t the
Government which sold me the horse.'

I had a correspondence on the subject with Mr. Chamberlain, which
elicited some remarkable letters; but as he marked all of his private
and confidential, they of course cannot be published.

Now for a few anecdotes, just to show that I have not exhausted my
stock.

It would be cruel to specify the individual of whom I can truthfully
say, he was the biggest fool that ever disfigured the Irish bench.

He had been tutor to the children of a great peer, and his patron
subsequently pressed the Prime Minister to do something for him.

'I can't make him a County Court judge,' said the Prime Minister, 'for
he would never decide rightly.'

'Well,' said another Minister, 'we are going out, and have not the ghost
of a chance of ever getting in again in our time. Let him be
Solicitor-General for Ireland during the last weeks we hold office.'

So this was done out of sheer good-nature; but after the election the
Government found themselves saddled with him, for in those days holders
of high office were not shelved at the caprice of Premiers, whilst the
country had unexpectedly returned the old gang to power.

It has always been averred by the Irish Bar that an office was specially
created for the purpose of shunting this legal luminary into it, but as
an historical fact I will not vouch for the truth of the sarcasm. The
account of the Cabinet conclave came to me on excellent authority.

When Chief Justice Monaghan died, Lord Morris, who was then a Puisne
Judge of Common Pleas, observed that he himself had a good chance of the
post.

'What about Keagh and Lawson?' asked his acquaintance, they being
brother judges.

'Very good men,' replied Lord Morris, 'but as they were not appointed by
the Tories, I don't think they'll promote them.'

'And how about Ormsby?' continued the other.

'Ah now,' said Morris, 'you are getting sarcastic.'

There is a cheery story about Judge Keagh, who has just been mentioned.

A number of brothers were before him, charged with killing a man at
Listowel.

The judge was most anxious to ascertain from an important witness what
share each of the accused had in the murder.

'What did John do?'

'He struck him with his stick on the head.'

'And James?'

'James hit him with his fist on the jaw.'

'And Philip?'

'Philip tried to get him down and kick him.'

'And Timothy?'

'He could do nothing, my lord, but he was just walking round search