Equal To All Occasions

1915

Great Scotch Lawyer Never at a Loss for an Answer — Samples of Erskine's Wit

A writer in the British Weekly, reviewing a biography of Henry Erskine, lord advocate for Scotland, gives, among others, the following examples of his wit:

A brother advocate who had little or no practice died in embarrassed circumstances. His death was announced to Erskine by Sheriff Anstruther, who added, "They say he has left no effects." "That is not surprising," was the rejoinder. "As he had no causes, he could have no effects."

Erskine did not despise the lowly pun and once inscribed upon a tea-chest the words: Tu doces — Thou teachest.

The lord advocate maintained a great reverence for religion, though surrounded by friends of avowedly skeptic opinions. One of these was Hugo Arnot, an attenuated, lantern faced man, who usually rode a white horse as lanky and sepulchral-looking as himself. Returning from a Sunday afternoon ride, Arnot met Erskine coming from divine service, and called out to him: "Where have you been, Harry? What has a man of your sense to do consorting with a parcel of old women?" Adding with an extra sneer, "What, now, was your text?"

"Our text," replied Erskine, impressively, his eye fixed sternly the while upon the white horse and his rider, "was from the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation and the eighth verse: "And I looked and beheld a Pale Horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.'"