Imatges de pàgina
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I should be glad to see how you would look." On which Mr. Curran observed, "Perhaps he would not look a bit the worse."

A member of the last Irish parliament, who had held one of the highest law offices under the crown, all on a sudden came over to that party who opposed the Union, voted against that measure, and lost his office, not without much regret. Some person speaking of his conduct on this occasion, extolled it highly, and observed, that he had made great sacrifices for his country's good, and had proved himself a sincere patriot. "Sincere! no," said Mr. Curran, patriot."

"he is a sorry

A learned serjeant, whose promotion to the bench was daily expected, happened to be rather tedious in the statement of a case on trial before one of the chief judges, who, anxious for compression, observed to the serjeant, that when he came to administer justice, he would then know the value of time. A gentleman well known for his humour, and not having much esteem for the judge, in relating the matter, gave quite another turn to it by omitting the word administer; "When you come to justice you will then know the value of time."

Whenever any barrister is promoted, it is a

rule on circuit that he shall send to the bar mess, at least a dozen of claret, to drink his health. A gentleman, not very much distinguished for ability, was recently appointed to one of the county chairs, and his claret was announced in these words? S This is Mr.'s health, and may he live long to administer justice, as I am sure he will, indifferently!"

A barrister whom Mr. Curran very much esteemed for many amiable qualities, among others, for a fine temper and good nature, dining with him, was asked to be helped to green gooseberries and cream; he said he liked them very much, but feared, if he ate of them, he might be called, as Dr. Goldsmith was, a gooseberry fool. Mr. Curran said, "Take the gooseberries, my friend, and the milk of human kindness which so abundantly flows round your heart, will soon make a fool of them."

Mr. Curran frequently related anecdotes of priests: one of them had undertaken to explain to his congregation the wonderful narrative of Jonah; he had proceeded to a certain length, when he discovered that the name of the fish in which Jonah was deposited, was necessary to the conduct of his narrative. His memory totally failed him; he distinctly repeated the object of Jonah's mission, and all the other details; how the lot

had been cast upon the prophet, and how he remained in the belly of this very great fish. "It must have been a very great fish," said he; "Oh! it was a marvellous fish!". The name did not come-he floundered on: "It could not be a haddock?" said the doctor; "No, that would be too small a fish to hold him; nor could it be an eel, that would be too comical; no, nor could it be a flat fish, for he could not fit in that." In this state of confusion, an old woman, staggering forward from an extreme corner of the chapel, was heard to exclaim, in a shrill tone of voice, Perhaps it was a whale." The priest, quite enraged at the impiety of this intrusion, and confounded also by his own forgetfulness, cried out, "Get agone, you old b-h! you are damned, and you will be damned, for taking the word of the Lord out of your clergy's mouth.'

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A hot fool, plunged into distress, was playing at billiards, and having wagered his only guinea on the success of the game, became tremulously anxious on the last stroke of the ball; perceiving the clock giving notice to strike one, as he hoped, and fearing some distraction, he paused for a moment; another and another succeeded, till the clock went insensibly on to twelve. Thus suspended, his irritation increased, he played and lost, and in his rage seizing the ball, drove it at the clock, with such fury and force, that he broke

it in pieces: the owner sought compensation and obtained it. This being related in the presence of Mr. Curran, he observed, "That the damages should be very small, as the clock struck first."

A beautiful young woman of the name of Serjeant, whose father was an officer of a yeomanry corps in Dublin, happened to pass Mr. Curran in the street; struck by her beauty, he inquired of a friend who she was, and being answered, that she was the lovely Miss Serjeant whom he had seen ten years before at Cheltenham-" What, not married yet? then I suppose her father will make her a permanent Serjeant."

From one of those Greek isles recently reillumed by the vigorous and fascinating poetry of the most original writer of this century, a beautiful Smyrnese lady, perhaps sister to the Bride of Abydos, lately arrived in Dublin. To the repose and softness of her eye, the finely turned oval of her face, there were added a languishment of air, and a richness of dress, peculiar to those delicious climates, from which time has not despoiled them of every thing by despoiling them of freedom. Such were her charms, that she was followed in the public assemblies and in the streets, by crowds of admirers. Walking in one of the squares, she was perceived by a friend of Mr. Curran, who instantly exclaimed, "Oh! there is the beautiful

woman from Smyrna, I must leave you for a moment to see her." Shortly after returning, he found Mr. Curran, who said,

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Well, my friend, what say you, Quid tibi visa Chios, quid Smyrna ?”

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In selecting some of the foregoing passages from the speeches of Mr. Curran, perhaps I may be thought to have given them too copiously. If I have been led into error from the admiration of their excellencies, or from the impressions I received at their delivery, having had the good fortune to have heard most of them spoken with that accompanying force of energy and of action, such was the effect produced, that in taking the note of his speech in the case of Massy and Headfort, in which I was of counsel with him, I became suspended; the hand forgot its office, and, till roused from the delicious transport by some friend near me, I was not conscious that I left the paper unstained by. any one note. On observing this circumstance to Mr. Curran in a few days after, he said, Possibly at that very moment you were taking the best impression, perhaps then drinking deeply. It is probable it was then you were doing to me and yourself the greatest justice." On reflection, I believe it was as he had remarked. This

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