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arise　from　introducing　a　pure　state　of　anarchy　among　them。　　I

will　represent　the　case；　as　it　appears　to　me；　very　fairly　and

impartially　between　the　mob　and　their　betters。　　The　whole

mischief　which　infects　this　part　of　our　economy　arises　from　the

vague　and　uncertain　use　of　a　word　called　liberty；　of　which；　as

scarce　any　two　men　with　whom　I　have　ever　conversed　seem　to　have

one　and　the　same　idea；　I　am　inclined　to　doubt　whether　there　be

any　simple　universal　notion　represented　by　this　word；　or　whether

it　conveys　any　clearer　or　more　determinate　idea　than　some　of

those　old　Punic　compositions　of　syllables　preserved　in　one　of　the

comedies　of　Plautus；　but　at　present；　as　I　conceive；　not　supposed

to　be　understood　by　any　one。



By　liberty；　however；　I　apprehend；　is　commonly　understood　the

power　of　doing　what　we　please；　not　absolutely；　for　then　it　would

be　inconsistent　with　law；　by　whose　control　the　liberty　of　the

freest　people；　except　only　the　Hottentots　and　wild　Indians；　must

always　be　restrained。



But；　indeed；　however　largely　we　extend；　or　however　moderately　we

confine；　the　sense　of　the　word；　no　politician　will；　I　presume；

contend　that　it　is　to　pervade　in　an　equal　degree；　and　be；　with

the　same　extent；　enjoyed　by；　every　member　of　society；　no　such

polity　having　been　ever　found；　unless　among　those　vile　people

just　before　commemorated。　　Among　the　Greeks　and　Romans　the

servile　and　free　conditions　were　opposed　to　each　other；　and　no

man　who　had　the　misfortune　to　be　enrolled　under　the　former　could

lay　any　claim　to　liberty　till　the　right　was　conveyed　to　him　by

that　master　whose　slave　he　was；　either　by　the　means　of　conquest；

of　purchase；　or　of　birth。



This　was　the　state　of　all　the　free　nations　in　the　world；　and

this；　till　very　lately；　was　understood　to　be　the　case　of　our　own。



I　will　not　indeed　say　this　is　the　case　at　present；　the　lowest

class　of　our　people　having　shaken　off　all　the　shackles　of　their

superiors；　and　become　not　only　as　free；　but　even　freer；　than　most

of　their　superiors。　　I　believe　it　cannot　be　doubted；　though

perhaps　we　have　no　recent　instance　of　it；　that　the　personal

attendance　of　every　man　who　hath　three　hundred　pounds　per　annum；

in　parliament；　is　indispensably　his　duty；　and　that；　if　the

citizens　and　burgesses　of　any　city　or　borough　shall　choose　such　a

one；　however　reluctant　he　appear；　he　may　be　obliged　to　attend；

and　be　forcibly　brought　to　his　duty　by　the　sergeant…at…arms。



Again；　there　are　numbers　of　subordinate　offices；　some　of　which

are　of　burden；　and　others　of　expense；　in　the　civil

governmentall　of　which　persons　who　are　qualified　are　liable　to

have　imposed　on　them；　may　be　obliged　to　undertake　and　properly

execute；　notwithstanding　any　bodily　labor；　or　even　danger；　to

which　they　may　subject　themselves；　under　the　penalty　of　fines　and

imprisonment；　nay；　and　what　may　appear　somewhat　hard；　may　be

compelled　to　satisfy　the　losses　which　are　eventually　incident；　to

that　of　sheriff　in　particular；　out　of　their　own　private　fortunes；

and　though　this　should　prove　the　ruin　of　a　family；　yet　the

public；　to　whom　the　price　is　due；　incurs　no　debt　or　obligation　to

preserve　its　officer　harmless；　let　his　innocence　appear　ever　so

clearly。　　I　purposely　omit　the　mention　of　those　military　or

military　duties　which　our　old　constitution　laid　upon　its　greatest

members。　　These　might；　indeed；　supply　their　posts　with　some　other

able…bodied　men；　but　if　no　such　could　have　been　found；　the

obligation　nevertheless　remained；　and　they　were　compellable　to

serve　in　their　own　proper　persons。　　The　only　one；　therefore；　who

is　possessed　of　absolute　liberty　is　the　lowest　member　of　the

society；　who；　if　he　prefers　hunger；　or　the　wild　product　of　the

fields；　hedges；　lanes；　and　rivers；　with　the　indulgence　of　ease

and　laziness；　to　a　food　a　little　more　delicate；　but　purchased　at

the　expense　of　labor；　may　lay　himself　under　a　shade；　nor　can　be

forced　to　take　the　other　alternative　from　that　which　he　hath；　I

will　not　affirm　whether　wisely　or　foolishly；　chosen。



Here　I　may；　perhaps；　be　reminded　of　the　last　Vagrant　Act；　where

all　such　persons　are　compellable　to　work　for　the　usual　and

accustomed　wages　allowed　in　the　place；　but　this　is　a　clause

little　known　to　the　justices　of　the　peace；　and　least　likely　to　be

executed　by　those　who　do　know　it；　as　they　know　likewise　that　it

is　formed　on　the　ancient　power　of　the　justices　to　fix　and　settle

these　wages　every　year；　making　proper　allowances　for　the　scarcity

and　plenty　of　the　times；　the　cheapness　and　dearness　of　the　place；

and　that　THE　USUAL　AND　ACCUSTOMED　WAGES　are　words　without　any

force　or　meaning；　when　there　are　no　such；　but　every　man　spunges

and　raps　whatever　he　can　get；　and　will　haggle　as　long　and

struggle　as　hard　to　cheat　his　employer　of　twopence　in　a　day's

labor　as　an　honest　tradesman　will　to　cheat　his　customers　of　the

same　sum　in　a　yard　of　cloth　or　silk。



It　is　a　great　pity　then　that　this　power；　or　rather　this　practice；

was　not　revived；　but；　this　having　been　so　long　omitted　that　it　is

become　obsolete；　will　be　best　done　by　a　new　law；　in　which　this

power；　as　well　as　the　consequent　power　of　forcing　the　poor　to

labor　at　a　moderate　and　reasonable　rate；　should　be　well

considered　and　their　execution　facilitated；　for　gentlemen　who

give　their　time　and　labor　gratis；　and　even　voluntarily；　to　the

public；　have　a　right　to　expect　that　all　their　business　be　made　as

easy　as　possible；　and　to　enact　laws　without　doing　this　is　to　fill

our　statute…books；　much　too　full　already；　still　fuller　with　dead

letter；　of　no　use　but　to　the　printer　of　the　acts　of　parliament。

That　the　evil　which　I　have　here　pointed　at　is　of　itself　worth

redressing；　is；　I　apprehend；　no　subject　of　dispute；　for　why

should　any　persons　in　distress　be　deprived　of　the　assistance　of

their　fellow…subjects；　when　they　are　willing　amply　to　reward　them

for　their　labor？　or；　why　should　the　lowest　of　the　people　be

permitted　to　exact　ten　times　the　value　of　their　work？　For　those

exactions　increase　with　the　degrees　of　necessity　in　their　object；

insomuch　that　on　the　former　side　many　are　horribly　imposed　upon；

and　that　often　in　no　trifling　matters。　　I　was　very　well　assured

that　at　Deal　no　less　than　ten　guineas　was　required；　and　paid　by

the　supercargo　of　an　Indiaman；　for　carrying　him　on　board　two

miles　from　the　shore　when　she　was　just　ready　to　sail；　so　that　his

necessity；　as　his　pillager　well　understood；　was　absolute。　　Again；

many　others；　whose　indignation　will　not　submit　to　such　plunder；

are　forced　to　refuse　the　assistance；　though　they　are　often　great

sufferers　by　so　doing。　　On　the　latter　side；　the　lowest　of　the

people　are　encouraged　in　laziness　and　idleness；　while　they　live

by　a　twentieth　part　of　the　labor　that　ought　to　maintain　them；

which　is　diametrically　opposite　to　the　interest　of　the　public；

for　that　requires　a　great　deal　to　be　done；　not　to　be　paid；　for　a

little。　　And　moreover；　they　are　confirmed　in　habits　of　exaction；

and　are　taught　to　consider　the　distresses　of　their　superiors　as

their　own　fair　emolument。　　But　enough　of　this　matter；　of　which　I

at　first　intended　only　to　convey　a　hint　to　those　who　are　alone

capable　of　applying　the　remedy；　though　they　are　the　last　to　whom

the　notice　of　those　evils　would　occur；　without　some　such　monitor

as　myself；　who　am　forced　to　travel　about　the　world　in　the　form　of

a　passenger。　　I　cannot　but　say　I　heartily　wish　our　governors

would　attentively　consider　this　method　of　fixing　the　price　of

labor；　and　by　that　means　of　compelling　the　poor　to　work；　since

the　due　execution　of　such　powers　will；　I　apprehend；　be　found　the

true　and　only　means　of　making　them　useful；　and　of　advancing　trade

from　its　present　visibly　declining　state　to　the　height　to　which

Sir　William　Petty；　in　his　Political　Arithmetic；　thinks　it　capable

of　being　carried。



In　the　afternoon　the　lady　of　the　above…mentioned　mansion　called

at　our　inn；　and　left　her　compliments　to　us　with　Mrs。　Francis；

with　an　assurance　that　while　we　continued　wind…bound　in　that

place；　where　she　feared　we　could　be　but　indifferently

accommodated；　we　were　extremely　welcome　to　the　use　of　anything

which　her　garden　or　her　house　afforded。　　So　polite　a　message

convinced　us；　in　spite　of　some　arguments　to　the　contrary；　that　we

were　not　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　or　on　some　island　where　the　few

savage　inhabitants　have　little　of　human　in　them　besides　their

form。　　And　here　I　mean　nothing　less　than　to　derogate　from　the

merit　of　this　lady；　who　is　not　only　extremely　polite　in　her

behavior　to　strangers　of　her　own　rank；　but　so　extremely　good　and

charitable　to　all　her　poor　neighbors　who　stand　in　need　of　her

assistance；　that　she　hath　the　universal　love　and　praises　of　all

who　live　near　her。　　But；　in　reality；　how　little　doth　the

acquisition　of　so　valuable　a　character；　and　the　full　indulgence

of　so　worthy　a　disposition；　cost　those　who　possess　it！　Both　are

accomplished　by　the　very　offals　which　fall　from　a　table

moderately　plentiful。　　Tha