Lawyers and Clients

Who doubts? The laws fell down from heaven's height
Like to some gliding star in winter's night.
Themis the scribe of God did long agone
Engrave them deep in during marble-stone,
And cast them down on this unruly clay,
That men might know to rule and to obey.
But now their characters depraved bin,
By them that would make gain of others' sin.
And now hath wrong so maistered the right
That they live best that on wrong's offal light.
So loathly fly that lives on galled wound,
And scabby festers inwardly unsound,
Feeds fatter with that poisonous carrion
Than they that haunt the healthy limbs alone.
Woe to the weal where many lawyers be,
For there is sure much store of maladie.
'Twas truly said, and truly was foreseen,
The fat kine are devoured of the lean.
Genus and Species long since barefoot went
Upon their ten toes in wild wonderment;
Whiles Father Bartoll on his foot-cloth rode
Upon high pavement gayly silver-strowed.
Each home-bred science percheth in the chair,
While sacred arts grovel on the groundsel bare.
Since peddling barbarisms gan be in request,
Nor classic tongues, nor learning found no rest.
The crouching client, with low-bended knee,

And many worships, and fair flattery,
Tells on his tale as smoothly as him list,
But still the lawyer's eye squints on his fist;
If that seem lined with a larger fee,
Doubt not the suit, the law is plain for thee.
Though must he buy his vainer hopes with price,
Disclout his crowns, and thank for his advice.
So have I seen in a tempestuous stour
Some breer-bush showing shelter from the shower
Unto the hopeful sheep, that fain would hide
His fleecy coat from that same angry tide.
The ruthless breer regardless of his plight
Lays hold upon the fleece he should acquite,
And takes advantage of the careless prey
That thought she in securer shelter lay.
The day is fair, the sheep would fare to feed;
The tyrant brier holds fast his shelter's meed,
And claims it for the fee of his defence;
So robs the sheep, in favour's fair pretence.