Book II, Satire 3

Who doubts? The lawes fel down frō heauēs height,
Like to some gliding starre in winters night.
Themis the Scribe of God did long agone,
Engraue them deepe in during Marble-stone,
And cast them downe on this vnruly clay,
That men might know to rule and to obay.
But now their Characters depraued bin,
By them that would make gain of others sin.
And now hath wrong so maistered the right,
That they liue best, that on wrongs off all light;
So loathly flye that liues on galled wound,
And scabby festers inwardly vnsound,
Feedes fatter with that poysnous carrion,
Then they that haunt the healthy lims alone.
Wo to the weale where many Lawiers bee,
For there is sure much store of maladie.
T'was truely said, and truely was foreseene
The fat kine are deuoured of the leane.
Genus and Species long since barefoote went,
Vpon their ten-toes in wilde wanderment:
Whiles father Bartoll on his footcloth rode,
Vpon high pauement gayly siluer-strowd.
Each home-bred science percheth in the chaire,
While sacred artes grouell on the groundsell bare.
Since pedling Barbarismes gan be in request,
Nor classicke tongues, nor learning found no rest.
The crowching Client, with low-bended knee,
And manie Worships, and faire flatterie,
Tels on his tale as smoothly as him list,
But still the Lawyers eye squints on his fist:
If that seeme lined with a larger fee,
Doubt not the suite, the law is plaine for thee.
Tho must he buy his vainer hope with price,
Disclout his crownes, and thanke him for aduice.
So haue I seene in a tempestuous stowre,
Some bryer-bush shewing shelter from the showre,
Vnto the hopefull sheepe, that faine would hide
His fleecie coate from that same angrie tide.
The ruthlesse breere regardlesse of his plight,
Laies holde vpon the fleece he should acquite,
And takes aduantage of the carelesse pray,
That thought she in securer shelter lay.
The day is faire, the sheepe would fare to feede:
The tyrant Brier holdes fast his shelters meed,
And claimes it for the fee of his defence:
So robs the sheepe, in fauours faire pretence.