The _Readings_, which generally were upon some Statute, continued about eight days, when there were Treats and Balls at the Reader's expence; and there is an Order of the House, of no very old date, by which the Reader was restrained from having above Eight Servants, which shews, in some measure, the luxury and expence attending them. They have now been discontinued upwards of seventy years (the last Reader being Sir William Whitlocke, 1684); but there is a Reader still appointed every year, and some small Treat, at the expence of the Society, of Venison, &c.; and the Arms of the Reader are put up in a Pannel in the Hall. Mr. Bohun, the Writer of several excellent Books in different branches of the Law, having, when he was Reader at New Inn, put up a question tending to Blasphemy, (I think it was, whether the Person of our Saviour was God,) was _excommoned_ by the Society; that is, he was denied the privilege of coming into the Hall, and at the same time obliged to pay for full Commons. They judged expulsion too mild a punishment. The _Old Hall_ stood on the South side of Pump Court, which, upon building a new one, was converted into Sets of Chambers; and which, by Order of Queen Elizabeth, were not to exceed eight in number. This was soon after pulled down, and Chambers built in its stead. _Library._--Left by Will to the Society, by Astley, a Bencher of it. It contains about Nine Thousand Volumes. Besides this, he left a Set of Chambers, value three hundred pounds, for the maintenance of a Librarian, who at first was a Barrister; but, not being thought worth their acceptance, it is now in the Butler. _Present Hall._--Built by Plowden, who was seven years in perfecting it. He was three years Treasurer successively; and after he quitted the Treasurership, he still continued the direction of the Building. _The Temple Organ_ was made by _Smith_. The Societies, being resolved to have a good Organ, employed one _Smith_ and one _Harris_ to make each of them an Organ, value five hundred pounds; and promised that they would give seven hundred pounds for that which proved the best. This was accordingly done, and Smith's was preferred and purchased. The other, made by Harris, was sold to Christ-Church in Dublin; but, being afterwards exchanged for another made by Byfield for four hundred pounds difference, it was sold by Byfield to the Church at Woolwich[378]. [378] Mr. Snetzler. _Inns of Chancery_, like the Halls at Oxford. _New-Inn_ belongs to the Middle Temple; and at the expiration of a long lease, the Fee Simple will be vested in us. Simnel. "_Simnel.--Siminellus_ from the Latin _Simila_, which signifies the Finest Part of the Flour. Panis similageneus, Simnel Bread. It is mentioned in 'Assisa Panis;' and is still in use, especially in Lent. Bread made into a Simnel shall weigh two shillings less than Wastell Bread." Stat. 51 Henry III.