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Our Laws decree the more dreadful Death to the guilty Wife, and pronounce a milder Sentence upon the guilty Huſband; yet I ſhall leave it with the Caſuiſts to decide, whether the Breach of Truſt does not as much aggravate the Sin of Murder in the Huſband, as the Breach of Submiſſion aggravates the ſame Sin, in the Wife. But whether I am Right in my Sentiments or not, let any Man with the leaſt Chriſtian Charity, Generoſity, or common Humanity, conſider himſelf as the Father, Brother or Friend of any of the unfortunate Wives before mentioned; and then ſay, whether he could not with, that ſome Expedient might be found by the Legiſlature to prevent ſuch Calamities for the Future.
I ſhall now proceed to conſider the Caſe of Heireſſes, there, if any where, the Wife Retains ſome Property.
The Huſband has the Diſpofal of the whole Income of the Wife's Lands, for his and her Life: And in Caſes where the Huſband and Wife can join to paſs a Fine upon her Lands to raiſe Money upon any Exigency of their Family, he has Power alone afterwards to mortgage in Conſequence of that Fine, and to employ that Money ſo raiſed upon his Wife's Eſtate, according to his particular Pleaſure, which perhaps may
