236 THE SCOTCH BAR. [1800. 



they made no exception whatever, though they had 

 often heard all the great speakers in Parliament : and 

 these men were very far from prizing, as of any value, 

 mere declamation, unaccompanied with argument or 

 statement. The other fact to which I appeal, is the 

 admiration expressed both by Mr Pitt and Mr Fox of 

 his speech in defence of himself and his conduct as 

 Lord Advocate in 1804, when Mr Whitbread brought 

 it under the review of the House of Commons. Of 

 fche opinion expressed by these two great orators there 

 is no doubt ; but the circumstance to which I allude 

 is, that several persons present, who had heard him on 

 former occasions that is, in Edinburgh regarded his 

 speech in the House as a failure, so much impressed 

 had they been with the merits of his eloquence from 

 their recent recollections of it. I sat with Horner in 

 the gallery, and greatly prejudiced against him as he 

 was, owing to Edinburgh party politics, this was his 

 clear opinion with my own. But noble as was Hope's 

 oratory, and richly as any account of it might be 

 illustrated by examples of its success, facts are known 

 to me which illustrate qualities far above all excel- 

 lence, Parliamentary or forensic. When the party to 

 which he belonged came into office in 1804, he was, 

 as before, Lord Advocate; and when the place of Jus- 

 tice-Clerk, the highest judicial place but one, was as 

 a matter of course offered to him, he declined, insist- 

 ing that Henry Erskine should be appointed, and was 

 himself the bearer of the communication, in order that 

 the party feelings of that excellent man, but stanch 



