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Sparks, William Henry, 1800-1882

"The Memories of Fifty Years Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent i"

From that
day forward I have not received a fee from him: and now the secret is
before the world. He has been detected in bribing one of the judges of
the Supreme Court."
As an orator, Grymes was among the first of the country. All he
wanted, to have been exceedingly eloquent, was earnestness and
feeling; of this he was devoid. His manner was always collected and
cool; his style chaste and beautiful, with but little ornament; he
spoke only from the brain--there was nothing from the heart. In
argument he was exceedingly cogent and lucid, and when the subject
seemed most complicated, the acuteness of his analytical mind seemed
to unravel and lay bare the true features of the case, with an ease
and power that required scarce an effort. His powers of ratiocination
were very great, and this was the forte of his mind; his conclusions
were clearly deduced from arguments always logical.
There were times when he would be serious--and then there was a
grandeur about him very striking. At such times, bursts of passionate
feeling would break from him that seemed like volcanic eruptions.


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