Proverbs about Law and Lawyers. question of lawyers' fees. The Scotch say, "Law's costly; tak a pint and 'gree." And it is related that Lord Mansfield declared that if any man claimed a field from him he would give it up, provided the concession were kept secret, rather than engage in pro ceedings at law. Hesiod emphasizes the same idea in a paradoxical proverb, " The half is more than the whole," while the Italians say " A lean agreement is better than a -fat lawsuit." (E meglio 1111 viagro accordo che una grassa lite.) "He that loves law will get his fill of it," says a Welsh proverb, and the Italians de clare that " Lawyers' garments are lined with suitors' obstinacy." (Le vesta degli avvocati son fodrate dell' ostinazion del litigauti) "A doctor never prescribes for himself," has its counterpart in " No good lawyer ever goes to law " which assertion we get from Italy. The French are equally positive that "No lawyer is fool enough to go to law," and again " Their houses are built of fools' heads." (f.cs /liaisons des avocats sontfaides de la teste des foh.) Even in arbitration the lawyers are con demned, for there is an English proverb,
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"Arbitrate, lose some, give lawyer more," and the Scotch say, " Refer my coat, and lose a sleeve." Not in this world only are the lawyers to be thought badly of, for the French have it that " Unless hell is full never will a lawyer be saved." (Si eufer n'est plein, oncques n'y aura d'avoeat sauve.) The Danes say that the devil once sat be tween two lawyers and declared that " Virtue was in the middle." While the Dutch proverb is so well known that it has been adopted by many lands. "The greater lawyer, the worse Christian." ([Hoe grooter jurist, hoe boozer Christ.) The English express the same idea in the proverb, " Fair and softly, as lawyers go to heaven." In Peterborough churchyard there is a tombstone over the grave of Walter Strange, a lawyer, which bears the inscription "Strange! An honest Lawyer." It is difficult to understand why the wit of the nations should be directed against lawyers, but the fact remains, and all we can do is to laugh with the world and prove by our conduct that proverbs are not always true, and that lawyers are, as a class, as free from reproach as any other profession.
