Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

Justice duly administred, the Peoples benefit thereby. [ 1805]

IT is said of Francis the first of France,* 1.1 that when a Woman kneeled to him to beg Iustice, He bade her stand up; For, said he, Woman, It is Iustice that I owe thee, and Iustice thou shalt have; if thou beg any thing of me, let it be Mercy. A happy place and People surely, where Iustice (as it seemeth) was not extorted, but dropt as kindly as honey from the comb; where there was no sale of

Offices, no enhaunsing of Fees, no subtleties of delay, no trucking for expedition, no making snares of petty penal Statutes, where Iustice had scales in her hand, not to weigh gold, but equity; Where Judges and Magistrates were as Noah's Ark to take in weary Doves,* 1.2 and as the hornes of the Altar, for opprest Innocency to betake it selfe unto; where Lawyers, Advocates, Pleaders did not call evill good, and good evill, bitter sweet, &c. Where Plaintifts or Accusers did not informe or prosecute through malice, envy or for advantage; where subor∣dinate Officers durst not help potent delinquents out of the bryers, nor suffer poor men tempest-tost in Law to languish in their businesse within ken of harbour for want of giving a sop to Cerberus, or sacrificing to the great Diana of expedi∣tion; where those setting-doggs, such as base promoting Informers, were not countenanced, and severely punished upon any false, unjust, or malicious infor∣mation; To close up all, where the Magistrate ought Iustice to the People, and paid it, where the people begg'd for Mercy and had it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Jean. de Seres hist.
• * 1.2

  W. Price ut anteà.