1056. Did you ever hear that the American Government were ever placed in any difficulty by the want of any such officer ?—I have never heard so; but I have heard from the American minister, that their lawyers have a more general legal education than ours.

APPENDIX III.

Extract from Rymer's Fœdera, vol. 9.

DE OFFICIO LEGENDI JUS CIVILE IN UNIVERSITATE

OXON.

Ann. D. 1620.] JAMES, by the grace of God, &c. To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting:

Knowe ye that we for diverse good causes and considerations to us at this present moving, of our especiall grace, certaine knowledge, and meer motion, have given and graunted, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do give and grant, unto Richard Zouche, Doctor of the Civil Law, the office or roome of reading of our Civill Law lecture in our Universitie of Oxford, together with the yearly fee of fortie poundes of lawful money of England, for the reading and exerciseing of the same office of reading the same lecture, as and with all other fees, rewardes, profitts, commodities, privileges and advantages whatsoever belonging, appertayning or incident to the said office or roome, for, proceeding or otherwise due by the laudable custom and usage of our said universitie of Oxford.

To have, use, enjoy, occupie and exercise the said office or roome of reading the said civill law lecture, unto the said Richard Zouche for term of his naturall life,—and yearlie to take for the usage, occupying and exerciseing of the said office or roome of reading the said lecture in forme aforesaid, the said yearly fee of fortie pounds unto the said Richard Zouche, from the feast of the Navivitie of Saint John Baptist last past before the date hereof, for and during the natural life of the said Richard Zouche, out of the treasure of us, our heires and successors, at the receipt of the exchequer of us, our heires and successors at Westmynster, by the handes of the treasurer and chamberlain of us, our heires and successors there for the tyme

being, at the fower usual feasts or termes of the year, by even portion during the said term, with all fees, rewards, profitts, commodities, privileges and advantages whatsoever belonging or appertayning or incident to the said office or roome of reading, for, proceeding or otherwise by any manner of wayes or means whatsoever dewe unto the said office or roome, or to the readers of the said lecture for the tyme being, by the laudable usage and custome of our said Universitie of Oxford, in as large, ample and beneficiall manner and form to all intents and purposes as Albericus Gentilis, Frauncis James, John Budden, or any other person or persons at any time heretofore, having, occupying, enjoying or exercising of the same office or roome of reading the said lecture, have used or enjoyed or ought to have had and enjoyed in and for the same.

Although expresse mention, &c.

IN WITNESS whereof, &c.

WITNES Our self at Westminster, the two and twentieth day of September.

Per Breve de Privato Sigillo.

APPENDIX IV.

The Charter of Incorporation of the Society of Doctors exercent in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts.

GEORGE THE THIRD, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c., TO ALL to whom these Presents shall come, greeting: WHEREAS our trusty and well-beloved George Hay, Doctor of Law, Official Principal and Dean of the Court of Arches, and Judgeof the Prerogative Court of Canterbury; Sir Thomas Salusbury, Knight, Doctor of Law, Judge of our High Court of Admiralty; James Marriott, our Advocate-General; Arthur Collier, William Wall, Andrew Coltee Ducarel, Dennis Clarke, John Bettesworth, George Harris, William Macham, Peter Calvert, William Wynne, Francis Simpson, Thomas Bever, William Burrell, Claude Champion Crespigny, and William Compton, Doctors of Law of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, exercent in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts, inhabiting the tenement late Mountjoy House, commonly called Doctors Commons, situate in the parish of Saint Bennet, Paul's Wharf, in our City of London, have, by their Petition, humbly represented to us, that they have devoted themselves to the study of the Civil and Canon Law, and are either Judges in the Courts of His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, or other Ecclesiastical Courts, or of our High Court of Admiralty, or admitted, by proper authority, to practise as advocates in our abovementioned Courts; and that the Petitioners have, for centuries past, been formed into a voluntary Society, and lived together in one place, by means of which the business of the Public has been more commodiously carried on; and that they, for the

better support of the said Society, and for securing to themselves a fixed place of residence for the future, are desirous of becoming a body corporate; they therefore most humbly prayed that we would be graciously pleased, by Letters-Patent, under our great seal of Great Britain, to incorporate them and their successors, by the name, style and title of "The College of Doctors of Law, exercent in our Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts," agreeably to the heads thereunto annexed most humbly submitted to us, and with such other powers, privileges, regulations, restrictions, and provisions, as to us, in our great wisdom, should seem meet: WE, having taken the said Petition into our royal consideration, and being willing to give all fitting encouragement to the said study, KNOW YE therefore, that we, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, HAVE granted, constituted, declared and appointed, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, Do grant, constitute, declare and appoint, the said George Hay, Sir Thomas Salusbury, James Marriott, Arthur Collier, William Wall, Andrew Coltee Ducarel, Dennis Clarke, John Bettesworth, George Harris, William Macham, Peter Calvert, William Wynne, Francis Simpson, Thomas Bever, William Burrell, Claude Champion Crespigny, and William Compton, and their successors, shall be and be called one body corporate and in deed and in name by the name, style and title of "The College of Doctors of Law, exercent in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts," and them by the name of "The College of Doctors of Law, exercent in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts," we do, for the purposes aforesaid, really and fully, for us, our heirs and successors, make, erect, create, ordain, constitute, establish, confirm and declare by these Presents, to be one body corporate and politic in deed and in name for ever: AND that the said College shall consist of a President, namely, the Dean of the Arches for the time being, and of such Doctors of Law of either of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, who have been admitted Advocates in pursuance of the rescript of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and who have been elected Fellows of the said College in the manner hereafter mentioned; and shall by the said name and style have perpetual succession: AND they shall have and use a Common Seal, which they may be at liberty and