The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-05-22 00:00:00

THE GOOD OLD TIMES-RECOLLECTIONS OF
THE WESTERN CIRCUIT.

tho
Thom woes yos
UM wore onto Of owl O.
I.'AWL Imo ).
Voir allois as lo Ilk dream
TOMlNefif sass vim party
tar kMOIO/1. 000 kor
Os moo ka et • di Ukk
porposo., Wogs&

Many things—railways especially— have materially
changed the Circuit since I first joined it. Then we
assembled usually in nearly our full number, at
Winchester, and continued together till the claw in
Bomersetahire. Our number somewhat diaminshed in
Cornwall. The facilities, which the railway affords,
make the attendance somewhat less regular, and in con-
sequence the moral influence of the body on its members
Is much diminished. We met usually in high spirits,
and there was much excitement on the whole round.
Those who were in full business were not the least merry
or regular at the Circuit mese. There were the aspirants,
rnen who were begiuing to rise into notice—full of hope
and interest. There were the very young men—young at
least, according to legal calculation, for whom the novelty
of the life, and the business in court were in themselves
a continual treat; who found watching the Proceedings,
or the displays of eloquence and skill in the leaders, or of
learning in the juniors, both instruction and amusement
—to whom the mere novelty and strangeness of the whole
scene around them were pleasure enough. True, there
were necessarily some few who were growing old in heart-
disappointment—some whose hearts were sick with
hers
_Mein and again deferred; and when to this was
added—as was sometimes the case—the thought of a wife
and children at home, dependent upon the huaband's
success in his profession—or the pressure of means so
scanty thnt the candidate might eosin he compelled to
abandon the struggle altogether from inability to meet its
expense., it cannot be denied there were elements of
sadness to qualify the apparent general light-heartedness
of our body. But it must be said that trials such as these
—amongst the severest, perhaps, to which man can be
exposed—were in general gallantly borne ; and the feelings
of disappointment, anxiety, orldistress so nobly concealed,
that to the many they were unknown. The few
sympathised with the sufferers, and rendered whatever
comfort, kindness, and encouragement could afford; and
not allele was done by the successful men in this way, as
opportunity afforded.
lere nit, in respect to the country we travelled over
was very interesting. Besides the character of the towns
themselves, and the beauty of the direct routes from place
to place, at every point there were lying-off ob)ecte to
which we wandered as time and leisure allowed in small
parties. The Isle of Wght, Weymouth, Lyme, Sidmouth.
and Exmouth; Plymouth by one route into.CornwalL over
the Moor and Tavistock by another—the north coast of
the two countias—the Quantock and Cheddar. All these
In turn the circuiteer might hope to visit in the course of
this or that circuit I have alluded to the expenes. This
was certainly not to a few a serious inconvenience. Indeed
It was not unfairly considered that the whole body of
ciroultriers spent in the several counties more money than
was received in them.
Our circuit was a somewhat stately affair. The judges
did not pmt, but, travelled with sober haste drawn by
their 01r11 fourin-hand. The barristers posted or rode.
It was an understood rule not to travel from
.place to
bad theirlaaceb=blic conveyance. The " leaders always
carriages, and some of them their saddle
horses also.
Om wm rather an expensive one, and we had our
cellars of wine at each of the circuit town, This was
under the new of our "wine treasurer"; said a Call with
four hones attended us under the superintendence of
our " Maims master." Throe were our two circuit
ellicers ; tee of our own number, upon whose arrange-
we Ospen_ded very much for our comforta, and to
whom we on our "great day," which we always
kept at Dorchester, not merely for an account of their
own depestmeels. but also for the formal introduction of
saw minim= aid an account, general!, Siren with much
point and hemisar, of preferments, appointments and
meriesen mai way ether incidents' which might have
telelha err of the members since the last circuit,
cm=ss we cad them,. always expiated by
to the wile fund. The hear of the circuit
wee the beerhter Milted in rank. lie wee expected to be
a ftermast eitemdest at dm mem To him were
=Tbet swim as leded points el ereteelionel
eti lhe was Impeded in watdi over the interests,
thermion mit eeriest of the deceit Grave mess were
reserved des the inweihwatisa at the whole body. Our
iracrabilie emir decisions were neither
ebeweeloried. bat ed on peril of expulsion
The
115:FY I Wee Nei; travelled with their own
fees sad I meg tion also as a little cerium-
dams wwwchAlte eilliejea. that they trivial with
their own den The " brown aerate& far Um
"mvileteihm est wan t the powdered dawn wilt ter
ten wle whit Yr tire emit whoa *tins
ebb of the taut: an the tdi beebweed one
was seta 010.1111111 a
-.• harry. elms hesthewea inanowea
Ara with
sure sere* in
dreues.-2-1\ ebiar sem yam, /
• MAP if Il• awe* at lhadfard
hem adiaber, te Deetheeter at
4riewle=eie mem
ewe my
oicerr
.1.11