Briefless Ballads and Legal Lyrics / Second Series

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25281

Title

Briefless Ballads and Legal Lyrics / Second Series

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

James Williams, a lawyer by profession, explores the intersection of law and poetry in this witty collection. Blending legal history with romantic ballads and satirical verse, the book offers a unique perspective on the legal profession, Roman jurisprudence, and the enduring tension between justice and artistic expression.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Briefless Ballads and Legal Lyrics / Second Series*, James Williams, a practicing lawyer, explores the often-overlooked poetic dimensions of the legal profession. The collection opens with 'Briefless Ballads,' where Williams and his friends retreat to Windermere to escape the rigors of legal study. Despite their scholarly intent, they are distracted by romance and nature, illustrating that a lawyer's soul can still crave poetry. The volume features 'A Vision of Legal Shadows,' which personifies the ghosts of English and Roman law. Here, iconic fictional litigants like John Doe and Richard Roe appear alongside notorious Roman figures such as Aulus Agerius and Numerius Negidius, representing the mechanical nature of ancient procedure. Williams satirizes the 'casual ejector' and the 'Advocates' Widows Fund' with characteristic humor. The book contrasts professional life with personal longing through romantic tales like 'The Squire's Daughter' and 'Her Letter in Chambers.' Williams further examines the relationship between law and art in 'Law and Poetry,' citing historical figures like Thomas More and Cino da Pistoia who successfully bridged both worlds. The collection includes imaginative scenarios, such as the 'Spinning-House of the Future,' a doggerel poem detailing the legal repercussions of interacting with Girton College students, and a series of mock legal cases like 'Mylward v. Weldon,' where a plaintiff is punished for excessive pleading. Williams also laments the decline of traditional legal forms in 'A Ballade of Lost Law,' mourning the abolition of Chancery and the loss of elaborate legal language. The volume concludes with translations of Greek epigrams and poems by Martial and Cino da Pistoia, reinforcing the theme that while law may be rigid, the spirit of justice and poetry remains vital. Through these varied forms, Williams argues that the art of law and the art of poetry share a common lineage, even as modern practice increasingly separates them.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Poetry
• Law