first noticed as a law feminary in its fteward's account book, written about the ninth of Henry IV. and derives its name from its original occupants, the lords Furnival. This noble family was extinct in the male line in 6 Richard II.; fome time before which period this inn was demifed to the students of the law; but the precife date of its establishment as a school of legal education is involved in obfcurity. In the first of Edward VI. Francis earl of Shrewsbury fold it to Edward Gryffin, efq. then folicitor-general to the king, William Ropere, and Richard Heydone, efqrs. and their heirs, to the ufe of the fociety of Lincoln's Inn, for 120/. which fum was paid out of the treafury of that fociety. The principal and fellows of Furnival's Inn, to whom a leafe was granted by the fociety of Lincoln's Inn, were to pay yearly 31. 6s. 4d. and were allowed feveral privileges. The street front is an uncommonly fine fpecimen of brick-work, being adorned with pilafters, mouldings, and various other ornaments, and extends a confiderable length. It contains a range of good chambers, and beneath, a handsome arched gateway leading to the interior parts of the Inn. It appears to have been erected about the time of Charles II. No other part of the inn deferves much notice.

SOCIETY. The fociety is governed by a principal and twelve ancients.

ARMS. Their arms are, argent, a bend, between fix martlets gules, within a border of the fecond.

GRAY'S INN. The fociety in this, as well as in the other three inns of court, has the power of calling to the bar, and exercises it in the fame manner. It may here be fit to obferve a difference which prevails in these inns with refpect to the admiffion of members. In the Middle Temple, and in Lincoln's Inn, no attorney or folicitor can be a member; but if any one previously admitted, embraces that branch of the profeffion, he is difcharged from the fociety. In the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn, on the contrary, attorneys are members, and may eat in commons with the ftudents, but cannot be benchers, they being invariably chosen from among the barristers.

Gray's Inn is fituated on the north fide of Holborn, nearly oppofite the end of Chancery-lane, from which it extends, but enveloped by houfes, to Gray's-inn-lane, a confiderable diftance eastward.

It derives its name from the lords Gray of Wilton, whose refidence it originally was. The premises became the property of the prior and convent of Shene, by whom they were demifed to the ftudents of the law for the annual rent of 6l. 135. 4d. at which rent they were held of that monaftery till the diffolution,

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tion, when becoming the property of the crown, a grant was made by the king in fee farm, and the property ftill continues vested in the crown. The orders for learning and government are in this fociety very fimilar to thofe of the other inns. It has a minifter, a reader, a fteward, four butlers, two cooks, and other inferiors, making feventy perfons

in all.

ÅRMS. Gray's Inn anciently bore arms derived from thofe of lord Gray of Wilton; but in more modern times, they affumed azure, an Indian griffin proper fegreant, with the laudable infcription environing the fame.

The ancient buildings of Gray's inn are spoken of by a contemporary writer as poffeffing very little beauty or uniformity, being erected by different perfons; and the structure of the more ancient not only very mean, but of fo flender capacity, fays he, that even the ancients of the houfe were neceflated to lodge double. They are now however much improved, and the great court, called Gray's inn fquare, is compofed of elegant and commodious chambers.

HALL. The hall has no claim to attention except its antiquity. From its cumbrous roof, contracted windows, and general maffiveness of defign, it prefents, in every part, a heavy and gloomy appearance; nor is there reafon to change this opinion, on a furvey of the interior. The roof is of oak, and is divided into fix bays or compartments, by feven arched and moulded Gothic ribs, or principals. The fpandles or fpaces are divided by upright timbers, with a horizontal cornice in the centre. At the extremity of the projecting fpandles, is a carved pendent ornament, in fome degree partaking of the nature of an entablature. The east and west windows, like those on the fide, are too low for their width; fome fpecimens of coats of arms are ftill remaining in them. The fcreen of the hall is fupported by fix pillars, of the Tufcan order, with cariatides fupporting the cornice. The roof has a folemn grandeur, which, in fome degree, refcues the whole building from obfcurity. It was erected in the reign of Philip and Mary, and every fellow of the house, having chambers, was affeffed towards the expence.

CHAPEL. The chapel has, within a few years, been newly cafed with ftone; and, except the Gothic windows, cempletely modernized. The infide is on a very narrow scale, and can boast of no embellishment. The altar confifts of four Doric columns, and furmounted with a feroll pediment, in the centre of which are fingularly refplendent radii, iffuing from a dove.

GARDENS. The gardens are fpacious and commodious;

and

and the public, from the free use of them, have derived great pleasure and advantage. The first mention made of them is in the fortieth of Elizabeth; when Mr. Bacon, afterwards Sir Francis Bacon lord Verulam, was allowed the fum 71. 155. 4d. for planting elm trees; and it was ordered that a new rail and quick-fet hedges fhould be fet on the upper long walk, at the difcretion of the fame Mr. Bacon and Mr. Wilbraham, which amounted to 60%. 6s. 8d. On this terrace, Mr. Bacon likewife erected a fummer house, on a small mount; but as Hamstead and Highgate are no longer visible from this fpot, the fociety have very judiciously taken down the profpect houfe.

There are two inns of chancery belonging to Gray's Inn. STAPLE INN. Staple Inn ftands on the fouth fide of Holborn, nearly oppofite Gray's-inn-lane. It confifts of two large courts furrounded with buildings. Great part of the fecond court was rebuilt in the early part of the eighteenth century, and contains a fmall garden, pleafantly laid out. The first court adjoining Holborn, and particularly the street front, is of a much greater age; it was probably erected about the time of queen Elizabeth, but poffibly much earlier. The inn derives its name, according to tradition, from the merchants who dealt in wool, having had their meetings in it, when it was called Staple Hall.

HALL. The hall, though not large, is well proportioned. The roof is fupported by five principal beams, framed with Gothic ribs of oak, and enriched with grotefque ornaments; and the ends of the pofts are carved and moulded with drops, in the fame style, On the lower fhort beams of the fpandrils of the roof are placed upright ornaments of a grotefque and zig-zag character, differing from any even of the moft unmeaning-decorations of the moft tastelefs period. A modern plaifter ceiling and cornice appear to have been added on the under fide of the rafters; which, it may be prefumed, were originally of oak and open to the view. The windows are decorated with ftained glafs, containing the royal arms, thofe of fome of the judges of the king's bench, the principals of the inn, and others of eminence in the profellion. There are allo some pictures, and cafts of the twelve Cæfars.

SOCIETY. Staple Inn is under the direction of thirteen ancients, which include a principal and penfioner; the first is elected every three years by the junior members, the other holds his office at his own diferetion.

ARMS, The armorial bearings of this inn is vert, a woolpack, argent..

BERNARD'S INN. Bernard's Inn is fituated at a small distance from Staple Inn, in the fame street, confifting alfo of two courts furrounded by handsome and convenient chambers, but inferior in fize. Bernard's Inn was anciently called Mackworth Inn:

it has been ftyled the fecond inn of chancery. The time when it began to be inhabited by profeffors of the law is uncertain, but it undoubtedly was fo in the 32d Hen. VI.

HALL. The hall, which is a very fmall room, contains a few portraits of eminent law characters, and two bufts. The windows are likewife decorated with armorial bearings.

SOCIETY AND ARMS. The government of this inn is vested in a principal and twelve ancients. The armorial enfigns are, party per pale, indented ermin and fable, a chevron frettee or and gules.

COUNSEL. Having thus defcribed the inns at which students are called to the bar, with their appendages; it becomes neceffary to notice the office and rank of counfel. Of advocates, or (as they are generally called) counfel, there are two fpecies or degrees; barrifters and ferjeants. The former are in oid books ftiled apprentices, apprenticii ad legem, being looked upon as merely learners, and not qualified to execute the full office of an advocate till they were of fixteen years ftanding; at which time they might be called to the eftate and degree of ferjeants, or ferviantes ad legem. From both thefe degrees fome are ufually felected to be his majefty's counsel learned in the law; the two principal of whom are called his attorney, and folicitorgeneral. The first king's counfet, under the degree of ferjeant, was Sir Francis Bacon, who was made fo honoris caufa, without either patent or fee; so that the firit of the modern order (who are now the fworn fervants of the crown, with a small standing falary,) seems to have been Sir Francis North, afterwards lordkeeper of the great feal to Charles II. Thefe king's counfel anfwer in fome meafure to the advocates of the revenue, advocati fifci, among the Romans; for like them they must not be employed in any caufe against the crown, without fpecial licence; but in the imperial law, except fome peculiar caufes, the fifcal advocates were not permitted to be at all engaged in private fuits. A cuftom has of late years prevailed of granting letters patent of precedence to fuch barrifters, as the crown thinks proper fo to honour; whereby they are entitled to the rank and pre-audience aligned in their respective patents: fometimes next after the attorney-general, but ufually next after the king's counsel then being. The holders of these patents, as well as the queen's attorney and folicitor general, rank promifcuously with the king's counfel, and together with them fit within the bar of their refpective courts; but as they receive no falaries,

* Hence none of the king's counfel can publicly plead in court for a prifoner, or a defendant in a criminal pi fecution, without a licence, which is rarely elufed, but an expence of about 94, muff be incurred in obtaining it.

and

and are not sworn, they are at liberty to be retained in caufes against the crown. All other ferjeants and barristers indifcriminately (except in the court of common pleas, where only ferjeants are admitted) may take upon them the protection and defence of any fuitors, whether plaintiff or defendant who are therefore called their clients, like the dependants on the ancient Roman orators. Thofe indeed practifed gratis, for honour merely, or at moft for the fake of gaining influence: and fo likewife it is established in the courts in England, that counsel can maintain no action for his fees; which are merely honorary, and not given as falary or hire. In order to encourage due freedom of fpeech in the lawful defence of their clients, and, at the fame time, to give a check to unfeemly licentioufnefs, it has been holden that a counfel is not anfwerable for any matter by him spoken, relative to the caufe in hand, and fuggefted in his client's inftructions; although it fhould reflect upon the reputation of another, and even prove abfolutely groundless: but if he mentions an untruth of his own invention or even upon inftructions if it be impertinent to the caufe in hand, he is then liable to an action from the party injured. And counsel guilty of deceit or collufion are punishable by the ftatute Weftm. 1. 3 Edw. I. c. 28. with imprisonment for a year and a day, and perpetual filence in the courts. The latter part of the punishment, or more properly an entire exclusion from the bar, is still fometimes inflicted for grofs misdemeanors in practice.

SERJEANTS Serjeants at law, called in Latin "narratores, and in French" countors," are of very great antiquity, and by fome authors the dignity is afferted to be prior to the conqueft. They are exprefsly mentioned in a ftatute of Edward I.; in the reign of Edward III. they were fummoned to parliament, and fat with the justices of both benches. They were fpecially exempt ed from ferving on trials of grand affize, except where there were no knights in the county, an evidence that they were efteemed of an equal rank; and they precede, fays Sir Edward Coke, "those who fit on an high bench in Westminster Hall" (meaning the mafters in chancery.) In former times they were created with great pomp and folemnity, accompanied with many ceremonies, tedious, ridiculous, and expensive. Even in modern times, the practice of proclaiming the appearance of a new ferjeant in the court of common pleas by an exclamation from the chief juftice, "I fpy a brother," and a childish converfation in confequence, is faid to have been retained; and the diftribution of gold rings to all friends of the advocate, was continued till about the year 1790. At present a ferjeant is created as formerly, by writ; and cannot receive that

dignity