Page:The Hardships of the English Laws in Relation to Wives. Bodleian copy.pdf/25

 When God, who knows all things perfectly and does all Things wiely, thinks fit to recall one Parent, our Laws give Man, who knows nothing perfectly and does many Things unwiely, the Power to deprive the Child of his Other Parent alo, by ordering the Child into other Hands, where the Mother's Care and Affection can be of no Service to him.

I confes I never heard of but one Man, who went to the full Extent of his Power in that Intance. He was a Gentleman of a pretty good Etate, and had only one Daughter, to whom he bequeathed his whole Fortune, under this Retriction, that he hould forfeit it, if upon any Occaion whatever, he knowingly convered with, or viited his Widowe after his Death, who was the young Lady's own Mother: And in Cae of his Daughter's Diobedience to his Will in this particular, he left his Fortune to an ill-natured Relation of his own, who always hated his Wife, and had been the Occaion of his uing her very ill, and who would therefore be ore to take the Advantage of the Forfeiture: The unhappy Mother was therefore contrained to give up all Interet in, and Converation with her Child for ever; her Jointure being too mall to upport them both. I