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I heard also of two brethren, who contended in chancery for a chain of gold worth sixty pounds. The elder, being executor, kept the chain; the younger had proof, that his father said often in his lifetime, that the chain should be his : the suit proceeded, until they had spent above an hundred pounds. And, on a day, being both at the Chancery-bar, they touched one another ; and the elder brother desired to speak with the younger, and said, Brother you, see how these men feed on us, and we are as near an end of our cause, as when we first began ; come and dine with me, and I will give you the one half of the chain, and keep the other, and so end this endless cause: and, I pray you, let us both make much of this wit, so dearly bought. Thus was this cause ended. ' There was a widow and a gentleman, that contended for a scat in the church, at the civil law; and this gentleman, talking of his suit for his seat, protested, that it had cost him so great a sum, as that, for the credit of these courts, I am loth to name. One wondering thereat, he said, It was most true; and said farther, They have spun me, at length, like a twine thread; and named the number of courts he had .been twisted in, and the strange number of chargeable commissions which passed between them. Thus you see the old saying true : ' If you go to law for a nut, the lawyers will crack it, give each of you half the shell, and chop up the kernel themselves.' There is a thing which long since happened in France, very memorable, touching the endless causes in the civil law: a stranger, having sold great store of merchandise there, and not paid, entered suit against his debtors, wherein he spent more than his debts came unto; and thereupon greatly perplexed, expecially seeing no likelihood of an end of his suits, or obtaining his debts; he went to the King, and said, I have a great complaint against one in your kingdom, and I humbly desire you to hear me patiently: the King said, Tell me against whom, I will very patiently and willingly hear thee. My Lord, said he, it is against yourself: Against me, said the King, How so ? Whatsoever it be, speak it freely, and fear nothing: whereupon the merchat told him, That he did suffer most intolerable, costly, and tedious courses in the proceedings of law in his kingdom (which is there only the civil law) and such as, I think, will never have an end, as long as the clients have money to give the lawyers ; and told him withal, of all his proceedings. Well, said the wise King, I will first see thea fully satisfied, and then reform this foul abuse : and presently there;upon did take such excellent order for the quick and just end Of