From the Silurian, 25 April 1840:
“DEVICE OF GRATTAN TO WAKE HIMSELF
Grattan, the celebrated Irish barrister, was indefatigably industrious. He was so anxious not to lose a moment in sleep, which in his opinion ought to be devoted to study, that he contrived a singular apparatus to rouse him regularly at daybreak. A small barrel filled with water was placed over a basin, which stood on a shelf immediately above his pillow, and the cock of it was sufficiently turned to fill the basin by daylight; so that if he did not then rise the water flowed upon his person and bedding.”
In fact, Henry Grattan was better known as a politician in the Irish House of Commons; his statue stands outside the former Irish Parliament in College Green to this day. He did, however, for some time practise as a barrister.
The following article from the Derry Journal of 15 November 1895 suggests that Grattan’s political skill may have been honed by his earlier legal experience. An interesting feature of the article is not only the quoted advice of Lord Clonmel about how best to embark on a career at the Irish Bar, but also the view expressed as to the unparalleled advocacy skills of Irish barristers of the time.
“GRATTAN AS A LAWYER
It is, says a correspondent, a signal distinction that the Bar of Ireland can reckon among its members the well-known Henry Grattan. It is not generally understood that this celebrated man was at one time an Irish lawyer. Grattan’s parliamentary reputation seems to have absorbed everything else. The illustrious patriot was himself the son of an occupant of the Irish judicial Bench as Recorder of Dublin, who was also representative of Dublin City in company with Dr Lucas in the Irish House of Commons. Grattan, who was called in 1772, at once joined the Home Circuit, but remained only a few years a legal practitioner.
However, it is the glory of Irish lawyers that in conduct of court business where there is the gift – orator nascitur non fit – the advocate in court presses into the service of his client all those resources of eloquence. It was the impassioned animation and rich play of a refined imagination which lent such attraction to Henry Grattan’s speeches, and would seem, compared with the English lawyers, to be indigenous to Ireland.
Here as elsewhere comes to the front the importance and value of the careful study of a case preliminary to appearing before judges. The founder of the Clonmel Peerage, which was conferred upon him by the Crown on his appointment to the Irish Bench, used often to speak to junior barristers about fully mastering a case. His advice is a wholesome warning for those aspirants to professional success who are to-day to be called to the Bar.
The judge in question would express himself in terms of perfect horror of going into court with an unprepared case. Here are his words:- ‘Whilst you have an atom of business undone give up every object, pursuit, or diversion; banish everything from your mind but business, the business of your profession. Resolve to enter upon that profession as a campaign, at war with every difficulty and resolve to win. Exert your industry on the study of law and the conduct of cases, count on victory, so far as temperance, diligence, perseverance, and watchfulness can operate.’”
And for all that you need to be an early riser – which is where Grattan’s alarm clock must have come in handy!
Image Credit: Portrait of Grattan, by Martin Archer-Shee, via Wikipedia
Share this:
