THE BOROUGH.

LETTER VI.

PROFESSIONS - LAW.

Quid leges sine moribus

Vanæ proficiunt? - HORACE.

Væ! misero mihi, mea nunc facinora
Aperiuntur, clam quæ speravi fore. - MANILIUS.

Trades and Professions of every Kind to be found in the Borough-Its Seamen and Soldiers -Law, the Danger of the Subject-Coddrington's Offence-Attorneys increased; their splendid Appearance, how supported Some worthy Exceptions - Spirit of Litigation, how stirred up—A Boy articled as a Clerk; his Ideas How this Profession perverts the Judgment— Actions appear through this Medium in a false Light-Success from honest Application-Archer, a worthy Character-Swallow, a Character of different Kind - His Origin, Progress, Success, &c.

111

THE BOROUGH.

LETTER VI.

PROFESSIONS-LAW.

"TRADES and Professions"-these are themes the

Muse,

Left to her freedom, would forbear to choose;

But to our Borough they in truth belong,

And we, perforce, must take them in our song.

Be it then known that we can boast of these

In all denominations, ranks, degrees;
All who our numerous wants through life supply,
Who soothe us sick, attend us when we die,
Or for the dead their various talents try.
Then have we those who live by secret arts,
By hunting fortunes, and by stealing hearts;
Or who by nobler means themselves advance,
Or who subsist by charity and chance.

Say, of our native heroes shall I boast,
Born in our streets, to thunder on our coast,
Our Borough-seamen? Could the timid Muse
More patriot-ardour in their breasts infuse;

Or could she paint their merit or their skill,
She wants not love, alacrity, or will:

But needless all; that ardour is their own,

And for their deeds, themselves have made them known.

Soldiers in arms! Defenders of our soil!

Who from destruction save us; who from spoil Protect the sons of peace, who traffic, or who toil; Would I could duly praise you; that each deed Your foes might honour, and your friends might read:

This too is needless; you've imprinted well

Your powers, and told what I should feebly tell :
Beside, a Muse like mine, to satire prone,

Would fail in themes where there is praise alone.
-Law shall I sing, or what to Law belongs?
Alas! there may be danger in such songs;
A foolish rhyme, 'tis said, a trifling thing,

The law found treason, for it touch'd the King. (1)
But kings have mercy, in these happy times,
Or surely One (2) had suffer'd for his rhymes;
Our glorious Edwards and our Henrys bold,
So touch'd, had kept the reprobate in hold;
But he escaped,—nor fear, thank Heav'n, have I,
Who love my king, for such offence to die.
But I am taught the danger would be much,
if these poor lines should one attorney touch-

(1)

["It stands on record, that in Richard's times

A man was hang'd for very honest rhymes."— POPE.]

(2) [The poet no doubt alludes to Dr. Wolcot, who, under the well-known appellation of Peter Pindar, published various satires calculated to bring the person and character of George the Third into contempt and hatred He died in 1819.]

(One of those Limbs of Law who're always here; The Heads come down to guide them twice a year). I might not swing, indeed, but he in sport

Would whip a rhymer on from court to court;
Stop him in each, and make him pay for all
The long proceedings in that dreaded Hall :-
Then let my numbers flow discreetly on,
Warn'd by the fate of luckless Coddrington, (1)
Lest some attorney (pardon me the name)
Should wound a poor solicitor for fame.

One Man of Law in George the Second's reign Was all our frugal fathers would maintain;

(1) The account of Coddrington occurs in "The Mirrour for Magistrates." He suffered in the reign of Richard III. [The execution of Collingbourne was under colour of rebellion, but in reality on account of the doggerel couplet which he is introduced as quoting in "The Mirrour:" "They murder'd mee, for metring things amisse ; For wotst thou what? I am that Collingbourne,

Which made the ryme, whereof I well may mourne-
The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell our Dog,

·

'Do rule all England, under a Hog!'

Whereof the meaning was so playne and true,
That every fool perceived it at furst:

Most liked it; for most that most things knew
In hugger-mugger, mutter'd what they durst;
The tyraunt Prince of most was held accurst,

Both for his own and for his counsayl's faults,
Of whom were three, the naughtiest of the naughts.
Catesby was one, whom I called a Cat;

A crafty lawyer, catching all hee could.
The second Ratcliffe, whom I named a Rat,
A cruel beast to gnawe on whom hee should:
Lord Lovell barkt and bit whom Richard would,
Whom I therefore did rightly terme our Dog;
Wherewith to ryme I calde the King a Hog."

Such are the verses headed "How Collingbourne was cruelly executed for a foolish rhyme." The hog of the original rhyme is, however, an allusion to the well-known Silver Boar of Richard's cognizance: whence also Gray's lines:

"The bristled boar in infant gore

VOL. III.

Wallows beneath the thorny shade," &c. &c.]
I