the county court, to prevent the masters overreaching, or scaring
such servant into an unreasonable compliance.

10. The property of all money and goods sent over thither to
servants, or carried in with them, is reserved to themselves, and
remains entirely at their disposal.

11. Each servant at his freedom receives of his master ten bushels
of corn, (which is sufficient for almost a year,) two new suits of
clothes, both linen and woolen, and a gun, twenty shillings value,
and then becomes as free in all respects, and as much entitled to
the liberties and privileges of the country, as any of the
inhabitants or natives are, if such servants were not aliens.

12. Each servant has then also a right to take up fifty acres of
land, where he can find any unpatented.

This is what the laws prescribe in favor of servants, by which you may
find, that the cruelties and severities imputed to that country, are an
unjust reflection. For no people more abhor the thoughts of such usage,
than the Virginians, nor take more precaution to prevent it now,
whatever it was in former days.

CHAPTER XI.

OF THE OTHER PUBLIC CHARITABLE WORKS, AND PARTICULARLY THEIR PROVISION
FOR THE POOR.

Sec. 53. They live in so happy a climate, and have so fertile a soil, that
nobody is poor enough to beg, or want food, though they have abundance
of people that are lazy enough to deserve it. I remember the time when
five pounds was left by a charitable testator to the poor of the parish
he lived in, and it lay nine years before the executors could find one
poor enough to accept of this legacy, but at last it was given to an old
woman. So that this may in truth be termed the best poor man's country
in the world. But as they have nobody that is poor to beggary, so they
have few that are rich; their estates being regulated by the merchants
in England, who it seems know best what is profit enough for them in the
sale of their tobacco and other trade.

Sec. 54. When it happens, that by accident or sickness, any person is
disabled from working, and so is forced to depend upon the alms of the
parish, he is then very well provided for, not at the common rate of
some countries, that give but just sufficient to preserve the poor from
perishing; but the unhappy creature is received into some charitable
planter's house, where he is at the public charge boarded plentifully.

Many when they are crippled, or by long sickness be