Classic Poem

Fair Truth, in courts where Justice should preside,
Alike the judge and advocate would guide,
And these would vie each dubious point to clear,
To stop the widow's and the orphan's tear,
Were all, like Yorke, of delicate addres,
Strength to discern, and sweetness to express,
Learn'd, just, polite, born ev'ry heart to gain,
Like Cummins mild, like Fortescue humane,
All-eloquent of truth, divinely known,
So deep, so clear, all science in his own.
Of heart impure, and impotent of head.
To hist'ry, rhet'ric, ethics, law, unread,
How far unlike such worthies! once a drudge,
From flound'ring in low cases rose a Judge.
Form'd to make pleaders laugh, his nonsense thunders,
And on low juries breathes contagious blunders,
His brothers blush, because no blush he knows.
Nor e'er “one uncorrupted finger shows.”
See, drunk with pow'r, the Circuit-lord express'd!
Full in his eye his betters stand confess'd;
Whose wealth, birth, virtue, from a tongue so loose,
'Scape not provincial vile buffoon abuse.
Still to what circuit is assign'd his name,
There, swift before him, flies the warner—Fame.
Contest stops short, Consent yields ev'ry cause
To Cost; Delay endures them and withdraws.
But how 'scape pris'ners? To their trial chain'd,
All, all shall stand condemn'd who stand arraign'd,
Dire guilt! which else would detestation cause,
Prejudg'd with insult wond'rous pity draws.
But 'scapes even Innocence his harsh harangue?
Alas!—ev'n Innocence itself must hang;
Must hang to please him, when of spleen possest;
Must hang to bring forth an abortive jest.
Why liv'd he not ere Star-chambers had fail'd,
When fine, tax, censure, all but law, prevail'd;
Or law, subservient to some murd'rous will,
Became a precedent to murder still?
Yet ev'n when patriots did for traitors bleed,
Was e'er the job to such a slave decreed,
Whose savage mind wants sophist art to draw
O'er murder'd virtue specious veils of law?
Why, student! when the bench your youth admits,
Where, tho' the worst, with the best rank'd he sits,
Where sound opinions you attentive write,
As once a Raymond, now a Lee, to cite,
Why pause you scornful when he dins the court?
Note well his cruel quirks, and well report:
Let his own words against himself point clear,
Satire more sharp than verse when most severe.