Page:The Hardships of the English Laws in Relation to Wives. Bodleian copy.pdf/54

 'Tis from thee Coniderations (I apprehend) that our Laws forbid the buying and elling Men, there being uch an abolute Inconitency in the Conditions of a Free-born Englih Man and a Slave, that they will by no Means comport in the ame Community.

From hence alo, one Part of dometick Authority is relaxed from what it was amongt the Romans. With them a Son was eteemed o much at the Father's Dipoition, that by an obolete Law, the Father was inveted with the Power of Life and Death; but afterwards with that of moderate Correction only; yet the Son was till his Father's Property. and could be freed from his Juridiction only by being advanced to ome dignified Office in the State, or by Emancipation.

The Father's Power over the Son's Property alo was very correpondent to that over his Peron: But this dometick Authority, being thought inconient with the Nature of our free Contitution, which admits not of arbitrary Proceedings, at the Age that a Child is uppoed to be able to judge for himelf, he is at his own Dipoal, as is alo his Property.

What I would oberve from hence is, that tho' dometick Authority is leened as to Children,