part of them not being of sufficient
knowledge to be an attorney, &c. &c., whereby proceed many suits more of
evil will and malice than of the truth of the thing, to the manifold
vexations, and no little damage of the inhabitants of the said city and
county." Wherefore it was enacted, that there should be but six
attorneys in the county, and two in the city, for the future. When this
admirable statute was repealed, we know not, but conceive it must have
been long, long ago, for so many brass-plate signs to have sprung up in
evidence of a numerous progeny taking place of the solitary two. Whether
the repeal was a _reform_ calculated to benefit the city, experience best
can prove; but if the character of the "common folk" in these parts is
faithfully given by the author of "English Worthies," we may presume them
to have been considerably inconvenienced by the scarcity of tools with
which to play their favourite game. He says, "that the common folks of
Norfolk are possessed of such skill in the law, that they are said to
study the law at the plough's tail, and some would persuade us that they
will enter an action for their neighbour's horse only looking over the
fence."

In later times, evidences of the law mania exist in manifold forms; and
the fact of individuals consulting a lawyer before calling in a doctor,
in physical ailments, is by no means an uncommon occurrence among a
certain class. Some men think and judge with their lawyer's heads, who,
in return, of course, in justice live upon their purses.

Some few amusing facts connected with the boasted English privilege of
"Trial by Jury," may serve to illustrate the growth of "purity" in our
courts of law. The jurisdiction exercised over jurors by the
"Star-chamber" is a notorious matter of history; but the curious and
graphic description of the nature and constitution of a jury in the
thirteenth century, as given by Sir Francis Palgrave, in his "Tale of the
Merchant and Friar," may not be quite so familiar, and is far too good to
be omitted.

"A trial was about to commence. 'Sheriff, is your inquest in court?'
said the Mayor. 'Yes, my lord,' replied the sheriff, 'and, I am
proud to say, it will be an excellent jury for the crown. I myself
have picked and chosen every man upon the panel. I have spoken to
them all; and there is not one whom I have not examined carefully,
not only as to his knowledge of the offences of which the priso