Chapter XIII: Part I

It is a seedy Barristere,
And he barreth the way so free――
“By thy long limp band and rusty wig,
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?

“The Commons’ doors are open’d wide,
And I’m to be sworn in;
The Speaker is set, the Members met,
And business will soon begin.”

He showeth me his empty bag――
“It once was full,” quoth he:
He showeth me his faggot brief,
Marked with a monstrous fee.

I sat me down beside the door――
I could not choose but hear,
As thus spake on that mouldy man,
That briefless Barristere:――

“The kites were flown, the bubbles blown,
Merrily went the scrip;
Directors schemed, nor ever dreamed
Of chances ’twixt cup and lip.

“The Stag comes out――over the left;
The market riggeth he:
The men with cash, by dealings rash,
Are fleeced right horribly.

“Higher and higher every day
Went up the bubble shares――”
No step I stirred, altho’ I heard
The Speaker was at prayers.

He’d made me wait――I was too late;
Yet I could not choose but hear,
As thus spake on that shabby man,
That briefless Barristere――

And now November came, the Law
Was tyrannous and strong;
The thirtieth day all Plans must stay,
And Sections, right or wrong.

“Thro’ day and dark the sleepy clerk
Must toil and moil with care and cark;
Lithographers, with fingers stark,
Must never go to bed.
The time flies fast, the Plans at last
Are all delivered.

“And now, to sift the monstrous drift,
Committees are enrolled,
And they must hear each councillere
His brief at length unfold.

“With weary head, from A to Z――
I trow it was no play――
The members sat, to be argued at,
From eleven till four each day.

“Committees here, Committees there,
Committees all around;
While counsel roared, and joked, and bored,
And fought, and fumed, and frowned.

“Ten guas. per day, and ten briefs alway,
Unto my share there came;
One half, I knew, I could not do,
But I took them all the same.

“And I grew rich, and behaved as sich,
And never the tide did drop,
And the duns had flown that I once had known
On my staircase for hours to stop.

“And my lanky bag did swell and swag
With the freight of briefs it bore;
I new curled my wig, and in letters big
Wrote ‘Committee’ on my door.

“Twelve briefs one day on my table lay,
With heavy retainers on each,
When a knock at the door ushered in one more,
My attention to beseech.”

“Now save thee, seedy Barristere,
And send thee quick relief!
Why look’st thou so?” “Ah, shame and woe!
I did refuse that brief!”