The Statesman.
London, England, 1814-01-04 00:00:00

eating_

...tachment le, is ..._
raw is Saxon ; ifs however, by or..
.se means statute law, then I must say state of wrt.....
oaks of something much better deserving . for those excesses.
41 of barbarism than anything that. we. have; In my quota on from t....
ed from the Saxons.- . 1 ',ere ‘l•aitdercetlMeyoud my text, .
IR person called upon Sir EDWARD COKE otteday ;do with the Saxons. I contend, /in..,
to:be resolved in a coestion of law. Is it common law, ;it has to do with the Saxons. I contiestl,
~..
or statute law ? said that great legal oracle; if it iscotn- . is a strong elucidation of the highly bentertglak
mon law, said he, I should be sorry not to boableto-; of Saxon principles; for Chancellor Feseikscuets.,
give you an answer at once ; but if it is statute law, I , us, that the misery of the French people, which he
roust haie some time to consider of it, and w€4l will , exhibits on the one hand, and . the felicity and
here if Lean surely resolve you at lad. It would i abundance which he describes en the' other to hare
requpt,s if 'my opponent was disposed to commend reigned in England, were owing le these c.lrcem-
iiioiry thing that is not Saxon ; otherwise he stances, namely, that the French .ere taxed and
Would hardly, I think, have preferred the statute pillaged he calls it, (depilulus is the word he uses) at
law, that rude indigestaque moles—that mass of I the will of the Sovereign ; whereas the English could
• . : Absurdity, contradiction' and uncertainty, where a only be taxed by their owe free consent. And whence,
roan may find any thing but that which, according 'I beg leave to ask, was this franchise derived, but
to Sir Wit4.l.tot BLACK3TONE, he ought to fink in from the Saxon free Constitution of. Governtoent.-1
law, namely, " a right rule of conduct." Where It was the main article in WiwtstyrnicEllts
he may' find punishments for crimes that never ex- Charter : 'twat; also .a priiclpal..*t ist tr
ot;lliisted, burin the ignorant and superstitious minds of 1 HEJIRY THE FIRST, and in We great CUrtert
of Kings
those who enacted them; where he may find other, JOHN. Chancellor FORTESCRE tells us, tha t
isunishments of such monstrous cruelty as not to be 1 the law of that day ; as, indeed, it is
.nod; though
exceeded amw,g a nation of savage Indians*; where :we have it only in theory, but then they had it in
he may find the law itself exciting men to be false,) practice : and that practice produced those great and
treacherous, and undutiful to those who gave them 1 inestimable advantages thacihe enumerates. Our
e‘i,tencv ; where he may find small offences punish- i ancestors then were, he says P.l lop:pieta in (Iwo el
ed with the same severity as great ones ; where he argento abundantes, .et -cursed stecessariis W—
wy
find, ife.
and, in short, all the barbarity of the feudal Aqua ipsi non bibunt, Sic.. 0, ' genere carnissot ei
11,
ages, all the rage of civil factions, and all the im- piscium-ipsi in Copia .vescunt
~ gi Pannis de tangs.•
phitobie animosity of religious intolerance; but no. bons ipsi indenter in onstribUs pperamen‘is suis.a
thing of that suavity, nothing of that regard for Eliam abundant in Lectisertniii at quolibet suppel.
natural equality, nothing of that divine principle lectili cui Lana eongresit in ortuailles Domieus tuffs..
which teaches us to do as we would be done unto ; Nec non opulunte ipsi aunt in onsnato HusrirLasisda'
and which constitutes the very essence of Saxon ju. TIS DoMUs necessariis cutters it omnibus .qurs ad
risprudetice. My opponent, however, has not much quietans et felicens triton exigunter .secundent stator.
consulted consistency in speaking of the statute law, suos." I have given the very words, of Fonx.socue;
fin. after :giving it the preference over the Saxon, he because Mr. BURDON has .maintained, that- ie the.
refers to the. Statute Book for evidence of crimes time be lived there were only
.caglics awl- Aorek in.,
colflutitted* in Saxon times, forgetting, no doubt, England. Here the Chancellor speaks or houses, '
ihrtt,thet hook commences with the reign of HENRY and of houses well furnished too, with plenty of,
111:4.and then he goes to the disorders produced by hustlements or household goods, and bed towering,
the Barons' wars, and Rom; Boon, and the war of and garments of good woollen cloth, and imple-
, the French Revolution, all which he has amalgamated. meats of husbandry, and all things, says he, re.
togeilter,• witlrwbat view I cannot conceive iv onleis quisite for a quiet and happy life,, each according to
__ . . _ , _ ..
-•,-.li. his degree. And Row having folly answereds as I con-,
__ _ _

vti a

sere are other
! Very true

•

to
t, that
that it

F;'r,

.

bath leseried this; and from. one too- who sweetens
MS-bitter insinuations with the terms of friendship.
Xt was said thdt the Saxons practised the rights .of
hospitality es a religious duty which • they. adopted
*Om the Mosaic Law, together with other duties :
end thet• Amigo copied the •very words of the Di-
irbletaw on tfie subject, which the Reader will find
lt:lriodus c. xxii. v. 2t. and c. sziii. v.• Surety:
Mb practice of hospitality in itself, and the origin
fitittighence it was derived, were entitled to my op..
poneues respect ? Surely a civil association of prac-
tical Christians who enforced the grand principle of
universal justice,. by making our duty towards ear
neighbour the established law of the land, deserved
suoio respect thus to be classed with plunderers and
*iettbers ? -Whet.allinity can any man discover be-
4Weensthe Saxons' and the banditti who sprang from
tltt inaechy in the Barons' wars, 300 years after ?
if)? between the same Seams and the freebooters of
trierrY.Sherwood, or the contributions exacted from
the wealthy llamburghers ?
These facts, supposing them to be such, have no
C6tivsectinti with each other ; but the ignorant reader is

not expectefi to find out that :the effect intended to be
*pranced ih his mind is, that of connecting together the
ideas of liberty and anarchy, and-to inspire him with
the (Oar of losing the blessings he enjoys, as Mr.
41uanou expresSed himself in his first Letter, by the
ttsfrfrms of " self-constituted Legislators attempting
to equalize the comforts of Mankind." This is what
-''lnast be celled le mot de Penignie. Those who enjoy
partial advantages at the exPence of the great mass of
. the pimple will naturally feels jealousy and hatred
tewards Saxon politics, by which, as I observed in
my first. Letter, the comforts of the many were
'guarded against the venality and the ambition of the
few';.but why my opponent, who enjoys none of
those partial advantages at the expellee of the peo.
pie, *shy he•should feel all the alarms of •a sinecure
placeman,-or a borough-owner, is tome, I confess, a
matter of surprise. . .
We call oirselsest wealthy Plieffoor wealth
i, only nominal ; andthegOmfor t are by no
menus generally diffused. 'The. • • ces that I
bought forward show, Attat.thougii- the Saxons had
• hardly any foreign track, yet they lived in great
aliendance;:andliad-ageeddeal•ei ready money ; but
Tar. BURDON makissmesay, that in the luxury of
• the. higher rairls the Saxotit excUled go,-. which is a'
...very great Mistitlecon-hirpurer"gfe also wishes to
impress en Cpiniott_otrhis-reideOrthatothe freedom
:of the
.SaxonChilititliCton waiteconfified to these
higher ranks, :as well: as the pl3its4ttli4security ; ion*
be says.of the firsti`that ji witV al'f*edom from the
power of.,theirl/4.eoperlorsonnd tic acme to oppress
theit inferiors ;"-irlid Osoke4tifit point he remarks,
• that- *4 sterltett. .okrAzirmies racele and
• Mn`rettsw.Panis'a triegiw,.provie-the security, of .the
deb, t Certilin period :0 but by. no means. the • coin-
' forts:of •the gay.- prove what. they. were
meant foliar* the general .teeurity of person tad
. .-isioperty4r Tlfecomfortk of thit.poottonte prevedby

~~'

ii , s
r

• ..• 4.11.
joie& to persons now living, I must say, that. the pia*
ni.hatent of' cutting a man's heart out of his hod,, whilst fet
Wive, has bzen lately rescinded from the Statute Boek.

*A OP *

)4-40'

Lbit Of TOP:
pablic necas
h, of • which.
t follow are

one swum tans' .:—• -
doe of Sir vr,0224 SPELDIAN '-
1.
Thereat at tillffbrd sup, Thallfs.
ahoy Bishops, many learami,raea,
Wise Carles,_and a weful ICnights;
There was Earl ALVRICIE, very learned in the law t
There was preseat also Atrium, England's berdmao, Eng-
land's darling,
• He was King of England; he taught theta
That could hear them, how they should lead their lives.

Thus, quo* A LTRZI), cousf.srt.
Ow can be DO right ruling King, adder CHRIST himself,
Unless he have learning to know the law ;
And understand the use of his wrltts,
And be able, by his own reading, to inforwhilatelf,
How to govern his load according to law.
This quads A Lystatojaglzind comfort, the, FArl
And the Atbeling are under the King,
To goiter* the land according to law.
The Clergyman and the Knight must both slThe jobigi"up-
rightly,
For as a man sows, so shall be reap ;
iled every luau's judgment comes upon him home to his own
doors.
IV.
•
Thus quoth XLPRZD: It behoveth the Knight
Advisedly to look, to provide against dearth and famine;
And to have care of the military erpedit ion ; that the Church
Have quiet, and the busbaadmau he at peace,
His seed to sow. his meadow to mow,
.And to follow his ploughing to the behoof of us all_
This is the duty of the Knight to see.that theie things go' as
they should.
After enumerating other duties, &c. &c. which
this truly patriot King addressed to peisons of differ-
ent ranks and degrees in this famous festival at Sif-
ford, the Poet gives us his Address to his Son, in
which the duties of a King are pointed out in a style
the most touching :
Xxii.
Thus quails Alfred : my dear son, set thee now beside me
And l will deliver thee true invtructittn.
My sun, I feel that my hour is coming. My countenance is
wan.
My days are almost done. We now must part.
1 shall to another vibild, and thou shalt be left alone, in all
my wealth.
I pray thee (for thou art my dear child), strive to be a Futhed
ihy people.
,'s father, and the withiveafrlead
poor, wad shelter the meephi all

,wrong.
govern li►3ulf by law; Ono 1141111.140,11040119

AM 0Ilgs• IMO/ yewsld i •
a 404 *Wilk 01-.14,411rd
the better ts.eoe.sre rbet mbiett thou

Vast as It oogtA .to be. read, v ill
Awing- Bicrotztit.i.ialatea, on the an-
Ainan, who.: red Goon after AL-
translation til:::B6ettris into Saxon
13*tbett*0i..thitt It drew
cgt one by wbeih' it was reed."—(sce
Alfred, p. 17-1)7-And yet my
IkON, bas celled the age 9( kLFRED
[rim
were the political lessons of AL-

practit .ojusu...- . ppm. _ .y 4 it .
... .
war to support its Injustice and opprittedeiv; sad in t :...,:..w.iy„w_,:i...f :.,- - "Amman !
these wars it may cause prayers and thanksgivings to • l ''. " to whoa the 4 hsoloor of heroic war,
be offered up, in these very temples, foe etteeeteoe `. - .‘• Anil wore heroic peace, when goverid well, .
that very Deity who is the God of Justke4.3llledkerife .. " Combine; whose botiowed mutt the vitiates seite,...
hates-oppression. This, Laity, may -be-doileet-Andtif " And his own Metes love; the het.t of Kilo 1"
that Church has got much wealth to. bestole-sm its lam not.ashambd to .confess, Mr. -Eot-roa, that I
Sons, it will find them (such is thedepravier oUtlsts ! have shed' more tears over ALFRED'S LaWS than ever
human heart) very obsequious to- these -adteleticad II did over any Tragedy that I ever read in the
practices. Not So the Saxons; their populate lissom. I coarse of my life ; and yet my friend Mr..Bow:toe
blies decided all questions of peace and war, . c,sn. i appeals to those very laws to prove the barbarous,
sistent with their- law and,Constitotion.or Govern- ! rode, and ferocious manners of the people, Because
went they could not engage in any war that was not Ihe sees laws there against numerous vices, he con.
just, or, that the people, at least, 'did not believe to ! eludes that the Saxons abounded in vise—because he
be just.. They were not, I coafeis, very:vefitted i sees there the Ten Commandments, he nil/Otos well
politicians; I.—
but they vrercuot deficient in comtnen I conclude that the Saxons were *habitual brew ors of
ttiir.
sense, and they had that infallible rule to direct them . those Commandments because .he sees 1 :our
in. all things, which teaches to du to others as we: duty towards our neighhOur; he might •as Wel cwt.
-would be done by ; a rule which, if it were attended . elude that the Saxons were in the habit of commit-
to, would be sufficient alooe to put an end to all the , ling All kinds of injustice against their neighbours-
-wars and massacres that exist in the world. Men indeed he does conclude as much, for he supposes
who do really and sincerely believe that their/41d is them tt• live like outlaws ; he..comparesi them to
governed by a just God, ought never to itteoke the .. banditti, and the freebooters of Sherwood Forest.—
assstance of that God in an enterprise that is not ' These errors do not excite any asperity in my mind,
just. Atheists may consistently do such 'ti thing; I drily lament that my friend has fallen into theist :
for with them it is but an idle, or an unmeaniag ce- in short, I cannot be angry with a man who is so
remofty ; but with the true believer it is athorrible 'unfortunate as to he insensible to those sweet emo-
profanatiou. Now the Saxons were true believers, tions which the character and the goiernment of At.-
and therefore they never prosecuted unjust wits for • raw are so calculated to inspire.
the sake of gain, or other motives ; nor did they prac.: The extracts that lbave given from a piece, as ctiri-
tise that retail rapine which my opponent wishes to out as it is authentic' demands some comment, With
impute to them. I find, however, that there are i which 1 shall conclude this letter. That extract pre.l
men far more autichristien-bstbeir politic" than my : tents Witt a pittere of primitivetimes, and pilmltiteil
friend Mr. Bunoost. I read the other day a smart politics • there we may behold displayed the golden'
animadversion of his against Nem and-others who age •of ;he English Constitution. In contemplating
would continue the war, not merely to advantage this picture, the grand object is ALFRED hiluself, ex-
ourselves, but also to reduce the enemy to a state of hibited in propria persona; we bear his very words ;
such complete wretchedness and misery, that • they we see and penetrate his great views, and the pa-
may be so oppressed, tormented, and reduced, as thetic sentiments, which tome spontaneous from his
never afterwards to become" our rivals,' This, Mr. heart, are echoedi from our own ; ALFRED here op-
Bearioe'says, is " a refinement of wickedness, steak ._ pears• in what many of your Readers will, perhaps,
as never was conceived by any other being,. than that! regard as a new light. As a conqueror, and re-
being who is termed, by way of eminence, the devil ; 1:- storer of his people's freedom, he is known to every
that is, the quintessence of evil." And yet, I dare , one. Ile vanquished the Pagan Danes, made peace
say, the people who recommend these polities call'. with them, and laid the foundations of their happy
themselves Chriitians. I dare say they would go to conversion. lie restored law, order, and the an-
church, and pray for the assistance of a jest GOD ID cient franchises of the people which 'he go‘erned,i
the prosecution of such a war ; whereas to be con.' and it was the constant boast of his ambition, that he:
sistent they ought to pray to' the devil, anti give hint would leave them as free as their own thoeghts. They
thanks, In case they happened to he victorious • or : who applaad him, however, as a conqueror, do not
if they wilt not dolitut, they ought to own themselves consider hew much he owed to the energies of the
for atheists. It is painful to stoutemplete -Such a radian, exasperated by the cruelties of a sanguitiarr •
scene ; let us therrreturntcr our just mid amiable Sax- enemy, and, perhaps, to accident, the more of
oils. ALFRED answers- completely my idea of a the Raven, that tutelar Deity, which crowned the
prariat king'; bet:thine are several: otholo• monarchs Danish standard. They who Wei him as a: LegtiW
arnong.the *amp who hasp, a claim to the same cha- lator, do sot consider, that the laWs he restored-
racter. It is a common thing viiihisitsoilero'super! those at least which were not taken from. the ditioe•
ficiaewriters to slight,theeePrinces%ori aeconnt of Legislator of the ltebrews, had been The Customs Of 1
their devotion : bitgettly le use thing, and true devo. ' the people tape • • tatmetnortal ; and thit Whig 'INA's
tion is auntliers;'the latter inculcates :sentiments of. - . 9.,
. . • i
itsfustlcAbeerind. Prrilliincies:l4l.-)lwil*ereemistef". nvtihy;chtlistitgpethedi' 111..--11 . .1. rAce,timilSe.ghoLeet -iPe.:llnient fri„44,1.11: illiii‘eirliem;ti.;" .. ... . .
there.* in lila wer.r.ts thelliW intim& iwrxtiict .. Titer Via 4 LA, Alfr-ch of she, i." •.:,. .
VCiareetk,E§e)
from a manuscript in the Bodleian litirirryr witiitetr - :h..4 cc2Khaanm'init'tiede;Thaltf-trettint •••'•- ' • -1
. • a •
•IA .iteehnel he was [(Mg, 'him he grin hunt. • •
given as a specimen of the instrottiens that Jld.
!ll*. . Sca hisktnitis mihteth ho hi bete lit fearsseddec
. ... s., .
•
.- . .
_ .

1t be to .make the Reader believe that hospitality, li. his degree. And Row having tatty auawerou, Am A 44PLI•t 1 ray lacy v.. .......
betty, licentiousneir, anarchy, and robbery,sre all ceivelall Mr. Buituou's objections, I. shall add a few nada Lord to iti
Closely connected together.. The . passage is really remarks on the Saxon law.—First, I must observe, Be thou the children's
enciens.---:-" The rights of hospitality, of which that the Saxon law is a system of policy quite
,din. Cpmforth thou the 'peg
my/ hoaits as Wigs. highly esteemed among ti act from what is called feudal policy ; consequedtly . 1 Y might . -1,..,
c Right that w hick h wt
My sae, Immo Pros
411se s are alien , -tipiisideyed•as proving a very the oppressions to which that policy did ultimately _,
ghi. ' . ia:54011..:, . -•- fctinies were not less give rise to, are by no means to be objected against .
ifteibint. than 4 . And ... .
7,.. ,;• 1 ti' oar Statute Book the Saxon law. Next I. must observe, that the thee,
~ Con; aboe 41 tl
bkri: OM* tes i I.- *editellopititoßarous' wars, foundations of the Saxon law- unlike Mosaic and tall up ta hisa to advil
itittl* anarchy ;41tiC' iteriiimilsehooll troops of Christian Dispensations. it is a, system of pore ite `shaft help-theta i
tan M: -irere common i 'every pot of %s ; morality ; such a law as a truly Christian natioa -.goahlis.: ,
...
. 'nt-1it414 Boon 'Ana hitcreniiiitialooni only robbed ought to be governed by ; but, !lark me Wallo .Mr. Ile who goads thi
- . .1 Mole IV fOelftVal lostvider- them -as Epilog, it is by no means adapsd to the purposes I, hot "wonder at Avha
-idiarmilialtiiied .lagialateei --who etteniptat to of a nation that are Christians oat. bs theory, and ' tbetier eorrAivevir
equalize the:eiiinfortsoflimiekty ,- fiesta httwover,, rzolrAitbeisM in practice. .t. ...,:ir -..
~ :- .. _.. i iris% shoe ow his' tai
ttaiiiiint Aitnsapfdalsailstiglikf. plu - who re- -;*.i_vvOlow- *ear P. 44141, • lai writtawi-1101 *-110
...
se; ve all their'6ollloiiiiiOU'rrii the pout, awl delight thilitablieed religions •-- - l.,- tie-re Crow trery a
.
tr the outgoings of the rich—such as I have lately may practise4heisiq. It may :foam to hailiaarpitl. 'Bi .kneity Life of
. i I,
beaftlertultin theseveritiespractised upon the wealthy its temples tbil this. world is governed 441
1.1:.49 : friend, Mr. BUR RO N
iiierchinta of *lfarnburgh." I appeal to the candid dence—by a merciful Being, that loves justlgolvski, : the age of juirbarisn
Reader •if ~honest Tiworwr, alias poor- TrooTuy, detests oppressions and yet this same notion may !Jere,
Reader, w
%nth sdeservid this: and from. one too who sweetens practise injustice and oppression: nayi it may go to • -
. , -