Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/467

 Ch. 16. allow, that a parent has conferred any coniderable benefit upon his child, by bringing him into the world; if he afterwards entirely neglects his culture and education, and uffers him to grow up like a mere beat, to lead a life ueles to others, and hameful to himelf. Yet the municipal laws of mot countries eem to be defective in this point, by not contraining the parent to betow a proper education upon his children. Perhaps they thought it punihment enough to leave the parent, who neglects the intruction of his family, to labour under thoe griefs and inconveniences, which his family, o unintructed, will be ure to bring upon him. Our laws, though their defects in this particular cannot be denied, have in one intance made a wie proviion for breeding up the riing generation: ince the poor and laborious part of the community, when pat the age of nurture, are taken out of the hands of their parents, by the tatutes for apprenticing poor children ; and are placed out by the public in uch a manner, as may render their abilities, in their everal tations, of the greatet advantage to the commonwealth. The rich indeed are left at their own option, whether they will breed up their children to be ornaments or digraces to their family. Yet in one cae, that of religion, they are under peculiar retrictions: for it is provided, that if any peron ends any child under his government beyond the eas, either to prevent it's good education in England, or in order to enter into or reide in any popih college, or to be intructed, peruaded, or trengthened in the popih religion; in uch cae, beides the diabilities incurred by the child o ent, the parent or peron ending hall forfeit 100𝑙. which hall go to the ole ue and benefit of him that hall dicover the offence. And if any parent, or other, hall end or convey any peron beyond ea, to enter into, or be reident in, or trained up in, any priory, abbey, nunnery, popih univerity, college, or chool, or houe of jeuits, or priets, or in any private popih family, in order to be intructed, peruaded, or confirmed in the popih religion; or hall contribute any thing towards their maintenance Rh