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Show 272 AT}{OCIOVS J'GDGES. [A. D. 1C66. After the first ferYor of loyally which burst out nt the restoration had pas ~cd alvny, a 1nalcontent party was formed, which gradually gajned strength. In this, n1ost of the n8piring young lawyer~, not aetually employed by the government, were ranged- finding it politic to begin in '' the , edition line," that their Yalue might be better appreciated by the court, and a better price n1ight be bi<.l for 1hen1. From such rea::,oniug, or perhaps fron1 accidental circumstances, ,Jeffreys associated himself "·ith the popular lenders, and in the hour of revelry would drink on his knees any toa, t to "the good old cau e," and to " the immortal memory of ol<.l Noll." He wa: often put to great shift frorn the Qm barrassed state of his finance , the ten pounds for "decent clothing'' for a year being expended in a single suit of cut veh·et, aml his grandmother's forty pounds being in nfficient to pay hi ~ tavern bills. But he displayed tnuch addre .' in obtaining prolong<:'<! and increased credit from his trade tuen. lie borrowed adroitly; and it is said that such an in1pres. ion wa, mncle by his opening talents, that several ·wealthy men on the popular side voluntarily made hirn presenL of money, in tl1e hope of the important ervices they were peedily to recei,·e from his support. It is very much to be regretted that we have not from a Roger North more minute information ·with re~pect to the manner in which his character was formed and his al>ilities ' were cultivated. l-Ie ~eein to have been a n1ost precociou" young man. While still in his twentieth year, he was not only familiarly acquainteJ with the town, and completely a man of the world, exciting confident expeclations of great future eminence, but he wa" already received mnong veteran statesmen as a member of an important party in the state, A.. D. 1CG3.] G COUGE J EFFREYS. 273 consulted as to their n1oYen1cn t~, and reganled as their future leader. After keeping all his term , and doing all hi exerci ~es, he was regularly called to the bar on the 22d day of Noveml>er, 1668- having been on the books of the society five years and six month -the requi "ite period of probation having been previout>ly, by a general regulation, reduced fr01n seven to the present period of flve years. Although he doe. 110t ever appear to have been cho en ''reader" or " treasurer" of the society, yet in the year 1 G78, on being elected r ecorder of London, he was mnde a bencher, and he continued to be so till he took the coif, when he necessarily left it for SCijeants' Inn. During his early career he was in vol vc;d in difficulties, which could only have been overcome Ly uncommon energy. Pre sed by creditor and at a Jo~. to pro,·jde for the day that was passing over hin1, he had Lurdenc(l him elf with the expenses of a family. But this aro e ouL of n peculation, which, in the first itrtancc, was very prudent. Being a handsome young fellow, and capable of making hinrclf acccptaLle to mode t wo1nen, notwithstanding the bad company whir·h he kept, he rcsol vcd to repair hi: forlm1es by marrying an heiress; and he fixed upon the daughter of a. country gentleman of large po s ... ions, who, on account of hi.· agreeable qualities, ha<l invited hi1n to his hou. e. The <.laughter, still very young, was cautiou~ly guar<.led, and almost alw<~ys confined Lo her clunnl>cr; Lut J effreys contriYcd to n1ake a conlid~mt ancl friend of a poor relation of hers, who w:1s the daughter of a country parson, and lived with her as a companion. Through this agency he had established a con·e pondcnce with the heiress, and an interest in her affection .. , Ro that on his last |