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The Green Bag.


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Among other ecclesiastical offences were such as refusing to follow the cross in procession, hang ing down the head at the elevation of the host, throwing the pax bread on the ground, separating the holy oil, washing hands in the baptismal font, singing the Litany derisively, refusing to pay dues and keep feast days, reading heretical and English books during the Mass, not receiving the ashes on Ash Wednesday, and not confessing at Easter. Among offences of a more miscellaneous charac ter, we find one man bringing judgment upon himself for " marieing his wife in their parish church in her mask; " another " for that the day he was married he dyd blowe oute the lightes about the alter and wolde suffer no lightes to be bourne." One unloving spirit was dealt with " for not treat ing his wife with affection; " another yet more unloving, for " cheening his wife to a post and slandering his neighbours." People offended by "exercising the magic art," by consulting cunning women, by using private conventicles, and " by hiring foreigners to work at their art." It was an offence also not to " make two torches and keep the drynkynge in the parish, according to the laudable use and custom; " and a shoemaker was punished for that " he kepeth his bedd upon the Sundaies and other holy days at time of mattens and mass, as it were a hownde that should kept his kenell." One man came into trouble for "fold ing some sheep in the church during a snow storm; " and another for " living in the church porch." Women fell under the judgment of the court for " coming to be churched without kercher, mid- wife, or wyves; " or " not as other honest women, but comynge in her hatt, and a quarter about her neck," or for "not coming in a vaille; " and one brisk housewife, striking out a bright idea on a rainy day, found that she had offended by " hanginge her lvnnen in the church to dry."

FACETIÆ. The witness on the stand had been bullyragged by the lawyer until his patience was exhausted. "Now," said the attorney, "you say you saw the prisoner draw his pistol?" "Yes."

"Remember you are on your oath." "I 'm not forgetting it." "You are sure you are telling the truth?" "Sure." "No mistake about it?" "None." "You could n't be persuaded into any other statement?" Here the judge interposed. "Oh, let him go on, your honor," pleaded the witness; " he;s a lawyer, and he does n't know the truth when he sees it, and I 'm only too glad to show him how, so far as I can."

Mr. Jenks. I see that a new law in Ala bama prohibits the selling of liquor within three miles of a church or school-house. The Colonel (from Louisville). That 's a ter rible blow to Alabama. Mr. Jenks. Think so? The Colonel. I should say so. In three years there won't be a church or school-house left in the State. — Life. The following good story is told of Rufus Choate. One morning when he entered his office his clerk rose and said : " Mr. Choate, a gentle man has just left here who wants you to undertake a case for him." " Ah! And did you collect the regular retaining fee?" " I only collected S50, sir." The regular fee was $100, and in a reproving tone Mr. Choate said : " But, sir, that was unprofes sional, — yes, very unprofessional." '-But, sir," said the clerk, apologetically, and anxious to exonrate himself from the charge, " I got all he had." said Mr. Choate, with a different expres sion, ""^hat was professional, — yes, quite profes sional.' . «^agjpr this world. Some people are ton n"^^!^^^^, a recent trial the prisoner entereua^? guilty," when one of the jury put on his hat started for the door. The judge called him back and informed him that he could not leave until the case was tried. "Tried! " cried the juror, — "why, he acknowledges that he is not guilty!"

At the trial of a breach of promise case, — the parlies to which were a man of advanced years

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