Classic Poem

Law against Justice! practice against Sense,
Right against Law, without Deeds Evidence!
Is lawless Custom, sage Impertinence;
Wisdom of Dotards call'd Experience, which,
Like other Laws, does less confine the Rich;
Law, to the Laws, 'gainst Equity to give,
Makes Men, against Rule, by Example live;
By its Example, against Justice, can
Make Right Wrong, or, can Wrong for Right maintain;
Prescription against Sense, upholding so,
By Practice against Law, nay, Reason too;
Not to make good, what is with Reason done,
But, to make Wrong Right, if done long agon;
Thus it has, against Justice, Right, or Pow'r,
Right, to make Wrong less, as 'tis practis'd more;
Law to the Laws, from Time, not Truth to give,
As Old Men, for their Sense, which they out-live,
From Age, not Reason, are most positive;
Most positive, as most still, in the wrong,
For Reason, from their Weakness, Age, more strong;
So that Tyrannick Custom may be said,
To be o'th' Fools, and Wise, the Rev'rend Dread;
Thwarts Pow'r, Truth, Reason, in Courts, Camps, and Schools,
Whose Practice, Sense, Law, Justice, over-rules;
Most absolute Old Tyrant, e'er did Reign,
Over its sensless Slaves, the World, and Man;
Does Free-Will from us, like a Tyrant, take,
Us, ev'n in spight of our own selves, to make,
To do all, but as done by others still,
Tho' 'gainst our Sense, our Nature, or our Will;
To think Nought Right, or Wrong, or Good, or Ill,
As in itself, it is less Just, or more,
But as it was done, less or more, before;
It lets none, by their Sense, Think, Talk, Act, Move,
But, from Example, Eat, Drink, Hate, or Love;
Their Nerves, by Wires o'th' Clock, not their own Will,
To Move, Go, Run, or to their Standing-still;
Arms, Legs, Feet, Hands, by Dial-Hands to go,
As by the Clocks, St. Dunstan 's Giants do;
If Clocks strike Six, Men strait to Pray'r, or Gain,
Must rise, in spight of Knees, Backs, Heads in Pain;
If Clocks strike Twelve, to Dinner Men must go,
Whether they have their Stomach's Call, or no;
So, by the Clocks, rather than Nature's Call,
To Love's, or Nature's Work, Men Move, Stand, Fall;
By Dial's Hands, Mens Teeth, like Virginals,
Must move so, but at Ringing of the Bells;
By Clocks Wires, not by Nerves, or Sinews so,
Or Nature's Motions, Men must Sound, Think, Do;
So Custom, as 'tis Second Nature too,
Does Nature's Pow'r, or Right o'er us, invade.
By which, to act 'gainst Nature, Men are made;
By which, Proud Man, made of a Make Divine,
Is made a Sensless Tool, a Live-Machine;
Thus Custom, Nature's Law then, may we call,
Which forces her to Things unnatural,
Ev'n against Sense, or Reason, rules us all;
Yet goes for Reason, Faith, and Justice too,
Since nothing's ill done, Men are us'd to do;
Nor can be left off, which has long, been done,
Or has, by Custom long been undergone;
So Custom, as it Second Nature is,
In Man, the Wants of Nature oft supplies;
Makes him, Wants, Pains, and Miseries to bear,
The better still, as more, and worse they are;
Which him with Strength to bear 'em, does supply,
Makes Fortune's Fickleness, his Constancy;
Makes Want, Pain, Shame, supportable by Man,
Which is more than Sense, Faith, Religion can,
Gives Man more Grief, to make him less complain;
Who feels Pain less, for feeling it before,
So makes it less, but as it makes it more:
Custom shou'd for the Law of Nature go,
By which all Laws themselves Authentic grow,
Which does uphold Religion, Precepts sway;
Since but by it, Men Man's, GOD's Laws obey;
So to the Laws, 'tis it does give the Law,
Does Reason, Justice, by Prescription aw;
For Reason, Justice, Faith, Religion, Wit,
Are such, but as they are confirm'd by it;
Since, but by Custom, or Prescription 'tis,
That nothing long done, is thought done amiss;
Reason against it, does it self confute,
None against that which still was done, dispute;
Reason, what Custom justifies must own;
Custom's the Law, for all against Law done,
The sole Law, all Men have agreed upon;
Since we no Law, or Reason e'er cou'd find,
Against what e'er was done, time out of mind:
So, but for Use, or Practice, 'tis alone,
That Law proves Justice, which wou'd else be none;
Then Custom, which a second Nature is,
Our Actions best condemns, or justifies;
Whilst Law proves oft, but Pow'r's Arbitrement,
Right Reason less to do, than to prevent,
Custom is Right, by Popular Accent;
Right, by Succession, and Example too,
Will Right by Precedent, not Fancy, do;
Most pow'rful Law of Nature, since to it,
Men against Law, Sense, Nature, Faith, submit.