to the Taylor families Mr.
Webster obeyed the injunction of Solomon who said, "Thine own friend,
and thy _father's friend_ forsake not." Mr. Webster's letter furnishes
strong evidence, that he did not forsake "his own friend," _Parker
Noyes_. The friendship between these men commenced when Mr. Noyes
entered the _Law_ office of Thomas W. Thompson as early as 1798, and
continued intimate, cordial, unabated, "_fast_" during their lives. The
earthly existence of both terminated in the same year, Mr. Noyes having
deceased August, 19, 1852, and Mr. Webster on the twenty-fourth of the
succeeding October.

The dwelling houses of both in Franklin were within the distance of
twenty rods; their intercourse was frequent during the last fifty-four
years of their lives.

During the time Mr. Webster practiced law in New Hampshire they often
met at the same bar, and measured intellectual lances in various legal
contests. These meetings were most frequent when Mr. Webster first
settled in Boscawen in 1805, and for the next two years, before his
removal to Portsmouth.

We were present in A.D. 1848, when these two friends met and recited
many of the interesting and humorous events that occurred in their early
practice. In those days, they often had for a veteran client a man who
then resided in West Boscawen, now Webster, by the name of Corser. He
was represented as one who loved the law, not for its pecuniary profits,
but for its exciting, stimulating effects. It was said of him, that at
the end of a term of the Court, once held at Hopkinton, he was found
near the Court House by a friend, shedding tears. The friend inquired
the cause of his great sorrow. His answer was, "I have _no longer_ a
_case in court._" The same Corser had been a Revolutionary soldier, and
belonged to the army when discharged by Washington at Newburg, at the
termination of the war. He had but little money to bear his expenses
home. When he reached Springfield, Massachusetts, his money was
exhausted, and he was obliged to resort to his talent at begging.
Accordingly he called at a farm house, and requested the good loyal lady
of the establishment to give him a pie, adding at the same time, that he
wanted _another_ for his _Brother Jonathan_. The lady well supposing
that his Brother Jonathan was then his companion in arms, and in the
street suffering with hunger, readily granted his request, when in truth
and in fact Jonathan was then at home cultivating his farm