Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/383

 A S G I L L; " which is called Conveyancing ; fecondly, the {hewing forth and defending thefe titles in form of law, which is " ances and pleadings (when they come in conteft) before " the judge?, which is called Practice at the bar: fo that 11 incertainties of the former. Were the titles of lands once tc of property ; and therefore, as property is more reduced to " a certainty, the profit of the law muft be reduced with it; " would fcarce find fome of the circuiteers perukes ; and yet '* titles for many of thefe. Thief and whore, kick and cuff, '* ferving of procefs, in which the title comes frequently in ' will be increafed) but by expofing their manner of practice " and caution in delaying their bufinefs j {hewing greac " clerks (before them) for one lord's feulement, and another " lady's jointure ; to tell what great clients they have; and " one fkin bred up by a fcrivener (in fix years) to one-and- " ed, that one deed of fixty ficins was heaved out of a con- " aflignments
 * ' called Pleading, thirdly, the arguing upon thefe convey-
 * ' the practice to the two latter doth arife from the errors or
 * 4 made certain (which they may be by a regiftry and no
 * ' otherwife) 1 know what I think of the future gains of the
 * ' Jaw : the profit of the law arifes from the uncertainty
 * ' the fall of the one muft be the rifing of the other. Ac-
 * ' tions of flander and battery, and caufes on the crown fide,
 * ' (if we obferve evidence) they ftand obliged to difputes in
 * ' are very often the effedt: of forcible entries, trefpaffes, and
 * ' queftion. Buc the reducing this part of the practice of the
 * ' law are things not feen as yer. The proximus ardet will
 * ' fall upon the conveyancers ; and that not by altering the
 * ' forms of lega! conveyances, or taking them out of their
 * ' hands, or putting any ftop to the dealing in lands (for that
 * in this conveyancing part.of the law. Two qualifications
 * ' are neceflary to a complete conveyancer ; fir(f, that he be
 * ' incapable of difpatching bufinefs as faft as he fhould; fe-
 * ' condly, that he doth not difpatch it as faft as he can: not
 * ' to fpeak of bantering their clients with their feeming care
 * trunks of old writings in their chamber; calling to their
 * ' when they come to be paid, they reckon their fees by lon-
 * gitude and latitude. I have feen an original mortgage of
 * twenty, by affigning it every year, and adding a fkin to
 * ' every affignment by recitals and covenants: ascowe, after
 * three years old, have one wrinkle added to each horn for
 * 4 every year after, which fhews their age; and 1 am inform-
 * ' veyancer's office the other day. At this rate, in a little
 * ' time the clients muft drive their deeds out of their bwyers
 * ' chambers in wheel barrows, Thefe affignments and re-