Advocate-General which was worth twice as much as the seat on the
bench. Of course a person of his fiery disposition felt keenly
the insult involved in the rejection of his father, and doubtless
the event imbittered his language towards Hutchinson; but it
would hardly be likely to shape his whole political career when
public questions of such great moment were at stake.

There was no trace of meanness or selfishness in his disposition.

To be sure, Otis's admitted superiority over his legal associates
and the natural impetuosity of his nature sometimes made him
excessively dogmatic, and his manner though courteous even to a
fineness towards those whom he liked was imperious and even
unguarded toward his political enemies. At one time, having
cited Dormat (the noted French jurist, 1625-1696, author of "The
Civil Laws in their Natural Order," 1689) in the course of an
argument, Governor Bernard inquired "who Dormat was." Otis
answered that "he was a very distinguished civilian, and not the
less an authority for being unknown to your excellency." Yet
notice the high-minded courtesy exhibited in the following
incident: When Charles Lee was in command of the left wing of
the army with his headquarters at Winter Hill, in what is now
Somerville, he refused to have an interview and conference with
his old friend Burgoyne, then lately arrived in Boston, looking
toward the restoration of an amicable understanding between the
colonies and the mother country. Four months later, a letter
came from the Old World containing a warning that Lee was not a
man of trustworthy character. Otis was at that time the
executive head of the provisional government which had been
formed in Massachusetts, during one of the last of his lucid