among the Romans, a person skilled in their law, who undertook the defence of causes at the bar. The Roman advocates answered to one part of the office of a barrister in England, viz. the pleading part; for they never gave counsel, that being the business of the jurifconsulti.

The Romans, in the first ages of their state, held the profession of an advocate in great honour; and the seats of their bar were crowded with senators and consuls; they, whose voices commanded the people, thinking it an honour to be employed in defending them. They were styled comites, honorati, clarissimi, and even patroni; as if their clients were not less obliged to them than freed men to their masters. The bar was not at that time venal. Those who aspired to honours and offices took this way of gaining an interest in the people, and always pleaded gratis. But no sooner were luxury and corruption introduced into the commonwealth, than the bar became a share in them. Then it was that the senators let out their voices for pay, and zeal and eloquence were sold to the highest bidder. To put a stop to this abuse, the Advocates. Tribune Cincius procured a law to be passed, called from him Lex Cincia, whereby the advocates were forbidden to take any money of their clients. It had before this been prohibited the advocates to take any presents or gratuities for their pleading. The emperor Augustus added a penalty to it; notwithstanding which, the advocates played their part so well, that the emperor Claudius thought it an extraordinary circumstance, when he obliged them not to take above eight great sesterces, which are equivalent to about 64l. Sterling, for pleading each cause.

Advocate is still used, in countries and courts where the civil law obtains, for those who plead and defend the causes of clients trusted to them.

Advocate of a City, in the German polity, a magistrate appointed in the emperor's name to administer justice.

Advocate is more particularly used, in church history, for a person appointed to defend the rights and revenues of a church or religious house. The word advocatus, or advocatee, is still retained for what we usually call the patron, or he who has the advowson, or right of presentation, in his own name.

Consistorial Advocates; officers of the consistory at Rome, who plead in all oppositions to the disposal of benefices in that court; they are ten in number.

Elective Advocates, those chosen by the abbots, bishop, or chapter; a particular licence being had from the king, or prince, for that purpose. The elections were originally made in the presence of the count of the province.

Feudal Advocates. These were of the military kind, who, to make them more zealous for the interest of the church, had lands granted them in fee, which they held of the church, and did homage, and took an oath of fidelity to the bishop or abbot. These were to lead the vassals of the church to war, not only in private quarrels of the church itself, but in military expeditions for the king's service, in which they were the standard-bearers of their churches.

Fiscal Advocates, fisci advocatus, in Roman antiquity, an officer of state under the Roman emperors, who pleaded in all causes wherein the fiscus, or private treasury, was concerned.

Juridical Advocates, in the middle age, were those who from attending causes in the court of the comes, or count of the province, became judges themselves, and held courts of their vassals thrice a-year, under the name of the tria plaiita generalia. In consideration of this further service, they had a particular allowance of one third part of all fines, or mulcts, imposed on defaulters, &c. besides a proportion of diet for themselves and servants.

Matricular Advocates, were the advocates of the mother or cathedral churches.

Military Advocates, those appointed for the defense of the church, rather by arms and authority than by pleading and eloquence. These were introduced in the times of confusion, when every person was obliged to maintain their own property by force; bishops and abbots not being permitted to bear arms, and the scholastic or gowned advocates being equally unacquainted with them, recourse was had to knights, noblemen, soldiers, or even to princes.

Nominative Advocates, those appointed by a king or pope. Sometimes the churches petitioned kings, &c., to appoint them an advocate; at other times this was done of their own accord. By some regulations, no person was capable of being elected advocate, unless he had an estate in land in the same county.

Regular Advocates, those duly formed and qualified for their profession, by a proper course of study, the requisite oath, subscription, licence, &c.

Subordinate Advocates, those appointed by other superior ones, acting under them, and accountable to them. There were various reasons for the creation of these subordinate advocates; as, the superior quality of the principal advocate, his being detained in war, or being involved in other affairs; but chiefly the too great distance of some of the church-lands, and their lying in the dominions of foreign princes.

Supreme or Sovereign Advocates, were those who had the authority in chief; but acted by deputies or subordinate advocates. These were called also principal, greater, and sometimes general advocates. Such in many cases were kings, &c. when either they had been chosen advocates, or became such by being founders or endowers of churches. Princes had also another title to advocate-ship, some of them pretending to be advocati nati of the churches within their dominions.