THE COURT OF CHANCERY: A Satirical Poem. BY REGINALD JAMES BLEWITT, LATE OF LINCOLNS INN. When knaves and fools combined o’er all prevail, When justice halts, and right begins to fail; E’en then the boldest start from public sneers, Afraid of shame, unknown to other fears; More darkly sin, by satire kept in awe, And shrink from ridicule, if not from law. BYRON. LONDON: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. KAY, 1, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 1827. TO MAJOR EDWARD BLEWITT, OF LLANTARNAM ABBEY, In the County of Monmouth, THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, WITH EVERY SENTIMENT OF FILIAL AFFECTION, BY HIS SON, THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. The great delay and ruinous expenses of a Chancery suit have become proverbial. Shame to the country, that suffers such a stain upon its system of equitable jurisprudence! I offer no apology for taking up the tomahawk of censure against this dire national enemy. Would that I could use the weapon more dexterously! It must, however, be sufficient satisfaction for me to have removed the scalp of concealment, without being too particular about the skill, with which it has been effected. As a poet, I must throw myself upon the indulgence of the public. For the last ten years I have sacrificed every literary attainment to the study of the law; and am therefore in the situation of a miner, who, after years of cheerless labour underground, should be expected to display any great ingenuity in the pursuit of a more enlightened occupation. The subject is dull, but not unfruitful. I have thrown into the work as much amusement as my poor abilities would furnish me with, but my principal objects have been truth and consistency.--I presume, therefore, to assert that I have always been honest in commendation, and never severe without reason.