scope excludes reported cases, digests, discussions of "points of law," and other "practical" matter, but includes everything else likely to interest the legal profession.' In strict accordance with this idea we have in the new publication no dull reports of cases or dry disquisitions on legal points, but in their place sparkling rhymes, humorous anecdotes with a stronger or weaker court flavor about them, and interesting bits of gossip on legal matters. The result is a readable collection of matter interesting particularly to lawyers, but which will no doubt find favor also with a wider circle. The 'Green Bag,' however, is by no means limited, as its title would seem to imply, to the task of making legal jokes. In the article on 'The Harvard Law School' we have an admirable description of an institution which, so far as we are aware, is with out a parallel on this side of the water. The teaching of the law is there conducted in a way which should afford some grounds for reflection to our own University reformers. The portraits of some of the more celebrated teachers in the School, including Judge Story, Judge Parker, Professor Parsons, and others, are beautifully done, as is also the portrait of Chief-Justice Fuller, which stands at the beginning of the number."
Modesty and lack of space compel us to omit many other pleasant allusions.
LEGAL ANTIQUITIES.
The Old Court of Exchequer. — The his tory of the Court of Exchequer and its judges is highly interesting to the archaeologist. " The Ex chequer," says Lord Chief- Baron Gilbert, "was the ancient and sovereign court in Normandy, to which they appealed from all inferior courts and jurisdictions, it being the Grand Court of the Duke." The derivation of the word " Exchequer" has been the subject of some doubt; Basuage thinking that it came from the German skccken (to send), because the court was composed de Missis Dominis, or of such great lords as were particularly sent for to hold court with the Senes chal, or Steward, on any occasion. But the more common derivation of the word is from a cheq uered board, or chess board. " They call the board at which they play chess a chequer," re marks Gilbert, " because in that game they give cheque; and this court was so called because
they laid a cloth of that kind upon the table upon which the accomptants told out the king's money and set forth their account." The Court of Ex chequer in Normandy, as in England, consisted of two divisions, — the Receipt of the Exchequer for the management of the royal revenue, and the Court (or Judicial) part of it; and though Gilbert appears to hesitate in his opinion, it seems suffi ciently clear a priori that the idea of this tribunal was imported from France. But whether it was established in England by the Conqueror or not, it is certain that it formed part of the old Curia Regis. It was commonly called Curia Regis ad Scaccarium, and it sat " at a four-cornered board about ten feet long and five feet broad, fitted in manner of a table to sit about, on every side whereof is a standing ledge, or border, four fingers broad. Upon this board is laid a cloth bought in Easter Term, which is of black color, rowed with streaks distant about a foot or span, like a chess board," upon which counters were ranged for the purpose of checking the computations. Origi nally the only business of the court was to adjust the king's revenue, which in early times was paid partly in kind and partly in money, — the differ ent farms supplying necessaries for the daily use of the royal household, and the cities and towns furnishing money for the soldiers and other pur poses of the State. Pleas between private indi viduals were afterwards heard here, and fines levied and recorded, though no instances occur previous to the reign of Henry II. At first all the judges of the Exchequer were actual barons of the realm, having seats in the Curia Regis, and until the reign of Henry III. they were indiscriminately styled Justiciarii et Barones. On the division of the courts in that reign — the real barons having in the mean time seceded from the employment — special persons were assigned to sit in the Exchequer tanquam Barones, thus retaining the style of " Baron; " and, in order to distinguish their business from that of the two other courts, from which they were now separated, their duty was expressly limited pro negotiis nostris quce ad idem Scaccarium pertinent. All these barons were, till the reign of James I., of a much lower degree than the other judges, and indeed were not considered men of the law at all, nor ever employed to go on the circuits. But upon the general increase of litigation oc casioned by the extension of commerce, and the
