^rSo4' On the ErigJi/Jj Poor's Lawf* J{6^ 



with the utmofl: venj^ennce of the Cluirch, for his fcandalous and 

 atrocious conchuD: in regard to his wives, &c. &c. — a vcnircance 

 not to be dcfpifed in thofe days, whtn its influence on the niuki- 

 tude was fo extenfire and powerfuL 



The inconvenience of thefe bafe and felonious collufions wa» 

 foon felt by the poor and middle clalTcs of the people, who be- 

 came loudly clamorous on the feore of their grievances and pri- 

 vations. The expedient of the poor's hv/ was therefore adopted 

 in the reign of Qu^een Elizabeth ; the poor having, in the i/i/tV7w, 

 feverely felt the lofs of that aiTittance they v/ere wont to receive 

 from the rehgious houfes, as their own rightful fitare of tl>e tithes 

 before their fupprelhon ; and before fo great a proportion of the 

 latter became the pecuUuni of the nobility and gentry, by impro- 

 priation, f^atronage, &c. &c. 



What eife but bitter waters could proceed from fo muddy a 

 fountain ? However, though various attempts have been made 

 to reform this code — to abolifli it altogether, or partially — parti- 

 cularly by the excellent plan of ];rlr Burgefs, in which he pro- 

 pofed that purilhes and townflnps ihould be ailbciated, in the 

 manner of friendly clubs or focieties refpectlvely, to be fubfcribed 

 for by both rich and poor in time of health — every attempt to- 

 wards an alteration has been fteadily oppofed by the magiitrates, 

 whofe motive has been infcrutable, unlefs it be that they are fo 

 pleafed with the privilege of being kings of the beggars, that 

 they cannot confent to an abdication : for, under the poor's laws, 

 their power is nearly abfolute, to the great diilrefs of many of 

 the moil reputable occupants of lanvds- 



What I can at prefent make out of the particulars of our pariili, 

 amounts to this : From about icco acres of land, about i5oh 

 per amiumy or 3s. 66.. per acre, is at prefent colIe£led by the o« 

 verfeer of the poor, who diflributes it among nearly twenty ob^ 

 jefts, as he thinks iit ; the amount is fom.etimes much greater^, 

 and in fome other parities, many times over that fum per acre. 

 Thefe obje6ls confifl of widows, perfons incapable of labour, mi- 

 htiamens' families, and baflard children : for part of this fund is 

 worthily held out and applied by order of the magiflrates for the 

 fupport and encouragement of baflardy, by making the father of 

 the child liable to a part of maintenance only, the parifh to the 

 reft •, fo that, in this refpecl, it frequently happens, that occu- 

 piers of fmall portions of land, who are with great diihculty en- 

 abled to bring up their own legitimate off springy are obliged to 

 contribute towards the fupport of other mens* bajlards. Many 

 militiamens' relations are able enough to keep their families from 

 the parifh, if they would exert themfelves accordingly ; but the 

 ^irit of independence, and former laudable relu<flancc in apply- 



