The Irgnarch of Justice of the Peace's Manual (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1774 Excerpt: ...writer could avail, even to Letters themselves. Letters neglected, de dining Letters and mthThee declining-all that is wise, and excellent, and beautiful, and po lifhed.--How would an astonished Macaroni stare, to be assured, that the civilization of kingdoms is founded upon Letters; and that, . in proportion as these are cultivated, so is nearly the progress of mankind from their most rude and savage state, up to that perfection of elegance and refinement, which beameth forth from his all-finished and refulgent person?--I speak, my Lord, according to the Gentleman's own idea of himself.--There was a time in this kingdom, when Letters were so low, that whoever could prove himself, in a Court of Justice, able to read a single verse in the Testament, was vested with the highest privileges. In those enlightened days, a Rector of a Parifli, as we are told, going to Law with his Parishioners about paving the Church, quoted this authority as from St. Peter: paveant ilk, non paveam ego, which he construed, they are to pave the Church, not I; and this was allowed to be good law by a Judge, who was an Ecclesiastic too.1 If the Clergy had then, as they are said to have had, all the learning among themselves, what a blessed state m.ust the Laity have beea in? And so indeed t fielding's Covent Garden Journal, it appears: for there is extant an old Act of Parliament, which provides, that " a Noble man shall be entitled to the benefit of his Clergy, even though he cannot read: " and another law, cited by Judge Rolls in his Abridgment, sets forth, that " the command of the ' Sherisf to his Osficer, by word of mouth, and without writing, is good: for it may be, "that neither the Sherisf nor his Osficer can "write or read."--Who can fay, that s...