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

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CONTENTS.
Shakespeare's Company, 6 4.—Last Play before the Commonwealth in February,
1641.—Shakespeare.--Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.—" Oxford Tragedye."
—Played in February, r6o8.—Original cannot be traced.—Government of the Inn.—
On the old Lines.—Knights to have no Precedence.—The Inn divided into Parts.—
Searching for Strangers.—Regulations of 6 r4.—Limitation of Calls to the Bar.—
Disregarded.—No Barrister of the Inn to appear against a Bencher.—Except at his
Request.—Case of Sir Julius Cmsar.—Richard Talbois, Exercise of Singing.—
Decay of the Inns of Chancery.—Petition from the Fellows of Clifford's Inn.—
Complaints from the Principals of the Inns of Chancery.—Refusal of Selden to
Read at Lyons' Inn in November, 1634.—Put out of Commons, Fined and perpetually
Disqualified. —Readmitted in June, 1625. — Miscellaneous Entries. —
Benevolences and Charitable Gifts.—Gift towards Building S. Mary Mounthaw.—To
Oxford Schools.—Plate.--Sir Edward Coke appointed Chief Justice.—Holds Chambers
in Fuller's Rents—His Servants admitted to the Inn.—His Chambers and
Garden identified.—His own Memoranda for his Life.—Intimate Relations with the
Inn.—Presents and Hospitality.—Speech in the Hall, 1614, on the Call of Serjeants.
—His mode of Life in the Temple.—Discharged of his Office in r6r6.—Remains in
the Temple.—Has his Food from a Cook in Ram Alley.—Committed to the Tower
and his Chambers Searched.—Released and Returned to Temple in 1622.—His
Chambers Seized by Secretary Windebank and Papers Secured.—His Death, 1634.
—Papers Inventoried and Carried Away.—List given to Sir Robert Coke.—Incorrect
Statements as to Loss of his Will.—Proved by his Executor, Sir Thomas
Coventry.—Copy in Prerogative Court.—Contents.—Whitelock and Sir Julius
Csar on Coke's Death.—Books and Pictures presented to the Inn by Coke's
eldest Daughter in I662.—Bacon.—His Position as Queen's Counsel.—Per verba
regina.—Affirmed by Patent by James I.—His position at Gray's Inn . ix — lxxi
CHARLES I.
The Treasure or Stock of the House.—Casting of Weekly Accounts.—Method
of Auditing.—Forced Loan of 1626.—Letter from the Lords of the Council to the
Benchers.—Benchers who subscribed in 1639.—Sir Randal Crewe.—Outbreak of
the Plague.—Work in Temple given up in 1625.—No Reading in Summer.—
Benchers' Parliaments held at Reading.—No Christmas Commons—Commons
dissolved July, 1636, to January, 1637.—Ram Alley Closed.—Spread of Infection
—Orders to Prevent Plague.—No Regulated Precautions.—The Inn Deserted.
—Demoralizing Effect of Interruptions.—General Prosperity of the Society.—
Large Sums Spent in Entertainments and in Rebuilding.—Boundary Dispute
with Middle Temple.—Joint Committee of both Inns fails to settle Limits.—
Thrown into Chancery.—Settled by Lord Keeper Coventry.—Costs Paid.—Suit
with Lyon's Inn—Costs in the Exchequer.—Demolition of Heyward's Buildings
Ordered.—Mr. Reynolds first Tenant paying Rent.—New Buildings near the
Water Gate.—Their Cost.—New Building between the Hall and Figtree Court—
The Scheme.—Its Cost.—Defective Condition of the Hall.—Appeal for Contributions.—A
General Assessment to meet Expenditure.—Attempt to Improve
Surroundings of the Church.—Committee Appointed to Confer with Middle Temple.
—Benchers of the Inner Temple make the necessary Orders.—Silver purchased.—
Few Changes in the Government of the Inn.—Probable Reasons.—Orders as to
Readings and Moots.—William Browne Suspended by the Bar—Appeals to the
Bench.—Decision against supposed Customary Right of the Bar to Govern the Inn
during Vacation.—Chambers Forfeited where Strangers Lodged.—Orders renewed
against Attornies or Solicitors.—Bond on Call raised to ..-50.—Order as to Tenants
of Shops.—Costumes of the Judges and Serjeants.—Disorders at Christmas Commons.—Stringent
Orders by the Bench.—Members Expelled.—Petitions of Fellows
to the Lords of the Council.—Disorders Redressed.—Commons resumed at
Christmas, 1642.—Lenten Fasts ordered by King.—Anthony Dyott.—Ridicule
thrown on the Proclamation in Middleton's Masque.—Anticipated Failure of the
Harvest in 1630.—Enforcement of Order for Fasting.—Order sent to Inner Temple
from King in 1632.—Reasons given for Fasting.—Death of Dr. Masters.—Suc-