Court. From Mr. Coxe's Leiter to the
Countess of Pembroke.

HE meeting, in order to be

Tcompetent, muft confift of

the Free Count and at least fourteen Affeffors; the door being clofed, the Judge can neither rife until the whole process is concluded, nor furrender his place to another perfon, excepting the Emperor, should he happen to be prefent. The affeffor who accufes, takes an oath that the delinquent is guilty of the crime; and immediately the name of the accufed is written down in a book, called the Book of Blood. If another than an affeffor accufes, he is brought into the court holding the writ of accufation folded up in his hands, with a green crofs, and a pair of white gloves. The affeffor was accuftomed to touch thofe whom they called to judgment flightly with a rod, or to whifper thefe myfterious words:- As good bread is eaten elfewhere as this.' Should four affeffors furprise a perfon in the commiffion of flagrant crimes, they are empowered to try and hang him up on the fpot.

Six weeks and three days are allowed for the appearance of the culprit; and the writ of accufation is given to two affeffors, who declare, with an oath, that they will make the citation at the ftated time, and inform the couft when they fhall have effected it. Should the perfon who is fummoned conceal himfelf, letters are written to thofe among whom he is hid, fignifying that he ought to furrender himfelf at a given time and place; and if he has taken an afylum in a fortified caftle, the citator goes either by night or by day, on foot or on

a wooden rail, and places in the incifion a coin and the writ of citation. He keeps the three flips as a memorial that he has executed

his commiffion, and calls out to the

porter, to inform the man who has taken refuge within, that he is fummoned, and will find the writ inclosed in the rail. If the accused can nowhere be found, the affeffors proclaim him guilty towards the four corners of the world. If, after three fummonfes, the accused does not appear, the judge declares that he will proceed against him as contumacious, and pronounce sentence on a stated day; having first proclaimed his name four times, he commands him to attend, and anfwer to the charge. If after thefe fummonfes the accufed does not make his appearance, then the judge proclaims, In confequence of the fupreme law, which Charlemagne fanctioned, and Pope Leo confirm. ed, and which Princes, Counts, Nobles, Freemen, in the Saxon land, have fworn to obferve, I caft this man from the highest to the loweft degree; I deprive him of all privileges, liberties, immunities, and rights; I fubject him to the Royal Ban, to hatred, to execrations, to hoftility, and to the greateft poffible punishment which can be conceived by man. I render him incapable of all law and pardon; Achloes, Rechloes, Segeloes, Wedeloes. Laftly, according to the laws of this tribunal, I condemn him to death: I adjudge his neck to the halter, his body to birds of prey, to be confumed in the air; his foul I commend to God; his fiefs and eftates, if he has any, I pronounce to have lapfed to the Sovereign: I declare his wife a widow, and his children

orphans,'

orphans.' After these words, he throws a halter, or a branch of willow twisted, beyond the place of judgment: the affeffors fpit, and confirm the fentence. This fentence is then forwarded to all the other courts, with orders to hang up the delinquent wherefoever he is found, on the next tree.

If the accufed appears at the tribunal, his accufation is read, and the accuser confirms the truth by a folemn oath. The opinions of the affeffors are then taken, by means of a string touched by thofe who pafs fentence of death. Should the accused think the fentence unjust, he is permitted to declare it, and to remain till he is convicted by witneffes. There is no appeal but to the Emperor. The judge who paffes fentence, as well as the affeffors, must be fafting, and bare-headed; without a robe, gloves, or any fpecies of arms. The condemned perfon is then configned to one of the younger affeffors, who, if he finds himfelf unequal to the talk, can require the aid of another, and with his affiftance, hangs up the unfortunate delinquent.

TH

Soup for the Poor. By Sir F. Eden, Bart. HE principal advantage which the labourers in the north of England poffefs over their countrymen in the fouth, confifts in the great variety of cheap and favoury foups, which the ufe of barley and barleybread affords them an opportunity of making. The cheapnefs of fuel is, perhaps, another reafon why the culinary preparations of the northern peafant are fo much diverfified, and his table fo often fupplied with hot difhes. The following is one of the ufual foups made by labourers fa

milies, in the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland. It confifts of meat, oat-meal, barley (with the husks taken off) and pot-herbs; fuch as onions, chives, parfley, thyme, &c, in the following proportions:

A pound of good beef, or mutton, fix quarts of water, and three ounces of barley, are boiled till the liquor is reduced to about three quarts: one ounce of oat-mcal, which has been previoufly mixed up with a little cold water, and a handful, or more, of herbs, are added, after the broth has boiled fome time. Some put in a greater, and others a less, quantity of water: the above, however, is the most usual proportion : a

pint, or a pint and a half of the broth, with eight ounces of barleybread, makes a very good fupper. The day the broth is made, the dinner ufually is broth, with part of the meat, bread, and potatoes, chopped and boiled; and the fupper is broth and bread: the next day, the dinner is cold meat from the broth, warm potatoes, broth, and bread; and the fupper, bread and broth warmed up, but not boiled again. The broth will continue good three heated when wanted. Veal, pork, days, if kept cool; and may be bacon, lean beef, or mutton, will not make fuch good broth with this proportion of water: it will, however, ftill be very palatable; and not a drop of the liquor is loft or wafted, whatever meat is boiled in it. To roaft meat, is confidered, by the country people in the north, as the moft prodigal method of cooking it; because that culinary procefs does not afford them the opportunity of converting a confiderable quantity of water into a nutritious and wholefome foup.

POETRY.