Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-29
The Order OF the Colt.

The world is well aware of the an
tiquity and dignity Of the degree of a
sergeant-at-law, Which all the sages of
the bench and bar We're At one time
compelled to attain, AMI will greet with
kindly interest the appearance of this
stately monument set up in memory Of
departed and departing glories of the
long-robed brothers of the co1f. Their
learned spokesman would even claim
for them to have existed as an order in
the true sense of the term among the
brotherhocds of the world OF ~chivalrv,
such as the knights OF the Bath, the
Hospitalers, and the Mil tia of the
Temple of solomon. We may admit,
at any rate, that they were constituted
for several centuries as a privileged So
ciety or estate. taking the same place
in the profession of the law as the
doctors of the learned faculties among
the members of the greater universities.
The sergeants are believed to have
formed the whole practicing bar while
the Kings Court was still un%dlvided;
and after its separation into several
branches they retained a right of ex-
elusive audience in the Courts of Com
mon Pleas, which was only abolished
in 1882 after a long and angry con
troversy. Their privileges in our own
time have gradually dwindlcd away,
though the order vas saved from ex-
tinction by the rule, existing until re-
Gently. that every Judge was bound, be-
fore his appointment, to take upon him
the estate aud degree OF the co f, On
the fusion of the courts under the judi
cature acts this ancient regulation WAS
abroga,ed, II order. as we may suppose,
to relieve the equity Judges from IN UNI
expected and burdensome obIioation.
Since that time no new sergeants have
been appointed, though it is believed
that there is no reason why the crown
should not renew the grant of the dig
nifty if the bar were DESTROYS OF that
honor.
When a sergeant reached his appoint
ment, ne babe farewell to the inn of
court where he had served IS reader
and benchcr, and was usually present.
ed with a handsome contribution of
gold pieces hidden in q pair OF gloves,
under the name of q regard" with the
view of helping him toward the greater
charges of taking his new degree. The
expenses of installation were ve"y
heavy; the new sergeant had not only
to provide q great number of persons
with colored cloth for i%iverie>, but to
give rings of fine ''angel gold" to the
King and Queen, the great officers of
state and various officials about the law
courts. Besides all these expenses, he
had to join with the other newly-ap-
pointed scrgeants in giving q feast or
banquet OF the most e~Ntravagant kind.
An old chronicler tells us that at one
feast in his time there were present
''all the Lords and Commons of the
Parliament. the Mayor and Aldermen,
and - great number OF the commons Of
the city of London" At the feast Of
l755 we find such expensive items rs
swans and roast bustards, chcwet pics
and great jowls of sturgeon, salmon
and all kinds of game. besides multi
tudcs of plovers and larks. MI. Wal
pole sent in as his contribution, besides
Il quantity of veniSon, t%wcnty-four
swans, a crane a item shillings, and two
turkeys at four shillings apiece. Each
s%ergeant's share of the provisions
amounted to about f37, without count
ing the venison. There is no space left
1or describing their other feastings and
and revelings. They took part in the
brawls at Christmas under the lord of
misrule, when Judges and sergeants
danced Ground about the coal fire. to
q quaint and mock stately tune; and
they joined in the students diversions
when a cat and Il fox were hunted in
the Mid lie Tempe hall .swith nine or
ten couple OF hounds just before the
second course of the Christmas ban
lret. Those were the merry days when
the Londoners refused '.to WORK like an
ass from morning unto night and the
Judges got their work over bv eleven
O'Clock in the forenoon, and, after talk
ing their refreshment, spent the rest of
the day in studies OF innocent amuse-
mcnts, free from all care and worldly