The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-31

why did you suffer me to sleep thus exposseed2,,
asked the Lord Keeper, waxing in n hb OF /
shivering from slumber into which MS serVahii /
had allowed MIN to drop as he saI 10 Sryn 1e %
air sir, burst not disturb you, answered the |
Having eyed him for a few seconds, Sir Nicho-
las irose and said, by your civluty lose my |
life.' Whereupon the Lord Keeper retired TO
the bed from which he never rose.
"AmoDgst Elizabethan Judges who aimed at
sprlghtliness the Bench, Hatton merits a
place; but there Is reason TO think that the
ideTs, who crowded his court to admire the
foppishness of his judicial costume, did not get
one really good D,Ot from his lips to every ten
bright sayings that came from the clever bar
risters practising before him. One of the best
concerning the limits OF certain land the coun-
sci on one side having remarked with explana-
tory emphasis, we lie on this side, my Lordp
and the counsel on the other side having inter-
posed with equal vehemence, we lie on this
backwards, and dryly observed, If you lie on
both sides, whom am to believer In Eliza
bethan England the pun was as great power
in the jocularity of the law courts as it is at
present; the few surviving witticisms that are
supposed to exemplify Egerton's lighter mood
on the bench being for the most part feeble at
tempts at punning. For instance, when he was
asked, during his tenure of the Mastershlp of
the Rolls, to cOnlniEa cause, I. e. to refer it to O
Master in Chancery, he used to answer what
hes the cause done that 1t should be COM
mitted| II Is also recorded of him that, when
he was asked for his signature to petition of
which he diEapproved, he would tear it in
pieces with both hands, saying, You want my
"of Egerton'a student days story is extant,
which has merits, independent of its truth or
want of Truth. The hostess OF Smithheld
tavern had rec lived q sum Of money from three
RraZters, in trust for them and on engagement
to restore ii 10 them on their joint demand.
Soon after this transfer, one of the codeposi-
tors, traudulently representing himself TO be
acting as the agent of the other two, induced
the old lady 10 give him possession of the whole
OF the money, and thereupon absconded.
Forthwith the other two depositors brought an
action a. sainst the landlady, and were on the
point of gaining decision in their favor, when
young EgertOn, who had been taking notes of
the trial, rose as dnlicuS cUrio and argued This
money, by the contract was to be returned to
| three, but tCo only sue-where is the third let
| hlm appear with the Others till then the money
cannot be demanded from her. Nonsuit for
| the plaintifis-for the young student hum of
MANY OF the pungent sayings current in
Westminster Hall at the present time, and at
trtbuted to eminent advocates who either are
| still upon the forensic stage, or have recently
| withdrawn from it, were common jests amongst
| the lawyers of the seventeen h century What
| law student now eating dinners at the Temple
| has not heard the story of Sergeant Wilkins,
| of the day, explained that, as he was about to
| appear in Court, he thought it right to fuddle
his brain down to the intellectual standard of
a British jury. This merry thought, two hum
| dred and fifty years since, was currently at
tributed to Sir John Milicent, OF Cambridge
shire, of whom 1t is recorded-'being asked now
he did contorme himselfe to the grave justices
sayeS he, 81 have no way but to drinke myself
downe to the capacitie of the Bench."'
a mother wlttlelsm currently attributed TO
upon Richard Brinsley Sheridan-on whose
reputation have been heaped the brilliant qnotS
OF many speaker whom he never heard, and
the indiscrettons of many sinner whom he
never knew-is certainly as old as Shaftesbury's
brlSht ana unprlncipled career. When Charles
II exclaimed, 'Shaftesbury you are the most
profiigate man in my dominious,' the reckless
Chancellor answered. 'Of asubject, sir, believe
l am it is likely enough that Shaftesbury
merely repeated the witticism of previous
courtier; but it is certain that Sheridan was not
the first to strike out the pun"
Many pleasant sketches are given of the
Lord Chief Barons, whose names are familiar
to all students of law, and, in fact, to all we'll
read people. Mr.. JeafIreson tells us of their
| luxurious style of living, or their extreme
| penuriousness, towards the close of his work.
Even at the present day lawyers have reason
to be grateful to Bacon for the prom ptitude with
which, on taking possession of the Marble Chair,
he revived the ancient usages OF earlier holders
of the SEAL and set an example of courteous hos
pitality to the bar, which no subsequent Chan
cellor has been able to disregard Without loss of
respect and prestige. Though a short attack of
gout qualified the new pleasure of his elevation
Ian attack attributed by the sufferer to his re-
mOval from field air to a Thames air, L. e.,
Lord Keeper Bacon lost no time in summons
ing the judges and most eminent barrsters to
| his table; and though the gravity of his indis-
position, or the dignity OF his ONCE forbade him
to join in the feast, he sat and spoke pleasantly
with them when the dishes had been removed.
| Yesterday he wrote to Buckingham, which
ner, which was not used to be, and entertained
| them in private Withdrawing chamber with
| the learned counsel. When the feast was past
| L came amongst them and sat me down at the
| end OF the table, and prayed them 10 think
was one of them, and but foreman Nor let
us, whilst recalling Bacon's bounteous hoSpl
talities, fail in justice to his great rival Sir
Edward Coke-who, though he usually held
himself aloof from frivolous amusement, and
cared but little for expensive repasts, would
with a liberal hand place lordly dishes before
lordly guests; and of whom IL is recorded In the
'Apophthegmes,' that when any great visitor
dropped in upon him for pot-luck without
notice he was wont to say, Sir, since you sent
with me- but If l had known fit In time would
have dined with you
From such great men as Lord Nottingham
and Lord GuildfOrd, who successiVely kept high
fat pltiSfleS occupying snug houses in close
proximity to the Inns of Court, and lower
downwards to leaders of the bar and juniors
sleeping as well as working in chambers. the
Restoration lawyers were conspicuous promo
teTs of the hilarlty which was one of the most
prominent and least offensive characteristics
of Charles lis London. Lord Nottingham's
sumptuous hospitalities were the more credita-
BILE, because he voluntarily relinquished his
claim to E4000 per annum, which the royal
pended in official entertainments. Similar
praise cannot be awarded to Lord Guildford;
but Justice compels the admission that, not
Withstanding his love OF money, he maintained
the prestige of his place, SO far as a hospitabe
table and profuse domestic expenditure could
support it.
"Conirasting strongly with the lawyers of
this period, VINO copied in miniature the inn
pre- ssiVe state of Clarendons prinoely establish
ment, We're the jovial, catch singing, three
pOmp; an oaken table, surrounded by Jolly
fellows to ante-roOms crowded with obSequt-