town for the protection of my suite and my self; and I doubt if these coins are altogether a legal tender at the present time." The steward of Warwick Castle still brings to the "judge's lodgings," spring, summer, and winter,— if a winter assize be there held, — the keys of Warwick Castle grounds, that the judges may " recreate themselves there in " during their stay in the town. Presents of food and drink, especially of the former, are now rarely made to the justices of assize, though anciently they were very frequent. Flowers and fruit are still tendered by and accepted from country gentlemen of position; and venison, when in season, from the great country parks and seats, the owners of several of which have affixed to the conditions of the tenure of their estates that of providing the King's justices with "fat bucks and does at the assizes." At Cambridge, where the judges are lodged in Trinity College, the " heads of houses" present twelve bottles of very choice port wine, and brew three barrels of very potent ale for the judges and their attendants; while at Lancaster, under the provisions of the will of a benevolent old lady, who died some centuries since, and who doubtless gained some heavy verdict in her favor, two dozen bottles of very rare and fine old port are brought to the " lodgings " at the com mencement of each assize. The only other present we need allude to is the bouquet of flowers placed on the bench before the judge during the exercise of the duties of his office. These are mostly the result of ancient bequests; but where there is no special means from which they may be supplied, the high-sheriff provides them, sometimes at great personal cost. Flowers in court were originally used for preventing by their odor the effects of " gaol fever" upon the judge and his associates on the bench; and for a similar purpose, and un
til quite recently, small bunches of rue were placed before the prisoners upon trial at the Old Bailey. Such are some of the old circuit customs which still exist, but a greater number are among the " things which were." Not more than forty years ago in every garrisoned town the soldiers could not leave their quar ters without leave of the judge first had and obtained, and to procure which, theofficer first in command, in "full fig," with adjutant at tending, waited at the judge's lodgings on the commission day for the requisite permission to loose his men from barracks. He pre sented to the judge for approval or alteration the table of rations accorded to the troops, and handed in the surgeon's report as to the health of the soldiers. The governor of Lancaster Castle and the mayor of Lancaster, until recently, severally gave up their keys and staff of office to the assize judge when he visited that town; while both at Appleby and at Chester the judges resided during the assizes in the cas tles themselves, and every night, after " lock ing up," the keys were brought to them as governors of the fortresses. Durham is now the only town in England which receives the judges into a castle, and a grand one too, with the accessions of ancient carved oak, tapestry, and most ghost-like state-rooms. The Mayor of Banbury, accompanied by several members of the Corporation, until lately presented themselves at the judges' lodgings at Oxford, and offered the judges Banbury cakes, wine, six long clay pipes, and a pound of tobacco, accompanying the gift with many complimentary expressions. Until 1859 the ancient Corporation of Ludlow were accustomed to come to the door of the judges' carriage, as they travelled by rail from Shrewsbury to Hereford, and to offer the cake and wine, the former upon an ancient silver salver, the latter in a " loving cup" wreathed with flowers.
