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

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Ch. 16.
of Persons.
451

allow, that a parent has conferred any conſiderable benefit upon his child, by bringing him into the world; if he afterwards entirely neglects his culture and education, and ſuffers him to grow up like a mere beaſt, to lead a life uſeleſs to others, and ſhameful to himſelf. Yet the municipal laws of moſt countries ſeem to be defective in this point, by not conſtraining the parent to beſtow a proper education upon his children. Perhaps they thought it puniſhment enough to leave the parent, who neglects the inſtruction of his family, to labour under thoſe griefs and inconveniences, which his family, ſo uninſtructed, will be ſure to bring upon him. Our laws, though their defects in this particular cannot be denied, have in one inſtance made a wiſe proviſion for breeding up the riſing generation: ſince the poor and laborious part of the community, when paſt the age of nurture, are taken out of the hands of their parents, by the ſtatutes for apprenticing poor children[1]; and are placed out by the public in ſuch a manner, as may render their abilities, in their ſeveral ſtations, of the greateſt advantage to the commonwealth. The rich indeed are left at their own option, whether they will breed up their children to be ornaments or diſgraces to their family. Yet in one caſe, that of religion, they are under peculiar reſtrictions: for[2] it is provided, that if any perſon ſends any child under his government beyond the ſeas, either to prevent it's good education in England, or in order to enter into or reſide in any popiſh college, or to be inſtructed, perſuaded, or ſtrengthened in the popiſh religion; in ſuch caſe, beſides the diſabilities incurred by the child ſo ſent, the parent or perſon ſending ſhall forfeit 100𝑙. which[3] ſhall go to the ſole uſe and benefit of him that ſhall diſcover the offence. And[4] if any parent, or other, ſhall ſend or convey any perſon beyond ſea, to enter into, or be reſident in, or trained up in, any priory, abbey, nunnery, popiſh univerſity, college, or ſchool, or houſe of jeſuits, or prieſts, or in any private popiſh family, in order to be inſtructed, perſuaded, or confirmed in the popiſh religion; or ſhall contribute any thing towards their maintenance

  1. See pag. 426.
  2. Stat. 1 Jac. I. c. 4. & 3 Jac. I. c. 5.
  3. Stat. 11 & 12 W. III. c. 4.
  4. Stat. 3 Car. I. c. 2.
I i i 2
when