Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: JONATHAN FROCK. In the metropolis, and perhaps in the whole kingdom, no man, for a long time, had been more highly esteemed than Herr Von Schwarz, the first judge of the criminal courts, whose writings had even gained him celebrity in foreign countries. Fortune seemed willing to exhaust herself in showering favours upon him. Though the son of a poor weaver, his talents had procured him a scholarship, by which he was enabled to attend the high school, and afterward to study the profession of law. Almost without a farthing, he came to the metropolis to earn his bread as an attorney; immediately undertook a difficult lawsuit that had been given up as lost, and gained the cause, which so fixed his reputation, that within a year he became one of the busiest and most popular barristers of the city. Appearing everywhere loaded with honours, rewards and flattery, he was introduced to the society of the most illustrious men, and in the best houses was considered an intimate friend. He married one of the handsomest and richest young girls of the city, was taken into the employment of the ministry, and advanced from office to office. The king bestowed titles and orders upon him, and for important services he had rendered, he received a foreign order, to which a large income was attached; it was indeed often whispered that he would be made minister of state. In short, every one declared Herr Von Schwarz to be the happiest of men. He possessed the most brilliant prospects, great estates, excellent talents, a lovely wife, and beautiful children; and rroreover, all agreed that no one could be more worthy of so much good fortune. Herr Von Schwarz was universally looked upon as a tender husband and father, an unwearied man of business, a true friend, a most agreeable companion, and the most ple...