Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, "General Prologue" (ca. 1380-1400)--the pilgrim Sergeant of Law [high-ranking attorney]

A sergeant of the lawe, war and wys,      309
That often hadde been at the parvys,      310        [at the porch of St. Paul's Cathedral, where lawyers talked shop]
Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.      311
Discreet he was and of greet reverence --      312
He semed swich, his wordes weren so wise.     313
Justice he was ful often in assise,     314              [the court of assizes, or "sittings," to try by jury criminal or civil cases at Westminster]
By patente and by pleyn commissioun.     315      [appointed by the king with full legal powers to speak before the judge and jury]
For his science and for his heigh renoun,     316
Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.     317       [annual income from grants of cash or elaborate formal clothing]
So greet a purchasour was nowher noon:     318    [a land-buyer]
Al was fee symple to hym in effect;     319             [unusual ownership outright, without limitation of years or requirement of service or rent]
His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.     320       [could not be challenged on legal technicalities, of which there were many!]
Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,     321
And yet he semed bisier than he was.     322
In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle     323    [Year Books of legal cases and the judges' decisions--crucial for anticipating future cases]
That from the tyme of kyng william were falle.     324    ["the Conqueror," unlikely before Edward I, C13 modern legal era vs. feudal "right"]
Therto he koude endite, and make a thyng,     325    [how to compose and write out a legal document]
Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng;     326    [find fault with his documents]
And every statut koude he pleyn by rote.     327    [knew all the Parliamentary and Royal statutes by heart]
He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote.     328       [rode in simple dress, a coat patched together of many fabrics]
Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;     329    [bound at the waist by a silk belt decorated with small stripes]
Of his array telle I no lenger tale.     330

Ed. F. N. Robinson. (Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 1957)  Available at https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=cme;cc=cme;view=toc;idno=CT