got in that 'ere bag o' yourn?" " Got, got!" ex claimed the learned conveyancer; " why, I 've got my papers, to be sure." " Ah! that 's very true, I d' say," replied the old Dogberry; " but come along o' me, and we 'll see what your papers look like! " All remonstrances were useless, and the distinguished gentleman was compelled to accom pany the trusty guardian of the night to the watchhouse, which was a few doors off. When they arrived, the watchman took the bag, opened it, put his hand in, and exclaimed with a look in finitely knowing, as he drew forth the little cap : "Ah, nothing but papers! I thought so." Down went his hand again; out came the shoes. " Ah, nothing but papers! I wor sure of that." He then told the enrageil lawyer that he must stop there until he could give a good account of himself; but at last, yielding to his entreaties, allowed him to send for bail. He consequently sent to Lincoln's Inn; and when some of his learned friends arrived, they found the incarcerated conveyancer seated in the chair of the night-watch, advising on a ponderous abstract which was stretched on a table before him! A year or two ago, a suburban lawyer left his bag on a train of the Boston and Lowell Railroad. On discovering his loss, he returned to the station, and inquired at the proper office if anything had been seen of " A green lawyer's bag." The pe culiar form of the inquiry leaked out, and for months the unhappy owner heartily wished that he had never attempted to recover that bag.
LEGAL ANTIQUITIES. One of the earliest acts, if not the first, making education compulsory was that passed in the reign of James IV. of Scotland, which ordained that all barons and freeholders send their sons to grammarschools at eight or nine years of age, and keep them there till they have " perfect Latin," and thereafter to the schools of " Art and Jure " for three years. That act was passed in 1496. In 1579 an act was passed ordaining that "Sang schools " be provided in burghs for the instruction of the youth in music. These acts may not indeed have produced great results in education, but they show that minds were at work with liberal forecast for the welfare
of the country, at a time when it is commonly sup posed that all public men and courtiers were alike selfish and factious. Thkkk is said to be an unrepealed law of New Jersey, passed while the State was a British Colony : "That all women, of whatever age, rank, profes sion, or degree, whether virgins, maids, or widows, who shall after this Act impose upon, seduce, or betray into matrimony any of his Majesty's subjects by virtue of scents, cosmetics, washes, paints, arti ficial teeth, false hair, or high-heeled shoes, shall incur the penalty of the law now in force against witchcraft and like misdemeanours." In the " Lives of the Lord Chancellors of Ire land," we are told that the Irish Parliament at Trim enacted this curious statute : " That those who would not be taken for Englishmen should not wear a beard upon the upper lip; that the said lip should be shaved once at least in every two weeks, and that offenders therein should be treated as Irish enemies." We are also told that James II. employed his Irish judges in diplomatic missions, and in Eng land they were received with derision and nick named " The Potato Embassadors." In the wording of an old deed a certain boun dary line was described as terminating at " a stump where Daniel Harrington licked William Jones." This reminds us that in the early days of the town ship of North Hatfield, Mass., a road was laid out which was described as " running from Pochang meadow to the stream where old Mr. Doolittle's horse died." In 483 a. d. the Emperor Zeno issued the fol lowing edict to the Pnetorian Prefect of Constan tinople (Code IV. 59) : — "We command that no one may presume to exercise a monopoly of any kind of clothing, or of fish, or of any other thing serving for food, or for any other use, whatever its nature may be, either of his own authority, or under a rescript of an Em peror already procured, or that may hereafter be procured, or under an Imperial decree, or under a rescript signed by Our Majesty; nor may any persons combine or agree in unlawful meetings, that different kinds of merchandise may not be sold at a less price than they may have agreed upon among
