B84 
their vanity ; but Mr. Lane is too fear- 
ful of presuming, and perhaps permits 
his fears to overcome a wish of extend- 
ing his account of this honourable so- 
ciety. Such an account from a person 
of his abilities and peculiarly favourable » 
situation, accompanied with biographical 
anecdotes, would undoubtedly be very 
acceptable to the public, who certainly 
would amply remunerate him for his 
expences and labour. 
Mr. Lane enters into a short but satis- 
factory history of Lincoln’s Inn, which 
is composed of the old buildings, the 
arden, Serle Court or New Square, and 
the stone building. “It is situated ina 
street anciently called New Street, or 
Chancellor’s Lane, (from the rolls office 
being situate there) but now called 
Chancery Lane.” 
The order of black friers had a mo- 
nastery in Holborn, which having fallen 
into decay, that and the palace of Ralph 
Nevil, bishop of Chichester, built on a 
piece of ground granted to him by 
Henry III. were converted into Lin- 
coln’s Inn. 
« Afterwards Henry Lacy then Earl 
of Lincoln, became possessed of it, and 
resided thereon, and from thence it 
derived its name; for we learn, that 
about the beginning of the reign of Ed- 
ward II. being partial to the study of 
the law, he first engaged its professors 
to settle here. 
«© The succeeding bishops of Chiches- 
ter, whose inheritance it was, let leases 
to law students, reserving a rent and 
lodgings to themselves on their coming 
to London. 
“ Francis Syliard, a bencher in the 
time of Henry VII. had a lease thereof, 
when Robert Sherborne, then bishop of 
Winchester, granted a new lease to Wil- 
liam Syliard his son, then a student, for 
ninety-nine years, at 6]. 13s. 4d. per an- 
num, which ended in 1634. 
«© Richard Simpson, a succeeding 
bishop of ‘Chichester, in 1536, passed 
the inheritance thereof, and of the gar- 
den called Cotterel garden, at Coney- 
garth,* to the said William Syliard and 
Eustace his brother, which grant was 
confirmed by the dean and chapter, 
William being then one of the ushers of. 
Henry VIIL.’s bed-chamber. 
« Eustace; surviving Edward his son 
BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 
and heir, by deed of the 22d of Elizabetlt, 
conveyed to Richard Kingsmill and other 
benchers, this house, garden, &c. in fee, 
whereupon a fine was levied by the said 
Edward and his wife. 
«* Thus far relates to the whole of the 
Inn, excepting what is denominated 
Serle Court, known by the name of the 
New Square.” 
The buildings of which this is compos 
ed were erected by the person just men- 
tioned, on. Fickett’s Field, or Little Lin- 
coln’s Inn Field. Disputes having sub- 
sisted between this Henry Serle, Esq. and 
the then masters of the bench, articles 
were entered into by the parties, 34th 
Charles IT. which set them at rest for 
ever: of those Mr. Lane gives an ab- 
stract. 
“¢ The buildings within the Inn which re- 
quire particular mention are,—the chapel— 
the hall—the stone building—the library. 
The chapel was built by Inigo Jones, com- 
oleted in five years, and consecrated in 1623, 
oy George Mountain, bishop of London.— 
Tnternally it is decorated with painted win 
dows, representing the prophets and apostles, 
the arms of a few noblemen, and the treasur- 
ers successively from 1680 to the present year. 
«© The cloisters underneath are much ad- 
mired, and have of late years been railed in : 
the ground, being the burial-ground of the 
society, is now reserved for the interment of 
the benchers only, by an order made in July 
1791; the place being too small fora gene- 
ral burial ground. Here Thurlow, the secre- 
tary of state to Oliver Cromwell, hes buried 
with an inscription on a flat stone. 
«© The roof and Gothie window at the 
east end of the chapel, were completely re- 
newed abont ten years since, and other re- 
pairs added, under the direction of My. 
Vyatt. 
“In 1058, Henry Colfer, Esq. of this 
Inn, devised 12]. per annum for ever, for a 
sermon to be preached in Lincoln’s Inn 
chapel, the rat Weduesdtey in every month 
(which is regularly performed), and 81. per 
annum for certain charitable purposes. In 
1768, a lecture in the form of sermons, was 
founded by the bishop of Gloucester (Dr. 
Warburton), late preacher to the society, for 
proving the truth of the Christian religion, 
from the completion of the prophecies in the 
Old and New Testament. ‘To be preached 
the first Sunday after Michaelmas term, and 
the first Sunday before and after Hilary term 
annually, (which duty is regularly performed 
pursuant to the directions of the founder.) 
A preacher and chaplain are appointed by the 
society, and divine service regularly performed 
i 
® © So called from the quantity of rabbits, for we find in the 8th of Edward IV. the 12th 
Henry VII. and 24th Henry VILL. strict penaltics on the students hunting the same, with 
bows, arrows, or darts.” 
