52 HIS FORT of the SOCIETT. 



Account of ply that unavoidable deficiency. They are, moreover, a cri- 



Loid Prefuleiit * * , J J 



nandas. terion to the public, both of the abilities of Judges, and of 



their attention to the duties of their office. But dill, it muft 

 be admitted, that there is much danger in allowing too great 

 latitude to judicial reafonings. Eefides the delay of bufinefs, 

 there is a hazard that that warmth of argument, againft which 

 even the wifeft and mod difpafllonate of men cannot at all 

 times guard themfelves, fhould diminifh the reverence due to 

 the Court, and even the authority of its decifions ; for thofc 

 judgments can affuredly have but little weight which are known 

 to be the refult of a war of contradictory ideas. In a tribunal 

 compofed of many Judges, there muft of courfe be a frequent 

 diverfity of opinion ; but it is not always defirable that the 

 grounds of thofe different opinions fhould be publicly canvaf- 

 fed. It is with the wifdom of a Court, as it is with perfonal 

 beauty, (the obfervation of one of the ableft judges of human 

 nature *) the form upon the whole, when furveyed at its proper 

 diftance, may be confummately graceful ; but it is not expedient 

 to examine it by too near an approach, or to analyfe too mi- 

 nutely its particular features. 



Such were known to be the fentiments of that great Judge, 

 whofe character we are now attempting to delineate ; and cor- 

 refponding to thefe fentiments was his own conduct upon the 

 Bench. He very rarely entered into a laboured argument on 

 the whole grounds of a caufe ; much lefs into an examination 

 or confutation of the opinions delivered by his brethren. He 

 limited himfelf to a fliort and folemn enunciation of his own 

 opinion, which he generally fupported by a very few reafons, 

 on which he apprehended the decifion ought to reft. His man- 

 ner of fpeaking was firm and authoritative ; his language for- 

 cible, though unadorned in its ftruclure ; and, feeking not to 

 pleafe, but to convince, he difregarded thofe graces of elocu- 

 tion 



* Clarendon. 



