Lawyers
Lawyers
Original Text
Love and Drollery. Edited by John Wardroper. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1969: 131. PR 1209. W3 1969b Robarts library
1Lawyers themselves uphold the commonweal.
2They punish those that do offend and steal.
3They free with cunning art the innocent
4From danger, loss and causeless punishment.
5They can but will not keep the world in awe
6With misexpounded and distended law.
7They always have great store of charity
8And love they want not, keeping amity.
Publication Notes
Manuscripts: Sloane 1489, Add. 28009
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire, assisted by Ana Berdinskikh
RPO Edition
2009
Rhyme
Form