All men of spirit would contend; such men Than lose a pound would rather hazard ten. What! be imposed on? No! a British soul Despises imposition, hates control: The law is open; let them, if they dare, Support their cause; the Borough need not spare. All I advise is vigour and good-will: Is it agreed then--Shall I file a bill?" The trader, grazier, merchant, priest, and all, Whose sons aspiring, to professions call, Choose from their lads some bold and subtle boy, And judge him fitted for this grave employ: Him a keen old practitioner admits, To write five years and exercise his wits: The youth has heard--it is in fact his creed - Mankind dispute, that Lawyers may be fee'd: Jails, bailiffs, writs, all terms and threats of Law, Grow now familiar as once top and taw; Rage, hatred, fear, the mind's severer ills, All bring employment, all augment his bills: As feels the surgeon for the mangled limb, The mangled mind is but a job for him; Thus taught to think, these legal reasoners draw Morals and maxims from their views of Law; They cease to judge by precepts taught in schools, By man's plain sense, or by religious rules; No! nor by law itself, in truth discern'd, But as its statutes may be warp'd and turn'd: How they should judge of man, his word and deed, They in their books and not their bosoms read: Of some good act you speak with just applause; "No, no!" says he, "'twould be a losing cause: Blame you some tyrant's deed?--he answers "Nay, He'll get a verdict; heed you what you say." Thus to conclusions from examples led, The heart resigns all judgment to the head; Law, law alone for ever kept in view, His measures guides, and rules his conscience too; Of ten commandments, he confesses three Are yet in force, and tells you which they be, As Law instructs him, thus: "Your neighbour's wife You must not take, his chattles, nor his life; Break these decrees, for damage you must pay; These you must reverence, and the rest--you may." Law was design'd to keep a state in peace; To punish robbery, that wrong might cease; To be impregnable: a constant fort, To which the weak and injured might resort: But these perverted minds its force employ, Not to protect mankind, but to annoy; And long as ammunition can be found, Its lightning flashes and its thunders sound. Or Law with lawyers is an ample still, Wrought by the passions' heat with chymic skill: While the fire burns, the gains are quickly made, And freely flow the profits of the trade; Nay, when the fierceness fails, these artists blow The dying fire, and make the embers glow, As long as they can make the smaller profits flow: At length the process of itself will stop, When they perceive they've drawn out every drop. Yet, I repeat, there are who nobly strive To keep the sense of moral worth alive; Men who would starve, ere meanly deign to live On what deception and chican'ry give; And these at length succeed; they have their strife, Their apprehensions, stops, and rubs in life;