Satyre V

Thou shalt not laugh in this leafe, Muse, nor theyWhom any pitty warmes; He which did layRules to make Courtiers, (hee being understoodMay make good Courtiers, but who Courtiers good?)Frees from the sting of jests all who in extremeAre wreched or wicked: of these two a theameCharity and liberty give me. What is heeWho Officers rage, and Suiters miseryCan write, and jest? If all things be in all,As I thinke, since all, which were, are, and shallBee, be made of the same elements:Each thing, each thing implyes or represents.Then man is a world; in which, OfficersAre the vast ravishing seas; and Suiters,Springs; now full, now shallow, now drye; which, toThat which drownes them, run: These selfe reasons doProve the world a man, in which, officersAre the devouring stomacke, and SuitersThe excrements, which they voyd. All men are dust;How much worse are Suiters, who to mens lustAre made preyes? O worse then dust, or wormes meat,For they do eate you now, whose selves wormes shall eate.They are the mills which grinde you, yet you areThe winde which drives them; and a wastfull warreIs fought against you, and you fight it; theyAdulterate lawe, and you prepare their wayLike wittals; th'issue your owne ruine is.Greatest and fairest Empresse, know you this?Alas, no more then Thames calme head doth knowWhose meades her armes drowne, or whose corne o'rflow:You Sir, whose righteousnes she loves, whom IBy having leave to serve, am most richlyFor service paid, authoriz'd, now beginneTo know and weed out this enormous sinne.O Age of rusty iron! Some better witCall it some worse name, if ought equall it;The iron Age that was, when justice was sold; nowInjustice is sold dearer farre. AllowAll demands, fees, and duties, gamsters, anonThe mony which you sweat, and sweare for, is gonInto other hands: So controverted landsScape, like Angelica, the strivers hands.If Law be in the Judges heart, and heeHave no heart to resist letter, or fee,Where wilt thou appeale? powre of the Courts belowFlow from the first maine head, and these can throwThee, if they sucke thee in, to misery,To fetters, halters; But if the injurySteele thee to dare complaine, Alas, thou go'stAgainst the stream, when upwards: when thou art mostHeavy and most faint; and in these labours they,'Gainst whom thou should'st complaine, will in the wayBecome great seas, o'r which, when thou shalt beeForc'd to make golden bridges, thou shalt seeThat all thy gold was drown'd in them before;All things follow their like, only who have may have more.Judges are Gods; he who made and said them so,Meant not that men should be forc'd to them to goe,By meanes of Angels; When supplicationsWe send to God, to Dominations,Powers, Cherubins, and all heavens Courts, if weeShould pay fees as here, Daily bread would beScarce to Kings; so 'tis. Would it not angerA Stoicke, a coward, yea a Martyr,To see a Pursivant come in, and callAll his cloathes, Copes; Bookes, Primers; and allHis Plate, Challices; and mistake them away,And aske a fee for comming? Oh, ne'r mayFaire lawes white reverend name be strumpeted,To warrant thefts: she is establishedRecorder to Destiny, on earth, and sheeSpeakes Fates words, and but tells us who must beeRich, who poore, who in chaires, who in jayles:Shee is all faire, but yet hath foule long nailes,With which she scracheth Suiters; In bodiesOf men, so in law, nailes are th'extremities,So Officers stretch to more then Law can doe,As our nailes reach what no else part comes to.Why barest thou to yon Officer? Foole, Hath heeGot those goods, for which erst men bar'd to thee?Foole, twice, thrice, thou hast bought wrong, and now hungerlyBeg'st right; But that dole comes not till these dye.Thou had'st much, and lawes Urim and Thummim trieThou wouldst for more; and for all hast paperEnough to cloath all the great Carricks Pepper.Sell that, and by that thou much more shalt leese,Then Haman, when he sold his Antiquities.O wretch that thy fortunes should moralizeEsops fables, and make tales, prophesies.Thou'art the swimming dog whom shadows cosened,And div'st, neare drowning, for what's vanished.

The iron Age that was, when justice was sold, nowInjustice is sold deerer farre; allowAll demands, fees, and duties; gamsters, anon

The iron Age that was, when justice was sold (nowInjustice is sold dearer) did allowAll claim'd fees and duties. Gamesters, anon

The iron Age was, when justice was sold, nowInjustice is sold dearer far, allowAll claim'd fees and duties, Gamesters, anon