forth a dismal sound-to the courts of assize, to open the commission for the county of Dullboro'shire. Then they are driven-still attended by the High-sheriff, who is bound to be in attendance upon them as long as they remain in his county -to the castle of Dullboro', where they stay during their sojourn in Dullboro'shire. From the castle, after a short interval, their lordships are driven to the cathedral, where they attend divine service, and are solemnly escorted by the cathedral clergy to and from their seats in the stalls.

What the ceremonial known as 'opening the commission' may be, I confess that I am unable to say, for during the whole of my circuit life I have never had curiosity enough to induce me to attend it. I believe, however, that it consists mainly in the reading of a proclamation by V. R. ' against vice and immorality.' This proclamation, I have been given to understand, is of portentous length, and, sternly enjoins all Her Majesty's subjects to abstain from playing at cards or dice either in public or in their own homes, and commands every subject of the Queen to go to his or her parish church every Sunday. Could the full meaning of the first-named of these two injunctions be but fully understood by Her Majesty's Dullboro' subjects, I fancy that it would cause them no little

surprise. Fortunately, however, for their peace of mind, whatever meaning there may be in the proclamation is so wrapped up in a legal fog of words, that its public reading becomes a most innocuous process. After this ceremony of 'opening the commission' has been gone through, the judges usually adjourn the court till next morning, when the real business of the assizes commences.

Meanwhile, at the Dullboro' railway station confusion reigns supreme. As soon as their lordships have got clear off the platform on their way to the High-sheriff's carriage, a wild rush of passengers is made to the luggage-van. Eminent Q.C.s, rising 'juniors,' portly clerks, are seen struggling together furiously for the possession of their personal effects. A sort of free fight comes off for the possession of each passenger's luggage as it emerges from the van. Portmanteaus, red bags, book-boxes, blue bags, hat-boxes, wig-cases, and trunks descend in a perfect cataract from the van to the platform. That's Sergeant Growler's bag!' 'No, it isn't; it's mine!' 'Do give me that bookbox of Mr. Quirk's. All his law-books are in it, and he's in the first case to-morrow!' Mr. Quirk be hanged! He must wait his turn though he is a silk!" Such are the cries which, for the space of well nigh half an hour, ring through the air upon

E

the Dullboro' platform. The advent of some sixty gentlemen (to say nothing of their clerks), accompanied by piles of luggage, effectually turns the heads of the two Dullboro' porters, who are little accustomed to such influxes of travellers.

Having at last, however, succeeded in acquiring possession of my portmanteau and blue bag, another disagreeable incident of circuit life presents itself. It becomes necessary for me to find lodgings. But why not drive to an hotel? asks the intelligent reader. Why not, indeed! Because my doing so would be a high crime and misdemeanour against the etiquette of my circuit. The rule upon my circuit as to this particular matter is strict-every barrister must live in lodgings whilst on circuit, and not at an hotel. This rule, I may here observe, has been framed by the wisdom of our ancestors— which far be it from me to impugn--and its object is to avoid the horribly contaminating influence which could not fail to be communicated from an attorney to a barrister should they both chance to meet whilst staying at the same hotel. Whatever the intelligent reader may think of the wisdom of this rule, it is the rule upon my circuit, and so I must at once proceed, upon my arrival at Dullboro', to hunt out lodgings. This is a fearsome business. Dullboro' is most irregularly built, and covers an

immense space of ground. Many of the houses in it stand back from the main street, down curious little dark entries, into which it requires no small amount of faith to penetrate. Although I am unable to congratulate the inhabitants of Dullboro' upon the architecture of these houses, I am able to felicitate them upon possessing a full appreciation of the market value of two spare rooms in them during assize times. The circuit only remains at Dullboro' from Saturday to Wednesday; and for the hire, for that space of time, of a stuffy backparlour and a miserably small bedroom, I am compelled to pay the sum of two guineas. Each meal which I consume is also charged at a tariff which, considering the primitive nature of the repast, would be dear at a West-end hotel.

Every circuit in England has its mess, and exclusion from the mess of his circuit is social death to any barrister. Exclusion from the mess is, of course, designed as a means of punishment for men who do not obey the circuit rules. For example, when a man is called to the bar, he usually selects that circuit upon which most of his friends reside, and where, consequently, he has the best chance of obtaining business. Should he, however, fail in obtaining work upon the circuit which he first selects, and afterwards desire to choose another, he

can do so, provided that not more than three years have elapsed from the time of his joining the circuit which he at first selected. Should more than three years, however, have elapsed, he is then bound to stick to the circuit which he originally chose. Should a man determine, however, to change his circuit after three years, in defiance of professional etiquette, he, of course, can do so-only the mess of the circuit which he afterwards joined would refuse to elect him into it, and the mess of his original circuit would promptly expel him from it. Observe, theoretically, there is nothing, I believe, to prevent a barrister, if he chose to do so, from travelling to every circuit town in England-from Exeter to Newcastle; but if he were to do so, he would be marked by his brethren as a professional blacksheep of the deepest dye. Every man's hand would be against him; no circuit mess would elect him as a member; and the leaders upon each circuit could effectually ruin him by declining (as they infallibly would do) to hold briefs with him. So strictly is the trade-union rule, which compels each barrister to go only one circuit, obeyed, that, I believe, not a single instance has ever been known of its being broken.

According to professional etiquette, a man may, however, accept a brief upon a circuit other than