Every afternoon during term-time a blast from the horn signals to the hungry student the approaching dinner-hour. An old writer thus refers to this ancient custom : " The panyer man, by winding of his horn, sum mons the gentlemen to dinner and supper." This " panyer man " also provided mustard, pepper, and vinegar for the hall; "and hath for his wages yearly £$ 6s. 8d., and the frag ments of certain tables." In a quaint old folio, published more than
sort of people not being able to undergo so great a charge." The manners possessed by these sons of gentlemen could hardly have come up to modern notions of refine ment, for in an enactment dated the fortieth year of Elizabeth it was ordered that " to avoid disturbance and confusion of service, every gentleman of this house (Gray's Inn) who should henceforth go down to dresser, either to fetch his own meat or to change the same; or not presently to sit down to
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MIDDLE TEMPLE HALL. two centuries ago, the writer, describing the Inns of Court as they existed in his day, gives some curious information. The chief cook, he says, " had divers vailes appertaining to his of fice — namely, dripping and scummings, the rumps and kidneys of loynes of mutton, which is the usual supper meat of this society, there being seldome any other joynt served in the hall." Besides getting these delicacies, "for his further benefit he was wont to prepare every Easter a breakfast of calves' heads, for which every gentleman gave twelvepence or more, according to his discretion." The same authority observes that only the sons of gentlemen studied the law, " the vulgar
his meat when the servitors have messed him; or take meat by strong hand from such as should serve them, to be put out of commons." Books in the olden time were scarce and dear; but at the Middle Temple " they had a simple library, in which were not many bookes besides the law, and that the library, by meanes that it stood alwayes open, and that the learners had not each of them a key unto it, it was at last robbed and spoiled of all the bookes in it." But though they had lost their library, these gentlemen had other resources. After dinner and supper, the "students and learners sat down together
