§ 58 An Education in Peril
The original of my fiction character of “Judge Priest” was a certain Judge William Bishop, now deceased. He was a wonderful old man—shrewd, simple, kindly, witty, gentle.
One time the old Judge was acting as chairman of a committee of three lawyers who sat to examine a gangling young man from the country who sought a license to practice at the local bar. The candidate had started out to be a blacksmith, but he had decided that wearing a frock coat and making speeches to juries would be easier than bending mule shoes and shrinking wagon tires.
Judge Bishop opened the inquiry.
“Henry, my son,” he began in his usual benignant fashion, “I suppose you have done a course of reading with a view to acquiring the rudiments of this calling of ours and thereby fitting yourself for your new career?”
“Well, Jedge, I done some readin’ but not so very much,” confessed Henry. “I aims to do the most of my readin’ after I opens an office.”
“Well, let’s see just what reading you have done,” pursued Judge Bishop. “I assume naturally that you have read Blackstone?”
“Black which, Jedge?”
“Blackstone, author of great textbooks on the practice and principle of the law.”
The candidate shook his head.
“I ain’t never heared of him,” he confessed.
“Well, how about Coke?”
“I don’t know ez I ever heared tell of him, neither.”
“Well, surely then you have studied the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the State of Kentucky?”
“To tell you the truth, Jedge, I ain’t got round to them yit,” admitted the aspiring blacksmith.
“Henry,” pressed Judge Bishop, “suppose you tell us just what books—what authorities—you have studied since you became seized with the desire to be a member of our bar?”
Henry pondered a moment. Then his face brightened.
“I tell you, Jedge,” he said, “I read one big book called ‘Revised Statutes of the State of Kintucky’ mighty nigh through, an’ I kin remember part of what it says.”
“My son,” stated Judge Bishop, “the trouble with you is that the next Legislature is liable to meet and repeal every damn thing you know.”