A poor sheep-stealer is hanged for stealing of victuals, compelled
peradventure by necessity of that intolerable cold, hunger, and thirst,
to save himself from starving: but a [333]great man in office may
securely rob whole provinces, undo thousands, pill and poll, oppress ad
libitum, flea, grind, tyrannise, enrich himself by spoils of the
commons, be uncontrollable in his actions, and after all, be
recompensed with turgent titles, honoured for his good service, and no
man dare find fault, or [334] mutter at it.
How would our Democritus have been affected to see a wicked caitiff or
[335]fool, a very idiot, a funge, a golden ass, a monster of men, to
have many good men, wise, men, learned men to attend upon him with all
submission, as an appendix to his riches, for that respect alone,
because he hath more wealth and money, [336]to honour him with divine
titles, and bombast epithets, to smother him with fumes and eulogies,
whom they know to be a dizzard, a fool, a covetous wretch, a beast, &c.
because he is rich? To see sub exuviis leonis onagrum, a filthy
loathsome carcass, a Gorgon's head puffed up by parasites, assume this
unto himself, glorious titles, in worth an infant, a Cuman ass, a
painted sepulchre, an Egyptian temple? To see a withered face, a
diseased, deformed, cankered complexion, a rotten carcass, a viperous
mind, and Epicurean soul set out with orient pearls, jewels, diadems,
perfumes, curious elaborate works, as proud of his clothes as a child
of his new coats; and a goodly person, of an angel-like divine
countenance, a saint, an humble mind, a meet spirit clothed in rags,
beg, and now ready to be starved? To see a silly contemptible sloven in
apparel, ragged in his coat, polite in speech, of a divine spirit,
wise? another neat in clothes, spruce, full of courtesy, empty of
grace, wit, talk nonsense?
To see so many lawyers, advocates, so many tribunals, so little
justice; so many magistrates, so little care of common good; so many
laws, yet never more disorders; Tribunal litium segetem, the Tribunal a
labyrinth, so many thousand suits in one court sometimes, so violently
followed? To see injustissimum saepe juri praesidentem, impium
religioni, imperitissimum eruditioni, otiosissimum labori, monstrosum
humanitati? to see a lamb [337]executed, a wolf pronounce sentence,
latro arraigned, and fur sit on the bench, the judge severely punish
others, and do worse himself, [338] cundem furtum facere et punire,
[339]rapinam plectere, quum sit ipse raptor? Laws altered,
misconstrued, interpreted pro and con, as the [340]judge is made by
friends, bribed, or otherwise affected as a nose of wax, good today,
none tomorrow; or firm in his opinion, cast in his? Sentence prolonged,
changed, ad arbitrium judicis, still the same case, [341]one thrust out
of his inheritance, another falsely put in by favour, false forged
deeds or wills. Incisae leges negliguntur, laws are made and not kept;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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