402 POLITICS OF THE DAY. [1808. 



I daily see, are almost fatal to professional men. Now 

 here lies my great and only difficulty. I could cease 

 to think of a seat in Parliament, or, should I ever 

 obtain one, I could manage to keep such an occupa- 

 tion very subordinate that is easy enough ; but to 

 take no side in questions where my opinions happen 

 to be all pretty strong, where I cannot help feeling 

 interested both in the actors and in the subject, would 

 be next to impossible, cost what it may. So that I 

 am in this dilemma, that one party stands plump in 

 my way on every occasion, because I am politically 

 attached to the other, while that other must of course 

 in every case look to the interests of such lawyers as 

 are directly engaged with them in politics ; in short, 

 do what I can, I am likely to be too much a politi- 

 cian for one set of men, and too much a lawyer for 

 the other. This is a real dilemma ; for I need only 

 hint at Scarlett's case to show what power the Chan- 

 cellor for the time being has over a man's professional 

 advancement I mean by withholding a silk gown. 

 So strongly does he feel this, that it is quite contrary 

 to his advice that I think of the bar at all. I have 

 troubled you much too long with my plans and diffi- 

 culties to force on the one and to conquer the other. 

 I believe the step above described to be the only 

 means, and as such I embrace it without any great 

 fear as to the result. When I shall once be fairly 

 started, I must trust to the chapter of accidents for 

 getting out of the other dilemmas. Ever yours, 



"HENRY BROUGHAM." 



