Ch. viii. of the Poor-Laivs pi'oposed. 343 



is enhanced by affirming a lie before God, have, 

 I confess, very different ideas of delicacy and 

 morality from those which I have been taught to 

 consider as just. If a man deceive a woman into 

 a connexion with him under a promise of marriage, 

 he has undoubtedly been guilty of a most atroci- 

 ous act, and there are few crimes which merit a 

 more severe punishment; but the last that I should 

 choose is that which will oblige him to affirm 

 another falsehood, which will probably render the 

 woman that he is to be joined to miserable, and 

 will burden the society with a family of paupers. 



The obligation on every man to support his 

 children, whether legitimate or illegitimate, is so 

 clear and strong, that it would be just to arm so- 

 ciety with any power to enforce it, which would 

 be likely to answer the purpose. But I am in- 

 clined to believe that no exercise of the civil power, 

 however rigorous, would be half so effectual as a 

 knowledge generally circulated, that children were 

 in future to depend solely for support upon their 

 parents, and would be left only to casual charity 

 if they were deserted. 



It may appear to be hard that a mother and 

 her children, who have been guilty of no parti- 

 cular crime themselves, should suffer for the ill 

 conduct of the father; but this is one of the inva- 

 riable laws of nature; and, knowing this, we should 

 think twice upon the subject, and be very sure of 

 the ground on which we go, before we presume 

 systematicallij to counteract it, 



1 have often heard the goodness of the Deity 



