Impressions at home and abroad; or, A year of real life

-no length of years can divest them of the charm of novelty-they are as much esteemed to-day as half a century back, and will, doubtless, a century to come. Wherein consists the charm?-what is it that strews flowers along the dull and dreary road, and sheds a pleasing brightness over the black-lettered page?—it is literary composition.

As I am willing to anticipate every objection, I readily allow that Blackstone, who devoted, while at Pembroke College, no inconsiderable portion of his time to literary and scientific pursuits, thought it prudent to abandon them, when entering on the duties of his profession. And this may appear a stumbling-block which I cannot get over; but the reader must remember that I do not object to that. If any occupation claims our attention, to the exclusion of a more important one, such fascinating pursuit should be instantly abandoned. Then, indeed, if persevere d in, no one, for a moment, can question its impropriety. Poetry was the delight of Blackstone, he could not divert his thoughts from it, in order to apply them to his more serious task, therefore wisely discarded the Muses. He could not practise temperance, though his strength of mind enabled him to endure abstinence. Such a distinction is by no means rare.

May it be then remembered, that almost every eminent lawyer has indulged in a partiality more

or less for the Belles-lettres. Cowper, Harcourt, Talbot, and Stowell, are names I have not before mentioned. The talented bar of my own country presents so many gifted names, that I might be guilty of injustice if I mentioned some and omitted others; I shall merely call attention to "The Life of Curran by his Son;" one of the most agreeable biographical works ever written,

For the satisfaction of my fellow-students-for the gratification of my friends, and in justice to what I felt due to my own character, so soon about to appear in the long robe, I have made these hurried observations - principally to inform my friends, that the work, which is the subject of them, has not precluded me from acquiring that knowledge which I shall be proud to apply to their interests on request, to shew that the time required to make a lawyer, may be judiciously interspersed by studies of a nature demanding less intense application than the books,—that such avocations, the amusements of the mind, are not inconsistent with the duty I owe the noble study I am engaged in, no more than recreation to the body is an injury to the health. If immoderately used, both are similarly detrimental.

I have already detained the kind reader on this topic, and shall take leave in the same language as Sir W. Blackstone, when abandoning the Muses: :

APOLOGY.

Then welcome business-welcome strife,
Welcome the cares, the thorns of life,
The visage wan, the poreblind sight,
The toil by day, the lamp by night;
The tedious forms, the solemn prate,
The pert dispute, the dull debate;
The drowsy bench, the babbling hall,
For thee, fair JUSTICE, welcome all!

xxiii

CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.

CHAPTER I.

My birthday-Reflections on attaining my majority-Stag-

hunt at Killarney-Lines on the Lakes