The Lawyer s Patron Saint.
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THE LAWYER'S PATRON SAINT. ANOTHER VERSION. By A. V. D. WATTERSON. LAWYERS really have a patron saint even if few of them are aware of the fact; but that is not strange, for some lawyers are not expected to know everything, even if others actually do. It is doubtful whether they all care whether they have a patron saint or not; but, from some of the expressions I have heard, and from stories told, I am led to believe that the former clients of some of them have felt quite differently about this lit tle matter, and have actually greatly regretted that lawyers have riot 'several patron saints, and that their lawyers in particular had not invoked the benign aid of these good men on several occasions of grave importance to the aforesaid clients. However, I am satisfied that these lawyers, like the relatives of the bore mentioned by our old classic friend, Horace, in his celebrated Ninth Satire, are "all buried"; but if any one of my readers may prefer to doubt this statement, he may, if he wishes, say on his own account what Horace adds, "nunc ego resto." It is evident that lawyers were once very good, pious individuals, for it is related that in the grand old ages of faith they were ex tremely anxious for a patron saint, feeling very keenly the apparent imputation implied in the failure to have one ascribed to them, while all other professions and crafts were worthily represented in the Heavenly Courts. Hence they mad« many efforts to procure the object of their desire; but each time they were informed that they must have patience and await the appearance of some suitable, estimable gentleman, who could be duly canonized, as there were then no saints on the calendar who were not already over worked. Besides, it was contended that in vestigation had demonstrated that it would
never do to give any one charge of the law yers who had anything else to do, not, of course, because of any radical defect in the morality of the profession, but simply be cause lawyers are such active and inventive individuals that they necessarily require great care and attention, and sometimes, mean people say, just a little watching. In fact, it was even suggested by the Sacred Congregation, to whom the matter had been referred, that they felt that they ought to wait until a lawyer could be found who could be sufficiently amiable and virtuous to stand the saintly test. Such a suggestion, however, seemed to savor so much of "funny busi ness," and appeared to be so unlikely, and, even if possible, so remote, that the lawyers sent a deputation to Rome to petition the Pope in person to do the best he could foi them out of the material on hand. The Pope, as was highly proper in dealing with the rep resentatives of a profession so illustrious, received them in state and listened very pa tiently and attentively to their petition. It is many years since the renowned Pon tiff, Gregory the Great, after mature consid eration, issued his famous decree in this wellknown case, which bore the caption, "In re petition of the legal fraternity of the world for the appointment of a patron saint," but it is still remembered with keen appreciation by legal readers of trusty history. This decree, which I have translated from the original in the Vatican Archives, is as follows : "And now, to wit, May 27, 1080, this mat ter came on to be heard, and after hearing the statements and arguments of counsel, thereupon, upon due consideration thereof, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed as fol
