LABOURING POOR. 41 



own defence. Knocking down is fpokcn of in the country in 

 a manner that makes an Englifti man ftare. Landlords of con- 

 fequence have allured me that many of their cottars wfould 

 think themtelves honoured by having their wives and daugh- 

 ters fent for to the bed of their mafter ; a mark of flavery that 

 proves the oppreffion under which fuch people muft live. Nay, 

 I have heard anecdotes of the lives of people being made free 

 with without any apprehenfion of the juftice of a jury. But let 

 it not be imagined that this is common ; formerly it happened 

 every day, but law gains ground. It nmli ftrike themoft care- 

 lefs traveller to fee whole firings of cars whipt into a ditch by 

 a gentleman's footman to make way for his carriage ; if they 

 are overturned or broken in pieces, no matter, it is taken in 

 patience, were they to complain they would perhaps be horfe- 

 whipped. The execution of the laws lies very much in the 

 hands of juftices of the peace, many of whom are drawn from 

 the moft illiberal clafs in the kingdom. If a poor man ledges 

 a complaint againft a gentleman, or any animal that chufes to 

 call itfelf a gentleman, and the juftice ifTues out a fummons 

 for his appearance, it is a fixed affront, and he will infallibly 

 be called out. Where MANNERS are in confpiracy againll 

 LAW, to whom are the oppreffed people to have recourfe ? It 

 is a fal that a poor man having a conteft with a gentleman 

 muft but I am talking nonlenfe, they know their fituation too 

 well to think of it ; they can have no defence but by means of 

 protection from one gentleman againft another, who probably 

 protects his vaflal as he would the fheep he intends to eat. 



The colours of this picture are* not charged. .To affert that 

 all thefe cafes are common, would be an exaggeration, but 

 to fay that an unfeeling landlord will do all this with impunity 

 is to keep ftrictly to truth : and what is liberty but a farce, 

 and a jeft if its bleflings are received as the favour of 

 kindnefs and humanity, inftead of being the inheritance of 

 RIGHT ? 



Confequences have flowed from thefe oppreflions which 

 ought long ago to have put a ftop to them. In England we have 

 heard much of whiteboys, fteelboys, oakboys, peep-of-day- 

 boys, &c. Bur thefe various infurgents are not to be con- 

 founded, for they are very different. The proper diftinction in 

 the difcontents of the people is into pioteftant and catholic. 

 All but the whiteboys were among the manufacturing proteft- 

 ants in the north. The whiteboys catholic labourers in the 

 louth : from the beft intelligence I could gain, the riots of the 

 manufacturers had no other foundation, but fuch variations in 

 the manufacture as ail fabrics experience, and which they had 

 themfelves known and fubmitted to before. The cafe, howr 

 ever, was different with the whiteboys ; who being labouring 

 catholics met with all thole oppreflions I have defcribed, ana 

 would probably have continued in fui! fubmiffion had not very 

 ferere treatment in reflect of tythcs united with a great fpecu- 



:ar:ve 



