874 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



the fellowsJiip of the house, who, 

 during two of the first years, or 

 thereabout alteir their admission, 

 shall (♦5'nc and sup together, and 

 syt one more at a mess than the mas- 

 ters commens doth; and uiitill they 

 be called up to be of the masters 

 commens, they shall not pay the 

 pension money of iii^. iiiif/. apiece; 

 neither pay so much for their com- 

 mens weekly as the masters com- 

 mens doth byvir/. a piece; and their 

 serve the masters commens of their 

 meat every day at dynner and sup- 

 per. 



Item, that the masters commens 

 are such as have been in the house, 

 by the space of two yeres or there- 

 abouts ; and then are by the elders 

 of the house, which they call bench- 

 ers, called up to the masters com- 

 mens, whereas they sit one less in a 

 mess than the clerks commens do ; 

 and pay virf. a week for their com- 

 mens more than the clerks com- 

 mens do ; and pay eche of taeni 

 iiis. iiud. yerely to the treasorer 

 for their pencion. 



Furthermore, the masters com- 

 mens are ferder divided into three 

 companies ; that is to say, no 

 litter baristers, utter baristers, and 

 benchers. 



Item, those that be no utter ba- 

 risters are such as for lack of conti- 

 nuance in the house, or because 

 they do not study or proiit in learn- 

 yng, are not by the elders of the 

 house called to dispute, argue, and 

 plead some doubtful matter in the 

 law, which among them is called 

 motyngy before the benchers and 

 elders. 



Item, the utter baristers are they, 

 which, after they have continued in 

 the house by the space of live or six 

 years, and have profited in the 

 study of the law, are called by the 



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elders or benchers to plead, argue,' 

 and dispute, some doubtful matter 

 in the law, before certain of the 

 same benchers, in the terme time, 

 or in the two principail times in 

 the yere, of tlieir lernyngs, which 

 they call grand vacations ; and the 

 samfe manner of argument or dispu- 

 tations is called motyng ; and this 

 making of utter-baristers, is as a pre- 

 ferment or degree, given him for 

 his learnyng. 



Also the benchers are those utter- 

 baristers, which, after they have 

 continued in the house b^- the space 

 of fourteen or fifteen years, are by 

 the elders of the house chosen to 

 reade, expound, and declare some 

 estatute openly unto all the com- 

 pany of the house, in one of the 

 two principail times of their learn- 

 ing, which they call the grand vaca- 

 tion in summer; and during the 

 time of his reading, he hath the name 

 of a reader^ and after of bencher. 



Item, that they have two chief 

 times of learning with them, which 

 they call their grand vacat ions ; the 

 one doth begin the first Mundiiy in 

 cleane Lent, and doth continue 

 three weeks and three days, in 

 which time one of the elders or 

 benchers, that hath before time 

 read, and expounded some estatute, 

 doth tiien read and expound some 

 other statute again : the other 

 doth begin the first Munday after 

 Lammas Day, and dotlr continue 

 tkree weeks and three da}s, in, 

 which doth rede such as are first! 

 chosen to be benchers. 



Item, by the old cnsfome of the 

 house, all such as are made fellows of 

 the house, unles they be dispensed 

 withali at their admittance, are 

 compelled to be personally present 

 at two the first grand vacations in 

 Lent, after their coming ; at two 



the 



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