Student Life at the Inns of Court.

by three and three in a company, and one of the three put some doubtful question in the law to the other two, and they reasoned and argued it; and this was observed every day through the year except festival day." At the end of every term "examination and search was made what exercises had been kept the same term and by whom; and likewise in the beginnings of the terms it was the custom to examine who kept their

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Inn wearing a hat in hall or in chapel, or "going abroad to London or Westminster" without a gown, was prohibited; "and like wise, if any fellow of this house shall wear long hair or great ruffs, he shall be put out of commons." The members of the Middle Temple were more fortunate, for " they have no order for their apparell, but everyone may go as he listeth, so that his apparell pretend no lightness or wantonness in the wearer."

THE TEMPLE CHURCH (EAST).

learning in the vacation time." It is not stated what befell those who had failed to "keep their learning." In hall and in church students wore gowns and round caps; but boots and spurs, swords and cloaks, and extraordinary long hair, were forbidden. The regulations as to dress va ried somewhat at the different Inns. At Gray's Inn a member wearing "any gown, doublet, hose, or other outward garment of any light colour," was to be expelled; and no member was to come into the hall to breakfast, dinner, or supper, or to any " ex ercise of learning " in boots. At Lincoln's /

The authorities at the different Inns seem at one time to have strongly objected to their members wearing beards. There are several regulations on the subject. In the thirtythird year of Henry VIIL, an order was is sued that " none of the fellows being in commons, or at his repast, should wear a beard; " the culprit to pay double commons "during such time as he should have any beard." Apparently this order was insuf ficient; for in the first year of Mary's reign it was enacted that " such as had beards should pay twelve-pence for every meal they continued in them; and every man to be