By gold all good faith has been banished; by gold our rights are
abused; the law itself is influenced read more

By gold all good faith has been banished; by gold our rights are
abused; the law itself is influenced by gold, and soon there will
be an end of every modest restraint.
[Lat., Auro pulsa fides. auro venalia jura,
Aurum lex sequitur, mox sine lege pudor.]

Flowery oratory he [Walpole] despised. He ascribed to the
interested views of themselves or their relatives the
declarations read more

Flowery oratory he [Walpole] despised. He ascribed to the
interested views of themselves or their relatives the
declarations of pretended patriots, of whom he said, "All those
men have their price."

Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune,
He had not the method of making a fortune.

Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune,
He had not the method of making a fortune.

What, shall one of us,
That struck for the foremost man of all this world
But for read more

What, shall one of us,
That struck for the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers--shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honors
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?

There is gold for you. Sell me your good report.

There is gold for you. Sell me your good report.

'Tis pleasant purchasing our fellow-creatures;
And all are to be sold, if you consider
Their passions, and read more

'Tis pleasant purchasing our fellow-creatures;
And all are to be sold, if you consider
Their passions, and are dext'rous; some by features
Are brought up, others by a warlike leader;
Some by a place--as tend their years or natures;
The most by ready cash--but all have prices,
From crowns to kicks, according to their vices.

Alas! the small discredit of a bribe
Scarce hurts the lawyer, but undoes the scribe.

Alas! the small discredit of a bribe
Scarce hurts the lawyer, but undoes the scribe.

'Tis gold
Which buys admittance--oft it doth--yea, and makes
Diana's rangers false themselves, yield up
read more

'Tis gold
Which buys admittance--oft it doth--yea, and makes
Diana's rangers false themselves, yield up
This deer to th' stand o' th' stealer: and 'tis gold
Which makes the true man kill'd and saves the thief,
Nay, sometimes hangs both thief and true man.

Every man has his price.

Every man has his price.