Inns of Court were originally so called because the students belonging to them were bound to attend and serve the Courts of Judicature. Anciently these colleges received none but the sons of noblemen, and of those gentlemen whose rank qualified them to do service to the King in his Court. Fortescue affirms that in his time there were about two thousand students in the Inns of Court and of Chancery, all of whom were _filii nobilium_, or gentlemen born. But the rigidity of this rule was gradually relaxed, and in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Edward Coke reckons that not more than half the students then studying in the various Inns were of gentle birth. These Inns of Court, that for centuries have been so justly famed for the education and introduction of men of learning in the law, are governed by masters, principals, Benchers, stewards, treasurers, and other officers. Amongst their buildings are public halls for exercises, such as reading, declaiming, reciting, etc. At one time every student was compelled to attend and take part in these exercises for a certain number of years before he was admitted to plead at the Bar. At the present day, however, most of these regulations have fallen into disuse, and are no longer insisted upon. The societies have not any judicial authority over their members, but they have certain orders and rules amongst themselves, which have by consent the force of laws. For slight offences persons are excommoned, or put out of commons. For graver faults they forfeit their chambers, or, indeed, may be expelled the college. When an offender has been thus expelled, he can never be received by any of the other societies. The members of these societies, or Inns, may be divided into Benchers, outer barristers, inner barristers, and students. The Inns themselves are divided into, and are severally denominated, Inns of Chancery and Inns of Court. The most ancient of the former is Thavies Inn, which was begun in the reign of Edward III. The other Inns of Chancery are New Inn, Symond's Inn, Clement's Inn, Clifford's Inn (once the property of Lord Clifford), Staples' Inn (so called because it had belonged to the Merchants of the Staple), Lion Inn (formerly an ordinary hostelry for travellers, bearing the sign of the Lion), Furnival's Inn, and Barnard's Inn. Inns of Chancery were, in the earlier centuries, considered as a preparatory college for the younger students, who could here pursue the studies that would enable them to be admitted into the Inns of Court. The four principal Inns of Court are the Inner Temple, the Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn. Gray's Inn formerly belonged to Lord Gray, and Lincoln's Inn to the Earl of Lincoln. The Inner and Middle Temple, once the dwellings of the famous Knights Templar, were purchased about three hundred years ago by the then leading Professors of the Common Law. There are also two other Inns, those of the Serjeants of the Law.