ier,
_Inschriften von Cambyses_, No. 97.

CAMDEN, CHARLES PRATT, 1ST EARL (1714-1794), lord chancellor of England,
was born in Kensington in 1714. He was a descendant of an old Devonshire
family of high standing, the third son of Sir John Pratt, chief-justice
of the king's bench in the reign of George I. He received his early
education at Eton and King's College, Cambridge. In 1734 he became a
fellow of his college, and in the following year obtained his degree of
B.A. Having adopted his father's profession, he had entered the Middle
Temple in 1728, and ten years later he was called to the bar. He
practised at first in the courts of common law, travelling also the
western circuit. For some years his practice was so limited, and he
became so much discouraged, that he seriously thought of turning his
back on the law and entering the church. He listened, however, to the
advice of his friend Sir Robert Henley, a brother barrister, afterwards
known as Lord Chancellor Northington, and persevered, working on and
waiting for success. The first case which brought him prominently into
notice and gave him assurance of ultimate success was the government
prosecution, in 1752, of a bookseller, William Owen, for a libel on the
House of Commons.

His speech for the defence contributed much to the verdict for the
defendant. In 1757, through the influence of William Pitt (afterwards
earl of Chatham), with whom he had formed an intimate friendship while
at Eton, he received the appointment of attorney-general. The same year
he entered the House of Commons as member for the borough of Downton in
Wiltshire. He sat in parliament four years, but did not distinguish
himself as a debater. His professional practice now largely increased.
One of the most noticeable incidents of his tenure of office as
attorney-general was the prosecution of Dr. J. Shebbeare (1709-1788), a
violent party writer of the day, for a libel against the government
contained in his notorious _Letters to the People of England_, which
were published in the years 1756-1758. As a proof of Pratt's moderation
in a period of passionate party warfare and frequent state trials, it is
noted that this was the only official prosecution for libel which he set
on foot. In January 1762 Pratt was raised to the bench as chief-justice
of the common pleas. He was at the same time knighted. Soon after his
elevation the nation was thrown into great excitement about the
prosecution