YELVERTON. 643 nance, and the social intercourse of Mr. Yelverton, on a footing of perfect equality. With him and many of his contemporaries in Trinity college, frequent nights were devoted to intellectual, as well as convivial intercourse, “ the feast of reason and the flow of soul.” The well known struggles which about this period began to dawn in the parliament of Ireland, for the attainment of free trade and legislative independence, gave Mr. Yelverton a favourable opportunity of displaying at once his patriot ardour and political eloquence. He was amongst the most strenuous advocates for the cause of his country on those occasions, and his eloquence in the senate, (a prin cipal advantage in a lawyer,) mainly contributed to his eminence and emolument at the bar. It would be tedious here to detail the history of those contests; let it suffice to say, that the patriots having succeeded in the attain ment of their two great objects, free trade, and an inde pendence of legislation and jurisdiction, a change of ministers took place. The Duke of Portland was ap pointed viceroy of Ireland; and Mr. Yelverton, in conse quence of the decided part he took in parliament against the proceedings of the delegate convention at Dublin, was appointed attorney-general in 1782. This appointment placed him in the direct path to the highest honours of his profession; and in 1784, he was nominated a privy counsellor, and raised to the Irish bench as chief baron of the exchequer. This appointment took him, for a time at least, out of the political arena; judicial gravity abated his patriotic fire, and rendered his devotion at court less conspicuous. But, in the year 1789, he was roused from his apathy by an extraordinary event. When his majesty, previous to the manifestation of his mental malady, repaired to Cheltenham for the benefit of i t s waters, Baron Yelverton repaired thither t o pay his respects t o his sovereign, accompanied b y his friend, Mr. Egan, a barrister o f huge dimensions and rough manners; b y his favourite, Mr. Curran, o f a person diametrically op posite, and not fashioned i n the mould o f beauty,+and b y
