepr. 
than half this time, the cause remains on the lists of the Vice Chancellor, 
waiting its turn to be heard.”—p. 90, 91. 
With all this, it is manifest there must come an addition of judges in 
the court. The cost of these would not be large—a few additional 
thousands a year at the outside—and we should think the purchase of 
quick and efficient justice, at an increased annual expenditure of some 
six or twelve thousand pounds, would not be thought dear for the 
accomplishment of such a purpose. : 
Nor must the security for efficiency stop with the creation of new judges. 
Let those already in existence become divested of the troublesome 
diversion of cabinet distractions. Let our chancellors be rendered 
judicial officers, and not intriguing diplomatists. On these points we say no 
more at present. We propose, however, to recur to them hereafter, for the 
purpose of examining them more in detail ; but there is so much popular 
ignorance on the general nature of an equitable jurisdiction, that we thought 
it better to preface our future observations with such as might lead not only 
to a better understanding of the subject, generally, but to a clearer appre- 
hension of what we may hereafter venture to adduce. If we have spoken 
somewhat favourably of the principles of equity in general, or even of 
the doctrines of English equity, let this not be construed into a recon- 
ciliation with the outward ceremonials of their administration in its 
court. Until we see these thoroughly altered and reformed—until we 
cease to behold its miserable suitors, year after year, pacing its floor, 
awaiting its decrees, with hearts sickening from hopes, kindled only to 
be deferred, we shall scarcely be enabled to dispossess ourselves of the 
idea, that the Court of Chancery is, in reality, the valley of the shadow 
of death, while we may fancy we hear its weary travellers bemoaning 
in the strain of the poet :— 
*€ Full knowest thou that hast not tried, 
What hell it is in swing long to bide ; 
To lose good days that might be better spent— 
To waste long nights in pensive discontent— 
To speed to-day, to be put back to-morrow ; 
To feed on hope, to pine with fear and sorrow: 
To fret thy soul with crosses and with care, 
To eat thy heart through comfortless despair— 
To fawn, to crouch, to wait, to ride, to run, 
To spend, to give, to want, to be uNDONE !” 
