time in the plains of Languedoc or among the mountains of-God knows where. Hey! my friend, is not this something?

My father will not, I hope, quite abandon me, and from him I count on a trifle to convey me back to England in July or August. Yes, there are times when my heart is in my mouth in thinking of England.

The above summer sketch, Denman, is at present only in embryo. Three or four days will determine the vestry on the feasibility of opening or relinquishing our church-the latter appears the most probable from the sort of difficulties they have to encounter. In that case (child that I am to hope it) I shall be at Paris in a twinkling, stay three days, fall prostrate before the Apollo, the Venus, the Laocoon, give Talma my mite of approbation, wait my written orders from the surgeon, and then proceed on my route, which I already see to be the most this-the most that-in short, the only true land of Cockayne. Thus till July, when I shall expect wherewith to convey me back to England again. Well, my dear friend, suppose me by dint of quiet, serene skies, gaylooking people and self-satisfaction (worth them all) become a man again, mentally and physically, and returned to England, with my salary of 100l. a year remaining to me as a personage under Government-now could not another snug hundred be prepared for me in the West of England or Ireland by some curacy, or, in short, a something. My own opinion is that the Bishop of London, who is my rector, or Mr. Hope, will do something for me, merely on Sterne's admirable principle, that we love that which has already cost us trouble--you plant a tree, and because you plant it, you water it. Really, in sober verity, the future, though uncertain, is not hopeless.

Bland was back in England in the course of 1811. Merivale, writing to Denman, in October of that year,

The news of Bland's return, which I had heard nothing of but from yourself, was kept from me for several days. His silence I cannot help considering as an unaccountable breach of old friendship. Nevertheless, I shall be glad to hear how and when he got over, how he does, and every other particular that you know concerning him.

In the same month of October, Byron, who had returned from the East in the preceding July, and who about this time saw a good deal of Hodgson, Drury, and Merivale, writes to Hodgson in reference to Bland:

You have hinted, I think, that your friend Bland is returned from Holland. I have always had a great respect for his talents, and for what I knew of his character; but of me, I believe he knows nothing, except that he heard my sixth form repetitions at Harrow for ten months together, at the average of ten lines a morning, and those never perfect. I suppose he will now translate Vondel, the Dutch Shakespeare.22

Although Byron was at this time on intimate terms with Hodgson, Drury, Bland, and Merivale, it does not appear that he and Denman ever met except once. On that one occasion Byron, with the strange perversity that at times got the better of him, would talk of nothing but the grossest obscenity, raked out of the filth of old criminal law text books, to which he persisted in returning again and again, whenever an attempt was made to change the conversation.

22 Letter to Hodgson, Oct. 13, 1811, in Moore's Life.' In a letter to Hodgson of Dec. 8, 1811, Byron writes: 'Bland dines with me on Tuesday to meet Moore;' and again on Dec. 12: 'Bland did not come according to appointment, being unwell.'

This so disgusted Denman, though by no means in general more squeamish than the rest of his profession, that he declined again to lower, by personal intercourse, his ideal of the poet, for whose genius, as subsequently developed, he had the most unbounded admiration.

CHAPTER V.

PROGRESS AT THE BAR.

A.D 1811 TO 1815. ET. 32 TO 36.

In 1811 Denman's practice on circuit and sessions much increased-Takes chambers at No. 5 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn - Extracts from Midland Circuit Book-Brougham specially retained at Lincoln in Spring Assizes of 1811 for defence of John Drakard, of the 'Stamford News' -Merivale disappointed that Denman was not retained-Dangerous illness of Merivale in October and November 1811-Extract from letter from Merivale to Denman, Nov. 22, 1811-Death of Denman's uncle, Dr. Joseph Denman, in 1812-Disposal of his property-The story of the poisoned bottles-Impression produced by the occurrence on Denman-Makes him cautious as to circumstantial evidenceLetter from Denman to his wife on the death of her brother, Lieutenant Charles Vevers, R.N., at the storming of San Sebastian, August 31, 1813-From same to same, April 7, 1814--Delight at fall of Napoleon-Rooted success' on circuit-Defence, in July 1814, of some of the associates of Lord Cochrane in the Stock Exchange Conspiracy-The trial before Lord Ellenborough-Partial summing-up and severe sentence-After career of Lord Cochrane (Earl of Dundonald)—Denman, in August and September 1814, visits France with his wife and children-Extracts from letters to Merivale describing the trip-Meeting and reconciliation with Francis Horner-Horner's subsequent death by consumption-Public honours paid to; Mackintosh's remarks on Political speculations of Denman in 1814 as to Bonaparte and the Bourbons-Theatricals in Paris; music and dancing-Column of the Place Vendôme-Edmund Kean-Denman appointed Deputy Recorder of Nottingham, 1815-Death of his father, November 1815— Vigorous old age of Dr. Denman-His death sudden at last-His character by his daughter, Mrs. Baillie-His treatise on midwifery and lectures.

IN the fifth year after his call to the bar Denman's practice on circuit and at sessions had already begun

very considerably to increase. Early in 1811 he entered a new (and final) set of chambers at No. 5 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, and on this occasion his mother records, We had this day the pleasure of hearing that my son was overflowing with business at the sessions.' Shortly afterwards he himself writes to his wife from Derby, on the spring circuit, 'There was very little business at Nottingham, but I was in everything. Here at Derby there is a good deal, and I am in almost everything, and in most things have been applied to on both sides of the question.'

It may be as well here to throw together the few entries in the Midland Circuit book referring to Denman during the period comprised in the present chapter, and which serve to attest the progress he was making in the estimation of the judges, and of those still more powerful arbiters of a young barrister's fortunes-the attornies.

1811. Summer Assizes, Leicester.-Mr. Hudson presents Mr. Denman for rivalling Mr. Reader in candour, and for being puffed by Mr. Justice Grose in open court: Upon my word, you behave so candidly and fairly that I am much obliged to you.'-Fined one guinea.

1812. Northampton.-The Recorder presents Mr. Denman for advertising for business by informing an attorney in the County Hall at Lincoln where his lodgings were situated.

Mr. Reynolds presents Mr. Denman for puffing his great classical and etymological learning before divers-to wit 700,000-attornies in the Crown Court at Lincoln, in saying that suesco is evidently derived from sus, owing to the domestic habits of the sow, the chief evidence against a