ve to defend
you?"--"Well, Jim," was the reply, "I should pitch upon this 'un,"
pointing to the Q.C. "Then you'd be a fool," said his companion; "the
fellow with the _sore head_ is worth six of t'other 'un."

There used to be a student joke against the serjeants. "Why is a
serjeant's speech like a tailor's goose?"--"Because it is hot and
heavy."

* * * * *

"Taking silk," or becoming a K.C. and a senior at the Bar, originated at
a much later date than that of serjeant-at-law. Lord Bacon was the first
to be recognised as Queen's Counsel, but this distinction arose from his
position as legal adviser to Queen Elizabeth, and did not indicate the
existence of a senior body (as K.C. does now) among the barristers of
that period. The institution of the rank dates from the days of Charles
II, when Sir Francis North, Lord Guildford, was created King's Counsel
by a writ issued under the Great Seal. As was customary in the case of a
barrister proposing to "take the coif," so in that of one proposing to
"take silk"; he intimates to the seniors already holding the rank that
he intends to apply for admission to the body. A story is current in the
Temple that when Mr. Justice Eve "took silk" the usual notification of
his intention was sent to the seniors, and from one of them he received
the following reply: "My dear Eve, whether you wear silk or a fig-leaf,
I do not care.--A Dam."

* * * * *

Our selection of facetiae of the English Bar, therefore, naturally opens
with stories of the serjeants-at-law, and one of the best-known members
of that body in early days was Serjeant Hill, a celebrated lawyer, who
was also somewhat remarkable for absence of mind, which was attributed
to the earnestness with which he devoted himself to his professional
duties.

On the very day when he was married, he had an intricate case on hand,
and forgot his engagement, until reminded of his waiting bride, and that
the legal time for performing the ceremony had nearly elapsed. He then
quitted law for the church; after the ceremony, the serjeant returned to
his books and his papers, having forgotten the _cause_ he had been
engaged in during the morning, until again reminded by his clerk that
the assembled company impatiently awaited his presence at dinner.

Being once on Circuit, and having occasion to refer to a law authority,
he had recourse, as usual, to his bag; but, to the astonishmen