literature; to which it may be here added that he possessed a correct
and very extensive knowledge of history, ancient and modern. He knew it,
_and its true uses_; and was equally conversant with its minute details,
and its general scope and bearing, as illustrative of the practical
operation of political principles and doctrines. He always, in short,
appeared to me to be a man, whose first anxiety in all matters was to
obtain a thorough knowledge of details, of facts; and then experienced
delight in contemplating and reflecting upon them with a view to the
discovery or detection of some leading principle of action or conduct
involved in them. Such grave matters, however, did not alone occupy him;
for I never saw a more eager and indiscriminate reader of even the
ephemeral trash loading the shelves of circulating libraries. Scarcely a
novel, play, or magazine appeared, which he did not take up, and,
whenever they happened to be mentioned, show as complete a knowledge of
them as if they had been worthy of it. I have often laughed at him on
these accounts; he generally receiving my sallies with a sort of piqued
silence, or simply saying, "It amuses me." I think that this
circumstance is well accounted for by Mr. Phillimore--that Mr. Smith's
over-tasked mind found light and easy narrative, of any kind, a
relaxation.

Early in the year 1835 appeared a work on legal education, in which was
enforced the advantage to the student and practitioner, of early
mastering, as so many _nuclei_ of future legal acquisitions, a few of
the "_leading cases_" in the Law Reports, which suggested to Mr. Smith
the idea of writing a book under the name of "Leading Cases." He was
engaged upon it from about the middle of 1835 till the early part of
1837. There was no book of the kind extant. The idea was felicitous; but
much learning and judgment were requisite to work it out practically.
Mr. Smith proved himself, however, fully equal to the undertaking.