The Borough. Letter Vi: Professions--law Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDDEEFFGGAAHHI IJJJKLMMIINNOOPPQQDD RRSTUUVVWWXXWWYYZZHH CCVVA2A2WWB2B2C2C2D2 D2LLWWE2E2F2F2WWG2G2 H2H2I2I2LLJ2J2TTK2K2 L2L2M2N2O2O2WWP2P2Q2 Q2HR2VVS2S2T2T2KKU2K V2V2W2W2U2U2X2X2KKKK N2M2WR2KKY2Y2Z2Z2A3A 3E2R2YYKKS2S2KKHHKKB 3B3B3C3C3D3D3D3E3A3A 3HHF3U2KKBBTG3'TRADES and Professions' these are themes the Muse | A |
Left to her freedom would forbear to choose | A |
But to our Borough they in truth belong | B |
And we perforce must take them in our song | B |
Be it then known that we can boast of these | C |
In all denominations ranks degrees | C |
All who our numerous wants through life supply | D |
Who soothe us sick attend us when we die | D |
Or for the dead their various talents try | D |
Then have we those who live by secret arts | E |
By hunting fortunes and by stealing hearts | E |
Or who by nobler means themselves advance | F |
Or who subsist by charity and chance | F |
Say of our native heroes shall I boast | G |
Born in our streets to thunder on our coast | G |
Our Borough seamen Could the timid Muse | A |
More patriot ardour in their breasts infuse | A |
Or could she paint their merit or their skill | H |
She wants not love alacrity or will | H |
But needless all that ardour is their own | I |
And for their deeds themselves have made them known | I |
Soldiers in arms Defenders of our soil | J |
Who from destruction save us who from spoil | J |
Protect the sons of peace who traffic or who toil | J |
Would I could duly praise you that each deed | K |
Your foes might honour and your friends might read | L |
This too is needless you've imprinted well | M |
Your powers and told what I should feebly tell | M |
Beside a Muse like mine to satire prone | I |
Would fail in themes where there is praise alone | I |
Law shall I sing or what to Law belongs | N |
Alas there may be danger in such songs | N |
A foolish rhyme 'tis said a trifling thing | O |
The law found treason for it touch'd the King | O |
But kings have mercy in these happy times | P |
Or surely One had suffered for his rhymes | P |
Our glorious Edwards and our Henrys bold | Q |
So touch'd had kept the reprobate in hold | Q |
But he escap'd nor fear thank Heav'n have I | D |
Who love my king for such offence to die | D |
But I am taught the danger would be much | R |
If these poor lines should one attorney touch | R |
One of those Limbs of Law who're always here | S |
The Heads come down to guide them twice a year | T |
I might not swing indeed but he in sport | U |
Would whip a rhymer on from court to court | U |
Stop him in each and make him pay for all | V |
The long proceedings in that dreaded Hall | V |
Then let my numbers flow discreetly on | W |
Warn'd by the fate of luckless Coddrington | W |
Lest some attorney pardon me the name | X |
Should wound a poor solicitor for fame | X |
One Man of Law in George the Second's reign | W |
Was all our frugal fathers would maintain | W |
He too was kept for forms a man of peace | Y |
To frame a contract or to draw a lease | Y |
He had a clerk with whom he used to write | Z |
All the day long with whom he drank at night | Z |
Spare was his visage moderate his bill | H |
And he so kind men doubted of his skill | H |
Who thinks of this with some amazement sees | C |
For one so poor three flourishing at ease | C |
Nay one in splendour see that mansion tall | V |
That lofty door the far resounding hall | V |
Well furnish'd rooms plate shining on the board | A2 |
Gay liveried lads and cellar proudly stored | A2 |
Then say how comes it that such fortunes crown | W |
These sons of strife these terrors of the town | W |
Lo that small Office there th' incautious guest | B2 |
Goes blindfold in and that maintains the rest | B2 |
There in his web th' observant spider lies | C2 |
And peers about for fat intruding flies | C2 |
Doubtful at first he hears the distant hum | D2 |
And feels them fluttering as they nearer come | D2 |
They buzz and blink and doubtfully they tread | L |
On the strong bird lime of the utmost thread | L |
But when they're once entangled by the gin | W |
With what an eager clasp he draws them in | W |
Nor shall they 'scape till after long delay | E2 |
And all that sweetens life is drawn away | E2 |
'Nay this ' you cry 'is common place the tale | F2 |
Of petty tradesmen o'er their evening ale | F2 |
There are who living by the legal pen | W |
Are held in honour 'Honourable men'' | W |
Doubtless there are who hold manorial courts | G2 |
Or whom the trust of powerful friends supports | G2 |
Or who by labouring through a length of time | H2 |
Have pick'd their way unsullied by a crime | H2 |
These are the few in this in every place | I2 |
Fix the litigious rupture stirring race | I2 |
Who to contention as to trade are led | L |
To whom dispute and strife are bliss and bread | L |
There is a doubtful Pauper and we think | J2 |
'Tis not with us to give him meat and drink | J2 |
There is a Child and 'tis not mighty clear | T |
Whether the mother lived with us a year | T |
A Road's indicted and our seniors doubt | K2 |
If in our proper boundary or without | K2 |
But what says our attorney He our friend | L2 |
Tells us 'tis just and manly to contend | L2 |
'What to a neighbouring parish yield your cause | M2 |
While you have money and the nation laws | N2 |
What lose without a trial that which tried | O2 |
May nay it must be given on our side | O2 |
All men of spirit would contend such men | W |
Than lose a pound would rather hazard ten | W |
What be imposed on No a British soul | P2 |
Despises imposition hates control | P2 |
The law is open let them if they dare | Q2 |
Support their cause the Borough need not spare | Q2 |
All I advise is vigour and good will | H |
Is it agreed then Shall I file a bill ' | R2 |
The trader grazier merchant priest and all | V |
Whose sons aspiring to professions call | V |
Choose from their lads some bold and subtle boy | S2 |
And judge him fitted for this grave employ | S2 |
Him a keen old practitioner admits | T2 |
To write five years and exercise his wits | T2 |
The youth has heard it is in fact his creed | K |
Mankind dispute that Lawyers may be fee'd | K |
Jails bailiffs writs all terms and threats of Law | U2 |
Grow now familiar as once top and taw | K |
Rage hatred fear the mind's severer ills | V2 |
All bring employment all augment his bills | V2 |
As feels the surgeon for the mangled limb | W2 |
The mangled mind is but a job for him | W2 |
Thus taught to think these legal reasoners draw | U2 |
Morals and maxims from their views of Law | U2 |
They cease to judge by precepts taught in schools | X2 |
By man's plain sense or by religious rules | X2 |
No nor by law itself in truth discern'd | K |
But as its statutes may be warp'd and turn'd | K |
How they should judge of man his word and deed | K |
They in their books and not their bosoms read | K |
Of some good act you speak with just applause | N2 |
'No no ' says he ''twould be a losing cause | M2 |
Blame you some tyrant's deed he answers 'Nay | W |
He'll get a verdict heed you what you say ' | R2 |
Thus to conclusions from examples led | K |
The heart resigns all judgment to the head | K |
Law law alone for ever kept in view | Y2 |
His measures guides and rules his conscience too | Y2 |
Of ten commandments he confesses three | Z2 |
Are yet in force and tells you which they be | Z2 |
As Law instructs him thus 'Your neighbour's wife | A3 |
You must not take his chattles nor his life | A3 |
Break these decrees for damage you must pay | E2 |
These you must reverence and the rest you may ' | R2 |
Law was design'd to keep a state in peace | Y |
To punish robbery that wrong might cease | Y |
To be impregnable a constant fort | K |
To which the weak and injured might resort | K |
But these perverted minds its force employ | S2 |
Not to protect mankind but to annoy | S2 |
And long as ammunition can be found | K |
Its lightning flashes and its thunders sound | K |
Or Law with lawyers is an ample still | H |
Wrought by the passions' heat with chymic skill | H |
While the fire burns the gains are quickly made | K |
And freely flow the profits of the trade | K |
Nay when the fierceness fails these artists blow | B3 |
The dying fire and make the embers glow | B3 |
As long as they can make the smaller profits flow | B3 |
At length the process of itself will stop | C3 |
When they perceive they've drawn out every drop | C3 |
Yet I repeat there are who nobly strive | D3 |
To keep the sense of moral worth alive | D3 |
Men who would starve ere meanly deign to live | D3 |
On what deception and chican'ry give | E3 |
And these at length succeed they have their strife | A3 |
Their apprehensions stops and rubs in life | A3 |
But honour application care and skill | H |
Shall bend opposing fortune to their will | H |
Of such is Archer he who keeps in awe | F3 |
Contending parties by his threats of law | U2 |
He roughly honest has been long a guide | K |
In Borough business on the conquering side | K |
And seen so much of both sides and so long | B |
He thinks the bias of man's mind goes wrong | B |
Thus though he's friendly he is still severe | T |
Surly th | G3 |
George Crabbe
(1)
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