lieved by the period for relaxation or for rest, is apt to shrink from the long and uninterrupted exertion which the student often imposes on himself by way of compensation for past indolence. It will, therefore, diminish his toil, as much as it will advance his progress, to allot to every day its just labour, and to perform this with all the scrupulosity which circumstances will permit. If, however, accident has deranged his plan, or idleness and dissipation have made inroads into the seasons set apart for study, we would warn him against the common mistake of neglecting to employ the fragments of time thus produced, in the expectation and design of more methodical exertion for the morrow. How much might be gained by the studious occupation of the moments thus idly and unprofitably thrown away, is incredible to those who have never calculated the days, the weeks, and months, to which they rapidly amount. He that would not experience the vain regret of misemployed days, "must learn, therefore, to know the present value of single minutes, and endeavour to let no particle of time fall useless to the ground." Whoever pursues a contrary plan will forever find something to break that continuity of exertion, in looking forward to

*Rambler.

which he solaces himself for his present supineness; and at the expiration of the period allotted for the completion of his legal apprenticeship, will generally find a mighty waste of time to have proceeded from the trivial value he attached to its fragments.

The sedentary and the studious have, indeed, to contend with obstacles peculiar to themselves. Secluded of necessity, for the larger portion of their time, from the business and bustle of men, their ideas insensibly assume a monotonous character, and, receiving little ventilation from the constant current of novelties which refresh those who are engaged in active and crowded scenes, are apt to stagnate into langour and melancholy. It is little wonderful that intellectual exertion should become irksome, when thus accompanied by despondency; and that the student should find the lapse to indolence and relaxation so easy, and the return to his solitary avocations so painful; a painfulness most generally augmented by a consciousness of the neglect of duty, which he is happy to drown in the pleasures or bustle of society, rather than brood over in the stillness of his study. Instead of attempting to remedy this tendency by total seclusion, it is better to indulge it with moderation; and to mingle business and pleasure in those proper proportions, which will equally prevent the fatigue of too much exer

tion, and the satiety of too much enjoyment. Hermits, whether in religion or in literature, have generally found their scheme of exclusive and solitary devotion to a single pursuit, to issue in lassitude and in indolence. But with this occasional relaxation from society; with the exact and uniform attention, and the strict economy in the occupation of time, which we have recommended; together with the facilities which we flatter ourselves will be afforded by the methodical arrangement attempted in the Course which we respectfully submit to the student; and the interest which we have endeavoured to shew may be extracted in no inconsiderable degree even from the singularities and perplexities of law; the study of this important and useful profession, instead of a revolting task, will be found an interesting employment, with which to fill up those portions of life, which he, who knows his own happiness, will be sedulous to devote to business, in order to the more exquisite enjoyment of the remainder.

WE doubt not but that this little work is yet susceptible of considerable improvement, although it has certainly received no inconsiderable portion of our attention: but as the subject is, we may say, entirely new, we cannot presume

that a first attempt at a regular and methodical treatise can be free from errors either of insertion or omission. The few productions which have appeared, under a somewhat similar title, have in fact been essentially of a different character; in most instances mentioning but a few books, and those almost universally known, and, uniformly read: the subjects discussed in them, sometimes with an able pen, being too general in their nature to be of particular utility to those to whom they are addressed, and not unfrequently so much so as to be of equal benefit to the students of any profession.

1

Our object in the following Course, is to produce a learned and accomplished lawyer. We have selected with our best judgment, from an infinitude of works, and have, in no instance, recommended a single work, or even chapter, or page, which could with propriety have been omitted. The Course, we acknowledge, is extensive, but can be accomplished, we compute, in six years, making every allowance for other necessary reading. This may appear to some a very long period; but the student should bear in mind the extent, difficulty, and importance of the science, and how necessary it is to treasure up an ample fund of knowledge before he becomes engaged in practice, after which he will scarce be able to pursue any study with perseverance or

method. We find in the third Henry's reign. that nine years were considered as the period of the legal novitiate, since which time, although the science has been much simplified, it has also been much enlarged. We are aware that there are circumstances, such as a too advanced age, pecuniary necessity, &c. which may render the prosecution of our entire Course impracticable, at least as preliminary to practice; and there are, no doubt, some young men, who, though they may be affected by neither of these circumstances, have not sufficient industry or zeal to undertake so extensive a Course: in order, therefore, to avoid all objection or cavil on this point, and to render our endeavours as generally useful and acceptable as possible, we have designated by the letter E. such books, &c. as may be ejected from the Course by such as may not have it in their power to embrace the whole: the remainder, according to our best calculation on such a subject, will require about four years. Let it not, however, be supposed that what we have thus designated is to be at a future period disregarded: we deemed the whole so highly valuable that the selection became difficult: we therefore urge all, who have it in their power, to study the entire course, under the full persuasion that, if they have read with attention and understanding, they may engage in their professional career with con