on of their political
effect, and partly from the unworthiness of poor human nature, he
listened to the speeches of John Randolph with the relish of a
school-boy, rubbing his hands and laughing heartily as the orator went
along. Aside from the ardent and unquenchable love that existed between
them, the explanation may be found to a certain extent in Tazewell's
love of humor. When Watkins Leigh's amusing letter of Christopher
Quandary appeared in the Enquirer,--a paper, by the way, which, after
the feud in the Jefferson administration, he never took in, thus showing
that, if the democrats remembered his shortcomings, he did not forget
what he deemed theirs--I took the number around to him, and he laughed
heartily at its hits. The last extended work which I know that he read
was Randall's Life of Jefferson, which evidently made an impression upon
him. He spoke of the author as a clever fellow; and he expatiated on the
character of Jefferson, which, as he declined in life, I think he valued
more than ever, pronouncing him the greatest Secretary of State any
country ever had. I may say here, that Mr. Tazewell had no respect for
law schools as an instrumentality of rearing great lawyers. He said if
the student would have lectures, let him read Blackstone; and he ever
maintained the opinion that the popularity of those charming
commentaries had tended to depreciate the standard of legal intellect
since their appearance--an opinion which he shared with Mr. Jefferson.
That he had read them attentively and admired their beauty, though much
in the spirit in which he would admire a poem or a play, I know from
this fact, that once, when he was in a playful mood, he said he believed
he could repeat the heads of all the chapters of the four volumes which
he straightway did. He occasionally read novels, but was quite
indifferent whether he began with the second or the first volume; and I
heard him commend highly the preface of the late novel attributed to Sir
Walter Scott, called Moredun, as a fine piece of special pleading,
declaring that its author would make a good special pleader. I have
spoken already of the hearty praise which he bestowed upon Mr. Adams'
report on weights and measures.

In respect both of argumentation and style it has often occurred to me
that Mr. Tazewell occupied an intermediate position between Judge
Marshall and Mr. Wickham. He has the strength of Marshall with something
more of refinement in style and imag