"Henry Brougham occupies a commanding place in British history during the first half of the nineteenth century. Born and educated in Edinburgh, he arrived in London in 1805 and made his mark, and over a lifetime gave himself with conviction and eloquence to a wide range of important issues : the reform of the law and of Parliament, the opening up of trade, the abolition of slavery, the extension of education, the better operation of cheritable trusts ..."--Jacket, page [2].