The Borough. Letter Vi: Professions--law Poem Rhyme Scheme

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'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

The Borough. Letter Vi: Professions--law Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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