414
HUDIBRAS.
[PART III.
'Tis but to hazard my pretence,Where nothing's certain but th' expense;To act against myself, and traverseMy suit and title to her favours;And if she should, which heav'n forbid, 525O'erthrow me, as the fiddler did,What after-course have I to take,'Gainst losing all I have to stake?He that with injury is griev'd,And goes to law to be reliev'd, 530Is sillier than a sottish chouse,Who, when a thief has robb'd his house,Applies himself to cunning men,To help him to his goods agen;[1] When all he can expect to gain, 535Is but to squander more in vain:And yet I have no other way,But is as difficult to play:For to reduce her by main forceIs now in vain; by fair means, worse; 540But worst of all to give her over,'Till she's as desp'rate to recover:For bad games are thrown up too soon,Until they 're never to be won;But since I have no other course, 545But is as bad t' attempt, or worse,He that complies against his will,Is of his own opinion still,
- ↑ In Butler's MS. under these lines are many severe strictures on lawyers:More nice and subtle than those wire-drawers Of equity and justice, common lawyers; Who never end, but always prune a suit To make it bear the greater store of fruit.As labouring men their hands, criers their lungs, Porters their backs, lawyers hire out their tongues. A tongue to mire and gain accustom'd long, Grows quite insensible to right or wrong.The humourist that would have had a trial, With one that did but look upon his dial, And sued him but for telling of his clock, And saying, 'twas too fast, or slow it struck.
