Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/616

142 of the cheeke with an hot iron, with the signe of an S. that he may bee knowne for a loiterer and a run away, and |hall adjudge the loyterer and run away to be the said masters slave for ever. And if such slave shall the second time runne away, or absent himselfe, if the said master shall approove the same second running away with two sufficient witnesses, before the Justices of Peace, in their generall and quarter Sessions, then every such faulte and running away to be adjudged felonie and such loyterer and runne away to be taken as a felon, and thereof being lawfully indited and atteinted, or otherwise, condemned, to suffer paines of death, as other felons ought to doe.

III. Provided also, and be it enacted by authoritie aforesaid, that no Clerke convicted shall hereafter make his purgation, and upon such purgation be delivered, and set at large, otherwise then is in this Statute hereafter expressed.

IV. And be it further enacted by authoritie aforesaid, that every Clerke concict, or hereafter to be convicted, which should by the order of the Law injoy the benefit of their purgation, shall and may from hencefoorth finde any man (if hee can) who shall be bounde with two sufficient sureties to the ordinarie, in the summe of twentie poundes to the Kings highnesse use, to reteine the said convict as his slave, and to keepe the saide person so convict for the space of one yeere then next following, that he shall not goe abroad, and at larges, and then the said convict shall be delivered to the said person so taking the same, and being bound, as is aforesaid, to be his slave for one whole yeere then next following by vertue of this Act, in all such maner and forme, and to all such intents and purposes, and with all such order, lawes, conditions and penalties for running away, or otherwise, as is aforesaid of a vagabond taken loytering, and made a slave (burning in the breast onely except) and the Ordinarie by the delivery of the sfaid convict to such person being bound, as is aforesaid, to be of the keeping of the said convict: cleerely disfcharged, and exonerated by vertue of this Act.

V. And if so be that the said Clerke so convict cannot finde any man to be bounde, as is aforesaid, to whom he may bee adjudged a slave in the space of one yeere; then at any time after the ende of one yeere after his conviction, it shall bee lawfull for the said Clerke convict to make his purgation, as hee might before this Statute, any thing in this present Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

"VI. And when the Clerkes convicted, or attainted by the order of the Lawes of this Realme, cannot make their purgation, and should perpetually by the same remaine in prison:" Bee it neverthelesse enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, that if there bee any manner of person, who will at any time demand the same Clerke convicted, or atteinted, and be bound to the Ordinarie with two sufficient sureties, as is above written, to keepe the same as his slave by the space of five yeeres then next following, that then the same shall bee adjudged his slave for like sfpace, with all such orders, lawes & penalties, for running away, and other orders, as is before expressed of a vagabond, adjudged to any man for a slave, (the burning in the breast onely except) and upon the adiudgement delivered to such demandant, the Ordinarie from thencefoorth of the keeping of such Clerke convicted or atteinted, cleerely exonerated, and discharged by vertue of this Act.

"VI. And forasmuch as divers women and men goe on begging waifaring, of the which some bee impotent and lame, and some able enough to labour, which doe carrie children about with them, some foure or five yeeres of age, or yonger or elder, which brought up in idlenesse might be so rooted in it, that hardly they may be brought after to good thrift and labour: or if any child above the age of five yeeres, and under the age of fourteene yeeres goe idle and wandering about as a vagabond:' Be it enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, that if any manner of person will take any such childe, be it male or female, of, and from any such begger being the mother thereof, nourisher, or keeper, whether they bee willing or not, or without any such nurse, mother or keeper by himselfe wandering, and bring the said child so taken away before one of the Constables of the parish, and two other honest and discreete neighbours witnesses, and before any Justice of Peace there resiant and abiding, and promise to bring the same child up in some honest labour or occupation, till hee or shee come to the age of twentie yeeres the woman childe, or foure and twentie the man childe: that then and immediatly the said Justice of Peace and Constable shall adjudge by vertue of this Act, the saide child unto the ages before specifled, to be servants or apprentices to the said persons so taking & promising to be used and ordered in all points according as the Law and custome of this Realme is of sfervants and apprentices, to what labour, occupation, or service soever the said Master shall appoint him, or her, during the said time. And if it shall fortune such childe so adiudged to runne away, at any time once, or moe times, from his or her Master, or Masters, that then it shall be lawfull for every such master to take the said child againe, and to keepe and punish the said childe in chaines or otherwise, and use him or her as his slave in all points for the time before rehearsed, of the age of such childe, that is to say, till twentie the woman child, and the man child foure and twentie.

VIII. Provided alwayes, that any Master, either of the men, or of the women so adjudged slaves, or of the children adjudged apprentices or servants, may let, set foorth, sell, bequeath, or give the service and labour of such slaves or servants so adjudged, as is aforesaid, to any person or persons, to whomsoever he will, upon such condition, and for such time of yeeres, as the said persons bee adjudged to him for slaves, servants, or apprentices, after such like sort and maner, as he may doe of any other his mooveable goods or chattels; and they for the said space and time to be bound to all points and constructions to such Lessee, donee, vendee, or assignee, as they were to their first apprehenders and matters, by vertue of this Act.

IX.Provided alwayes, and bee it enacted by authoritie aforsaid, that if any such slave or slaves, or children so adjudged, shall at any time after such adjudgement, maime or wounde their Masters or Mistresses, in reisisting their correction or otherwise, or when they bee manumitted or set againe free, or in the