will see
how closely the law-colleges of Victoria's London resemble in many
important particulars the law-colleges of Fortescue's period. After the
fashion of four centuries since young men are still induced to enter
them for the sake of honorable companionship, good society, and social
prestige, rather than for the sake of legal education. After the remarks
already made with regard to musical lawyers in a previous section of
this work, it is needless to say that Inns of Court men are not
remarkable for their application to vocal harmony; but the younger
members are still remarkable for the zeal with which they endeavor to
master the accomplishments which distinguish men of fashion and tone. If
the nominal (sometimes they are called 'ornamental') barristers of the
fifteenth century liked to read the Holy Scriptures, the young lawyers
of the nineteenth century are no less disposed to read their Bibles
critically, and argue as to the merits of Bishop Colenso and his
opponents. Moreover, the discipline described by Fortescue is still
found sufficient to maintain order in the inns.

Writing more than a century after Fortescue, Sir John Ferne, in his
'Blazon of Gentrie, the Glory of Generosity, and the Lacy's Nobility,'
observes: "Nobleness of blood, joyned with virtue, compteth the person
as most meet to the enterprize of any public service; and for that cause
it was not for nought that our antient governors in this land, did with
a special foresight and wisdom provide, that none should be admitted
into the Houses of Court, being seminaries sending forth men apt to the
government of justice, except he were a gentleman of blood. And that
this may seem a truth, I myself have seen a kalendar of all those which
were together in the society of one of the same houses, about the last
year of King Henry the Fifth, with the armes of their House and family
marshalled by their names; and I assure you, the self same monument doth
both approve them all to be gentlemen of perfect descents and also the
number of them much less than now it is, being at that time in one house
scarcely three score."[25]

This passage from an author who delighted to magnify the advantages of
generous descent, has contributed to the very general and erroneous
impression that until comparatively recent times the members of the
English bar were necessarily drawn from the highest ranks of society;
and several excellent writers on the antiquities of the law have