Eminent Men.

Among the illustrious characters educated at the Middle Temple, we find many who rose to the highest rank in their profession, and were otherwise sufficiently eminent to merit a distinguished mention in the page of history.

Lord chancellor Rich, a celebrated statesman in the reign of Henry VIII. was a member of this house, and served here the office of reader in the 21st of that monarch. In the 27th of the same reign he was advanced to the place of chirographer of the common pleas, and soon afterwards to the dignity of the chancellorship. He distinguished himself as a leading man in many of the political measures of that day, and shared liberally with other of Henry's favourites in the plunder of the religious houses.

William Fleetwood, serjeant at law and recorder of London, an officer often noticed in the history of Elizabeth's reign, was another member who conferred celebrity on the place of his education.

Plowden, the celebrated author of the "Reports," studied the elements of legal knowledge, in which he afterwards became so eminent a proficient, at the Middle Temple, and held here the office of treasurer, during the rebuilding of the great hall; in one of the windows of which, his arms, with the date 1576, still remain. This gentleman was of an ancient family in Shropshire, and a most distinguished lawyer and author. Camden says of him, that in integrity he was second to none of his profession. He lies

buried in the Temple church. On his tomb his figure is represented recumbent, and in his gown.

Sir Thomas Smith, educated at this inn, was born March 28, 1512, and was appointed dean of Carlisle, and provost of Eton, by Edward VI. He was afterwards secretary of state to that monarch and to queen Elizabeth, was sent ambassador to several foreign princes in both these reigns, and had a principal hand in settling the public affairs, both in church and state. In 1575 he procured an act of parliament, that the third part of the rent upon college leases should be always reserved in corn, at the low price at which it then sold. He clearly saw that the collegiate bodies would reap great advantage from this act, as there was the highest probability that the price of grain would be much advanced. He died 1576'.

Judge Dodderidge, another member of this society, and reader, 45 Elizabeth, rose to the honours of the bench from a very obscure situation, and was highly celebrated for his great legal knowledge.

Sir Francis Moore, reader of the Temple in the 5th of James I. was born at Ilsley, or Ildesley, near Wantage in Berkshire, and was a frequent speaker in parliament in this and the preceding reign. In 1614

'Sir Thomas Smith, on account of the several spiritual preferments he enjoyed, particularly the rectory of Leverrington in Cambridgeshire, and the provostship of Eton, is supposed by Strype to have been in deacon's orders. Of this, however, there is no direct evidence, and the rectory might have been held by any one who was a clerk at large for though the law of the church was, that in such a case he should take the order of priesthood within one year after his institution, yet that was frequently dispensed with.

he was made serjeant at law; and in 1616 knighted by king James at Theobalds. He was a man of merit in his profession, and of a general good character. His "Reports," in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. were published in 1663, with his portrait prefixed. His learned reading concerning the statute on charitable uses, which he drew up himself, is printed with Duke's book on that subject. He died the 20th of November 1621, aged 63, and lies buried at Great Fawley near Wantage.

Sir James Dyer was constituted chief justice of the king's bench in the reign of Elizabeth, on which he conferred great honour by his superior abilities. He died in March 1581, and was author of a book of Reports" in French, of which several editions have been published, and to which his portrait is affixed.

Besides the above, we find the names of many others (members of this society), who were advanced to dignities, and were men of the first eminence in their day as, sir Robert Catlyn and sir Edward Montague, chief justices of the king's bench, and the judges Corbet, Nicholls, sir Thomas Malet, sir James Whiteloke, &c.

In the common pleas, sir Robert Broke, sir Nicholas Hide, sir John Brampston, sir Robert Hide, and sir John Popham, all chief justices: sir Robert Berkeley, sir Anthony Browne, sir Edward Merven, sir Francis Harvey, Weston, Walshe, and Southcote, judges of the same court: to these may be added, such as have presided in the exchequer court, or who have been serjeants, recorders of London, privy

counsellors, speakers of the house of commons, &c. And among the great names of modern times, the lord chancellors Cowper and Yorke; the immortal Blackstone; the late lord chief justice Kenyon, and the present great ornament of the equity court, lord chancellor Eldon.

CHAP. IV.

INNS OF CHANCERY BELONGING TO THE TEMPLE *. CLIFFORD'S INN.

CLIFFORD'S INN, a member of the Inner Temple, is situated on the north side of Fleet Street, adjoining St. Dunstan's church, and is of very considerable antiquity. It derives its name from the honourable family of the barons Clifford, ancestors of the earls of Cumberland, who had a residence there many ages since, which was called, according to the custom of the time, "Clifford's Inn."

The first of the family that appears to have possessed this residence was Robert de Clifford, an

To the two Temples, the Inner and Middle, belonged five inns of chancery, Strand Inn (destroyed at the building of Somerset House), Clifford's Inn, Clement's Inn, New Inn, and Lyon's Inn. Of the ancient state of these, and indeed of most of the inns of chancery, which were, as before observed, of a subordinate rank, scarcely any thing can be said. There are no records which fix any certain date to their foundation; and excepting their own local constitutions, which principally respected their exercises of learning, and were very similar to those of the other inns, their concerns may be said to have been absorbed in those of the larger inns of court, of which they were members.