Volume II 1603-1660 - The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

1614] INNER TEMPLE RECORDS. 85
shall be commons of the House kept in every House of Court during
the Christmas, and that none shall play, in their several halls, at the
dice, except he be a gentleman of the same society and in commons,
and the benefits of the boxes to go to the butlers of every House
respectively.
" Ninthly, for that an outward decency in apparel is an ornament
to all societies, and containeth young men within the bounds of
civility and order, it is ordered that no gentleman of any House of
Court or Chancery shall come into their several halls with cloaks,
boots, spurs, swords, or daggers.
" Lastly, for that all government is strengthened or slackened by
the observing or neglecting of the reverence or respect which is to be
used towards the governors of the same, therefore it is required that
due reverence and respect be had by the younger sort of gentlemen
to the readers, benchers, and ancients of every House.
And whereas there may have been some orders of like nature to
some of these published in former time, which nevertheless have
failed in the execution, the readers and benchers do signify to the
gentlemen that there is a settled and constant resolution to cause
these orders to be strictly and duly observed, and that no man
whatsoever do expect any toleration or dispensation concerning the
same.
" Also it is further ordered by this parliament that there shall be
from henceforth, according to the last recited order, commons of the
House kept in this House during the Christmas, and that such
gentlemen as shall be then in commons shall be then subject to the
orders of this House in all things, except in such things wherein they
are privileged by the last recited orders. And likewise the said
gentlemen that shall then keep commons shall keep and maintain all
the officers of this House during the said time in such sort as they are
kept at other times of the year, and in respect thereof the gentlemen,
that so keep and maintain commons, shall have allowance of twenty
pounds to be cast in apparel during the said time of Christmas and no
more, to be by them left or cast in apparel, and likewise they may,
if they list, appoint surveyors for the better provision of their
commons."