shown me by Lord Sydney. I remember against one of the articles of accusation, viz. that, when Solicitor-General prosecuting the rebels of 1745, he never applied the epithet Rebels, nor any other harsh epithet against them, his reply was that he had the happiness to serve a most gracious sovereign, to whom he would ill-pay his Court if he was to load the unfortunate victims to mistaken opinions with harsh and cruel epithets; that if he had lived in the time he would not for all Lord Coke's favour, wealth and power, have left such a blot upon his memory as the abuse with which he loaded Sir Walter Raleigh. I alluded to this in the House of Lords when he loaded the Americans with every reproach that the English language could invent. The speech certainly was sent me underhand by a friend of Lord Mansfield for the purpose.[1]
"Like the generality of Scotch, Lord Mansfield had no regard to truth whatever.[2] Sir Thomas Clerk, Master of the Rolls, said to Sir Eardley Wilmot, 'You and I have lived long in the world, and of course have met with a great many liars, but did you ever know such a liar as Will. Murray, whom we have seen capable of lying before twelve people, every one of whom he knows knows also that he lies.' But the worst part of his character as a judge was what Mr. Pitt called inventing law, and no fond parent could be more attached to his offspring than he was to. such inventions. He had a most indecent habit of attending the appeals against his own decrees in the House of Lords. Lord Bathurst, when Chancellor,[3] was so overawed by Lord Mansfield's manner that he literally, as Speaker, decided a cause against a decree of his own, when, upon counting the house some time after, there was a majority of one against Lord Mansfield's opinion, but it was too late. Lord Bathurst was flustered, and, in his confusion, gave it against. At the same time nobody was enough interested to call for a division. Mr. Hume told me that, after one of his Sunday evening
- ↑ See infra, p. 488.
- ↑ It may be noted that notwithstanding this sweeping condemnation Lord Shelburne selected two Scotchmen to negotiate the peace with the American Colonies. See infra, Vol. II., pp. 119, 170.
- ↑ 1771-1778.
