Down to the time of the Reformation it was the practice
for them to visit St. Thomas of Acons in Cheapside, and, having made
their offerings there, to go on to St. Paul's, where they offered at the
rood of the north door at St. Erkenwald's shrine. This custom was always
observed on the admission of new Serjeants, who set forth on this pious
errand after dining. At St. Paul's each of them was appointed to his
pillar in the nave of the cathedral by the steward and controller of the
feast. It was at the parvise, or porch, of old St. Paul's, or at their
allotted pillars, that Serjeants met their clients for consultation.
They assisted the rich _pur son donaut_ and the poor for nothing, and
there appears to have been no question of any intervention by attorneys.
In this connexion it may be worth while to cite the ancient oath which
was taken by members of the order:
"You shall swear well and truly to serve the King's people as one of the
serjeants-at-law; and you shall truly counsel them that you be retained
with after your cunning; and you shall not defer, or delay their causes
willingly, for covetousness of money, or other things that may turn you
to profit, and you shall give due attendance accordingly; so help you
God."
A few months before the Great Fire of London, in which old St. Paul's
was consumed with its parvise and pillars, Dugdale wrote: "At St.
Paul's each lawyer and serjeant at his pillar heard his client's cause
and took notes thereof upon his knee, as they do at Guildhall at this
day.
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