104 WHITE BOYS. 



their heads, and having taken the adminiftra- 

 tion of juftice into their own hands, were not 

 very exa& in the diflribution of it. Forced 

 mailers to releafe their apprentices, carried 

 off the daughters of rich farmers, ravifhed 

 them into marriages, of which four inftances 

 happened in a fortnight. They levied fums 

 of money on the middling and lower farmers, 

 in o der to fupport their caufe, by paying at- 

 tornies, &c. in defending profecutions againft 

 them; and many of them fubfifted for fome 

 years without work, fupported by thefe con- 

 tributions. Sometimes they committed feve- 

 ral considerable robberies, breaking into houfes 

 and taking the money, under pretence of re- 

 dn. fling grievances. In the courfe of thefe 

 outrages, they burnt feveral houfes, and de- 

 fircyed the w hole fubfiance of men obnoxious 

 to them. The barbarities they committed 

 were (hocking. One of their ufual punifh- 

 ments (and by no means the moil fevere) 

 w r as taking people out of their beds, carrying 

 them naked in winter, on horfe-back, for 

 fome diftancc, and burying them up to their 

 ohm in a holt- filled with briars, not forget- 

 ting to cut off cue of their ears. In this- 

 manner the evil exiiied for eight or ten years, 

 during which time the gentlemen of the coun- 

 try took fome meafures to quell them. Many 

 pf the magiftrates were aclive in apprehending 

 them; but the want of evidence prevented 

 punifhoients For many of thofe who even fuf- 

 fered by them, had not fpirit to profecute. 

 The gentlemen of the country had frequent 



expedition^ 



