2 ove Defence of Lawyers. 
“Pen, a coach, or chariot.—Rbeda is a 
Latin word, which firt came from the 
Gauls. Parkburft. ‘Réd, or rbéd, in Welth, 
means aruvz, or race, ‘Redai, what runs: 
‘Rod, is a wheel, ‘Rodai, that goes on 
wheels, and ‘Rodug, or ‘Rodawg, what 
has whee!s ; a chariot. 
I do not know whether the foregoing 
ccmparifon is explicit enough to attraét 
any particular nctice; but J am afraid it 
will become tirefome, if extended to 
greater length. ‘There remains not the 
jeaft doubt with me, that if the fubject 
were fully inveftigated, fuch conclufions 
would arife, as would fhow the “recé and 
the Welb tobe fifter-diale&ts, fpringing 
trom a common origin. Your's, &c. 
Fal. 7; 1797 MEIRION. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, Lye 
Ay VERE is fomething fo extremely in- 
vidicus in a perfon’s attempting to 
throw a general ftigma on a whole body 
of men, and the practice has been fo 
often cenfured, that one would fcarcely 
expect it to be done by any writer cf to- 
lerable abilities or character; particularly 
in a work like your’s, which protefles 
great candour and liberality. But when 
your correfpondent M. H. in the Fifth 
Number of your Magazine, afks, * Who 
<vould look for bonefiy amongft lawyers ?” 
he evidently means to infinuate that the 
lawyers are a body of men without ho- 
nefty—an infinuation as difgraceful to 
him as itis in itfelf untrue. Your cor- 
. refpondent J.T. in the Seventh Number, 
feems hkewife to poffefs as little candour; 
for, after quoting the above queftion, he 
proceeds thus: “ [ fhould not take it for 
** pranted, without fome proof, that even. 
our reverend Judges were all men of 
incorruptible integrity : but furely a// 
lawyers are notal/ EQUALLY knaves =” 
yntimating, therefore, that all lawyers 
suit neceflarily be knaves in fome degree 
or other; though he does not altogether 
agree withthe other gentleman. 
T think, I mey with much more truth 
affume, that moft perfons who deal inthis 
fort of general calumny muft themfelves 
be either knaves or fools—thofe of the 
a 
former clafs, who, through improper con-- 
‘duct, have been brought under the lafh 
of the law, feek for revenge by endea- 
vouring to ftigmatize its profefiors ; and 
the latter, from inexperience and vulgar 
prejudice, throw cut their impotent flan- 
der, without having enquired whether 
there be any foundation for it or not. 
[Jan, 
It cannot, indeed, be denied, that amonS 
the inferior praétitioners in the law, ther€ 
are men of the vileft characters, but they 
are in general fo well known, that none 
but bad or incautious people would em- 
ploy, or be deceived by them; and it 
muft be acknowledged, to the honour:of 
the courts of law, that they frequently 
meet with punifhment. I, however, con- 
tend, that the general body of the law is 
compofed of men of the higheft honour 
and integrity—men in whom the utmoft 
confidence is juftly placed by families of 
the greateft confequence and fortune—by 
the community in general—and to whole 
abilities and affiftance many perions owe 
much of their fecurity and happinefs. If 
your correfpondents had been in habits of 
employing men of eminence and real 
character, in their legal concerns, they 
would have known this, and been more. 
cautious in their infinuations—they would 
have been afhamed of them—and, if they 
had poffeffed any liberality, they would’ 
have given the Judges credit for integrity, 
tili their want'of ic had been. proved. 
- It is-certainly true, that the profeffion, 
of the law, and the law-itfelf (which is 
finely called by Arifiotle muad without paf= 
fio) has been always the fubjeét of abufe, 
and it may be accounted for without diff- 
culty. 
Almoft every man who enters into a 
law fuit (which is often contrary to*his. 
attorney's advice, and witha cafe favour- 
ably ftated by himfelt) is fanguine of fuc- 
cefs. Warmed by patlioy, and a deter-. 
mination to overwhelm his adverfary, he 
proceeds with blind fury, regardlefs of 
confequences. On the day of tita!, how- 
ever, new faéts appear, and his fuit is- 
determined againit him : he never reflects. 
that his caufe was bad, or that he had de- 
ceived his attorney, but he takes care to 
let the world know that his attorney and: 
his counfel were knaves, that they were 
bribed by his opponent, or were inatten- 
tive to their duty ; or he will perhaps go 
a ftep farther, and aflume prejudice in 
the Judge and Jury. If he fucceeds in 
his fuit, bis adverfary thinks himfelf enti- 
tled to be equally cenforious, and thus 
the lawyers, on one fide or wae ether, are- 
fure to be calumniated. 
THis you will allow to be, at leaft, very 
frequeatly the practice, and it 1s there- 
fore not extraordinary (though it is to be 
regretted) that attornies of the faisett. 
charaéters are generally averfe to the 
conduét of law fuits. Exclufive of per- 
fons who thus lofe their caufes, the pro 
Rigate and dithoneff, part of the commu. 
‘ nity 
