lows, vis. : that the lawyers here present shall blindfold one of their number, and that the one so blindfolded shall be turned loose in Saint Peter's" (the old Basilica) "among the statues of Saints and others, and that the individual whose statue said lawyer shall grasp and clasp in his embrace shall thence forth until further order be the patron saint of the legal profession. "Given at Rome the day and year above written, being the seventh year of our pontificate. Hildebrand, Ponttfcx Maximus." This decree being considered by the learned gentlemen assembled, the perfection of pontifical solicitude and judicial sagacity, not only was no appeal taken, or even thought of, but on the contrary all were eager for its immediate fulfillment. Accord ingly a batch . of lawyers, who considered themselves easily the leaders of the profes sion, selected a fresh and fearless young judge, whom they estimated to be well quali fied for this class of work, and after securely blindfolding him they started him out to per form this most delicate mission. Like most of his kind he did not cut a verywide swath, but with marked intrepidity and celerity he clasped a figure and cried out, "This shall be our patron saint!" Imagine the disgust of his legal brethren, when, as they crowded around to learn the coveted patron's name, they discovered this poor, deluded judge clasping in tight em brace—the Devil. It was Lucifer in the group of the Archangel Michael in the act of driving the rebel angels out of heaven. It is recorded that by reason of this unfortunate mishap many swear words of prodigious pro portions and ominous portent were indulged in by certain legal lights, and that the pro fession was totally dissatisfied with the re flection cast upon it by the aforesaid Luci fer. Nevertheless, the Devil remained our patron saint for more than 300 years, when, after repeated efforts, Saint Ives, a law
yer himself, was solemnly canonized and made our steady, regular patron saint, which high office he fills with great dignity to this day. While I am fully aware that a superb stock of acerbity and crankiness may be developed before a lawyer reaches the age of fifty, yet I am of the belief that these exotics grow more luxuriantly during the twenty years following fifty, and the fact that Ives died at fifty in my opinion accounts for the aforesaid Ives being a saint. However, I will not press this point; I merely offer it as a sug gestion. Speaking of saints reminds me that very few people know that America is a saint's name. Saint Emeric was the son of Saint Stephen, King of Hungary, and, when nam ing the baby, Italians changed the name from Emeric into Amerigo. Every one knows the rest. Saint Ives' feast day is celebrated on May twenty-second of each year. I cannot add with any degree of exactitude the number of lawyers who celebrate, but it is reported that the number is about one in every three hundred of the population. Saint Ives was born near Treguier in Brit tany, France, in 1253, and, after a studious and eventful career, was appointed ecclesias tical judge of Rennes. In this capacity he protected the orphans and widows, defended the poor and oppressed, and administered justice to all with a promptitude and tender ness which gained him the good will of even those who lost their causes. Wouldn't it be lovely if we had some of that brand of judges in our day and generation? It is said that "he never pronounced sen tence without shedding many tears, always having before his eyes the tribunal of the Sovereign Judge, where he himself was one day to appear and to stand silent at the bar." But in my judgment Ives' long suit was developed before he went on the bench. He was surnamed the advocate and lawyer of
