Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/462

 Pricking the Sheriffs.

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PRICKING THE SHERIFFS. ~W /HEN Sir John Falstaff went recruiting on the service of the King, his method was a simple one; and there is a scene in the second part of King Henry IV, which sets it plainly before us, and which it may be well to recall in another connection.

There are present Masters Silence and Shallow, both justices of the peace, to whom enters Falstaff. "Gentlemen," he asks, "have you provided me here half-a-dozen sufficient men?" Whereupon Shallow signi fying an affirmative, takes a roll of parch ment containing the names of the unwilling candidates, and calls them up for inspection. Four only have to be chosen from the six, and each, as his name is called, is prodigal of excuses. Falstaff, as he selects his man, says to Shallow, "Prick him," and Shallow makes a puncture in the roll opposite the victim's name. In vain does one grumble, "You need not have pinched me; there are other men fitter to go out than I." To no purpose does another seek exemption on the ground that he is a " diseased man," with a cough which he caught ringing in the King's affairs upon his coronation day. A third accepts his fate more valiantly. " No man's too good to serve his prince; and let it go which way it will, he that dies this year is quit for the next." It is possible to see in this more than the explanation of the odd phrase at the head of this column; it may have a satirical refer ence to the dramatist's own times, and to a ceremony which still survives. One Shakesperean commentator on A Midsummer Night's Dream has the hardihood to suggest that when " certain stars shot madly from their spheres, to hear the sea-maid's music," there was a great pageant at Kenilworth, and the sidereal phenomena were only fire-works, the sea-maid but a hired singer on the orna mental water in the grounds. After that, it

is permissible to assert with boldness that Shakespeare in the scene above quoted had in his mind the nomination and appointment of the sheriffs. Those high functionaries have always been chosen willy-nilly, like Falstaff's ragged regiment. To refuse to serve is now, as it was then, flat rebellion; and probably in the Elizabethan age reluc tance to accept the post was not unheard of. Fuller in his " Worthies " does not mince the matter. " There may be somewhat of truth in their spiteful observation," he says, " who maintain that the shrievalty in ancient times was honos sine onere, in the middle time, honos cum onerc and in our days little better than onus sine honore" If we are to judge from the proceedings in the lord chiefjustices court on the morrow of St. Martin of every year, it would seem that a good many land-owners are still of Fuller's way of thinking. That is the day, be it remembered, on which the judges meet, together with the other great officers of the Crown and Privycouncillors, to report to the Privy-coun cil the names of three fit persons for the office of sheriff in every county of England and Wales. To be eligible, one need only have sufficient lands within the county to answer the Crown and people. A prelimin ary list of qualified men is prepared by the sheriff in office, and given to the judges, who revise it, and hear excuses. On the morrow of the Purification, the names are finally determined on, the first on the list being generally chosen, unless some valid excuse has been given mean while. Then the names are presented for approval to the Queen, who, at a meeting of the Privy-council, pricks or pierces with a bodkin the list opposite the names of the sheriffs appointed. The procedure does not apply to all counties. Cambridge and Huntingdon have one and the same sheriff