and there ready, and hold upright the said dressingknife till execution be done. "And the yeoman of the poultry shall be also then and there ready with a cock in his hand, for the surgeon to wrap about the same stump when the hand shall be so smitten off. "And the groom of the salcery shall be then and there ready with vinegar and cold water to give attendance upon the said surgeon till execution be done." In addition to losing his right hand, the unfor tunate criminal was imprisoned for life; and this punishment for striking in the king's palace or in a court of justice — where, by implication of law, the king was always personally present — contin ued to be law from 1542 to 1829, a period of two hundred and eighty-seven years. ,
FACETIAE. In the celebrated cause of Day against Good year, known in New Jersey as the " great indiarubber cause," Daniel Webster was employed for Mr. Goodyear. The custom then was for the court to assemble at ten o'clock in the forenoon, continue in session until one o'clock, then adjourn for dinner until three in the afternoon, and adjourn for the day at six o'clock. At the opening of the court in the afternoon, Mr. Webster, who had already begun his address, rose to continue his argument. He was dressed in his traditional cos tume, — blue coat, buff vest, and black trousers. He began by saying, " May it please your Honors, I come now to the investigation of that part of the cause where the witnesses from Baltimore appear." Justice Grier, in nis inimitable manner, interrupted the speaker, and said : " Mr. Webster, you need n't trouble yourself about the witnesses from Balti more; I don't believe a word they said. There never was a patent cause in this court since I have been on the bench but that some rascal from Baltimore claimed to be the first inventor." Mr. Webster was evidently " floored." He drew his hand over his chin, thrust it into his vest, but soon recovering himself, said in his blandest tones, " As your Honor has so kindly relieved me from the investigation of this part of the case, to which I had devoted two hours, I move the court adjourn until to-morrow morning at ten
o'clock." Promptly turning to the crier, the Judge said, " Crier, adjourn the court until to morrow morning at ten o'clock." A Southwest Georgia justice of the peace had listened to the evidence in a case that was being tried before him, and when that had been con cluded, one of the lawyers arose to make a speech in favor of his client. The judge listened patiently half an hour, and then began writing on a piece of paper in front of him. A few minutes later he interrupted the lawyer by saying : " Gentlemen, when you finish your speeches you will find my decision written on this piece of paper. You will have to excuse me for a while, as I have to plant some potato-slips. Let me know when you have concluded, and I will return and sentence the prisoner." In an attack directed against the character of a witness, the examining counsel came off secondbest : — "You were in the company of these people?" "Of two friends, sir." "Friends! two thieves, I suppose you mean?" "That may be so," was the dry retort; "they are both lawyers." Judge (to Witness). What are you? Witness (who is a physician) . I am an insane expert, your Honor. Judge. Oh, you are! Well, then you may step down, sir. I don't want any crazy persons giving testimony in this court.
"Have you read anything about this case in the papers? " asked a lawyer of a man summoned as a juror in an important criminal case. "No, sir, not a word." "Not a word, and the papers have been full of it?" "No, sir, I don't read the papers, nor anything else, for I can't read at all" The Judge : " Mr. Clerk, swear the juror."
"Dm you see this tree, that has been men tioned, by the roadside?" an advocate inquired. "Yes, sir, I saw it very plainly." "It was conspicuous, then? "
