HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. L MEMOIRS of the RIGHT HON. ROBERT LORD Gifford. ORD GIFFORD was born at Exeter, on the 24th of February, 1779. His father, who was a dealer in hops, grocery, and drapery, was twice married, and had by his second marriage four children, of whom Robert Gifford was the youngest, Robert received his education at a school at Alphington, near Exeter, kept by Dr. Halloran, a man remarkable for his talents, and for his misapplication of them. From early youth Robert Gifford evinced a great inclination for the profession of the law; and, when he had attained the age of sixteen, he was articled by his father to Mr. Jones, a respectable attorney of Exeter, in whose office he remained the usual period. Mr. Gifford became a great favourite with Mr. Jones; and, towards the latter part of his clerkship, in consequence of Mr. Jones's ill health, the chief management of the business devolved upon him. It is probable that Mr. Gifford had been induced to entertain expectations of being taken into partnership by Mr. Jones at the expiration of the term of his articles; but the arrival of Mr. Jones's nephew from London, to assume the management of his uncle's office, put an end to these hopes. Under the will of his father, who died during the second year of his clerkship, he had become entitled to some property, not, however, by any means adequate to meet those heavy and unavoidable expenses which must be contemplated by every young man who determines upon making the bar his profession. But his brothers declared, that he should not want any assistance which they could furnish, in the pursuit of his favourite object. Thus assured, Mr. Gifford entered himself as a student at the Middle Temple in 1800. On his first coming to London, Mr. Gifford was two years a pupil with Mr. Robert Bayly, then practising as a special pleader, and who is at present one of the barristers belonging to the western circuit. In 1803, he began to practise as a special pleader himself; his chambers being in Essex-court, in the Temple. Although unaided by any powerful connection, yet his knowledge and his unremitting attention, gradually brought him into extensive practice. On the 12th of February, 1808, Mr. Gifford was called to the bar; where his abilities, and the assiduity with which he devoted himself to the acquisition of legal learning, soon attracted notice. He joined the western circuit, and the Exeter and Devon sessions, where he almost immediately got into considerable business; and, both on the circuit and in London, he was steadily making progress towards distinction, when one of those fortunate circumstances, which sometimes occur, brought his talents into full play, and drew upon him the attention of the public. He was retained to argue a case of Mogg versus Mogg, in the court of King's-bench, involving some points connected with the law of real property; and, on the argument, he exhibited so profound a knowledge, and so much readiness in the application of it, that he attracted the attention of the late lord Ellenborough, then chief justice of the court of King's-bench, who invited him to his house, and to whose strong recommendation, added to that of the late learned and venerable sir James Mansfield, chief justice of the court of Common Pleas, he was principally indebted for his early and sudden advance had to contend with the late Mr. Dauncy, one of the ablest advocates of his day, and Mr. Abbott, the present lord chief justice of the court of King's-bench (who were brought down specially on that occasion), Mr. Gifford exhibited powers of argument of the highest order. On the 9th of May, 1817, he was appointed solicitor-general. On the 16th of the same month he was elected one of the masters of the bench by the society of the Middle Temple, and, shortly after, took his seat in parliament, for the borough of Eye, in Suffolk. After this, he left the court of King'sbench, in order to practise in Chancery, which he continued to do till his elevation to the Bench in 1824. During this period he became the principal leader in the appeals to the House of Lords, and acquired that intimate knowledge of Scotch law which he afterwards employed in so useful a manner for the country in his capacity of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. The rapidity with which he mastered, not merely the principles, but in a great measure the details, of that law, excited the surprise of many of the most eminent of its professors, of whose applause, as he felt its value, he was most justly proud. * ། On the resignation of sir Vicary Gibbs, Mr. Gifford was chosen by the corporation of Bristol to be their recorder; an office which has never been held but by persons of the highest degree of legal merit. The duties of this station Mr. Gifford discharged highly to the satisfaction of the corporation; and he was requested by them to sit to sir Thomas Lawrence for a wholelength portrait, to be placed in the town-hall of the city of Bristol. The picture was not finished when upon the nature of this charge, or upon the importance of this investigation, it is quite unnecessary for me to enlarge. Your lordships, and every individual in the country, are fully capable of estimating these topics in their proper light. The only consolation which I derive under the discharge of the duty which I have now to fulfil, is, that it calls not upon me to address my hisOn the first of those trials, self to your lordships' passions or and firm friend sir James Mansfield attended in the court of King's-bench, purposely to hear his reply; and expressed his high gratification on the occasion. feelings; and that I shall best discharge it, according to your lordships' command, by abstaining from any observation which might tend to aggravate the charge made against so illustrious a person." Although sir Robert Gifford was not a very frequent speaker in the House of Commons, he took an active part in most of those debates In July 1819, on sir Samuel Shepherd's being appointed chief baron of the Exchequer in Scotland, sir Robert Gifford succeeded him as attorney-general. In this important office, he was so cautious which had reference to topics conto avoid prosecuting, except in cases in which he felt confident that conviction must be the result, that, we believe, not a single instance occurred of any failure on the part of the crown during his continuance in office. In the latter end of April, 1820, sir Robert Gifford prosecuted to conviction the conspirators in the Cato-street plot."**** busth the autumn of the same year, the bill of pains and penalties against the late queen Caroline, was introduced into the House of Lords: and to the attorney and solicitor-general, sir Robert Gifford, and sir John Copley, its prosecution was intrusted. In the performance of this important duty, sir Robert Gifford betrayed no asperity, nor evinced any eagerness to criminate the royal personage. Throughout the whole of the proceedings, he adhered strictly to the pledge which he gave in opening nected with his professional habits, and official duties. 1; mil or J The year 1824 was a year rich in honours to sir Robert Gifford. On the resignation of sir Robert Dallas, he was, on the 8th of January appointed to the office of chief justice of the court of Common Pleas. He also received from the university of Cambridge the compliment of an honorary degree of M. A. There being at this time a great arrear of business in the appellate jurisdiction of the House of Lords, it was determined by the cabinet that sir Robert Gifford, whose acquaintance with the laws of Scotland was well known, should, in addition to the office of chief justice of the court of Common Pleas, be appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, and assist the lord chancellor in hearing and determining the appeals from Scotland. Accordingly he was created a peer, by the title of Baron Gif *། ford, of St. Leonard's, in the county of Devon; his patent being dated January 28, 1824, with a limitation of the honours to his issue male. The arrangement which took place upon this occasion was as follows: the lord chancellor attended the House of Lords on Mondays and Thursdays, to hear writs of error, and English and Irish appeals; and lord Gifford presided on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, for the determination of appeals from Scotland. During that and the two succeeding sessions of parliament, he devoted himself gratuitously to the assiduous discharge of his new and important duties. Sir Thomas Plumer, the Master of the Rolls, dying on the 25th of March, 1824, lord Gifford, on the 5th of April following, was appointed Master of the Rolls. This caused a great increase of labour to him; for it became a part of his duty to dispose of the numerous appeals brought under the consideration of the privy-council. and But all this was done at the expense of health and strength. During almost the whole period of this laborious exertion, those who were nearly and intimately con- Lord Gifford married, April 6, nected with him, experienced the 1816, Harriet-Maria, one of the utmost anxiety on his account. daughters of the Rev. Edward The friends who watched him, in Drewe, of Broad Hembury, near that I severe depression of spirits Honiton, in the county of Devon, which over-fatigue and over-anxi- the descendant of a highly respectety produced, can best estimate able family (long resident at their how little, in all this time of seat called Grange, in that parish apparent prosperity, lord Gifford which has repeatedly furnished was an object of envy. At the high sheriffs for the county se By very moment of a most wanton this marriage he h had issue, while and bitter attack, in which (most living, three sons, Robert-Francis disgraceful to him who uttered it, (his successor), born March 19th and to the assembly who listened 1817, John, and Edward-Scott; patiently to it) it was stated in and three daughters, Charlotteparliament, with the impudent on or via both out regipoo confidence of ignorance, that the gifts See Ann. Reg, vol, lxvii, p. Dorothy, Harriett-Jane, and Caro line; and lady Gifford gave birth to another son, on the 4th of No vember, about nine weeks after lord Gifford's death. ACCOUNT of LADY HESTER STANHOPE. [From Carne's Letters from the East.] Ar about an hour and a half's ride from the town of Sidon is the residence of lady Hester Stanhope. It is situated on the top of a hill, and called Marilius, from the convent of that name that formerly stood there, and out of part of which, with her own additions, she has constructed her present mansion. There are few trees round it, and it is very exposed: in the back-ground are ranges of barren hills; the prospect beneath, of the gardens of Sidon and the bay, is magnificent. This extraordinary woman no longer possesses the daring and chivalric spirit which led her to Palmyra and other perilous parts of the East. She is now become very nervous, and has for some time put great faith in nativities, and the productions of a venerable Arabian, who passes for an astrologer or magician, and often visits Marilius. Her habits of life have long been, not to retire to rest till five in the morning, and to rise at two in the afternoon, and eat scarcely any animal food; but her house contains a good store of choice wines, and the various con missed. She scarcely ever rides now, although she has a stud of twelve fine Arabian horses. In conversation, as a friend of hers who several times visited her assured me, she is very agreeable; but it must be during the witching hours of night, when her ladyship loves most to converse. Arabic she speaks pretty well, and with the natives and manners of the East she is of course thoroughly acquainted. Among Turkish wo men, she says, she has met many admirable and attractive charac ters, but among the Greeks not a single one. Woe be to the woman of her own nation who should reside for a short time at Marilius! she must expect to submit to all the seclusion of the land, as, if any sheik or Turk comes to the house, she must not only shun his presence, but be sure not to let a glimpse of her face be seen : ́no infringement on Eastern etiquette can ever be allowed there. The influence this lady has over the surrounding pachas and governors is truly singular. A mer chant from Smyrna was returning from Damascus to Beirout with some camel loads of silk: they were stopped in the way by the pacha of Acre, who intended to use no ceremony in making them his own. The merchant was in partnership in this concern with a rich Moor at Beitout, who was intimately known to her ladyship, |