X.T. 37-] SCOTCH COURTS OF LAW. 267 



slaved by patronage already, and this also tends to con- 

 taminate the English bar ; for clearly the office is to be 

 accessible to it. Any instance so barefaced, of a plan, 

 a system, devised to suit an individual's convenience, 

 never yet has appeared in this country. The real fact 

 is, that Adam finds he can now get the Duke of Bed- 

 ford to transfer the auditorship of his estates to his 

 son, and he also knows that his own practice is come 

 down to a mere nothing; therefore he gets a court 

 erected where he may preside without an absolute re- 

 bellion of the bar, after having in vain attempted to 

 find something for himself in London, where the pro- 

 fession never could have submitted to it. In fact, I 

 question if he does not also look forward to a peerage ; 

 at all events, the Scotch already give out that he is to 

 be the Prince's man for Scotland ; which that virtuous 

 nation thinks a good recommendation of a Chief Justice. 

 Eeally it is too disgusting. But the Scotch bar, I 

 think, will cry out ; some of them, I know-, will ; and as 

 to personal merits, as well as those of the scheme, these 

 will undergo a severe scrutiny, I presume, in Parlia- 

 ment. H. B." 



TO EARL GEEY. 



" TEMPLE, November 8, 1814. 



" DEAR LORD GREY, The Prince has been down 

 opening the session, looking very ill, and having had 

 Halford with him in the morning. The speech is full 

 of America, with pretences of pacific intention, exulta- 

 tion about Washington, and a queer sort of statement 

 of a naval force having been sent to the St Lawrence 

 too late. Humours in abundance that Liverpool is 

 going out, and Castlereagh to succeed, and Canning to 



