Punch: Punch (17.1849)

[^ANNEPS - AND- CVSTOMS■ OF > ENGLYSHEAN. 1849 ■ N° • 3 6

^A/ESTMiKSTERl7Alib - gtW/HGET CEREMONYE- of-0PENYN6E- PEP, ME -

Mr. Pips his Diary.

Friday, November 2, 1849— Up, and by Appointment to Mb. Wag-
staffe's, and so with him to Westminster Hall, to see my Loud
Chancellor and the Judges, after Breakfast with my Lord, this being
the first Day of Michaelmas Term, open the Law Courts in State, in
their Robes and Wigs. We there at 12, the Hour set for the Cere-
mony, but, we found, only for the Beginning of it by Breakfast, which
had we thought of, we had taken our Time, as knowing that my Lords
would be sure to take theirs. Nobody in the Hall when we got there
but a few Country Folk stanna; about them; and cltar that we must
have Pa'ience, Mb,. Wagstaffe did say, like many beside us in West-
minster Hall, and think ourselves lucky to be in no worse Case. So
we went out to look at the New Houses of Parliament, and to see how
the Masons speed with the Building, which will be mighty fine when it
is done, and Mb. Transom do commend the Style, and I admire it too,
both for the Proportions and also for the Heraldry and Lions. Then
back again to the Hall, where now a few more People ; and presently
comes marching in a Party of Policemen, large enough to have taken
up ah present, and yet hardly have had one Prisoner a-piece; but the
Numbers did by Degrees increase, and were, I did note, mostly of the
better Sort • which the Police do explain. Among them divers Bar-
rist.ers-at-Law, some with iheir Sisters, some with their Wives, and
others with such as did seem like to be their Wives, many of whom
mighty comely Damsels, that pleased me, and were a Sight I never
expected, not thinking they could care for Law Matters, or to see the
Juugesj but strange how Women do flock to every Concourse,

whether it be to see or only to be seen. There for the first Time I did
behold Mr. Tomkyns, the young Barrister, in his Wig, wherein he do
look mighty sedate, and I telling him I hoped he would come to open
Term himself, made Answer as it might be some while first, he wished
I might live to see it. The People now crowding about the Doors of
the Courts, the Police did make a Lane between them for my Lord
Chancellor and the Judges to walk down, and Mr. Wagstaffe did
call it Chancery Lane. My Lords still not coming, he did observe that
now we had a Sample of the Law's Delay, and did pleasantly jay the
Lateness of the Breakfast to the Account of the Master of the Bolls.
But they at last come, and we opposite the Court of Common Pleas
got a good View of them to my Heart's Content. First comes the
Mace, and a Gentleman in his Court Suit, wearing a Sword and Bag
and with them the Great Seal; then my Lord Chancellor, and did
walk down to his Court at the End of the Hall, looking the better of
his Sickness, which I was glad. After him the other Judges, of whom
most did enter the Door whereby we were, and mighty reverend they
looked, but merry and in good Humour, and beamy and ruddy after
their Breakfast. Bun to see Mr. Justice Talfourd come last, of ah,
shaking Hands with his Friends on both Sides, he newly made a
Judge, being a Poet, did most content me; and Mr. Wagstaffe
did say he looked in good Case, and by no means puisne. The Judges
all entered, the Babblement let into the Hall, and we away, tearing
for our Pockets ; which in Westminster Hall are like to be very soon
emptied.