here. In Henry VIII.'s time it was
a very considerable income, such as was equalled by few leaders of the
bar not holding high office under the Crown.

In Elizabeth's reign, and during the time of her successor, barristers'
fees show a tendency toward increase; and the lawyers who were employed
as advocates for the Crown, or held judicial appointments, acquired
princely incomes, and in some cases amassed large fortunes. Fees of
20_s._ were more generally paid to counsel under the virgin queen, than
in the days of her father; but still half that fee was not thought too
small a sum for an opinion given by Her Majesty's Solicitor General.
Indeed, the ten-shilling fee was a very usual fee in Elizabeth's reign;
and it long continued an ordinary payment for one opinion on a case, or
for one speech in a cause of no great importance and of few
difficulties. 'A barrister is like Balaam's ass, only speaking when he
sees the angel,' was a familiar saying in the seventeenth century. In
Chancery, however, by an ordinance of the Lords Commissioners passed in
1654, to regulate the conduct of suits and the payments to masters,
counsel, and solicitors, it was arranged that on the hearing of a cause,
utter-barristers should receive L1 fees, whilst the Lord Protector's
counsel and sergeants-at-law should receive L2 fees, _i.e._, 'double
fees.'

The archives of Lyme Regis show that under Elizabeth the usage was
maintained of supplying counsel with delicacies of the table, and also
of providing them with means of locomotion. Here are some items in an
old record of disbursements made by the corporation of Lyme
Regis:--"A.D. Paid for Wine carried with us to Mr. Poulett--L0 3_s._
6_d._; Wine and sugar given to Mr. Poulett, L0 3_s._ 4_d._; Horse-hire,
and for the Sergeant to ride to Mr. Walrond, of Bovey, and for a loaf of
sugar, and for conserves given there to Mr. Poppel, L1 1_s._ 0_d._; Wine
and sugar given to Judge Anderson, L0 3_s._ 4_d._ A bottle and sugar
given to Mr. Gibbs (a lawyer)."

Under Elizabeth, the allowance made to Queen's Sergeants was L26 6_s._
8_d._ for fee, reward, and robes; and L20. for his services whenever a
Queen's Sergeant travelled circuit as Justice of Assize. The fee for her
Solicitor General was L50. When Francis Bacon was created King's Counsel
to James I., an annual salary of forty pounds was assigned to him from
the royal purse; and down to William IV.'s time, King's Counsel received
a stipend of L40 a year