bear so great charges for the exhibition of their children. And marchaunt men can seldome finde in their hearts to hinder their marchandise with so great yearly expenses."

"And, to speake uprightly, there is," he continues, “in these greater Inns, yea, and in the lesser to, beside the study of the laws, as it were an University or schoole of all commendable qualities requisite for Noblemen. There they learn to sing and to exercise themselves in all kinde of harmony. There also they practise dauncing and other Noblemen's pastimes, as they use to doe which are brought up in the King's house: On the working daies, most of them apply themselves to the studie of the Lawe. And on the holy daies to the studie of Holy Scripture; and out of the time of Divine service, to the reading of Cronicles." *

I find that Fortescue had been a "governor" of Lincoln's Inn in 1424, 1425, and 1428, and Pensioner in 1429. The Inns were, as he says, placed in the suburbs out of the noise and turmoil of the city. The old buildings of several of the Inns of Chancery still stand, but it is a very long time since the Inns of Chancery pretended to give any attention to the care or training of law students. The quaint courts and halls and chapels, and the pleasant gardens of the Inns of Court, remain where they were when Fortescue wrote, no longer suburban, but still strangely quiet as we pass into them from the din of the city, and though much of their old collegiate spirit and tradition has disappeared, in constitution they have undergone singularly little change. The Benchers are still, as of old, the governing body of the Inn. No man can practise at the English Bar unless he has been admitted a student at one of the Inns of Court, and after keeping twelve terms as a student has been called to the Bar by resolution of the Benchers of his Inn. A term is now kept by eating a certain number of dinners in Hall. This is one of the few traces left of the collegiate life of the old days when students and

*Fortescue, London, 1616; pp. 110-115.

barristers not only dined but lived together in their Inn, and no new member was admitted unless he could be provided with a chamber, or, to speak more accurately, with at least half a chamber within the Inn.

What strikes one most in reading the recently published records of the Inns of Court during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, is the great activity of corporate life which they display. The education of the students was not left in the hands of salaried teachers, but the Benchers and the Bar alike co-operated in the work. A reader appointed by the Benchers from amongst themselves at each Inn of Court, gave a course of readings or lectures twice a year on some statute. Sir Thomas Lyttelton read at the Inner Temple on the statute De donis Conditionalibus. He afterwards became a judge of the Common Pleas, and wrote the famous treatise on Tenures, upon which Coke wrote the still more famous Commentary. Lyttelton died in 1481. Coke himself was a reader at the Inner Temple, and chose for his subject the Statute of Uses, and it was on this same statute that Coke's great rival, Bacon, read at Gray's Inn. This reading is to be found among his published works. The education of students at the lesser Inns, the Inns of Chancery, was also undertaken by barristers of the Inns of Court. Coke, for instance, who had been a student at an Inn of Chancery before he was admitted to the Inner Temple, was sent, very soon after his call to the Bar, to read at Lyon's Inn. Then there were the Moots and Bolts, meetings after supper, at which fictitious cases were argued before the Benchers, at the Moots by newly called barristers, and at the Bolts probably by students. All members of the Inn, or, to use the formal title, all fellows of the "Honourable Society," were bound by the obligations of fellowship to assist in maintaining a healthy and well-ordered common life amongst their fellow members, young and old, and to take their part actively and personally in the work of education.

After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. it was at one time proposed to apply some portion of the proceeds to the erection of a great school of law. The design was not carried out, but by the King's command a scheme was prepared by Nicholas Bacon, Thomas Denton, and Robert Cary. In presenting to the King the articles which they had formulated for the constitution and government of the proposed College, they describe it as "an House of Students wherein the knowledge as well of the pure French and Latin tongues as of Your Grace's Lawes of this Your Realm should be attained, whereby Your Grace hereafter might be the better served of Your Graces own students of the law as well in foreign Countries as within this Your Grace's Realm." The articles contain much that is interesting, but scarcely within the scope of this paper. They are founded to a large extent upon the model of the Inns of Court, and with a view to their preparation Nicholas Bacon and his two associates had been directed by the King to inquire and report as to the constitution of the Inns of Court and the "best form and order of Study practised therein." And, as they say, after diligent search and reading of all the Orders of the Houses of Court they did compendiously set forth "the most universal and general things concerning the Orders and Exercises of learning in the houses of Court," which they "thought meet to describe and to present into Your Grace's hands."

This report gives the fullest and clearest account of the methods of teaching and training at the Inns of Court and Chancery at a time when the ancient system was in its prime that I have been able to discover; and for this reason I may perhaps be excused for citing it at length, Nicholas Bacon was able to speak of the regulations of the Inns of Court not merely from diligent search and reading of orders, but also from personal experience, as he was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1533, was made an ancient in 1536, and a

bencher in 1550. The Report, which, omitting only the introductory address to the King and some details as to the wages and gratuities of servants, is set out below, was probably not made before 1540.

The Manner of the Fellowship and their ordinary Charges, besides their Commons.

First it is to be considered that none of the four houses of Courts have any Corporation, whereby they are enabled to purchase, receive or take lands or tenements or any other revenue, nor have anything towards the maintenance of the house, saving that every one that is admitted fellow, after that he is called to the Masters' Commons payeth yearly 3 shillings 4 pence, which they call the pension mony, and in some houses, every man for his admittance payeth 20 pence and also besides that yearly for his Chamber 3 shillings 4. all which money is the onely thing they have towards the reparations and rent of their house, and the wages of their officers.

That what sorts and degrees the whole Fellowship and Company of Students of the law is amongst them divided.

The whole company and fellowship of Learners, is divided and sorted into three parts and degrees; that is to say into Benchers, or as they call them in some of the houses, Readers, Utter-Barresters, and Inner-Barresters.

Benchers.

Benchers, or Readers, are called such as before-time have openly read, which form and kinde of reading shall hereafter be declared, and to them is chiefly committed the government and ordering of the house, as to men meetest, both for their age, discretion and wisdomes, and of these is one yearly chosen, which is called the Treasurer, or in some house

Pensioner, who receiveth yearly the said pension money, and therewith dischargeth such charges as above written, and of the receipt and payment of the same is yearly accountable.

Utter-Barresters.

Utter-Barresters are such, that for their learning and continuance, are called by the said Readers to plead and argue in the said house, doubtful Cases and Questions, which amongst them are called Motes, at certain times propounded, and brought in before the said Benchers, as Readers, and are called Utter-Barresters, for that they, when they argue the said Motes, they sit uttermost on the formes, which they call the Barr, and this degree is the chiefest degree for learners in the house next the Benchers; for of these be chosen and made the Readers of all the Inns of Chancery, and also of the most ancient of these is one elected yearly to read amongst them, who after his reading, is called a Bencher, or Reader.

Inner-Barresters.

All the residue of learners are called Inner-Barresters, which are the youngest men, that for lack of learning and continuance, are not able to argue and reason in these Motes, nevertheless whensoever any of the said Motes be brought in before any of the said Benchers, then two of the said InnerBarresters sitting on the said forme with the Utter-Barresters, doe for their exercises recite by heart the pleading of the same Mote-Case, in Law-French, which pleading is the declaration at large of the said Mote-Case, the one of them taking the part of the Plaintiff, and the other the part of the Defendant.

The order and exercises of learning.

The whole year amongst them is divided into three parts; that is to say, the learning Vacation, the Terme-times, and the meane and dead Vacation.