INNS of 
Chriftmaffings laded feveral days, and on each day the ce¬ 
remony differed. The proceedings were regulated by a 
parliament exprefsly fummoned, who having entered into 
a “folempne confultation,” the refult was communicated 
to the other members of the houfe by one of the fenior 
benchers; the elded butler was direfiled to publifh the 
names of the various officers appointed for the occafion, 
“and then, in token of joy and good liking, the bench 
and company pafs beneath the harth, and fing a caroll, 
and fo to boyer .” 
In the fird place, the deward was to provide dve fat 
brawns, veffels, wood, and other neceffaries belonging to 
the kitchen; as alfo all manner of fpices, fleffi, fowl, and 
other cates. “ The chief butler was to have,a rich cup--' 
board of plate, filver, and parcel gilt; feven dozen of lil- 
ver and gilt fpoons ; twelve fair faltfellers, likewife .filver 
and gilt; twenty candledicks of the like; twelve fine 
large table-cloths of damaik and diaper ; twenty dozen of 
napkins fuitable at the lead; three dozen of fair large 
towels, which the gentlemen fevvers and butlers of the 
houfe were to have every of them one at meal-times dur¬ 
ing their attendance. He was likewife to provide carving- 
knives ; twenty dozen of white cups and green pots; a 
carving-table; torches; bread; beer, and ale. The chief 
butler was to give attendance at the highed table in the 
hall, with wdne, ale, and beer; and the other butlers to 
attend at the other tables.” The condable marfhal was 
to provide “ a fair gilt compleat barneys , (fuit of armour,) 
with a ned of fethers in the helm ; and a fair poleaxe to 
bear in his hand, in order to be chevalroufly ordered on 
Chridmas-day and the other different days'.” 
Before Chridmas-eve was a grand dinner. The tables 
for this were all arranged with much form by the marfhal, 
and the company placed according to their feveral de¬ 
grees. The fird courfe was brought in, preceded by the 
mindrels founding their inllruments. The deward and 
marfhal followed, and after them the gentleman fewer; 
and then came the meat. Thefe three officers were to 
make all together three “ folempn curtefies,” at three fe¬ 
veral times, between the fcreen and the upper table, the 
fird at the end of the benchers’ table ; the fecond about 
the midd ; and the third at the other end; and then, with¬ 
drawing on one fide, the fewer performed his office. 
Dinner ended, the muficians prepared to fing a fong at 
the highed table; which ceremony accomplifhed, the of¬ 
ficers were to addrefs themfelves every one in his office, 
“ to avoid the tables in fair and decent manner, begin¬ 
ning at the clerk’s table ;” and thence proceeding to the 
next, and thence to all the others, “ till the highed table 
be folempnly avoided.” All this time, the muficians were 
to dand “ right above the hearth fide, with the ncife of 
their mufic ; their faces direfif: towards the highed table; 
and, that done, to return into the buttery, with their mu¬ 
fic founding.” The fecond courfe was ferved like the fird. 
The meal concluded with revels ; during which, and 
alfo at dinner, the porters were to view the corners in and 
out; and for this fervice they were allowed a cajl of bread 
and a candle nightly afterfupper. The revels and dancings 
continued the twelve days of Chridmas, and each day af¬ 
ter dinner and fupper the fenior mader of the revels fung 
a “ caroll or fong, and commanded other gentlemen then 
there prefent to fing with him and the company;” which 
was “ very decently performed.” 
On Chriftmas-day, after hearing divine fervice - at the 
Temple church, the gentlemen breakfaded at the hall 
with brawn , mufard, and malmfy. The fird courfe at 
dinner on this day was “a fair and large boar’s head 
upon a filver platter, with mindralfye.” At fupper two 
gentlemen in gowns attended, bearing two fair torches of 
wax next before the muficians and trumpeters, and dood 
above the fire with the mufic till the whole fird courfe- 
was ferved in ; which performed, they returned with the 
mufic into the buttery ; and this fame order was obferved 
during the whole Chridmas fedival. 
The granded ceremony, however, was on St. Stephen’s 
COURT. 75 
day. This confided of a fort of drama, in which the 
company perfonated various characters, accompanied by 
mufic, dancing, and pageantry. The chief perfonage on 
this occafion was termed the Lord of Mifrule. He was at¬ 
tended by his courtiers, Sir Francis Flatterer, Sir Randle 
Rackabite, Sir Morgan Mumchance, and Sir Bartholomew 
Baldbreecii. The ceremony after the fird courfe com¬ 
menced with the entry of the condable-marflial, arrayed 
with a “ fair, rich, complete, barneys, white and bright, 
and gilt, with a ned of feathers of all colours upon his 
cred or helm, and a gilt poleaxe in his hand.” He was 
accompanied by another officer, called the Lieutenant of 
the Tower (from a large machine refembling a fortrefs, 
of which he was fuppofed the governor), and who was 
likewife armed in a fimilar manner. Thefe two officers 
were preceded by fixteen trumpeters, four drums and fifes, 
and four men in white harneys from the middle upwards, 
with halberts in their hands, bearing on their fhoulders 
the tower. 
After this proceflion had walked three times round the 
fire, the mufic playing, &c. the condable-marflial and 
lieutenant knelt before the lord chancellor (always invited 
at this folemnity), and the former pronounced an oration 
of a quarter of an hour's length ; the purport of which was, 
to requed to be taken into his lordfhip’s fervice ; he then 
delivered his naked fword to the deward, who prefented 
it to the lord chancellor, &c. and during this ceremony 
the tower was placed near the fire. Then came the maf- 
ter of the game and the ranger of the fored (two other 
charg filers fo called), the former apparelled in green vel¬ 
vet, and the latter in a fuit of green fatin, having in his 
hand a green bow and feveral arrows, and each of them 
a hunting-horn flung over the fhoulder. Arriving at the 
fire, they blew together “ three blafls of venery," and 
paced round about three times ; and then, making three 
curtefies,- defired in the fame manner to be admitted into 
the fervice of the lord chancellor. Other formalities, 
too long to detail, fucceeded the above; and the ceremony 
concluded with the aftual hunting of a fox and a cat, 
with nine or ten couple of hounds, round the hall, whole 
deaths terminated this very extraordinary and lingular 
fpecies of amufement. 
Shakefpeare, whether from tradition or hiftory is un¬ 
known, makes the Temple-garden the place in which the 
badges of the white and red rofes originated, the diftinc- 
tive cognizances of the houfes of York and Lancalter, un¬ 
der which the refpefitive partifans of each arranged them- 
felves in the fatal quarrel which caufed fuch torrents of 
blood to flow : 
The brawl to-day, 
Grown to this fafilion in the Temple-garden, 
Shall fend, between the red rofe and the white, 
A thoufand fouls to death and deadly night. Hen. VI. Part i. 
The Middle Temple, as well as the Inner, is poffeffed of 
a very good library, to which ftrangers find a ready ac- 
cefs during term-time. Both contain many valuable" ma- 
nufcripts; but the far greater number belongs to the In¬ 
ner Temple. Catalogues of the numerous and valuable 
manul'cripts contained in the libraries of the inns of court, 
as well as of thofe in the poffeflion of many other public 
focieties, have, by the laudable exertions of parliament, 
been lately printed, and may be feen in the Report of the 
felefit committee for examining into the ftate of the pub¬ 
lic records. 
Among the perfons educated at the Middle Temple, 
we find many who rofe to the higheft rank in their pro- 
feflion, and were otherwife fufficiently eminent to merit a 
diftinguifhed mention in the page of hiltory,. i. Lord- 
chancellor Rich, a celebrated ftatefman in the reign of 
Henry VIII. was a member of this houfe,’ and ferved 
here the office of reader in the 2.1ft of that monarch. In 
the 2.7th of the fame reign he was advanced to the place 
of chirographer of the common pleas, and foon afterwards 
to the dignity of the chancellorfhip. He diftinguifhed' 
him (elf 
