lectures of this new jurisprudence: to speak with enthusiasm of Alciatus and Zasius16: to speak hopefully of the future that lay before this conquering science—the future that lay before it in an England fortunately ruled by a pious, wise, learned and munificent Prince. Then in Edward VI's day Thomas Smith as a Master of Requests was doing justice in a court whose procedure was described as being 'altogether according to the process of summary causes in the civil law ' and at that moment this Court of Requests and other courts with a like procedure seemed to have time, reason and popularity upon their side17. Altogether, the Rev. Prof. Dr Sir Thomas Smith, Knt., M.P., Dean of Carlisle, Provost of Eton, Ambassador to the Court of France and Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth was a man of mark in an age of great events. Had some of those events been other than they were, we might now be saying of him that he played a prominent part in Renaissance, Reformation and Reception,
Page:English Law and the Renaissance.djvu/22
This page has been validated.
10
English Law
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/English_Law_and_the_Renaissance.djvu/page22-1024px-English_Law_and_the_Renaissance.djvu.jpg)