The books of Lincoln's Inn, which record the calls to the bar and other proceedings of the Society, commence in the second year of the reign of Henry VI., 1423. Those of the Inner Temple, which contain the admittances in 1547, and the calls to the bar in 1590; of the Middle Temple, which contain a regular series of admissions and calls, about the year 1600; and of Gray's Inn, about the year 1650. The earlier records of Gray's Inn were destroyed by fire, but the Harleian MS. No. 1912., in the British Museum, contains:
An alphabetical list of gentlemen admitted to that society, with the dates of their admission, from 1521 to 1674.
Table of the admittances into Gray's Inn, declaring the names of the gentlemen, the town and country whence they came, and the day, month, and year when admitted, from the year 1626 to 1677.
Arms and names of noblemen and knights admitted to the said society.
An alphabetical list of all persons called to the bar by the said society.
The Lansdowne MS. No. 106., which is also in the British Museum, contains:
Names of benchers, associates, utter barristers, &c. of Lincoln's Inn, and the same of the Inner Temple; and of the students of the several Inns of Court, apparently about the end of the reign of Elizabeth.
The MS. Harl. 1912. contains the admissions to Gray's Inn.
_Inedited Lyric by Felicia Hemans_ (Vol. viii., p. 629.)--A surviving relative of the authoress in question begs to answer to the correspondent of "N. & Q." who has produced this lyric from an imperfect MS. original, that the piece has not remained inedited, but is to be found in the several complete editions of Mrs. Hemans's works published by Blackwood. The playful signature of the letter alluded to, as well as the subject of the lyric, it may be added, was suggested by some conversation respecting the fanciful creatures of { 651} fairy-land, with whose ideal queen the authoress affected sportively to identify herself, and hence signed the little poem, produced rather as a _jeu d'esprit_ than anything else, "Mab." In its subsequently corrected form, as admitted in the editions of her works, it is here subjoined:
"Come away, Elves! while the dew is sweet, Come to the dingles where fairies meet; Know that the lilies have spread their bells O'er all the pools in our forest dells; Stilly and lightly their vases rest On the quivering sleep of the water's breast, Catching the sunshine through the leaves that throw To their scented bosoms an emerald glow; And a star from the depths of each pearly cup, A golden star, unto heav'n looks up, As if seeking its kindred where bright they lie, Set in the blue of the summer sky. Come away, under arching boughs we'll float, Making those urns each a fairy boat; We'll row them with reeds o'er the fountains free, And a tall flag-leaf shall our streamer be. And we'll send out wild music so sweet and low, It shall seem from the bright flower's heart to flow; As if 'twere a breeze with a flute's low sigh, Or water-drops train'd into melody, Come away! for the midsummer sun grows strong, And the life of the lily may not be long."