National Republican., 1883-08-24
ENGLISH JUDICIAL DRESS.
Something OF tho Origin OF Gowns, Wigs,
Caps, and Other splendors OF the Bench.


Caps, and Other splendors OF the Bench.
london Letter in the Boston Herald.
In those times an English judge of the kings
bench was a man Of war no less than a man of
peace. He travelled about with tho sovereign
whithersoever he went, and mounted the
kings tribunal Of justice wheresoever it might
be constituted. He wore the soldiers coat Of
mail and helmet, and carried the battle AK
and long sword. Even down to comparatively
modern times the English judges rode on cir
cult armed, and q survival of tho practice
might still be traced by tho curious in such
matters in the crossbclt of scarlet cloth called
q gun case" part of the full dress of q
judge of her majosty's supreme court in 1888
Chief Justice De Hengham, author of work
which is still quoted with respect by lawyers
and antquarians, "The Summ@ of Lord
Chief Justice Hengham," was the first En-
glish judge who never put on armor He
fourished in the latter part of the thirteenth
century, and was q man Of some legal attain
ments, much in favor of King Edward ]. 1t
was he who first donncd the ermined robo
which has found such favor with long line
OF illustrious successors.
The bench of English judges would seem TO
have as nice appreciation of color and other
little frivoites of dress MS their less gifted
follows. In 1875 asolcmn decreewas made by
all of thcjudges of the courts of Westminster,
assembled in solemn conclave, appointed what
robes they should hencelorth use, and ut what
times. The paper they then drew up is too
long for insertion here; but it may he re-
marked that its main points are still rigidly
adhered TO in the present costume of the
English bench. Ihad the opportunity the other
day of examining tho splcndor of an English
judges robe through the courtesy Of Mr.. Weth-
erall, of Bell Yard, Chanccry Lane, who makes
them. The full dress is II scarlet gown;
cape, and hood trimmed with erminc, the
sleeves very full, with deep cuffs of ermine
and loose bands and collars Abroad scarlet
band encircles the waist, and the traditional
gun case" is slipped under il and carried
across the shoulder. The lord chief justice
wears in addition, on grand occasions, broad
gold chain, called u collar of S. s., supposed
to have been Lancastrian badge adopted by
Henry ~. The letters stand some say, for
SOuveraigne;' others that they are designed
in honor of st. Simpicius a martyr.
There is also an uudross robe of black silk
| and another OF puce colorod silk, with cape
and hood, trimmed with fawn -colored tatleta,
| with deep sleeves of the same material. A
couple of wigs, ordinary and extraordinary,
| short clipped and full bottomed, with colt,
and black cloth square cap, vulgarly known
| rs his sentence cap" because the judge
never places it on his head except when he
| proceeds to pass sentence of death on GRIM
| inal, 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 witchcratt in England. The
| full-bottomed wig and tho ordinary English
barristers wig came into vogue at the restora.
tion, being importations from France. At
first the judges would not suffer the young
| barristors to plead before them so attred, but
| by and by it became tho custom, and Lord
Campbell mentions that being once engaged
before the house of lords for sixteen hours i'll
great privilege case, he asked leave
to speak without his wig. Leave
was solemnly given by the judges,
with tho condition that at was not to be
drawn ipto'a precedent" Many judges have
tidiculed the wig, Campbell, Denman, and
Brougham among the number. 1t is the sill
liest and most useless, if not positively harm
full, part Of barrister's or judges costume
aud one is amazed to think it possible that
| men of ordinary common sense should, III
the year 1883 array themselves in such pre-.
| posterous head gear The "stove-pipe hat u
has at least the merit of being well ventilated
through the top; but the wig is like n tar
paulin cover over conservatory in summer
a bottler-up of heat and ventilation.
The fusion of law and equity has, so Mr.
! Wetherall tells me, suggested that change
should be made in the robes of q vice chancel-
lor, who is no longer a vice chancellor but a
plain justice of the supreme court. And /
saw in Mr.. Wetherall's glass case for such
articles, 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 chancellor's gown should be. Very
| sensibly the ex-vice chancellors rejected the
trumpery with ono accord. and rs
the matter stands, in court they wear
robe of plain black silk. After all
the English judges arc but mortal men, and
have their little vanities like tho best of u.s.
Doubtless many of them hold it essential to
their dignity as SUCCESSORS Of Gascoigne Hale,
Coke, Mansfield and the rest to sit in court
clad in robes of scarlet and ermne, or puce
and taleta, and, truth to say it is difficult
to imagine an English judge on the judgment
seat in any other costume. But in years
to come, when kings and queens courts
may become things of the past and en-
blems of their sovereignty have perchancc
been abolished 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 splendid robes
and golden chains Of a lord chief justice OF
England.