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who frequently copied him, yet never could attain the manner of the original, but always adopted a sombre and heavy tint, by which his pictures may easily be distinguished.

"Over the passage entrance is a handsome space, allotted for the purposes of a music-gallery, the use of which has long been discontinued: this gallery is equal in width to the hall, and about nine feet deep; it is decorated with various pieces of armour, consisting of breast-plates, helmets, &c., which, though evidently not more ancient than the time of Charles the Second, ignorance and a love for the marvellous have, in the opinion of many, carried them back to the time of the Knights Templars, whose they insisted were these identical pieces. In the seventeenth of Elizabeth, the screen beneath this gallery was erected: it is very richly carved in oak, with no regularity of order or style, but is a kind of mongrel gotnic. It is supported by six Doric fluted pillars, an order very much in use at that period."

Beneath the windows, on each side of the hall, are ranged in small compartments in oak, the arms and names of the various readers, from Richard Swaine, in 1597, to the present period; they are still annually elected, and the place is preserved, but the lectures have long since been discontinued.

Mr. Herbert says, that the massy oak tables and benches with which this apartment was anciently furnished, still remain, and may do so for centuries, unless violently destroyed. In the parliament chamber are painted all the arms of the treasurers since the first who possessed the office; it is likewise adorned with some of Gibbons's carvings.

In one of the Essays of Elia on "The Old Benchers of the Inner Temple," many of the localities of this classic region

"and

are noticed. "I was born," says this pleasant writer,
passed the first seven years of my life in the Temple. Its
church, its halls, its gardens, its fountain, its river, I had
almost said, for, in those young years, what was this king
of rivers to me, but a stream that watered our pleasant
places? these are of my oldest recollections. I repeat, to
this day, no verses to myself more frequently, or with
kindlier emotion, than those of Spenser, where he speaks
of this spot :-

There when they came, whereas those bricky towers,
The which on Themmes brode aged back doth ride,
Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers
There whylome wont the Templer Knights to bide,
Till they decayed through pride.

Indeed, it is the most elegant spot in the metropolis. What
a transition for a countryman visiting London for the first
time, the passing from the crowded Strand or Fleet-street,
by unexpected avenues, into its magnificent ample squares,
What a cheerful, liberal look
its classic green recesses!
hath that portion of it, which, from three sides, overlooks
the greater garden; that goodly pile

Of building strong, albeit of Paper hight, confronting, with massy contrast, the higher, older, more fantastically shrouded one, named of Harcourt, with the cheerful Crown-office row, (place of my kindly engendure,) right opposite the stately stream, which washes the gardenfoot with her yet scarcely trade-polluted waters, and seems but just weaned from her Twickenham naiades! a man would give something to have been born in such places. What a collegiate aspect has that fine Elizabethan hall

when the fountain plays, which I have made to rise and fall how many times! to the astoundment of the young urchins, my contemporaries, who, not being able to guess at its recondite machinery, were almost tempted to hail the wondrous work as magic! What an antique air had the now almost effaced sun-dials, with their moral inscriptions, seeming coevals with that time which they measured, and to take their revelations of its flight immediately from heaven, holding correspondence with the fountain of light! How would the dark line steal imperceptibly on, watched by the eye of childhood, eager to detect its movement, never catched, nice as an evanescent cloud, or the first arrests of sleep!

Ah! yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceived!”

SECTION 3.

ANCIENT ORDERS AND CEREMONIES.

Dugdale notices various orders and regulations made from time to time, for the better government of this society. Some of them may be selected as curious illustrations of ancient manners.

In the 3rd and 4th of Philip and Mary, an order was made, that thenceforth no attorney or common solicitor should be admitted into this house, without the assent and agreement of their parliament.

In the 42nd of Elizabeth it was ordered, that none should be admitted of this society, except he were of good parentage, and not of ill behaviour. Fellows were also prohibited from admitting any person to lodge in their chambers, except their known clerks and servants, upon pain of forty shillings, to the use of the house.

In the 3rd and 4th of Philip and Mary, an order was made, that every man called to the bench, should keep some learning vacations next after his calling to and coming to the bench, upon pain of forfeiture for every vacation, five pounds.

We learn also from these orders, that up to the second year of Queen Elizabeth's reign, this society was accustomed to drink from cups of "ashen wood," when they were laid aside, and " green earthen pots" introduced.

Several orders refer to the qualifications of the barristers, that special regard may be had to the learning of such as shall be called to the bar and bench.

In the time of Philip and Mary, fellows were ordered to repair to church, to hear mass, matins, evensongs, &c. In the reign of Elizabeth they were ordered to attend church, to hear divine service and sermons, at the usual days and times, unless hindered by sickness, or some other reasonable cause; and they were ordered to receive the communion once at the least in every year.

In the 38th of Henry the Eighth an order was made, that the gentlemen of this company should reform themselves in their cut or disguised apparel, and not have long beards; and that the treasurer of this society should confer with the other treasurers of court, for an uniform reformation, and to know the justices' opinion therein, and thereupon to perform the same. Whereupon, in their parliament held 5 Maii, 1 & 2 Ph. & Mar., there was a decree made, that no fellow of this house should wear his beard above three weeks' growth, upon pain of twenty shillings forfeiture; and for their better regulation in apparel, it was ordered in 36th of Elizabeth, that if any fellow in commons, or lying in the house, did wear either hat or cloak in the Temple church, hall, buttery, kitchen, or at the buttery-bar, dresser, or in the garden, he should forfeit for every such offence six shillings and eightpence. And in the 42nd of Elizabeth, that they go not in cloaks, hats, boots, and spurs, into the city, but when they ride out of town. In the 38th of Elizabeth it was ordered, that no fellow should come into hall with any weapon, except his dagger or his knife, upon pain of forfeiting five pounds.

In the 13th of Henry the Eighth, an order was made in parliament, that none of the society should, within this house, exercise the play of shoffe-grote, or slyp-grote, upon pain of six shillings and eightpence.

In the reign of Philip and Mary, some curious regulations were made respecting the dress of the members of the Middle Temple. It was ordered that none should thenceforth wear any great bryches in their hoses, made after the Dutch, Spanish, or Almon fashion, or lawnde upon their capps, or cutt doublets, upon pain of three shillings and fourpence forfeiture for the first default, and the second time to be expelled the house. In the 26th of Elizabeth, the

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following orders were made:-1. That no great ruff should be worn. 2. Nor any white colour in doublets or hosen. 3. Nor any facing of velvet in gownes but by such as were of the bench. 4. That no gentleman should walk in the streets in their cloaks, but in gownes. 5. That no hat, or long or curled hayr be worn. 6. Nor any gownes but such as were of a sad colour.

In the constitution of the Middle Temple, its ancient ceremonies, and the rank and number of its officers, there were some peculiarities which distinguished it from the Inner Temple. "In both, and in fact in all the inns of court and chancery," says Mr. Herbert, "the important concern of eating and drinking seems to have occupied the most attention: instruction, such as it was, (consisting of public readings or lectures, given by a principal of the society, and the mootings, or arguing of cases,) was only a secondary object. In other respects, the rigorous strictness of a university was observed. In the solemn revels, as they are called, post revels, dancings, and other frequent entertainments, in which the grave gentlemen of the bench indulged, an absurd degree of homage seems to have been exacted from the inferiors to the principals of the society, and the minutest punctilios in dress and behaviour watched with a ridiculous anxiety." Most of these ancient forms and ceremonies have passed away, and, according to the present system, the law-student is only required to dine in the hall of the society a certain number of times during term. A student dining a fortnight in each term is said to be keeping his commons or keeping the term; and twelve of these terms qualify him to be called to the bar. The amount of his subsequent practice in the courts does not of course depend upon the success with which the student thus "eats his way to the bench."

The two societies now consist of benchers (or such as have been readers), members, barristers, and students.

The government of the society is vested in the benchers whose general meetings to transact business are called parliaments, and are held with much state and formality. The benchers first meet in the parliament chamber, which is at the lower end of the hall, and take places according to seniority. Then the treasurer, sitting at the table bareheaded, reads petitions or proposes such subjects as are to be discussed; the under treasurer standing by in attendance. Any difference of opinion is settled by vote. All new laws passed by the parliament are notified to such inferior members of the house as are in commons, by the high treasurer; and such members are bound to attend every last Friday of each term (which is called a parliament of attendance); all absentees being liable to a forfeit of three shillings and four pence.

The office of treasurer is of considerable importance, and the person who fills it is chosen yearly by the parliament from among the readers. He is the supreme officer of the whole society, and has the regulation of their concerns. He admits gentlemen into the society, and on such occasions has power to remit or abate fines. He is to make sale of such chambers as are forfeited, or fall to the house by the death of its members. He is the disburser of the society's cash, and has the power to make repairs to a limited extent: he may, likewise, compound and mitigate forfeitures, house duties, rents of the tenants, and other matters which concern the society. The treasurer has no salary, but the active business of the office is performed by the under treasurer, who has a salary and certain fees for searching, copying, or certifying the records and orders o the house.

But the modern proceedings of the Inns of Court are too brief and business-like to afford much amusement to the general reader; we must therefore seek the company of old Dugdale to obtain a just notion of the extent and importance of these societies in the olden time. His account or the various duties of the officers of the Middle Temple, furnishes an interesting picture of ancient manners, of which the following is a tolerably full abstract. As we shall occasionally quote the language of our author, we retain, to a certain extent, the present tense.

The steward is to provide the ordinary diet for the house; he is attended by his servant besides a porter and pannier-man to bring in the meat; he also keeps a roll in which the names of all persons are entered, who are either in whole or half commons. Every Saturday he casts up the commons in the presence of two utter barristers in term, and two gentlemen under the bar in vacation, who audit his accounts. The steward makes up his roll from the butterybook kept by the chief butler.

The steward and his servant serve in the meat, in messes, through the whole hall, except to the masters of the bench table and their associates, who are served by the second butler and his assistant; and to the masters of the bar, consisting of such as have been readers of New Inn, who are served by the second butler and the pannier-man.

The chief butler keeps a buttery-book for entering such orders às are made by the bench at table. He provides bread and beer, and green earthen drinking pots. He provides cheese at his own expense, and assigns to each his portion after dinner.

It is the butler's province to call any student guilty of a misdemeanour to the bench-table, there to be reprimanded. He likewise provides torches for the solemn revels, together with a white rod and staff for the readers-elect, which are the two next ancient in commons then present in the hall. The first, who is denominated master of the revels, is at all solemn revels to carry the white staff, and leads the several dances, or ancient measures, conducting the whole society (all under benchers) round the hall at those times: the other is to carry the white rod or verge, and is called "the master of the ceremonies," who, standing at the cupboard, with a loud voice, doth thrice summon the master of the revels to come forth and perform that duty. He was to notice such as were absent on these occasions, and present them to the bench; to give information of such as wore hats, boots, or long hair, ("for the which," says our author, "he is commonly out of the young gentlemen's favour,") and the like, and to appoint such as in term are to recite pleadings or to moot.

The other butlers were to see the tables covered in the hall, and cleared again at the end of every meal. The oldest was to attend the bar-table and the tables on that side of the hall. The puisne or fifth butler those on the other side, and to serve the different tables there with bread and beer. This latter was to say grace both before and after meat, with a distinct and audible voice; standing in termtime with his face towards the bench-table, and in vacation towards that of the bar. By an entry in the buttery-book, made in the 18th year of Elizabeth, the three butlers were to have from every gentleman a salary of twelve pence, but this sum was afterwards raised. The collection thus made was by an order made in the same reign to be divided into four parts, of which three-fourths belonged to the three ancient butlers, and the remaining fourth to the two younger, whose business it was to wash pots, fill beer, chip bread, and generally to assist the others. The yearly wages of the head butler were three pounds, six shillings, and eight pence, and of the other four twenty shillings each.

And,

The chief cook had various perquisites, as the dripping and scummings, the rumps and kidneys of loins of mutton, (which was the ancient supper fare). He also gave every Easter Term a calves' head breakfast to the whole society, for which every gentleman paid a shilling, or more if he pleased. But in the reign of James the First, this breakfast was discontinued, and a dinner substituted, to be given on the first and second Monday in Easter Term. whereas, heretofore the benefit of these breakfasts was wholly conferred upon the cooks; now all other inferior officers of the house, viz., scullions, turnspits, washpots, under-butlers, the pannier-man, porter, and such like, do (by usurpation) partake of the gentlemen's bounty, and, theretofore, stood in ranks at the hall-door, ready (as the gentlemen passed out of the hall after dinner) to receive their benevolence. But this custom of standing, being disliked by the society, hath been laid aside, and in lieu thereof there is a roll, called the calves'-head roll, instituted, whereby every bencher is taxed yearly at two shillings, every barrister at one shilling and sixpence, and every gentleman under the bar at one shilling, which is a greater advantage to the said officers and servants."

The chief cook's wages were the same as the chief butler's. The under cook received forty shillings, the turnbroach twenty six shillings and eightpence. The scullions were paid by the casual benevolence of the gentlemen.

The second cook was bound to provide special achates* for the bench-table, and likewise for the ancient mess of the bar-table, as also of the ancients' table, such as are past their reading and never read.

The pannier-man, by the winding of his horn, summons the gentlemen to dinner and supper. He provides mustard, pepper, and vinegar; and hath for his wages yearly three pounds, six shillings, and eightpence, and the frag

Cates or achates are purchased provisions, from the French acheter, to buy or purchase.

ments of certain tables, which he serves and is to attend unto.

Students could be admitted generally or specially. If generally the fee was five marks; but if specially, five pounds.

The habit of the student was a gown, and in term time a round cap, which was worn both in the hall and in church. On admittance the student was entitled to make purchase of a chamber, which, under certain conditions, belonged to him for life; and he was entitled to sell his interest in it.

After performance of the regular exercises of the house, the student was admitted to the degree of utter barrister, anciently by the call of the reader, but afterwards by the benchers. The ceremony of calling to the bar, consisted merely in the notification of election to the other barristers, the entry of the name by the under-treasurer, and taking the oath of supremacy at the cupboard. They were not allowed to wear a bar-gown openly, or to practise, till they had continued their exercise of mooting for some time afterwards in the inns of chancery.

The next step to which the barrister ascended was to the cupboard. Four of these cupboard men, in the reading times, argued cases by turns, and were usually the four senior barristers. No man was to become a cupboard man unless he resolved to read in his turn, in which case he gave an expensive treat. Within two years from the time of being made cupboard man he usually became bencher, and then a reader.

The reader-elect, on being called to the bench-table where he was thenceforth to take his commons, was to give a garnish of wine for his first welcome; and when his readings were finished, and he removed from the bar-table to the "ancients' table," was to give likewise a second garnish of wine for his welcome there. After which he was freed from all the exercises of the house, and also from the ceremony of "walking the old measures about the hall at the times accustomed."

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The following curious ceremonies were observed by the new readers. At the ensuing feast-day of All Saints, when such dignitaries as were educated at the inn were highly feasted," and came in their scarlet robes, the readers were to meet and conduct them to the upper end of the hall. "For distinction and order's sake, the one of them, viz., the ancient, hath a white staff in his hand; the other a white rod, with which they usher in the meat, following next after the musick. When the meat is brought to the table (which at such solemn feasts is always performed by young gentlemen of the house under the bar), the one of the two new readers-elect receives every dish of the gentleman who carried it, and placeth it on the table in decent order; the other standing by to wait on the judges. And during the feast they both, with solemn curtesies, welcome both the judges and serjeants.

"Besides this, the puisne reader-elect serves every mess throughout the hall, receiving it from the steward and placing it on the table. Dinner being ended they wait on the judges and serjeants; ushering them either into the garden or some other retiring place until the hall be cleansed and prepared, and then they usher them again into the hall, and place them in their rooms one after another. This being done, the ancient of the two, that hath the staff in his hand, stands at the upper end of the bar-table; and the other, with the white rod, placeth himself at the cupboard, in the middle of the hall, opposite to the judges; where the musick being begun he calleth twice the master of the revels. And, at the second call, the ancient, with his white staff, advanceth forward, and begins to lead the measures; followed, first by the barristers, and then the gentlemen under the bar, all according to their several antiquities; and when one measure is ended, the reader at the cupboard calls for another, and so in order.

“All such as are in commons, under the degree of bencher (except only them of the ancients' table who are past their readings) ought not to be absent from solemn revells: and whoever they be that do absent themselves, do forfeit or are finable iiis. iiiid. And whosoever of the bar that are made choice of to carry up wafers (on grand days) to the judges, and do refuse, do forfeit xs. And whosoever of the young gentlemen under the bar that refuse, do forfeit vs. And whosoever, on days of solemn revells, do refuse to carry up bread and beer to the masters of the bench do forfeit-barristers vis. viiid. and others iiis. iiiid.

"When the last measure is dancing, the reader at the cupboard calls to one of the gentlemen of the bar, as he is walking or dancing with the rest, to give the judges a

song; ; who forthwith begins the first line of any psalm as he thinks fittest, after which all the rest of the company follow and sing with him. Whilst they are thus walking and singing, the reader with the white rod, departs from the cupboard, and makes his choice of a competent number of utter barristers and as many under the bar, whom he takes into the buttery, where there is delivered unto every barrister a towel with wafers in it, and to every gentleman under the bar a wooden bowl filled with ipocras, with which they march in order into the hall, the reader with his white rod going foremost. And when they come near to the half pace, opposite to the judges, the company divide themselves, and half (as well barristers as those under the bar) standing on the one side of the reader, the other on the other side; and then after a low solemn congee made, the gentlemen of the bar first carry the wafers; the rest, with the new reader, standing in their places. At their return they all make another solemn low congee, and then the gentlemen under the bar carry their bowls of ipocras to the judges; and returning when the judges have drank, they make the like solemn congee, and so all depart, saving the new readers-elect, who wait upon the judges till their departure, and then usher them down the hall unto the court gate, where they take their leaves of them.

"Besides these solemn revels, or measures, aforesaid, they had wont to be entertained with post revels, performed by the better sort of the young gentlemen of the society with galliards, corrantoes, and other dances; or else with stage plays; the first of these feasts being at the beginning and the other at the latter end of Christmas."

The reader entered on his reading with much state and ceremony. He first absented himself from commons for a time and kept his chamber, that his reappearance might be with more splendour. On the Sunday afternoon preceding his entry on his office he went to church, accompanied by such benchers as were in town, two of whom, generally the the next precedent readers, were appointed for his assistants. He was besides accompanied by at least twelve or fourteen servants in rich liveries, and the same night at supper took his place in the hall, in a chair prepared for him at the upper end of the bencher's table.

The following morning he chose his sub-lecturer, to whom delivering his bag of books and papers, he repaired to the parliament chamber to breakfast; after which he went into the hall, where the whole society awaited his coming, and, resting at the cupboard, there took the oaths of supremacy and allegiance. He then seated himself at the lower end of the bench-table, where the sub lecturer first read over the statute, or that part of it which he intended to discuss. The reader himself then began with a grave speech, excusing his own weakness, with desife of their favourable censures; and concluded with the reasons wherefore he made choice of that statute.

These readings were frequently honoured with the attendance of such judges and serjeants as had been brought up in the house, who came always in their purple robes and scarlet hoods, and were placed on a form opposite to the benches with their backs to the reader. The debate finished with a grand feast, in which the principals of the company were entertained by the reader at his own table, and every other mess throughout the hall was honoured with an extraordinary dish.

Other arguings succeeded the removal of the dinnercloth, and this agreeable method of study was adopted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; the other days being spent in feasting and entertaining strangers, "who are commonly great lords and other eminent persons. But to the guests of never so high a degree, the reader, within the precincts of the house, hath precedence of them; and at the table keeps his chair at the upper end. His expenses, during this time of reading, are very great; insomuch as some have spent above six hundred pounds in two days less than a fortnight, which now is the usual time of reading."

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The expense of these entertainments had during a long period gradually increased. By an order of the bench made in the reign of Philip and Mary, every summer reader was enjoined to spend fifteen bucks in the hall during his time of reading few summer readers, however, had less than three score bucks, besides red deer; some provided four score, and even a hundred. A brace of bucks was commonly bestowed on New Inn to feast the students there; and the neighbouring parishes of the Temple also partook of the reader's bounty. The house contributed a small sum towards this expense, allowing each reader one hogs

head of wine, or 57. in money; and a special admittance of any gentleman into the house, or 57. in lieu thereof. In the last week of his reading, a costly feast was provided for the entertainment of foreign ambassadors, and men ΟΙ quality: this was called the “reader's feast." It was not however at his expense, but at that of four gentlemen of the house, who were called "stewards of the feast." Two of them were outer barristers, and the other two under the bar, whose expense was at least 107. each.

The readings were originally held during the space of a month, but were afterwards reduced to a fortnight. When they were completed the students usually accompanied the reader with great state and solemnity to his residence, and treated him with a supper.

By such means the reader became a bencher. He was invited by the benchers to the first parliament of the succeeding term, in which modestly taking the lowest seat, one of his assistants, in a formal oration, declared the reader's great learning, and the expense he had been at; after which the reader himself in another grave oration, spoke of the the important assistance he had derived in the fulfilment of his office, from the gentlemen of the society: after this, having receiving the thanks of the bench," they all sit down to supper; at what time (and not before), the reader is an absolute and confirmed bencher, and hath voice with the rest in all succeeding parliaments.

In ancient times it was customary for the preceding reader to officiate as steward of the house at Christmas; but this office being thought to be beneath his dignity, was commuted by a fine of money, and afterwards by a brawn and muscadine.

On the Tuesday and Thursday evenings there were usually moots after supper, before the benchers who assembled for that purpose in the bay window at the upper end of the hall, and ranked according to seniority.

A reader was also obliged to read in his turn a second time, and was then called a "double reader;" but his expenses were more moderate, and he had a more liberal allowance from the house.

The benchers of this inn of court enjoy great privileges. They may come within the bar at the chapel of the rolls, among the serjeants-at-law and the king's council, and are heard by the master of the rolls in preference to other members.

Any member of this society made recorder of London takes precedence as a reader, though otherwise not in his turn. Serjeants-at-law have always been chosen from among the readers, and in this event are placed at the upper end of the bench table as elected to that office, though the newly-made serjeant is still accounted a bencher, and in commons, till he receives the coif, when he takes leave of the house with the following ceremony. In the morning all the members of the society meet in the hall, where likewise comes the serjeant-elect. The treasurer makes a grave and learned speech, and then presents him as the gift of the whole society, with a purse of ten pounds raised by a collection of 3s. 4d. each number.

The newly-made serjeant is allowed to retain his chamber until he is assigned one in one of the serjeants' inns. If he is suspended from his degree, or accepts another office, as attorney or solicitor-general, he returns again into commons without any new admittance.

When a serjeant of this society is made a judge he is accompanied to Westminster Hall by all the fellows of the house; and they are afterwards at liberty to request his advice and assistance in all matters relating to the welfare of the society.

Besides benchers there are other members called "associates," who sit at the bench table, but have no voice in the government of the house. They are persons who hold eminent offices, and receive this favour by courtesy.

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There was also formerly an officer, called the "bailiff of the moots," who was elected after dinner on the Saturday preceding every reading. It was his duty to receive the moot cases, and to assign to all moot-men go out in their turns, and to direct to what inns, and upon what cases they are to go out upon." Among his other duties he had to "direct the cook to dress a made dish for every couple of mootes-men that go out together; which they are to have at the next meal following, besides Mr. Reader's exceedings."

JOHN W. PARKER, PUBLISHER, WEST STRAND, LONDON.

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