A JUDGE HUMORIST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 77, 11 January 1928, Page 2

A JUDGE HUMORIST.

ANECDOTES OF THE COURTS. , Famous Judges and two notable trials are recalled by Lord Shaw of Dunfermine, the wise and witty Lord of Appeal, in a delightful book of memories, "The Other Bundle," Looking back over his 77 years, Lord Shaw also reflects and soliloquises on life and literature, and revels in one chapter in a Scotsman's favourite weakness—sallies at the Scottish genius for economy and whisky. "Years ago," he writes, "I heard of this ridiculous conversation between buyer and. seller at the refreshment stage: ' "Seller (as in duty bound): 'George, name your drink.' "Buver (with a twinkle in his eye) : 'Weel,' Weelum, I'll hao a bottle o' champagne!' "Seller (solemnly): 'Name something nearer threepence!' " The late Sir William RobertsonNieol had from Robert Chambers, the Edinburgh publisher, this story, which Lord Shaw heard from Sir William, about Sydney Smith, the celebrated ecclesiastical wit. It was Sydney Smith who declared that it needed a surgical instrument to get a joke into a Scotsman's head. Chambers was "furious at the- gibe,!' and tackled Smith about it. "Mr Chambers," said Smith, "I do not think you understand what surgical instrument I was referring to." "I do not," say Chambers. "What was .it." "Oh!" replied the incorrigible Smith, "it was a corkscrew!" In a chapter on Lord Young, a brilliant Scottish Judge, there is a story of a couple of farmers who went to law. Young, then an advocate, was' counsel fc the plaintiff. "His eloquence soared high," says Lord Shaw, "and he narrated the wrongs of his client in a way which would have been most moving but for the extraordinary conduct of that worthy, who broke into laughter of manifest enjoyment. His counsel stood petrified. "When he again soared—this time on the iniquities of the other farmer — his client again lost his self-control and his disconcerting laughter made Young, by this time in a towering wrath, pause in confusion. "He then concluded his address and rushed his client (into the lobby of the Court, where he treated him to language appropriate to his indignation. "What did this mean? How dare he? And so forth. " 'Oh,' said the farmer, still laughing, 'me and James'—meaning the other farmer—'we foregathered ower a, tumbler o' toddy last night; and we, settled the case!' "