The
first chief justice wearing the collar is Sir James Dyer, Ch.C.P. in the
reign of Elizabeth. The only difference between it and Sir Thomas More's
is, that the rose is placed between the portcullises. I have another, in
a later period of the same reign, of Sir Christopher Wray, Ch.K.B., in
which the Esses are alternated with ornamental knots. I am not aware of
any portrait of a chief baron before Sir Thomas Bury, in the first year
of George I.; so that I am uncertain whether the collar was previously
worn by that functionary.
It is curious that during the Commonwealth the Collar of Esses was worn
by John Glynne, the Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, with a difference;
that difference being a quatrefoil, instead of the knot, between each S;
and a large jewel, surrounded by smaller ones, being substituted for the
portcullises and rose.
These facts may, I hope, be of some use to MR. J.G. NICHOLS in the
volume I am glad to see that he contemplates. I hope he will not forget
to answer the other Query of [Greek: phi]., "Under what circumstances,
and at what dates, was the privilege of wearing these collars reduced to
its present limitation?"
EDWARD FOSS.
_The Story of the three Men and their Bag of Money_ (Vol. ii., p.
132.).--In _Tales, and quicke Answers, very mery, and pleasant to rede_,
is the following, with the title "Howe Demosthenes defended a Mayde:"--
"There were two men on a time, the whiche lefte a great somme of
money in kepyng with a maiden, on this condition, that she
shulde nat delyuer hit agayne, except they came bothe to gether
for hit.
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