stminster Hall, and gossip with them about legal matters. In Charles
II.'s time, such eminent barristers as Sir Geoffrey Palmer daily gave
practical hints and valuable suggestions to students who courted their
favor; find accurate legal scholars, such as old 'Index Waller,' would,
under judicious treatment, exhibit their learning to boys ambitious of
following in their steps. Chief Justice Saunders, during the days of his
pre-eminence at the bar, never walked through Westminster Hall without a
train of lads at his heels. "I have seen him," says Roger North, "for
hours and half-hours together, before the court sat, stand at the bar,
with an audience of students over against him, putting of cases, and
debating so as suited their capacities, and encouraged their industry.
And so in the Temple, he seldom moved without a parcel of youths hanging
about him, and he merry and jesting with them."

Long after 'moots' had fallen into disuse, their influence in this
respect was visible in the readiness of wigged veterans to extend a
kindly and useful patronage to students. Even so late as the close of
the last century, great black-letter lawyers used to accost students in
Westminster Hall, and give them fair words, in a manner that would be
misunderstood in the present day. Sergeant Hill--whose reputation for
recondite legal erudition, resembled that of '_Index_ Waller,' or
Maynard, in the seventeenth century--once accosted John Scott, as the
latter, in his student days, was crossing Westminster Hall. "Pray, young
gentleman," said the black-letter lawyer, "do you think herbage and
pannage rateable to the poor's rate?" "Sir," answered the future Lord
Eldon, with a courteous bow to the lawyer, whom he knew only by sight,
"I cannot presume to give any opinion, inexperienced and unlearned as I
am, to a person of your great knowledge, and high character in the
profession." "Upon my word," replied the sergeant, eyeing the young man
with unaffected delight, "you are a pretty sensible young gentleman; I
don't often meet with such. If I had asked Mr. Burgess, a young man upon
our circuit, the question, he would have told me that I was an old
fool. You are an extraordinary sensible young gentleman."

The period when 'readings,' 'mooting,' and 'case-putting' fell into
disuse or contempt, is known with sufficient accuracy. Having noticed
the decay of readings, Sir John Bramston writes, in Charles II.'s reign,
"At this tyme readings are totally