Item those that be no Utter-Bari∣sters,
are such as for lack of continu∣ance
in the House, or because they
do not study or profit in lernyng, are
not by the Elders of the House called
to dispute, argue and plead some
doubtfull matter in the Law, which
among them is called motyng, before
the Benchers and Elders.
Item the Utter-Baristers are they,
which after they have continued in
the House by the space of five or six
years, and have profited in the Study
of the Law, are called by the Elders
or Benchers, to plead, argue, and dis∣pute
some doubtful matter in the Law,
before certain of the same Benchers, in
〈◊〉〈◊〉 terme time, or in the two princi∣pa••l
times in the yere, of their lern∣••••••s,
which they called Grand Vacati∣ons;
and the same manner of argument
or disputations is called Motyng: and
this making of Utter-Baristers, is as a
preferment or degree, given him for
his lernyng.
Also the Benchers are those Utter-Baristers,
which after they have con∣tinued
in the House, by the space of
fourteen or fifteen years, are by the
Elders of the House chosen to reade,
expound, and declare some Estatute
openly unto all the Company of the
House, in one of the two principall
times of their learning, which they
call the Grand Vacation in Summer:
and during the time of his Reading,
he hath the name of a Reader, and af∣ter
of Bencher.
Item, that they have two chief
times of lernyng with them, which
they call their grand Vacations; the
one doth begin the first Munday in
cleane Lent, and doth continue three
weekes and three days, in which
time one of the Elders or Benchers,
that hath before time read, and ex∣pounded
some Estatute, doth then
read and expound some other Statute
again: The other doth begin the first
Munday after Lammas day, and doth
continue three weekes and three
days, in which doth rede such as are
first chosen to be Benchers.
Item by the old Custome of the
House, all such as are made Fellows
of the House, unles they be dispensed
withall at their Admittance, are
compelled to be personally present,
at two the first grand Vacations in
Lent, after their coming: At two
the first grand Vacations in Summer,
after their comyng, and two the first
Christmasses, that be solemly kept,
after their comyng, upon peyne of
forfaiture of xx s. for every defaut.
Item all they, that are Fellows of
the House, except at the time of
their admittance they be dispensed
withall, or for their lernyng be pro∣motyd
and made Utter-Baristers, are
compelled to excercise all such
roomes and offices, as they shall be
called unto, at such time as they kepe
a solempne Christmass, upon such
peynes as are by old Custome used
to be assessed for the refusall of oc∣cupying
of such offices.
Furthermore in the same graund
Vacations, when that one of the El∣ders
doth rede and expound an Esta∣tute,
such Utter-Baristers as are of
long continuance, do stand in a place
together, where as they reherse some
one opinion, or saying of him that
readeth, and by all ways of lernyng
and reason, that can be invented, do
impugne his opinion: and sometimes
some of them do impugne it, and
some other do approve it, and all
the rest of the House give care unto
their disputations; and at last the
Reader doth confute all their sayings,
and confirmeth his opynion.
Also in the same grand Vacations,
every day at night, except Sonday,
Saturday, or some feste of ix. Lessons,
before three of the Elders or Bench∣ers
at the leste, is pleadyd and de∣clared
in homely Law-french, by
such as are young Lerners, some
doubtfull matter, or question in the
Law; which afterwards an Utter∣Barister
doth reherse, and doth argue
and reason to it in the Law-frenche:
and after him an other Utter-Barrister
doth reason in the contrary part, in
Law-frenche also; and then do the
three Benchers declare their myndes
in English; and this is that they call
motyng; and the same manner is ob∣served
in the Terme time.
Furthermore, besides this; after
Dynner and Supper the Students and
Lerners in the House, fit together by
three and three in a Company; and