Christ, have mercy upon you,
Lord, have mercy upon you,
Christ, have mercy upon you.”
For this service the bellman or sexton receives 1l. 6s. 8d. a year; but upon these occasions there is generally so much noise, that nobody can hear one word that the bellman says.
St. Sepulchre’s alley, a passage by the east end of St. Sepulchre’s church. Sergeants at Law. The highest degree of lawyers under a Judge. The young student in the common law, when admitted to be of one of the inns of court, is called a Moot-man, and after about seven years study, is chosen an Utter Barrister, and is then capable of being made a Sergeant at law.
When the number of Sergeants is small, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, by the advice and consent of the other Judges, chuses about six or eight of the most learned persons of the Inns of court, and presents their names to the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, who sends to each of them the King’s writ to appear on a particular day before the King, to receive the degree of a Sergeant at law.
At the time appointed, they being dressed in robes of two colours, brown and blue, they go, attended by the students of the Inns of court, with a train of servants and retainers, dressed in peculiar liveries, to Westminster hall, where they publicly take a solemn oath, and are cloathed with robes and coifs, without which they are from thenceforward never to appear in public. After this they give a great entertainment to the principal persons of the nation; and present gold rings to the Princes of the blood, the Archbishops, the Lord Chancellor, and the Treasurer, to the value of forty shillings each ring; to the Earls and Bishops rings of 20s. and to other great officers, Barons, &c. rings of less value, besides a great number of rings to their private friends.
Out of these Sergeants are chosen the Judges of the King’s Bench and Common Pleas.
Sergeants Inn, on the south side of Fleet street, almost opposite to the end of Fetter lane. It consists of a court surrounded with handsome new buildings, among which are the Society’s chapel and hall; and a very handsome edifice belonging to the Amicable Society.
The officers belonging to this Inn, are, a Steward, a Master Cook, and a Chief Butler.