ree Voices of Persons
who are his Equals. But as I oserv'd before, they are so possess'd with
a Spirit of boasting, that when they talk of themselves, there is no
Regard to be had to any thing they say.

What is most remarkable is, that Hens as well as Cocks frequently stand
Candidates to be Members of the said Council, and especially those who
are distinguish'd by the Name of _Squabbaws_; and tho' the important
Affairs of managing their Amours takes up so much of their Time, that
they have but little Leisure to attend such publick Affairs, yet they
very much influence what passes there, especially the Court _Squabbaws_,
whom I have frequently seen to receive Presents from Persons who had
Matters to lay before the said Council. When this happened, it was their
Custom to send for my Friend the first Minister, and instruct him how
they would have the thing done; upon which Occasions they designedly
absented themselves from the said Council, that by their not appearing
to favour or oppose such things, the Bribery might not be suspected; and
it generally pass'd as well without them, for my good Patron who carried
it so loftily to the rest of the World, was nevertheless extreamly their
Slave.

As to their Laws, which they pretend to be the best and wisest of any
in the World, they are, in Effect, a Source of continual Plague and
Vexation to the Subject, which is owing to many Causes, but principally
to this, that when a new Law is agreed to pass, the great Council
generally appoint such amongst them as are Lawyers by Profession, to
word it, or (as we say) to draw it up, who always, in Order to promote
the Business of their own Profession, contrive it in ambiguous Terms; so
that there is a double Meaning runs thro' every Sentence. This furnishes
eternal Matter of Dispute betwixt Party and Party, and at the same time
gives the _Caja_ (for so they call a Judge) a Power of putting what
Construction he pleases upon the Law. I have my self been frequently
present, when the _Caja_ has been sitting to hear and determine Causes,
and have observ'd, that when the _Cacklogallinian_ Advocates have been
setting forth the Merit of their Cause, and one of them has produced a
Precedent, to shew, that such a _Caja_ in former Times, put such a
Construction upon such a Law, yet the _Caja_ then presiding has
determined the thing quite otherwise, giving for a Reason, _That
might be his Opinion, but this is ours._

Upon the whole, the Property