In the Cotton Library is a manuscript written at the commencement of the reign of Henry the Eighth, entitled "A description of the Form and Manner, how, and by what Orders and Customs the State of the Fellowshyppe of the Myddil Temple is maintained, and what ways they have to attaine unto Learning."[591] It contains a great deal of curious information concerning the government of the house, the readings, mot-yngs, boltings, and other exercises formerly performed for the advancement of learning, and of the different degrees of benchers, readers, cupboard-men, inner-barristers, utter-barristers, and students, together with "the chardges for their mete and drynke by the yeare, and the manner of the dyet, and the stipende of their officers." The writer tells us that it was the duty of the "Tresorer to gather of certen of the fellowship a tribute yerely of iii_s._ iii_d._ a piece, and to pay out of it the rent due to my lord of Saint John's for the house that they dwell in." "Item; they have no place to walk in, and talk and confer their learnings, but in the church; which place all the terme times hath in it no more of quietnesse than the perwyse of Pawles, by occasion of the confluence and concourse of such as be suters in the lawe." The conferences between lawyers and clients in the Temple Church are thus alluded to by Butler: "Retain all sorts of witnesses That ply in the Temple under trees, Or walk the Round with knights of the posts, About the cross-legged knights their hosts." "Item; they have every day three masses said one after the other, and the first masse doth begin at seaven of the clock, or thereabouts. On festivall days they have mattens and masse solemnly sung; and during the matyns singing they have three masses said."[592] At the commencement of the reign of Henry VIII. a wall was built between the Temple Garden and the river; the Inner Temple Hall was "seeled," various new chambers were erected, and the societies expended sums of money, and acted as if they were absolute proprietors of the Temple, rather than as lessees of the Hospitallers of Saint John. In 32 Hen. VIII. was passed the act of parliament dissolving the order of the Hospital, and vesting all the property of the brethren in the crown, saving the rights and interests of lessees, and others who held under them. The two law societies consequently now held of the crown.