MURDER. 197 



would awaken sympathies that the change 

 of position and the daily repetition of 

 objects presented to my observation, had 

 almost driven from my mind. At other 

 times a barrister, from Warwick assizes, 

 who would raise my wonder at recalling 

 or rehearsing some extraordinary trial, 

 such as that of Abraham Thornton for 

 the murder of a female; which caused 

 a great excitement in the neighbourhood 

 about this time. His ingenious defence, 

 under the guidance of Mr. Campbell, 

 was the first step in the ladder that 

 enabled his Counsel to attain to the sum- 

 mit of his profession ; a proof that even 

 the greatest ability is sometimes indebted 

 to accident, or some happy conjunction, 

 for the first and full development of the 

 acumen and depth of legal knowledge of 

 its possessor. 



But all these things began to lose their 

 charm, and my thoughts would frequently 



