Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/150

 Ctje #mn BacjPublished Monthly, at $4.00 per Annum.

Single Numbers, 50 Cents.

Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, Horace W. Fuller, 344 Tremont Building, Boston, Mass.

The Editor will be glad to receive contributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of inter est to the profession; also% anything in the way of legal antiquities or curiosities, facetict, anec dotes, etc. LEGAL ANTIQUITIES. Six hundred years ago football was an un lawful game in England. Laws were passed for bidding it in the reign of Edward III, Richard II, James I, and James II, while the two suc ceeding James's confirmed the statutes. James I declared that football was more fit for " lameing than making able " the players, and in the reign of Queen Elizabeth sixteen persons were con victed for playing the illegal game.

FACETI/E.

Several years ago, the late Sir Francis Lockwood got a prisoner off by proving an alibi. Some time afterward the judge met him and said, "Well, Lockwood, that was a very good alibi." "Yes, my lord," was the answer; " I had three offered me, and I think I selected the best." Jo. Seawell Jones, of North Carolina, got into a dispute, many years ago, with some one in Rhode Island. A challenge was sent and accepted, whereupon the Governor of that State issued a proclamation forbidding a duel to be fought within the borders of the State of Rhode Island. Jones, not to be outdone, issued a counter-proclamation in which he announced that he would stand over in Connecticut and his antagonist over in Massa chusetts, east of the Rhode Island line, and " shoot over the d—d little State." John Clerk, afterwards Lord Eld in, was once pleading before Lord K.ldon in the broadest Scot tish accent. In the course of his speech he pronounced the word enow for enough. The chancellor dryly remarked, " Mr. Clerk, in Eng land we sound the ough as uff— enuff, not enow."

"Very weel, ma Lord," said Clerk, " of this we have said enuff; and I come, ma Lord, to the subdivision of the land in dispute. It was appor tioned, ma I-ord, into what in England would be called pluff land, a pluff land being as much land as a pluffman can pluff in one day." The chan cellor was convulsed by the happy repartee, and said, " Proceed, Mr. Clerk; I know enow of Scotch to understand your argument."

An Irish gentleman was recently attended by an eminent London physician, who, pausing and looking at him with an inquiring glance, said : "I should like to know, sir, if your family have been long lived?" "Long lived, is it?" re sponded the patient, thoughtfully. " Well, doc tor, I'll just tell you how it is. Our family is a West of Ireland family, and the age of my ances tors depended entirely on the judge and jury who tried them." NOTES.

The Legal Aid Society gives legal assistance to the poor of New York who cannot afford lawyers' fees. It has existed twenty years, has cared for eighty thousand cases, and secured over five hun dred thousand dollars to its needy clients. It is supported by voluntary contributions.

There are few persons, that have not looked into the dictionary especially for it, who know how the term "spinster" originated. We often find it in Shakespeare and other English classics, but it is not always used to define a spinster. This is its specific meaning. Its general sig nificance is wider. There was an old practice in the years agone, that a woman should never be married until she had spun herself a set of body, table and bed linen. It is not difficult to see how easily the term became applicable to all un married women, and finally became a law term and fixed. 129