that a man who sets a dog to chase a cat in a public street acts negligently and without due care for passers-by, and is liable in damages for injuries to a child knocked down by the excited dog (44 A. L. J. 20). Once upon a time an old lady who lived by herself kept a multitude of cats; these she provided with regular meals, and fur nished them duly with plates and napkins. She died, and it was held, in a discussion over her will, that such fancies as hers were no certain indications of insanity (Redfield on Wills, i. 84). The will of another lady who died in London about sixty years ago, contained the following bequests: "I bequeath to my monkey, my dear and amus ing Jacko, the sum of £o sterling per an num, to be employed for his sole use and
benefit; to my faithful dog Shock and my well-beloved cat Tib, a pension of jCs ster ling; and I desire that in case of the death of either of the three, the lapsed pen sion is to pass to the other two, between whom it is to be equally divided." The bequests were not set aside (Proffatt, Curi osities and Law of Wills, 78). In modern Egypt funds have been bequeathed for the support of cats, in compliance with which these animals are daily fed in Cairo at the Cadi's court and the bazaar of Khan Khaleel, like the pigeons in the Square of St. Mark's. "Cats " should certainly end with tails; and behold, is there not a fitting tale at page 506 of the first volume of this " useless but entertaining magazine for Lawyers"?
HUMOR OF THE BENCH. By Clark Bell, Esq., of the New York Bar. PERHAPS no judge has sat upon the English bench who had a higher sense of humor than Sir W. Maule. The finest pieces of judicial ironical hu mor are attributed to him. Mr. Percy FitzGerald has given us in "Belgravia" some capital reminiscences of the judicial humor ist, who has been called " the wittiest man upon the English bench." We quote some of these : — In an unsavory case warning had been given, and all the women retired save a few strong-minded ones who kept their places. "You may go on now," said the judge, " as all the ladies have withdrawn." On a similar occasion, when the court had been cleared in a like manner, the witness still seemed to hesitate. " Out with it! " said the judge; "the ladies don't mind it, you need not be afraid of me." A smart barmaid was giving testimony before him against an ill-looking ruffian
charged with what is called " ringing the changes." They got into a sort of wrangle or recrimination; but the prisoner, an impudent fellow, could make nothing of her, and at last said, " Well, you may go away; the jury won't believe you." " I sha'n't go for your letting me go," was the answer. The judge, who had been taking his notes, looked up and said, "My good girl, you have given your evidence very well, and can go; and re member you have this advantage over the pris oner, — that you can go away, and he can't." The man was found guilty and sentenced to penal servitude, when he said in a low voice, "You 'll be in hell before the time is over." Maule did not hear, and asked the clerk what he had said. " He said," replied the clerk, with much solemnity, " that your lordship will be in hell before the time is over." " We shall see" said the judge; " call the next case." There is something exquisitely humorous in this "We sluill see" — an acceptance, as it were,
