REVISING BARRISTER. 137 



them, without a particle of claim to it, 

 either by birth or early associations, 

 and by relying on a position their su- 

 perior knowledge of chicanery has pro- 

 cured for them, they exercise their calling 

 with an air of importance that shame- 

 less effrontery only could adopt and sup- 

 port, and poverty and ignorance only en- 

 courage. 



One of these worthies, I remember, 

 superintending the revision of the votes 

 for the borough; and my vote, among 

 others, having been objected to, prompted 

 the barrister who stood by his side a 

 man of literary celebrity to ask me if I 

 had ever been at Rome. Surprised at 

 such a question, as foreign to the pur- 

 pose, and somewhat thrown off my guard, 

 I answered, "No." 



"But you have written about Rome," 

 said he, "and therefore I conclude you 

 must have been there." 



Seeing by the smirking smile of his ad- 



