commencement of the present hoftilities with France. But, whatever may be faid of the merits or demerits of those minifterial arts which engaged Britain in the conteft, it must be confeffed, that in many of the measures which the war-minifter is fuppofed to have fuggefted, fuch as that for the internal defence of the country, there appears much of that vigilance, energy, and vigour, which we have been forced to admire in the revolutionary rulers of the conti

nent.

Mr. Dundas has alfo had the good fortune to obtain the confidence of the Dukes of Buccleugh, Gordon, and Lord Hopetoun, and fo many of the other leading peers and landholders of the North, that it would not be eafy to find another minifterial director of Scottish affairs, whofe agency would be equally acceptable to the great people of that country.

His perfonal friends, who are numerous, and doubtless the beft judges of his real character, are greatly attached to him. They confider him as the only practical man in the cabinet, and think that either his retreat, or his death, would be attended with the moft melancholy events on the part of the nation.

On the other hand, his enemies, who are implacable, as confidering him the author of all our prefent calamities, and the accomplice of our former ones during the American war, entertain very different fentiments. The very mildeft of them affert, that the beft with that can be breathed, in favour of him or his country, is, either that he may be enabled quickly to retire from the toils of his political career, or be fpeedily called, by Divine Providence, to the enjoyment of another and a better world.

The few who are of no party may confider him as an honest and respectable private character, and as an active, zealous, and loyal statesman.

A. Z.

ARTHUR

ARTHUR WOLFE,

BARON KILWARDEN,

Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland.

This gentleman was educated in the university of Dublin, and was called to the Irish bar in 1766. He was foon appointed a king's counsel, and by very laborious industry in his profeffion, was making-way to wealth and legal character, when, in confequence of a high opinion generally entertained of his talents, he was introduced into parlia ment by Lord Tyrone. Though Mr. Wolfe, from his outfet in life, was a ftaunch friend to the administration of the day, it was yet fo late as the year 1787 before he mounted the first step of the ladder to the bench, by being appointed his Majesty's Solicitor-general. This we fuppofe was owing to the more important fervices of other candidates, for in zeal he was inferior to none.

His next advancement followed clofe on the heels of the former, being nominated Attorney-general in 1789, on the promotion of Mr. Fitzgibbon to the court of Chancery. In this fituation it might have been expected his parliamentary talents would have had fair and ample room for difplay. Unfortunately for him, however, he fucceeded a man whofe powers of mind, fenatorial courage, and skill in doing the king's business," were of fuch a fuperior caft, that he suffered by the comparison.

There was, however, a degree of candour and openness in Mr. W's manner, which entitled him to esteem and praife; though these very qualities, perhaps, difqualified

him

him from appearing to great advantage in his official character. This, although it was not invariably apparent, fecured for him many friends, even in the oppofition; and those who did not approve the law officer of the crown, yet refpected the man.

In June last he was raifed to the peerage, and to the bench on the death of Lord Chief Juftice Clonmel. As a fpeaker, his voice is ftrong and deep; but it is neither mellow nor capable of much variety. His action is that which is generally found to distinguish the bar-pleader; and even on the most momentous and animating fubjects, he feemed unable to difengage himself from professional habits.

In private life, his Lordfhip has the high character of being a steady friend, and an honest man. As a companion he is less valuable, his manners being rather of a fombre and auftere complexion, while the excellence of his mind confifts rather in the ftrength of his understanding than in the quickness of wit or the vivacity of imagination.

MR.

MR. CURRAN.

OF all the opinions which have obtained a general currency, without being either founded in truth or fanctioned by experience, there are none, perhaps, which have been fo widely circulated as those by which we are taught to believe, that the study of law is adverfe to the operations of genius, and that a lively imagination cannot be fettered to profeffional pursuits; that to be learned, a man must be dull, and that wit cannot be poffeffed but to the exclufion of industry.

Among the many examples which might be adduced from antiquity, or exhibited in modern times, to prove the futility of this dangerous conceit, Mr. Curran is not the leaft ftriking. No man has acquired higher reputation for thofe powers which delight and captivate the fancy, touch the fprings of paffion, elicit tears from the softness of senfibility, or extort from gravity itself the roar of laughter; yet has the affiduous induftry and laborious exertions of this gentleman raised him from an humble walk in life, to the first rank, if not to the first place, at the Irish bar. He has not, indeed, attained high official fituations, or rifen to thofe honours which are oftener the reward of judicious politics, than of profeffional ability; but he has acquired that which is a much stronger proof both of industry and of talent-the uncontefted title of being the first advocate in his country.

Mr. Curran is about fifty years of age. He was born in the county of Cork, of parents who were undistinguished by wealth or fituation; who had neither a fortune by which they could have enabled the son to live independently, nor connexions by which they could advance him to a profeffion. They were, however, capable of giving him the rudiments

of

of a liberal education, and that feems to be the only advantage which he derived from his family. Having qualified himself for the university, he entered. And at the ufual time (two years after entrance) he obtained a scholarship. The remainder of his college career is not marked by any peculiar circumftances; he obtained the ufual ho nours with which the policy of the university rewards industry and talents, and is faid to have made some progress in reading the laborious courfe which is prefcribed for fel lowship candidates; but whether difgufted with the drudgery, or deterred by the magnitude of the undertaking, he foon defifted from the purfuit, and turned his attention to the bar.

Previously to his becoming a student in the Inns of Court in London, Mr. Curran married a lady of his own country. This match appears to have been founded in inclination, for fhe did not bring him a fortune fufficient to compenfate the inconveniences into which fuch a premature connexion must have thrown him. He was called to the bar in 1775 and refided in Kevin-ftreet for a few years.

About this time he became a frequenter of a convivial fociety, originally formed by fome young Barristers, and called the Monks of the Screw. Although the members of this inftitution were merry, they were not very rich; the object of their meetings was to forget, in good fellowship, the cares of life, and relax the mind from the intenseness of legal ftudies.

Mr. Curran was not the only man of talents, who at that time belonged to this fociety, and whom a fubfequent dif play of genius, and of learning, raised to eminence. The prefent Chief Baron of the Exchequer, Lord Yelverton, the early intimate and friend of Curran, was one of its original members. Though more fortunate than him in his political, as well as forenfic pursuits, the connexion first formed