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Even this author writer, when the business was to recommend
his office and his work, could so far forget himself[+]
[+] or so far trust to the inattention of his readers as to suggest, that it might be useful
if men could would men understand so much
of law, as to enable them to keep an eye
over their Lawyers. "Men" did I say?
no I should have said "Gentlemen": for it is "Gentlemen" only alone
who are worth "guarding" against "imposition".+ + Discourse on the study of the Law. p. 22.
It is Gentlemen alone whose rights is are worth
his concern: about all he wants of cares about for men who are
less than gentlemen is to that they may look to their "obligations" ||. || p. 21
A Gentleman however is invited to read Law-Lectures
that he may look to his Steward and his
Attorney. It is thus that those who have a
nostrum of their own or a Family-Physician
to sell, advise men to keep a sharp
eye over their Apothecary.
---page break---
At length, in the 4th year of the late King,
the Legislature began to enter into these
sentiments. An Assembly, that passed for
the Legislature, had enter'd into them long
before: but when the reign of forms began
once more, thing what had been done without
form became an abomination. It required took
near a Century for men to recover men from their
antipathy.
with more goodwill than wisdom The Lawyers stood afar off: looking to see how for the difficulties
in which they hoped the zeal of the unlearned laymen would entangle them. + + This hypothetically consult the Journal.
---page break---
Had he entreated any such wish as that the Law might be made known to man as far as possible the public spirit
If he had he shewn any degree of concern at
the thoughts that the good attempted to be done
was not done, if he had he forborn to triumph
over a generous Legislature, and to make his mark at the supposed inefficacy of the generous
the supposed defect inefficacy of its designs designs of the Legislature, one might have
given him some credit for his sincerity.
The Law is hung up high above men's reach.
That all ranks of men should struggle to
climb up to it, the whole force of his eloquence
is set to persuade them: "For you may
take these stilts", says he, "that I have made
you". That the Legislature should do any take any
thing step to let it down to them, is a proposition
that is treated either with indifference
or with scorn. It is the Mountain all along that is
to go to Mahomet — not Mahomet to the mountain.
---page break---
Owen Ruffhead a writer of some Judgement & penetration, has
cited also this wretched reason which he is pleased to call a
manifest one in terms which indicate acquiescences [and satisfaction]
[The observation of a few instances such as those
would warrant a stranger [to] conclude that Law as well as
Divinity had it's Subscriptions. He might go farther perhaps
and if he were of a splenetic cast exclaim that as the day
which makes a man a slave according to Hircos take away
half his virtue, so that which dubbs him a Lawyer cuts off
a moiety of his common Sense.
It is to be acknowledged however in Justice to this Dissertation,
that he speaks in the course of this Paragraph in the
stile rather of one that was giving an account of this matter
how it happened to be what he supposed it was, than as
giving a reason why a reader to whom he addresses himself,
should be satisfied with it's being so.
PROMULG. Comm. Law. Language. Blackstone.
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promulg. comm. law. language. blackstone |
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