Eighth Court Maxim: The corruption of lawyers is useful to the king

Philalethes: in our last conference we discoursed of bishops, of the right of judging and punishing heretics and blasphemers, and of prescribing rules in matters of religion. Let us now consider what use is to be made of lawyers depending on the court.

Eunomius: you will much oblige me to let me know whom you comprehend under the name of lawyers, how you bring them to a dependence on the court, and what advantage is expected by them.

Philalethes: the name is given by some only to pleaders. But we give it in general to all that live by the practice of it, together with all attorneys or offices of court, who have a united interest as one body. And little industry is required to bring them to depend on the king.

Secondly, the way has been made long since, and they that enter upon the profession must follow it. There were anciently two great faults in our law. One, that being framed by men that loved their liberty and country, it much favoured the subject and restrained the power of kings within narrow limits. The other, that our ancestors through a virtuous simplicity had made those laws so plain and easy, that when the king stood in need of a judgment in favour of prerogative, or to take away a suspected head, it either could not be gained at all, or so as the judges, | by plainly perverting the sense of the law, were in danger of punishment.