ife, his fame was rapidly rising in public
estimation. Unlike many of his brethren, the brilliant lawyer had
exceeded expectation, and shone even yet more conspicuously in the less
adventitiously aided duties of the judge. Envy itself--and Brandon's
political virulence had, despite his personal affability, made him
many foes--was driven into acknowledging the profundity of his legal
knowledge, and in admiring the manner in which the peculiar functions
of his novel dignity were discharged. No juvenile lawyer browbeat, no
hackneyed casuist puzzled, him; even his attention never wandered from
the dullest case subjected to his tribunal. A painter, desirous of
stamping on his canvas the portrait of an upright judge, could scarcely
have found a finer realization for his beau-ideal than the austere,
collected, keen, yet majestic countenance of Sir William Brandon, such
as it seemed in the trappings of office and from the seat of justice.

The newspapers were not slow in recording the singular capture of the
notorious Lovett. The boldness with which he had planned and executed
the rescue of his comrades, joined to the suspense in which his wound
for some time kept the public, as to his escape from one death by
the postern gate of another, caused a very considerable ferment
and excitation in the popular mind; and, to feed the impulse, the
journalists were little slothful in retailing every anecdote, true or
false, which they could collect touching the past adventures of the
daring highwayman. Many a good story then came to light, which partook
as much of the comic as the tragic,--for not a single one of the
robber's adventures was noted for cruelty or bloodshed; many of them
betokened rather an hilarious and jovial spirit of mirthful enterprise.
It seemed as if he had thought the highway a capital arena for jokes,
and only robbed for the sake of venting a redundant affection for
jesting. Persons felt it rather a sin to be severe with a man of so
merry a disposition; and it was especially observable that not one of
the ladies who had been despoiled by the robber could be prevailed on
to prosecute; on the contrary, they always talked of the event as one
of the most agreeable remembrances in their lives, and seemed to bear a
provoking gratitude to the comely offender, rather than resentment. All
the gentlemen were not, however, of so placable a temper; and two sturdy
farmers, with a grazier to boot, were ready to swear, "through thi