with two labels, such as Doctors of Laws wear in certain universities with the above described coife." The proper dress of a serjeant is a violet coloured robe, with a scarlet hood, such as the judges wear when they sit at the Central Criminal Court, but without the black scarf. When the serjeants go to St. Paul's Cathedral on the first Sunday in Easter Term according to the ancient custom, they wear scarlet robes, and on circuit they wear black silk gowns. In the orders of 1635 relative to the costume of the judges it is said: "When the judges go to any reader's feast they go upon the Sunday or holiday in scarlet, upon other days in violet with scarlet casting hoods, and the serjeants go in violet with scarlet hoods." SERJEANTS' INN. It was noted in former times, as an example of the high estimation in which the state and degree of serjeant was held, that the judges of this country never assumed a higher title for the Inn in which they lived in fellowship, after taking leave of their Le inception del wearing del coifes p le seruients al ley fuit. quia in initio fueront fryers et p ceo fuit a couer lour bald pates vid Sir Henry Spillman. The coyf is in similitud of a salet or headpeic, signifies that a saluted soldier ought to be bold in warr So ought they in ther clients causes. It signifies allso an honour. The uncovering of the head being a badge of servise. Spell. Gloss. voce coifa vid. Wakes musæ regnantes.— Harl. MSS. 980 p. i. respective Inns of Court, than that of 'Serjeants' Inn.** There were formerly three Inns for the reception of judges, and such as had attained the dignity of the coif, Scroop's Inn, or Serjeants' Place, opposite St. Andrew's Church, Holborn, Serjeants' Inn, Fleet Street, which was held by lease under the Dean and Chapter of York, now disused as an Inn for serjeants, and Serjeants' Inn, Chancery Lane, formerly called 'Faryndon Inn,'t the only place that can now, with propriety, be termed Serjeants' Inn. This Inn is situated in Chancery Lane, out of which there is an entrance into Clifford's Inn. The old façade of Serjeants' Inn Hall was much admired. In 17 Richard II., we find mention is made of this house, the inheritance whereof belonged to the Bishop of Ely; at which time it was called Tenementum Domini John Skarle, and was let, by the bishop's appointment, to one of the six clerks of the Chancery as appears by the bailiff's account to the then bishop. In 1411, 12 Henry IV., it was called Faryndon Inne, and it appears that the serjeantsat-law had lodgings here at that time. In 1417, 7 Henry V., the whole house was demised to the judges and others learned in the law; and Case of the Serjeants, 8 Scott, 430. See 1 Lord Raymond, 604. Manning's Serviens ad Legem;' Dug. 'Chronica Series.' See 9 and 10 Vict. c. 54. + So called after Robert Faryndon, Clericus dom. regis.' 5 Hen. IV., anno 1404; whose name is perpetuated in the modern Farringdon Street and Market. there is accounted to the bishop 67. 13s. 4d. "Pro Faryndon's Inne in Chancery Lane, dimisso Rogero Horton et Willielme Cheney, justiciariis, et Waltero Askham, apprentisio legis." Dugdale was of opinion that the judges and serjeants were not constant tenants to the bishops in those days for this house, for in the year 1425, 3 Henry VI., these are the words of the bailiff's account, "Hospicium in Chancellor's Lane stetit inoccupatum per totum annum circa reparationem ejusdem, et contra annum sequentem dimittitur F. Martyn and Jacobo Strangwiz, et T. Rolfe, justiciariis ad 57." In the year 1430, 9 Hen. VI., we find it described as Hospicium Justiciariorum. Ten years afterwards the inn was demised to John Hody "et aliis servientibus legis," for the rent of 51. per am* In the year 1474, 14 Edw. IV., it was let to Sir Robert Danby, then Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and others at 47. per am. In 1470, Sir Thomas Grey occupied it, and in 2 Rich. III., the same Sir R. Grey had a new lease of the premises, by the name of "Hospicium vocatum Serjeants' Inne, Chancellor's Lane," at 4l. per a". In the last year Hen. VII., it was demised by indenture under the same name to John Mordaunt and Humphrey Coningsby king's Serjeants-at-law, for 47. per a". * This may be a convenient place to remind the reader that 40s. in the reign of Hen. VI., has been computed to be equal to 127. in the reign of Queen Anne. In 2 Edw. VI., T. Goodrick, then Bishop of Ely, "by a lease, bearing date the 17th of December, demised the Inn to Christopher Fulnetby, his brotherin-law, for eighty-one years; which lease coming, by mean assignment, to Sir Anthony Ashley, knight, and then, by surrender, to Bishop Felton, that bishop granted it to the said Sir Anthony, for three lives, (viz. of Phil., then his wife, since married to Carey Rawley, Esq., and two of his servants,) under whom the judges and serjeants do now hold it."* The hall, to which the ascent was formerly by a handsome flight of steps, is about sixteen yards long, by nine broad. In the great window, over the principal entrance, are several coats of arms, in stained glass, of gentlemen who have belonged to the Inn. The opposite window, at the further end of the hall, is likewise decorated with coats of arms. During term time, the judges and serjeants, as members of the society of Serjeants' Inn, dine together. Out of term, the hall is frequently used as a place for holding the revenue sittings of the Court of Exchequer, and in this hall the judges sit as visitors of the Inns of Court, when any question is brought before them on appeal. "Now for the Laws of England (if I shall speak my opinion of them "without partiality either to my profession or country), for the matter and "nature of them, I hold them wise, just and moderate laws: they give to God, "they give to Cæsar, they give to the subject what appertaineth. It is true "they are as mixt as our language, compounded of British, Saxon, Danish, "Norman customs. And surely as our language is thereby so much the richer, "so our laws are likewise by that mixture the more complete."-LORD BACON. LONDON: 7, FLEET STREET, E. C. 1858. |