Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1883-08-23
ENGLISH JUDICIAL DRESS.
somsthins Of the Origin Of Caps, Gowns, Wig
44 and Other 0plendors of the Bsnah.

ENGLISH JUDICIAL DRESS.
somsshns Of Tho Origin Of Caps, oowns, Wigs,
and other Spisndors Of tho Bench.
london Cor. Boston Herald.)
In those times an English Judge OF the
klhgs Bench was man of war no less
than q man Of peace. He travelled about
with the sovereign whithersoever he
went, and mounted the kings tribunal
OF Justice wheresoever it might be con-
stltuted. He wore the soldiers coat of
mail and helmet, and carried the bat
tleaxe and long sword. Even down to
comparatively modern times the English
Judges rode on circuit armed, and sur
vlval OF the. practice might still be traced
by the curious in such matters in the
crossbolt of scarlet cloth called tseun-
case, I" part of the full dress Of sher
malesty's supreme court in 1883. d Chief
Justice De Hengham, author of work
which is still quoted with respect by
lawyers ndIantiquarians-"The Summm
OF Lord Chief. Justice Hengham was
the first English judge who never put
on armour. He hourished in the latter part
OF the thirteenth century, and was man
OF some legal attalnments, much in favor
OF King Edward /. 1t was he who first
donned the ermined robe which has found
such favor with a long line of illustriors
SUCCESSORS.
The bench Of English judges would
seem to have as nice appreciation of col
or and other little friyoities Of dress as
their less gifted fellows. In 1886 SOL
emn decree was made by all of the judg-
es OF the courts of Westminster, assem-
bled in solemn conclave, appointing
what robes they should henceforth use,
and at what times. The paper theyt then
drew up is too long for insertion here;
but it may be remarked that its main
points are still rigidly adhered to in the
present costume of the English bench. I
had the opportunity the other day of ex-
amining the splendor of an English
judges robe through the courtesy of
Mr.. Wetherall, Of Bell Yard, Ohancery
Lane, who makes them. The full dress
Is q scarlet gown, cape and hood trim
med with ermine, the sleeves very full,
with deep cuffs of ermine and loose
bands and collars. A broad scarlet band
encircles the waist, and the traditional
'tgun case is slipped under it and car
ried across the shoulder. The lord chief
Justice wears in addition, on grand occa-
sions, a broad gold chain, called q collar
OF s. s., supposed to have been Ian
caste1ian badge adopted by Henry Nv,
The letters stand, some say, for Souv-
eraigne;" others that they are designed
in honor of st. Simplicius, martyr.
There is also an undress robe of
black silk and another of puce-colored
silk, with cape and hood, trimmed with
fawn-colored taffeta, with deep sleeves OF
the same material. A couple of wigs,
ordinary or extraordinary, short-clipped
and full-bottomed, with Golf, and black
cloth square cap, vulgarly known as
/" his sentence cap" because the Judge
never places it on his head except when
he proceeds to pass sentence of death on
o criminal, completes the costume.
This last article OF dress may be traced
back to the middle of the seventeenth
century, to the time OF Hale, at least,
who wore it at the last trial for witch.
craft in England. The ull.bottomed
wig and the ordinary English barriBter's
wig came into vogue at the restoration,
being importations from France. At first
the judges would not suffer the young
barristers to plead before them so attir-
ed, but by and by it became the custom,
and Lord Campbell mentions that, being
once engaged before the house of lords
for sixteen hours in great privilege
case, he asked leave to speak without his
wig. Leave was solemnly given by the
judges, with the condition that sit was
not to be drawn into precedent"
Many judges have ridiculed the wig,
Campbell, Benman and Brougham among
the number. It is the silliest and most
useless, if not positively harmful, part
of barristers or judges costume, and
ene is amazed to think it possible that
men of ordinary common sense should,
in the year 1883, array themselves in
such preposterous head-gear. The
ssstove- pipe hat" has at least merit of
being well ventilated through the top;
but the wig is like tarpaulin cover over
q conservatory in summer "a bottler-up
of heat and ventilation.
The fusion of law and equity has, SO
Mr.. Wetheral tells me, suggested that G
change should be made in the robes OF
vice. chancellor. who is no longer q
vice-chancellor, but d plain justice OF
the supreme court. And saw, in Mr..
Wetherall's glass case for such articles,
a gaudy gown of black silk and gold
lace that reminded one very much Of the
robes of the late Mr.. Pumblechook, the
beadle. This sample emblem of the
majesty of the law had been submitted
as pattern of what an ex-vice- -chancel-
lor's gown should be. Very sensibly
the ex-vice chancellors rejected the
trumpery with one accord, and, as the
matter stands, in court they wear robe
of plain black silk. After all, the Eng
lish Judges are but mortal men, and
have their little vanities like the best of
us. Doubtless many of them hold it
essential to their dignity as successors
of Gascoigne, Hale, Coke, Mansfield,
and the rest, to sit in court clnd in robes
of scarlet and ermine, or puce or taffeta,
and, truth to say, it is difficult to i'm
agine an English judge on the judg-
ment seat in any other costume. But
in years to come, when kings and
queens courts may have become things
of the past and the emblems of their
sovereignty have perchance been abol-
ished with them, men will view, with
much the same kind of astonishment
that they now gaze on the mail once worn
by Edward the Black Prince, the splen-
did robes and golden chain of lord
chief justice of England.
AFather Who Forgot His Baby.
[From the Chicago Herald.l
eyes, we find great many things, :"