Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 04.pdf/580

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Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, Horace W. Fuller, 15^ Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. The Editor will be glad to receive contributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of interest to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities or curiosities, facetice, anecdotes, etc. THE GREEN BAG. A N unfortunate typographical error crept into the poem, " The Common Lot of the Law yer," by Mr. Frank J. Parmenter, published in our October number. In the third stanza the line "Where one lays down forever the burden he bore" should read "Where he lays down forever," etc. The poem has been published in pamphlet form, with some additional lines, and with the correction above referred to.

TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. We shall continue to send "The Green Bag" to all subscribers who do not notify us before Jan. 1, 1893, of their desire to discontinue. Non-notification to this effect we shall consider, as we have in the past, an implied desire and in tention to renew subscription for another year. We must ask of our subscribers a prompt re mittance of the amount of their subscription. Three dollars is a small sum in itself; but when we have hundreds of these accounts outstand ing, the aggregate becomes large, and we are temporarily deprived of funds which we need for the successful carrying on of the magazine. Our subscribers will, we are sure, appreciate this, and comply with this reasonable request. Bills for subscription for 1893 will be mailed to subscribers in December. Remit by Postal Note, or add 20 cents for local checks. 69

LEGAL ANTIQUITIES. The Gothic nations were famous of old in Europe for the quantities of food and drink which they consumed. The ancient Germans, and their Saxon descendants in England, were remarkable for their hearty meals. Gluttony and drunkenness were so very common that those vices were not thought disgraceful; and Tacitus represents the former as capable of being as easily overcome by strong drink as by arms. Intemperance was so general and habitual that no one was thought to be fit for serious business after dinner; and under this persuasion it was enacted in the laws, that judges should hear and determine causes fasting, and not after dinner. An Italian author, in his " Anti quities," plainly affirms that this regulation was framed for the purpose of avoiding the unsound decrees consequent upon intoxication; and Dr. Gilbert Stuart, very patiently and ingeniously ob serves in his Historical Dissertation concerning the Antiquity of the British Constitution," p. 238, that from this propensity of the older Britons to indulge excessively in eating and drinking has proceeded the restriction upon jurors and jury men to refrain from meat and drink, and to be even held in custody until they had agreed upon their verdict.

FACETI/E. "They 've raked in a pretty tough-looking lot this morning, have n't they?" observed the stranger who had dropped in at the police court. "You are looking at the wrong gang," said the reporter to wh >m he had spoken. "Those are not the prisoners; those are the lawyers."

"What is the first step toward securing a di vorce?" asked a client of a Philadelphia lawyer. "Get married." was the prompt reply.