Few lawyers die well, few physicians live well

What is the meaning of the proverb "Few lawyers die well, few physicians live well"?

I think "few physicians live well" has to do with the fact that the salary of physicians was once very low, but what about the "few lawyers die well" part? And the meaning of the proverb overall?

Solution 1:

I've always believed that it's a reference to two things: one, that doctors didn't use to earn much, and two, that lawyers were (are?) considered likely to end up in hell rather than in heaven. Hence, for one, this life sucks, and for the other, the afterlife sucks. (Nothing to back me up, though; sorry.)

Solution 2:

To give more or less the same answer as @spiceyokooko (the source cited by that answerer comments that both doctors and lawyers were reputed to be atheists), but quoting from an well-aged source:

Physicians cure the bodies of the sick, and neglect the health of their souls. Lawyers diligent in observing the Laws of Men, however transgress the Commands of God: whence it is grown to be a Proverb, Neither Physicians live well, nor Lawyers die well; Physicians being the most disorderly sort of men, and Lawyers the most dishonest.

Henry Cornelius Agrippa (1676) The vanity of arts and sciences.

Solution 3:

This is a variant of the old proverb "The shoemaker's children go barefoot" (One often neglects those closest to oneself = the overall meaning of the proverb in the OP's question and in this answer).

Most of the many physicians I know (I'm a medical editor and my wife's a nurse) don't treat themselves as well as they treat their patients.

Many lawyers make their money by ensuring that their clients' assets are shielded from taxes and cannot be snatched by prodigal children in probate court, but they don't do the same for their own assets, so they shortchange themselves and their family.

Solution 4:

Yes, I found a quote from p 318 of “Sociology : pop culture to social structure” by Robert J Brym; John Lie. It says “Doctors had never earned much. In the 18th century it was commonly said that "Few lawyers die well, few physicians live well".

No new material on lawyers, though.

Solution 5:

I think it means that both professions (lawyers and physicians) were viewed (at the time) with equal suspicion and some circumspection or at least not viewed particularly well.

There’s a link here that supports that contention.