240 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



others until 2 A.M. the next morning without the remotest 

 inclination to sleep, then had a few hours in bed, and 

 was in court at 10 A.M. again did my work, and got 

 away to town by an afternoon train and arrived there 

 without the slightest feeling that I had done more or 

 slept less than usual. This was, of course, a very trifling 

 experience, but it served to prove to me that all the talk 

 about so many hours of sleep being essential to well- 

 being is nonsense, if only you are engaged in work of 

 real interest or importance. It is infinitely worse to 

 sleep too much than to sleep too little, and the siesta is 

 a deadly habit, no matter what climate you are in. 



I went on the North Eastern Circuit, and it was a good 

 time indeed. Frank Lockwood was at that period only 

 just becoming a leading light, and the late Judges Cave 

 and Lawrence were among the leaders of the Circuit. 

 Samuel Danks Waddy was notable, and Meysey-Thompson 

 was " the junior " of the Circuit. Very clever was he, 

 even for a junior, who is expected always to be witty in 

 the exercise of his office. I suppose I ought not even now 

 to go into details of the ceremonials of a court after 

 dinner to which certain offenders are from time to time 

 summoned, but I cannot forbear quoting Meysey- 

 Thompson's summons to Lawrence Gane, a Leeds barrister, 

 whose clerk was a champion for securing briefs : 



Lawrence Gane, come into the Court ! 

 Lawrence Gane, come into the Court ! 

 Greedy, guinea-getting, ill-gotten Gane, 

 Come into the Court ! 



There was, of course, on these occasions permitted 

 licence of speech, and no offence could be taken at what 

 was said by anybody, least of all by " the junior," but I 

 have always thought that the descriptive line given above 

 was worthy of any of the most famous wits in the day 

 when wit was considered essential to a man of fashion. 



Then there was a song in which came the line : 



And Waddy has a method of succeeding at the Bar. 



