CJi. viii. of the Poor- Lmvs proposed. 339 



able to support a family, he should have the most 

 perfect liberty so to do. Though to marry, in this 

 case, is, in my opinion, clearly an immoral act, 

 yet it is not one which society can justly take 

 upon itself to prevent or punish ; because the pu- 

 nishment provided for it by' the laws of nature 

 falls directly and most severely upon the indivi- 

 dual who commits the act, and through him, only 

 more remotely and feebly, on the society. When 

 nature will govern and punish for us, it is a very 

 miserable ambition to wish to snatch the rod from 

 her hands, and draw upon ourselves the odium of 

 executioner. To the punishment therefore of na- 

 ture he shoud be left, the punishment of want. 

 He has erred in the face of a most clear and pre- 

 cise warning, and can have no just reason to com- 

 plain of any person but himself when he feels the 

 consequences of his error. All parish assistance 

 should be denied him ; and he should be left to the 

 uncertain support of private charity. He should 

 be taught to know, that the laws of nature, which 

 are the laws of God, had doomed him and his fa- 

 mily to suffer for disobeying their repeated admo- 

 nitions ; that he had no claim of right on society 

 for the smallest portion of food, beyond that which 

 his labour would fairly purchase ; and that if he 

 and his family were saved from feeling the natural 

 consequences of his imprudence, he would owe 

 it to the pity of some kind benefactor, to whom, 

 therefore, he ought to be bound by the strongest 

 ties of gratitude. 



If this system were pursued, we need be under 



z 2 



