A web-based edition of early seventeenth-century political poetry from manuscript sources. It brings into the public domain over 350 poems, many of which have never before been published.
Mi3 Pervertinge of the lawes makes justice blind
Notes. There is only one known version of this poem on the monopolist Sir Giles Mompesson in this form; however, as listed below, three known sources preserve the final stanza as a discrete piece. In their final lines, there is some commonality between this poem and “The tottering state of transitory things”.
“On Sir Giles Mumpesson”
Pervertinge of the lawes makes justice blind
Converted lawes makes her, her eyes to find
Whilst now God present is, & president
Of our thrice noble, happy Parliament.
The Cobweb law1 that did our small theeves spoyle
5Hath catcht our great ones in his hanginge toyle
The earth growes happy & the heaven smiles
Theres noe respect of Persons. Mum Sir Giles.2
The proverbe of lame Giles3 is false I say
Had Giles beene lame hee had not runne away
10Sir Giles thought fitt noe longer time to ’bide
For feare hee by Saint Giles his Church should ride4
Source. Folger MS V.a.162, fol. 53r
Known sources of the shorter version. Bodleian MS Don. d.58, fol. 36v; Folger MS V.a.103, fol. 73r; Folger MS V.a.262, p. 132
Mi3
1 Cobweb law: the prosecution of Mompesson depended on the revival of a medieval procedure of impeachment. <back>
2 Mum Sir Giles: i.e. silent Sir Giles (in the context of the whole line, a strained play on his name). <back>
3 proverbe of lame Giles: probably “lame Giles has played the man” (Tilley G115). <back>
4 For feare...ride: the scribe adds here an explanatory marginal note: “To Tyburne”. <back>
Web Marketing & Design
by FourSquare Innovations 
