aving practised little above thirteen or
fourteen years is able to buy a purchase of so many one thousand pounds:
which argueth that they wax rich apace, and will be richer if their
clients become not the more wise and wary hereafter. It is not long since
a sergeant at the law--whom I could name--was arrested upon an extent, for
three or four hundred pounds, and another standing by did greatly marvel
that he could not spare the gains of one term for the satisfaction of that
duty. The time hath been that our lawyers did sit in Paul's upon stools
against the pillars and walls to get clients, but now some of them will
not come from their chambers to the Guildhall in London under ten pounds,
or twenty nobles at the least. And one, being demanded why he made so
much of his travel, answered that it was but folly for him to go so far
when he was assured to get more money by sitting still at home. A friend
of mine also had a suit of late of some value, and, to be sure of counsel
at his time, he gave unto two lawyers, whose names I forbear to deliver,
twenty shillings apiece, telling them of the day and hour wherein his
matter should be called upon. To be short, they came not unto the bar at
all; whereupon he stayed for that day. On the morrow, after he met them
again, increased his former gifts by so much more, and told them of the
time; but they once again served him as before. In the end, he met them
both in the very hall door, and, after some timorous reprehension of their
uncourteous demeanour toward him, he bestowed either three angels or four
more upon each of them, whereupon they promised peremptorily to speak
earnestly in his cause. And yet for all this, one of them, not having yet
sucked enough, utterly deceived him: the other indeed came in, and,
wagging a scroll which he had in his hand before the judge, he spake not
above three or four words, almost so soon uttered as a "Good morrow," and
so went from the bar. And this was all the poor man got for his money, and
the care which his counsellors did seem to take of his cause then standing
upon the hazard. But enough of these matters; for, if I should set down
how little law poor men can have for their small fees in these days, and
the great murmurings that are on all sides uttered against their excessive
taking of money--for they can abide no small gain--I should extend this
treatise into a far greater volume than is convenient for my purpose.
Wherefore it shall suffice t