as Shakespeare, with never a reference to " alienation," " freehold," " copyhold," "waiver," "encumber," "easement," "occu pant" or " laches." Shakespeare employs in his writings some fifteen thousand words. To constitute this immense vocabulary, every occupation, pro fession and trade has supplied its quota of words. The law is, indeed, represented, but in no larger proportion than its relative importance justifies. Many of Shakespeare's law terms are of doubtful meaning and un certain applicability. Thus Shakespeare use's the word "dower" twenty times, but never in its true legal ac ceptation, with the possible exception of Baptista's objections to Traino's expectant estate : " If you should die before him (the father) where's her dower?" "Dower " and " dowry " were to Shakes peare convertible terms, and the twenty "dowers " are employed interchangeably with twenty-four " dowrys." Exactly what Shakespeare meant by Hel ena's statement to the widow, in All's Well, is surely not to be ascertained by reference to a law dictionary : — "Doubt not but heaven Hath brought me up to be your daughter's dower As it hath fated her to be my motive And helper to a husband." The word " consideration " occurs a vast number of times in Shakespeare, but is never used in the sense of being the moving ele ment of a contract, although " price" is often employed where "consideration " would bet ter apply. "Hand and seal " is to be found three times in Shakespeare's work, but with no special legal force. The word " seal " is used by the poet in connection with every kind and character of agreement. In Romeo and Juliet a dateless bargain is sealed. Agreements to love are frequently sealed with a kiss; a pretty picture, but, unfor tunately for lawyers, not strictly a legal transaction.
Westmoreland, in Henry IV, upbraids the archbishop for having allied himself with the rebel forces : — "What peer hath been suborned to grate on you That you should seal the lawless bloody book Of forged rebellion with a seal divine?" In fact, it is only in the Merchant of Ven ice that a seal is referred to in connection with a contract such as the law in Shakes peare's time would have permitted to be dignified in that manner. Shakespeare seems to have employed his very technical real property terms with such reckless disregard of their propriety as to render many quotations ludicrous. Parolles, being captured, is asked by his guard if Captain Dumain could be bought with gold. He responds thus : — "Sir for a quart of d'ecu he will sell the fee simple of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succes sion for it perpetually." The above might well serve as a prize legal puzzle, in the solution of which knowledge of law and law terms would be more of a hindrance than a help. In the Merry Wives of Windsor, after the disastrous conclusion of Falstafif's visit to Mrs. Ford, that lady thus characterizes Sir John's condition : — "The spirit of wantonness is sure scared out of him; if the devil have him not in fee simple, with fine and recovery, he will never, I think, by way of waste, attempt us again." To a lawyer, the misuse of such fine tech nical terms seems levity, if not sacrilege. Dromio of Syracuse, in the Comedy of Errors, also abuses that good old method of conveyance now so dear to the hearts of law students — fine and recovery : — "Dromio of S. — There is no time for a man to recover his hair that grows bald by nature. Antipholus of S. — May he not do it by fine and recovery? Dromio of S. — Yes, to pay a fine for a periwig and recover the lost hair of another man." King Henry IV, wishing to impress upon prodigal Prince Harry the necessity
