It is a very fhameful thing to fee how very much the High ways are generally out of repair; the fault or which does mostly lye at the door of the Overfeers, who becaufe they are not eafily punifht are very remifs, and take no further care than to Shuffle the Matter off for their time, being not much concern'd for what comes after, and by this means brings at laft a great Burthen upon the Township, which would have been prevented by a fmall thing, if taken in time, and fo the Township fuffers for their Neglect. This, Gentlemen, is worthy your care, to prefent the Defaults in High Ways.

There are very good Laws against Vagabonds, but the Execution of them are fhamefully neglected, and its ftrange it fhould be fo; confidering that the Law incourages the apprehending of fuch idle people; For whoever brings one of those Wanderers before a Juftice of the Peace, the Township through which he last past unpunifht is to pay him two Shillings, tho this reward carry no weight with it, yet the great Mifchief that thofe fort of people bring upon the publick, fhould make every body Vigilant, It is an incredible Sum that they coft the Nation in a Year, and how many Townships and Parishes are oppreft and almoft ruined, by the Charge thofe people bring opon them: It is wonderful, that people fhould rather choose to forfwear themselves, than do their Duty:

3

But

But fo it is in this Cafe. If thefe Wanderers were duely punifht, it would reform many of them, and difcourage them from following fo bad an Example, whereas the great remiffnefs of Conftables and other Officers in this point, is a great Temptation to many who otherwife would think of fome more lawful Imployment; a neglec and flowness to punish, increafes the numbet of Offenders.

A

A

SPEECH

Of the

Earl of WARRINGTON:

Of Tyranny, Liberty, Religion, and against Vice.

Gentlemen,

T is a very common faying, That Intereft will not lye, and yet if you confider it you will find, that there is fcarcely any

I'

thing more difficult, than to perfwade People to their Intereft, a thing mightily to be wifht; because if it were univerfally understood and practiced, it is the thing of all others that would make this World a happy place, for then there would be no need of Laws and Magiftrates to preferve Peace and good Order, by reafon that every man would be restrained by that Law within himself, which is the Foundation of all other Laws, I mean that Principle of Reafon and Juftice with which he is Born.

Eeç

Buc

But when man fell from his primitive Innocency, he loft that guide which should happily have conducted him through this World; and inftead of following the dictates of his Reafon, he fuffered himself to be led away by his pailions; and without any regard to Juftice, made his Self-Intereft the Standard of his Dealings with others; which is the direct way to ruine that which he aimed at; for if a man acts without regard of Juftice to others, he has little reafon to expect that Juftice thould be done him for why should he imagine that others fhould take care to do him right, who has no other Confideration but for himself: So that in point of Intereft as well as Jultice, every man ought to have a Mutual regard to the good of each other; and because it is fo intirely neglected, therefore were Laws madeto withold men from committing thofe Acts of Injuftice and Violence, which their own Confciences tells them ought not to be done.

From this depraved Inclination, do proceed all thofe Disturbances and Disorders, that infeft any Government; and have of ten been fatal to the whole Conftitution; There having at all times, and in all places been found those who have been difpofed to Sacrifice their Liberties and Civil Rights, to ferve the defires and lufts of Arbitrary Princes,

It is furely a great Sicknefs of the mind, when a man gives up his Birth-right, in

CX

exchange for fomething that depends upon another mans Breath; and he must be befide his Wits, who lightly esteems his Liberty, which is the thing that chiefly diftinguishes him from a Beaft; for when a man is a Slave, he must fubmit his Will and Reason to the Humor of him who Governs him; and then what difference is there betwixt him and a Brute only that his Condition is the worft of the two.

thefe are

If no body but themselves were to feel the Effects of the Servile Compliance, the matter were not much, if they perished by their own Folly, for why fhould they expect to thrive better than Efau did, who fold his Birthright to fave his Life, and therefore, inftead of a Bleffing, received a Curfe For can they who reject God's Mercy hope to intail a Bleffing upon their Pofterity the Somer Grapes that fet the Childrens Teeth on Edge, for tho' the Father may be fo fortunate as to go to his Grave in his Princes Favour, a happiness to which few have attained, who have purchased it by being falfe to their Country, yet it is a Dangerous Experiment for his Pofterity, to whom there is feldom left any thing more than to inherit the Wind.

Now, If the Mifchief of this Time-ferving had ended with this fort of Men and their Pofterity, the Complaints against ic might have been buried with them and their Families, for his Infamy ought to be Eee 2 had