t of the
Court, instead of a volume of Viner's abridgment, he took out a specimen
candlestick, the property of a Birmingham traveller, whose bag Serjeant
Hill had brought into Court by mistake.

A learned serjeant kept the Court waiting one morning for a few minutes.
The business of the Court commenced at nine. "Brother," said the judge,
"you are behind your time this morning. The Court has been waiting for
you."--"I beg your lordship's pardon," replied the serjeant; "I am
afraid I was longer than usual in dressing."--"Oh," returned the judge,
"I can dress in five minutes at any time."--"Indeed!" said the learned
brother, a little surprised for the moment; "but in that my dog Shock
beats your lordship hollow, for he has nothing to do but to shake his
coat, and thinks himself fit for any company."

Serjeant Davy, when at the height of his professional career, once
received a large brief on which a fee of two guineas only was marked on
the back. His client asked him if he had read the brief. Pointing with
his finger to the fee, Davy replied: "As far as that I have read, and
for the life of me I can read no further." Of the same eminent serjeant
in his earlier years an Old Baily story is told. Judge Gould, who
presided, asked: "Who is concerned for the prisoner?"--"I am concerned
for him, my lord," said Davy, "and very much concerned after what I have
just heard."

If Serjeant Davy was concerned about his client, Serjeant Miller had no
such scruple about the man charged with horse stealing whom he
successfully defended, although the evidence convinced the judge and
everybody in the Court that there ought to have been a conviction. When
the trial was over and the prisoner had been acquitted, the judge said
to him: "Prisoner, luckily for you, you have been found Not Guilty by
the jury, but you know perfectly well you stole that horse. You may as
well tell the truth, as no harm can happen to you now by a confession,
for you cannot be tried again. Now tell me, did you not steal that
horse?" "Well, my lord," replied the man, "I always thought I did, until
I heard my counsel's speech, but now I begin to think I didn't."

* * * * *

In the days of "riding" and "driving circuit," and even later, the
Circuit mess was a very popular institution with circuiteers, and was
made the occasion of much merriment. After the table had been cleared a
fictitious charge would be made against one of the barris