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HERE is another communication called forth by the same article. AKRON, О, Sept. >2, 1893. Editor of the " Green Bag " : DEAR SIR. — In your August number, Mr. Percy Edwards, under the title " A Serious Problem," has some timely comments on the vexatious multiplicity of reported decisions. His opinions, on the whole, are just and well considered; but he nukes several rather astonishing statements of fact. For instance, he seems to assert that Cicero flourished after the year 130 A.D. The impression has usually prevailed that the Roman orator died nearly half a century before the beginning of the present era. Blackstone is made to live in the "glorious Shakspearian age" as a contemporary of Coke and Bacon. Here our cheerful writer takes no account of the gap of nearly one hundred and fifty years that separates the time of the great commentator from the earlier day of "Good Queen Bess." Respectfully yours, H. T. W.
LEGAL ANTIQUITIES.
IN the thirty-first year of the reign of Prince Edward III., the year 1347, there was one Cicely de Ridgy way, or Rygeway, indicted for the mur der of her husband; but she refusing to plead and continuing mute, notwithstanding all the arguments and threats the judges could use to her, they ad judged her at last to fast forty days together in close prison without any meat or drink. This she actually did. The following is a translation of the record lodged in the Tower of this extraordinary case : — "The king to all bailiffs and others his liege subjects to whom these presents shall come, &c., greet ing. Be it known unto you that, whereas Cecely, who was the wife of John Rygeway, was lately in dicted for the murder of the said John, her husband, and brought to her trial for the same before our beloved and faithful Henry Grove and his brother judges at Nottingham, but that, continuing mute and refusing to plead to the same indictment, she was sentenced to be committed to close custody, without any victuals or drink, for the space of forty days, which she miraculously, and even contrary to the course of human nature, went through, as we are well and fully assured from persons of undoubted credit. We do, therefore, for that reason, and from a principle of piety to the glory of God and of the
Blessed Virgin His Mother, by whom it is thought this miracle was wrought, out of our special grace and favour, pardon the said Cecely from the further execution of the sentence upon her; and our will and pleasure is that she be freed from the said prison, and no further trouble be given her upon the account of the said sentence, &c. — In witness whereof, &.c."
FACETIÆ. THE following story is told of a South Texas judge : On one occasion an attorney appeared before the judge with a written request that a writ of Duccs Tccum, Linguidus Licit, issue; and the court, after adjusting his glasses and giving the paper a very careful reading, handed it to the clerk 'with instructions that the writ issue, whereupon the clerk informed the court he was not an attor ney, and did not understand the nature of the writ; so the court again took the paper, bowed his head, and apparently went off into the far land of study, and after some moments had elapsed arose and addressed the clerk as follows : — "Mr. Clerk, you will issue л writ that will play the deuce generally, and take 'em in gwyin' and comin', sick or well" JAMES FRANXIS OSWALD, a new Queen's Counsel, is perhaps the hero of more good stories than any man at the English bar. He was the junior who. on being told by Justice Kay that, " although he could teach him law, he could not teach him man ners," quietly remarked. " That is so, my lud." An encounter with Justice Chitty was hardly so successful. He had been addressing the court at great length in a bill of sale case, and at last said : "And now, my lud, I address myself to the furni ture." "You have been doing that for some time past," said Justice Chitty. AT a church-meeting in one of the suburbs of Chicago, held for the purpose of taking measures for increasing the interest of members and draw ing others into the fold, the inquiry was made whether a certain lawyer of the congregation whose financial affairs were somewhat involved, had "got religion." To which another lawyer present responded. " No, 1 think not, unless it 's in his wife's name."
