38 COBBETT'S 



very rei^n nf Edward the Fir-t. So that, a hungry 

 in;ni mi^lit have a pretty irnod belly-full in those days 

 without running tin- ri>k of punishment. Observe, by- 

 the-by, how time has hardened the law. We are told of 

 tin- t/i/r/c ages, of the hnrlmnnts nmftnuit. of our fore- 

 fathers : and we have | .1 to 

 receive and to pn-M-nt petitions innumerable, from 

 the f! oreatam in the world, about 

 ''/r/n'//Lr (/<' 'I code ;" but, not a word do 

 they ever say about a softening of this law, which 

 ian for >tralin^ the value of a RAI5- 

 15 IT, ami which formerly did not hang him till he 

 stole the value of an OX ! -Curious enough, but still 

 more scandalous, that we should have the impudence 

 to talk of our hit .minify, and our civilization, and of 

 the harharousness of our forefathers. But, if a y 

 of the ancient law remain, shall not the whole of it 

 remain I If we hang the thief, still hang the thief 

 for steal ins: to the value oftu / though the 

 twelve prnr" now represents a rabbit instead of an 

 ox; if we still do this would BLACKSTONE take av 

 the benefit of the ancient law from the starv 

 The pfttsagQ that 1 have quoted is of such great im- 

 portance a< to thi* question, that I think it necessary 

 to add. here, a copy oft) 1. which is in the 

 old \ornnin-Frfnch. of which 1 i;ive the translation 

 above. " Sunt tenus burgessours trestous ceux. que 

 felonisement en temps de pees debrusent esglises 

 ou auter mesons, ou murs, ou pprtes de nos cytes, ou 

 de nos burghes ; hors pris enfauntz dedans asje, et 

 poures que. pur feyn. entret pur ascun vitaille de 

 ineindre value if de xii deners,et hors pris fous nasi 

 et ^ens arrajres, et autresque seuent nule felonie faire." 

 46. After . t any rate, will not attempt 

 to gainsay. If there should, however, remain anyone 

 to affect to doubt of the >ouminessof this doctrine, let 

 them take the following from him who is alwayscall- 

 ed the '"pride o/*/>////'^o;;////."the - firi'df <>f KnzrlM 

 learning." and wnom the poet POPE calls "greatest 

 ad wi*e.8t of mankind." It is Loan BACON of whom 

 J am sj)eaking. He was Lord High Chancellor in 



