/6 EARLY LIFE. 



extreme interest certainly belonged to the accident that 

 he had so long survived the period of his success 

 that we knew there sat in our presence the man now 

 in his old age reposing under the laurels Avon in his 

 early youth. But, take it altogether, the effect was 

 such as cannot well be conceived. 



One thing was very striking in his lectures, as also 

 in his conversation, and it was equally remarkable 

 in his friend and pupil Watt ; the great care, even 

 to minute particulars of evidence, which he took to 

 appropriate to every one his share in the discoveries 

 of which he was treating. His love of justice was 

 one of the most marked characteristics of his nature, 

 as it was of the Duke of Wellington's. I well re- 

 member Denman saying, Avhen he saw him rush 

 forward to defend some officer unjustly attacked, or 

 to obtain for him the share of commendation that he 

 thought had been inadequately awarded, " Of all that 

 man's great and good qualities, the one which stands 

 first is his anxious desire ever to see justice done, and 

 the pain he manifestly feels from the sight of injus- 

 tice." This observation came with peculiar grace 

 from one who in such attributes was the greatest 

 judge of the day. 



It is somewhat remarkable that both Black and 

 Watt have suffered more than almost any who can 

 be named from the plagiarisms of others, and their 

 unfairness, sometimes from national, sometimes from 

 personal prejudices. They bore this with different 

 degrees of equanimity. Black seemed never to re- 



