Gossip of an old French Lawyer.

119

the picture upside down, and found the pur, aware that an attempt had been made to be suer liable for the price. " If I had been guile them, addressed themselves to the advo judge," says one of the company, " I should cates and punished them rigorously. Even have made him pay double, for he had two the Athenian Senate, the Areopagus, only pictures instead of one." Another story, permitted advocates simply to state the facts even sillier than the last, gives rise to an in on either side, without using any embellish teresting remark; namely, " that the office of ment to allure the judges. When the advo a good magistrate is not to draw men into cate was called, the usher forbade him to litigation, but rather to keep them out of it move the affections of the judges. And in by every means, as Cato Censorius properly order that the judges should not be diverted declared, when it was proposed in the Senate by any means from the truth, they heard to decorate the Court and Auditorium of criminal cases by night and in darkness." Rome, some proposing to construct galleries This, and the passage which follows, give so as to keep the litigants under cover. Cato us very curious ideas of ancient and mediae said it would be better to pave the courts and val conceptions of justice. "The great King passages with pitfalls and man-traps, so as to Francis was constrained to deprive accused keep the people out of them as much as persons of all assistance from counsel, seeing that their artifices only served to pervert possible." The discussion rambles in a quaint way justice. In all cases where there is a ques from point to point of the subject under re tion of fact, the parties should be heard by view, and here and there we find passages word of mouth, as is done in the Merchant which have an interest as contributions to Courts." " All ordinances would be useless," the oft-renewed questions of advocacy which said another, " if all advocates were imitators have been such favorites with ancient and of the sanctity of Parpinian, who refused to modern philosophers alike. "Does not defend his emperor, Caracalla, who was ac every one know," it is said, " that, among cused by the Senate of having massacred Geta, his brother. But nowadays manners persons of sound judgment, the fluent speak ing and eloquence of a fallacious orator are are so corrupt, says Francois Grimaudet, that there is no murderer, thief, brigand, or of no more account than the rouge of a co quette with which she adorns her face to ap robber, of whatever condition, or however pear more fascinating? Does not every one wicked, who will not find, provided he has the know that this art is nothing more than a money, an advocate who will boldly undertake deceit and a tyranny of the understanding? to plead his cause. And if he cannot make Who does not know that the Spartans re it a good one, he will make it last so long jected this art, saying that the speech of that one may despair of seeing the end of it." good men came not from art, but from the As a salutary warning to the profession, the heart; and that Socrates judged no orator to following anecdote is introduced : — be worthy of honor in a republic, no plague "A certain advocate of Milan was so cunning being more hurtful to a country than a fairthat he could make his cases last as long as he speaking orator when he made a bad use of liked. Galeazzo, Duke of Milan, hearing of this, his art, and of the sweetness of speech?" called the advocate to him, and said that he owed "One would not find so many advocates a thousand crowns to his baker, and wished to abusing the art of eloquence," says another avoid paying him just then. The advocate assured guest, " in order to conceal the truth, sur him that he need not trouble himself about it for prise the judges, or so dazzle them as to pre ten years to come, as the case would last all that vent their separating the just from the time. The ungrateful Duke, when he came to unjust, if the example of the Athenians was know the artifices of his counsel, at once ordered renewed, who, after judgment given, and the advocate to be hanged."