A S G I L L; " which is called Conveyancing ; fecondly, the {hewing forth and defending thefe titles in form of law, which is
- ' called Pleading , thirdly, the arguing upon thefe convey-
" ances and pleadings (when they come in conteft) before " the judge?, which is called Practice at the bar: fo that
- ' the practice to the two latter doth arife from the errors or
11 incertainties of the former. Were the titles of lands once
- 4 made certain (which they may be by a regiftry and no
- ' otherwife) 1 know what I think of the future gains of the
- ' Jaw : the profit of the law arifes from the uncertainty
tc of property ; and therefore, as property is more reduced to " a certainty, the profit of the law muft be reduced with it;
- ' the fall of the one muft be the rifing of the other. Ac-
- ' tions of flander and battery, and caufes on the crown fide,
" would fcarce find fome of the circuiteers perukes ; and yet
- ' (if we obferve evidence) they ftand obliged to difputes in
'* titles for many of thefe. Thief and whore, kick and cuff,
- ' are very often the effedt: of forcible entries, trefpaffes, and
'* ferving of procefs, in which the title comes frequently in
- ' queftion. Buc the reducing this part of the practice of the
- ' law are things not feen as yer. The proximus ardet will
- ' fall upon the conveyancers ; and that not by altering the
- ' forms of lega! conveyances, or taking them out of their
- ' hands, or putting any ftop to the dealing in lands (for that
' will be increafed) but by expofing their manner of practice
- in this conveyancing part.of the law. Two qualifications
- ' are neceflary to a complete conveyancer ; fir(f, that he be
- ' incapable of difpatching bufinefs as faft as he fhould; fe-
- ' condly, that he doth not difpatch it as faft as he can: not
- ' to fpeak of bantering their clients with their feeming care
" and caution in delaying their bufinefs j {hewing greac
- trunks of old writings in their chamber; calling to their
" clerks (before them) for one lord's feulement, and another " lady's jointure ; to tell what great clients they have; and
- ' when they come to be paid, they reckon their fees by lon-
- gitude and latitude. I have feen an original mortgage of
" one fkin bred up by a fcrivener (in fix years) to one-and-
- twenty, by affigning it every year, and adding a fkin to
- ' every affignment by recitals and covenants: ascowe, after
- three years old, have one wrinkle added to each horn for
- 4 every year after, which fhews their age; and 1 am inform-
" ed, that one deed of fixty ficins was heaved out of a con-
- ' veyancer's office the other day. At this rate, in a little
- ' time the clients muft drive their deeds out of their bwyers
- ' chambers in wheel barrows, Thefe affignments and re-
" aflignments
