r ^75 ] 



Bexed; how thefe rights accrued, whether -by fuf- 

 ferance or otherwifc, is now out of the quefliouj 

 they are grown into prefcription, the great land- 

 mark of the fons of the foil j the fulcrum of the 

 bed-poized conftitution, that human talents ever 

 formed j and which muil be touched with due 

 caution. 



It will readily be admitted, that the advantage 

 derived to cottagers from this right is in mod cafes 

 ideal, v/hile thfe publick fuftains a ferious lofs by 

 lands of this defcription not being either at all cul- 

 tivated, or not cultivated to the bed advantage. 



Nearly the whole of the parifli of Afuweil is un- 

 inclofed; abounds with cottagers, having common 

 rights over a very good cow-common, containing 

 about 150 acres, a great number of wide baulks and 

 wades intcrfperfed in the common iields, and the run 

 of the fallow fields, in one of the larged pariflies in 

 the county of Hertford. The cottagers of Afliweli 

 have alfo this peculiar advantage : every cottager is 

 entitled to depadure two cows, and no inhabitant of 

 the parifli occupying one houfe, and maintaining 

 one family, has a right to depadure more, let his 

 holding be ever fo extenfivej therefore if common 

 rights can advantage cottagers any where, thofe of 

 the parifli of AfliwcU certainly will; but very few 

 of thefe much-favoured cottagers have wherewithal 

 to purchafc a cow, and if they had they cannot get 

 provender to maintain her in the winter j thecon- 



fequcnce 



