Page images
PDF
EPUB

List of New Publications.

Coote The Practice of the High Court of Admiralty of England; with Forms and Bills of Costs. By H. C. Coote, Proctor, Author of "The Practice of the Court of Probate." 8vo, cloth.

Crabb-The Act for the Transfer of Property Amendment, and for the Relief of Trustees, 1859. By Leonard Shelford, Esq., Barrister; intended as a supplement to Christie's Crabb's Conveyancing, and delivered gratis to purchasers of that work. Royal 8vo, sewed.

Dixon-A Digest of Cases connected with the Law of the Farm; including the Agricultural Customs of England and Wales. By H. H. Dixon, Esq., Barrister. Second Edition. Post 8vo, 18s. cloth.

Flower A Letter to the Lord Chancellor with reference to the Investment of the Cash Balances belonging to the Suitors of the Court of Chancery, and the mode in which Government Securities are Purchased and Sold on the Suitor's account. By J. W. Flower, Solicitor. 8vo, 1s. sewed.

Gawler-The South Australian System of Conveyance by Regis tration of Title, with Instructions for the Guidance of Parties dealing : illustrated by Copies of the Books and Forms in Use in the Land Titles Office. By R. R. Torrens. To which is added the South Australian Real Property Act, as amended in the Sessions 1858, with a Copious Index. By H. Gawler, Esq., Barrister. 8vo, 4s. sewed.

Hertslet A Complete Collection of the Treaties, and Conventions, and Reciprocal Regulations, at present subsisting between Great Britain and Foreign Powers; and of the Laws, Decrees, and Orders in Council concerning the same, so far as they relate to Commerce and Navigation, Slave Trade, Post-Office Communications, Copyright, and to the Privileges and Interests of the Subjects of the High Contracting Parties. Compiled from Authentic Documents. By L. Hertslet, Esq., late Librarian, &c., Foreign Office. Vol. X. 8vo, 30s. boards.

Hill-A Manual of the Practice of the Court of Probate. By A. S. Hill, Esq., Barrister. Royal 12mo, 8s. cloth.

Hopkins-A Hand-Book of Average, for the Use of Merchants, Agents, Shipowners, Masters, and Others; with a Chapter on Arbitration; to which are added Appendices of the most Recent Decisions in our Courts on those subjects. By M. Hopkins. Second Edition. 8vo, 15s. cloth.

Hunter-The Act to Amend the Law of Property, and to Relieve Trustees (22 & 23 Vict., cap. 35): with Introductions and Practical Notes. By J. Hunter, Esq., Barrister-at-Law. 12mo, boards.

Pask-The Practice of Registering Judgments, Decrees, Orders, Rules, Crown Debts, Annuities, &c., in the Common Pleas at Westminster, and the Local Registries for Middlesex, Yorkshire, and the Palatine Courts of Lancaster and Durham; containing Instructions and Forms for Registering, &c., Directions for Searching, &c., with Acts and Decisions. By J. Pask, Clerk and Registrar in Common Pleas 12mo, 5s. 6d. cloth.

Powell-A Treatise on the Law of Evidence. By E. Powell, Esq., Barrister. Second Edition. 12mo, 12s. cloth.

Minutes of

Smethurst The Queen against Thomas Smethurst. Evidence printed from the Shorthand Notes of Messrs. Barnett and Buckler. Second Edition. 8vo, 2s. 6d. sewed.

Smith-A Compendium of the Law of Real and Personal Property connected with Conveyancing; designed as a comprehensive and concise Text-Book for Students and Practitioners. By J. W. Smith, Esq., Barrister. Second Edition. 8vo, 30s. cloth.

Tilsley-A Digest of the Stamp Acts, and the Judicial Decisions on the Stamp Laws not contained in the Author's Treatise; including Probate, Legacy, and Succession Duties, with Tables of all the Stamp Duties. By H. Tilsley, Esq. Seventh Edition. 8vo, 10s. 6d. cloth.

THE

Law Magazine and Law Review.

OR,

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF JURISPRUDENCE.

No. XVI.

ART. I. THE TEMPLE AND THE TEMPLARS.

No. 1.-THE TEMPLE CHURCH.

A GOOD part of the ancient buildings of the two Temples has

during the last forty years fallen to the ground, and new edifices have taken the place of the old. The seventeenth and eighteenth century work, brick outside and wainscot inside, have fallen, are falling, and will fall. Much of the antiquated appearance and peculiar characteristics of the Temple are thus departing, or have vanished; but no part has undergone greater alteration, during the recollection of the present generation, than the interior of the Temple Church.

When we first "attended" the Temple church-it may be some quarter of a century ago-it presented an appearance so totally different to what we now see, that one might be well excused for denying the identity of the building. Deep-coloured and well-varnished wainscoting, of the complexion of rich Spanish mahogany, and whitewash more or less dirty, were the prevail

VOL. VIII. NO. XVI.

pure

ing objects which met the eye. We sat in lofty wooden pew boxes. The pulpit and reading-desk were of the rich and cumbrous beauty, or elaborated ugliness (as tastes may decide), which were once much admired. The tablets and monuments now collected in the gallery of the round tower ornamented the walls, adhered to the pillars, or obscured the windows. The altar before the restoration was, to the professed and Goth of the present time, a masterpiece of monstrosity. It was of dark wainscoting, carved with shields, festoons, and the heads, shoulders, and pinions of cherubim; and garnished with fruit, leaves, pilasters, and entablature. The carving was reputed to be good; but, being polished and varnished, so received and reflected the light as to prevent our passing an opinion thereon. It was sufficiently elevated to shut out a good portion of the east window. It matched well with the pulpit and reading-desk, which certainly were of the heaviest description both in form and ornament. The former was highly suggestive of most weighty, dull, Dr. Blair-like and orthodox sermons. The vulgar vanity and bragging intrusiveness, pride, and impertinence of the monuments, were undeniable. The organ was raised on a screen at the division between the round church and the nave. "This screen was circled (as appeared by the date it bore) in 1682 at the west end of the oblong church, and between that and the round church; it was adorned with ten pilasters of the Corinthian order, also three portals and pediments, and the organ gallery over the central entrance was supported by two fluted columns of the Corinthian order, and adorned with entablature and compass pediment.' The inner columns were large panels on carved frames, with an enrichment of cherubim near the pediment on the south side. The screen extended completely across the church. The central archway was occupied by the organ, the ornamental point of which was carried up nearly to the ceiling of the nave. The side archways were above the screen carefully plastered up, so that their form was rendered almost invisible. The lower parts of these and the central archways were filled with glass doors and windows." 1

[ocr errors]

!" A Few Notes on the Temple Organ;" vide post, p. 226.

The service was of a superior parish church character, with the exception that two professional ladies, sometimes with and sometimes without bonnets, and two men in decent coats, waistcoats, &c., came forward in the little box gallery in front of the organ at intervals, and sang hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs in quartett, to the members of the two honourable Societies, who stood up, listened, and sat down again edified. The organ was played by Mr. Warne, a clever musician, entirely blind. The instrument had, at the time we are now speaking of, great reputation; but more historical than real, for to the ears of a modern organist it was wofully defective. It had no pedal organ or pedal board-most important and characteristic parts of the organ. It had about five stops in the swell; but, notwithstanding its defects, it still discoursed most excellent music. The beauty of tone in the pipes which were there, compensated for much which was absent, and the uncritical and confiding audience for the most part was satisfied. We were proud of 66 our church" and "our organ," and were content with the service.

But now there arose the spirit of innovation in the Societies. The fittings and decorations of the church were found to be in bad taste-the service inconvenient. A little restoration-then beginning to find favour with English ecclesiastics connected with the High Church party-was suggested. There were not a few malcontents when this was proposed. Had we not, said they, the best preachers in London? There was Benson the master, whose silvery tones and eloquent periods were of the highest order, and we had in his absence Theyer Smith-now, alas, numbered with the dead!--whose lectures, though not perhaps much admired by the lawyers' ladies, were still incomparably the best examples of learning, logic, and deep subtle thought, combined with fervent honesty and outspoken sense, of all which the metropolis could then ―peradventure can now-boast. We had an efficient Reader

1 A century prior to Warne's time, John Stanley, famous also as "the blind organ-player," held the office of organist to the Temple.

« PreviousContinue »