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After several years, his father died; when the younger son, destroying his will, seized upon the estate. He gave out that his elder brother was dead, and bribed false witnesses to attest the truth of it.

2. In the course of time, the elder brother returned; bat came home in miserable circumstances. His younger brother repulsed him with scorn, and told him that he was an impostor and a cheat. He asserted that his real brother was dead long ago; and he could bring witnesses to prove it. The poor fellow, having neither money nor friends, was in a most dismal situation. He went round the parish making complaints, and, at last to a lawyer, who, when he had heard the poor man's story, replied, "You have nothing to give me. If I undertake your cause and lose it, it will bring me into disgrace, as all the wealth and evidence are on your brother's side."

3. "But, however, I will undertake your cause on this condition; you shall enter into an obligation to pay me one thousand guineas, if I gain the estate for you. If I lose it, I know the consequences; and I venture with my eyes open." Accordingly, he entered an action against the younger brother, which was to be tried at the next general assizes at Chelmsford, in Essex.

4. The lawyer, having engaged in the cause of the young man, and stimulated by the prospect of a thousand guineas, set his wits to work to contrive the best methods to gain his end. At last he hit upon this happy thought, that he would consult the first judge of his age, Lord Chief Justice Hale.* Accordingly, he hastened up to London, and laid open the cause, and all its circumstances. The judge, who was a great lover of justice, heard the case attentively, and promised him all the assistance in his power.

5. The lawyer having taken leave, the judge contrived matters so as to finish all his business at the King's Bench, before the assizest began at Chelmsford. When within a short distance of the place, he dismissed his man and horses, and sought out for a single house. He found one occupied by a miller. After some conversation, and making himself quite agreeable, he proposed to the miller to change clothes with him. As the judge had a very good suit on, the man had no reason to object.

́a 1676.

Sir Matthew Hale, a most learned lawyer, born in A. D. 1609, and died † As-si-zes, a court in England.

6. Accordingly, the judge shifted himself from top to toe, and put on a complete suit of the miller's best. Armed with a miller's hat, and shoes, and stick, away he marches to Chelmsford, and procured good lodging, suitable for the assizes that should come on next day. When the trials came on, he walked, like an ignorant country fellow, backwards and forwards along the county hall. He had a thousand eyes within him, and when the court began to fill, he found out the poor fellow who was the plaintiff.

7. As soon as he came into the hall, the miller drew up to him. "Honest friend," said he, "how is your cause like to go to-day?" "Why," replied the plaintiff, "my cause is in a very precarious situation, and, if I lose it, I am ruined for life." 66 Well, honest friend," replied the miller, "will you take my advice? I will let you into a secret, which perhaps you do not know; every Englishman has the right and privilege to except against any one juryman through the whole twelve; now do you insist upon your privilege, without giving a reason why, and, if possible, get me chosen in his room, and I will do you all the service in my power."

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8. Accordingly, when the clerk had called over the names of the jurymen, the plaintiff excepted to one of them. on the bench was highly offended with this liberty. you mean," said he, "by excepting against that gentleman ?" "I mean, my lord, to assert my privilege as an Englishman, without giving a reason why."

9. The judge, who had been highly bribed, in order to conceal it by a show of candor, and having a confidence in the superiority of his party, said, "Well, sir, as you claim your privilege in one instance, I will grant it. Whom would you wish to have in the room of that man excepted ?" After a short time, taken in consideration, "My lord," says he, "I wish to have an honest man chosen in ;" and looking round the court"My lord, there is that miller in the court, we will have him, if you please." Accordingly, the miller was chosen in.

10. As soon as the clerk of the court had given them all their oaths, a little dexterous fellow came into the apartment, and slipped ten guineas into the hands of eleven jurymen, and gave the miller but five. He observed, that they were all bribed as well as himself, and said to his next neighbor, in a soft whisper, "how much have you got?" "Ten pieces," said he. But he concealed what he had got himself. The cause was opened by the plaintiff's counsel; and all the scraps of evidence they could pick up were adduced in his fayor.

11. The younger brother was provided with a great number of witnesses, and pleaders, all plentifully bribed as well as the judge. The evidence deposed, that they were in the self same country when the brother died, and saw him buried. The counsellors pleaded upon this accumulated evidence; and every thing went with a full tide in favor of the younger brother. The judge summed up the evidence with great gravity and deliberation ;-"And now, gentlemen of the jury," said he, "lay your heads together, and bring in your verdict as you shall deem most just."

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12. They waited but a few minutes, before they determined in favor of the younger brother. The judge said, "Gentlemen, are you agreed, and who shall speak for you ?"—"We are alĺ agreed, my lord," replied one; our foreman shall speak for Hold, my lord," replied the miller, "we are not all agreed." "Why?" said the judge, in a very surly manner, "what's the matter with you? what reasons have you for disagreeing ?"

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13. "I have several reasons, my lord," replied the miller : "the first is, they have given to all these gentlemen of the jury ten broad pieces of gold, and to me but five; which, you know, is not fair. Besides, I have many objections to make to the false reasonings of the pleaders, and the contradictory evidence of the witnesses." Upon this, the miller began a discourse, which discovered such vast penetration of judgment, such extensive knowledge of law, and was expressed with such energetic and manly eloquence, that astonished the judge and the whole court.

14. As he was going on with his powerful demonstrations, the judge, in a surprise of soul, stopped him. "Where did you come from, and who are you?" 66 I came from Westminster Hall," replied the miller; ૬ my name is Matthew Hale. I am lord chief justice of the King's Bench. I have observed the iniquity of your proceedings this day; therefore, come down from a seat which you are no ways worthy to hold. You are one of the corrupt parties in this iniquitous business. I will come up this moment and try the cause all over again."

15. Accordingly, Sir Matthew went up, with his miller's dress and hat on, began the trial from its very commencement, and searched every circumstance of truth and falsehood. He evinced the elder brother's title to the estate, from the contradictory evidence of the witnesses, and the false reasoning of the pleaders; unravelled all the sophistry to the very bottom, and gained a complete victory in favor of truth and justice.

LESSON CXIV.

On Happiness.-STERNE.

1. THE great pursuit of man is after happiness; it is the first and strongest desire of his nature;-in every stage of his life he searches for it as for hid treasure; courts it under a thousand different shapes; and, though perpetually disappointed-still persists-runs after and inquires for it afreshasks every passenger who comes in his way, "Who will show him any good ;"-who will assist him in the attainment of it or direct him to the discovery of this great end of all his wishes ?

2. He is told by one to search for it among the more gay and youthful pleasures of life; in scenes of mirth and sprightliness where happiness ever presides, and is ever to be known by the joy and laughter which he will see at once painted in her looks.

3. A second, with a graver aspect, points out to him the costly dwellings which pride and extravagance have erected; tells the inquirer that the object he is in search of inhabits there; that happiness lives only in company with the great, in the midst of much pomp and outward state. That he will easily find her out by the coat of many colours she has on, and the great luxury and expense of equipage and furniture with which she always sits surrounded.

4. The miser wonders how any one would mislead and wilfully put him upon so wrong a scent-convinces him that happiness and extravagance never inhabited under the same roof;-that, if he would not be disappointed in his search, he must look into the plain and thrifty dwelling of the prudent man, who knows and understands the worth of money, and cautiously lays it up against an evil hour. That it is not the prostitution of wealth upon the passions, or the parting with it at all, that constitutes happiness-but that it is the keeping it together, and the having and holding it fast to him and his heirs forever, which are the chief attributes that form this great idol of human worship, to which so much incense is offered up every day.

5. The epicure,* though he easily rectifies so gross a mistake, yet, at the same time, he plunges him, if possible into a greater; for, hearing the object of his pursuit to be happiness, and knowing of no other happiness than what is seated imme

Epicure, one excessively fond of eating and drinking.

diately in his senses-he sends the inquirer there; tells him it is in vain to search elsewhere for it, than where nature herself has placed it—in the indulgence and gratification of the appetites, which are given us for that end: and in a word-if he will not take his opinion in the matter-he may trust the word of a much wiser man, who has assured us that there is nothing better in this world, than that a man should eat and drink, and rejoice in his works, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor -for that is his portion.

6. To rescue him from this brutal experiment-ambition takes him by the hand and carries him into the world-shows him all the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of thempoints out the many ways of advancing his fortune, and raising himself to honor-lays before his eyes all the charms and bewitching temptations of power, and asks if there be any happiness in this world like that of being caressed, courted, flattered, and followed.

7. To close all, the philosopher meets him bustling in the full career of his pursuits-stops him-tells him, if he is in search of happiness, he is gone far out of his way :-That this deity has long been banished from noise and tumults, where there was no rest found for her, and was fled into solitude, far from all commerce of the world; and, in a word, if he would find her, he must leave this busy and intriguing scene, and go back to that peaceful scene of retirement and books, from which he first set out.

8. In this circle, too often does a man run, tries all experiments, and generally sits down wearied and dissatisfied with them all at last-in utter despair of ever accomplishing what he wants-not knowing what to trust to after so many disappointments-or where to lay the fault, whether in the incapacity of his own nature, or the insufficiency of the enjoyments themselves.

9. There is hardly any subject more exhausted, or which, at one time or other, has afforded more matter for argument and declamation, than this one, of the insufficiency of our enjoyments. Scarce a reformed sensualist, from Solomon down to our own days, who has not in some fits of repentance or disappointment, uttered some sharp reflection upon the emptiness of human pleasure, and of the vanity of vanities which discovers itself in all the pursuits of mortal man.

10. And though in our pilgrimage through this world—some of us may be so fortunate as to meet with some clear fountains by the way, that may cool for a few moments the heat of this

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