Quotations and Literature Forum

In jest I suggested that a lawyer on her way to London might explain the old quote about the ancient centers of legal education there. To her credit she was able to visit the Middle Temple but no accounting for the quote came back with her from England. Even Google has not provided an EASY answer and perhaps the reader can do a better job than I in rummaging around there to find that answer. Can someone provide this information: Who wrote it, when and where? and What was special about the walks at Grayes Inne, the wall at Lincoln's Inne, the garden at the Inner Temple and the hall at the Middle Temple? Here is the pertinent quote:


"Grayes Inne for walks,
Lincoln's Inne for a wall,
The Inner Temple for a garden,
And the Middle for a Hall."

You might find some info here:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... wanted=all

Some sites seem to point to Samuel Pepys as the author:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZClQAA ... &ct=result

I also found this:

In the process of researching this, I came across a little poem about the four Inns. I saw several versions of it, and the one I’m quoting here, I think is from Howell’s English Proverbs of 1659.

Gray's Inn for walks,
Lincoln's Inn for a wall;
The Inner-Temple for a garden,
And the Middle for a hall.
http://tudorhistory.org/podcast/09-2007.html

It is in Howells', p.172 (with no source):
http://books.google.com/books?id=vOKyki ... #PPA172,M1