"Let's kill all the lawyers"

[mackler]

You may have heard the famous expression, but do you know the context?  It's a fictional speech given by a real historical character, Jack Cade, as he attempts to lead a revolution of...well...you can understand his political philosophy pretty clearly as he rouses the rabble:

JACK CADE

    Be brave, then; for your captain is brave, and vows
    reformation. There shall be in England seven
    halfpenny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hooped
    pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony
    to drink small beer: all the realm shall be in
    common: and when I am king, as king I will be,--

ALL

    God save your majesty!

CADE

    I thank you, good people: there shall be no money;
    all shall eat and drink on my score; and I will
    apparel them all in one uniform, that they may agree
    like brothers and worship me their lord.

DICK THE BUTCHER

    The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

CADE

    Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable
    thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should
    be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled
    over, should undo a man? Some say the bee stings:
    but I say, it's the bee's wax; for I did but seal
    once to a thing, and I was never my own man
    since.

http://shakespeare.mit.edu/2henryvi/2henryvi.4.2.html

[Lloyd Danforth]

I thought it was Shakespeare.

[Russell Kanning]

looks like you where right

i  say

let's stop feeding the lawyers