King Edward the Third, in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, a. D. 13i2, notwithstanding the grant of the Temple to the Hospitallers, exercised the right of appointing to the porter's office» and by his letters patent he promoted Roger Small to that post for the term of his life, in return for the good service rendered him by the said Roger Small.* It. is at this period that the first distinct mention of a society of lawyers in the Temple occurs. The poet Chaucer, who was horn at the close of the reign of Edward the Second, a. d . 1327. and was in high favour at court in the reign of Edward the Third, thus speaks of the M anciple, or the purveyor of provisions of the lawyers in the Temple : " A gentil Manciple wtm there of the TEMPLE, Of whom ach atours mighten take en»em.pìe, For to ben wise in hying of vitailtc. For whether that he paid or toke, by taille, Algate he waited BO in his achate, That ht; was aye before in good estate. Now ia not that of Cind a full fay re grace, Thai swichc a lewed mannee wit ehal pace, The wisdoinc of an h epe of lemed men ?" " Of maisters had he mo.than times ten, THAT IVEKK Of LAWS EXPERT ASD CDRJOlrH : Of which there was a dosein in that houa Worthy to hen stewardes of rent a!d lond Of any lord that U in Euglelond, To maken him live by hin propre good. In honour dettelo, but if he were- wood, * Rex omnibus ad quoe «Sec. salutem. Sciatiti quod de gratia nostra speciali, et pro bono servititi qnod Rogetus Small uobii ìmpenilit et imjfndat in futuro, con cestui m un eì offici una Janilaria Notti Templi London ITabcnd. &c. pro vita auâ &c. pertinenti. &c. omnia vada et feoda Ac. eodem modoquaìia Roberti» Tetyt defunct. Qui officium iUud ex conceeùone domini Edwardi nuper regi* Arigli* patrie nostri habiut ... . Teste meipao apud Wettm. 5 die Aprili», anno regni nostri 35. Pat. 35. E. 3. p. 2. ra. 33.