Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/364

342] statutes, that if a mother or grand-mother, who formerly was able to maintain the child, marry a second time, the step-father becomes chargeable with its maintenance; for, being their debt when single, it extends in common with all others to charge the second husband; but, as the death of the wife dissolves the relation, such duty then ceases to bind him.—No person, however, is compellable to support his issue, excepting the latter be incapacitated from labour by infancy, disease, or accident; in which cases, the former is obliged to provide them with necessaries, on penalty of paying 20s. per month to the parish, in case of refusal.

Farther, the law of England does not prevent a man from disinheriting his children by will; but, in conformity to the custom of London, the offspring of freemen are entitled to one-third part of their father's effects, which must be equally divided among them, and of which they cannot be deprived. Hence, too, heirs and children are peculiarly protected by courts of justice; lest they should be disinherited by any ambiguous or uncertain expressions; because it is necessary to prove, beyond the possibility of doubt, the testator's intention to deprive them of their right of inheritance.

2. The most important duty of parents, is that of  their children, in a manner becoming their rank in life. And, though it must be confessed, that the law of England is deficient in this respect, yet it has also provided for the welfare of the rising generation; as, by the statutes for the apprenticing of poor children, these are to be taken from their parents, and placed by the churchwardens of the parish in such situations, as may render them most useful to the commonwealth.

3. The last duty of parents towards their offspring, is protection, which may be considered principally as a natural obligation; no municipal laws enjoining its observance. But, though a child be thus placed in the power of its parent, the latter cannot abuse such authority. He may exercise proper severity to keep his children in due obedience: thus, he may lawfully, and in a reasonable manner, chastise them; because such correction is sometimes necessary, and conducive to their improvement. This authority of the parent, however, extends only to the end of the child's minority, during which period the former is entitled to the benefit of the labour and assistance thus obtained, while the latter resides with, and is maintained by him:—a parent may likewise allow or forbid the marriage of his children, till they attain the age of twenty-one years. Now, the legal power of the progenitor ceases; because, the adults are enfranchised, by arriving at years of discretion, when the empire of the father, or of the guardian, is supposed to yield to that of reason.  . See.  PARING, an ancient practice in agriculture; but which has, within a few years, been exploded in various parts of Britain. It consists in cutting off old turf at such a thickness as the labourer can conveniently effect; together with the more recent turf, at such a depth as will render it sufficiently dry for .—See p. 396-7 of our first volume.

Paring is chiefly practised on breaking up land from a state of nature; though it is with  tage