The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

17& SERMONS.corn and cattle feized upon, to fatisfy the demandsof his tafk-mafler ; demands which are highly unreafonabk,but v/hich by his credulity he had obligedhimfelf to fulfil.2. The high rate of land occafions a fort of Iioftilitybetween the rich and the poor.They are reallylike the plebeians and patricians in ancient Rome, ina ftate of war againft one another. The landholdershave no compailion on the poor laborious farmers *,they relent not at the fight of their indigence and mifery.Let the tenant's wants be ever fo deplorable ;let his wretchednefs be ever fo unmerited j thoughhis corn-fields have been deflroyed by winds or rains,all this is no matter to almoft any mafter. He niufthave, without abatement, all that in rigour of law hecan demand, vrhatever may become of the tenant andhis family. On the other hand, the farmers have areal hatred of their landlords, vvdiom they find to befo rigid talk -mailers j they imprecate the curfe andvengeance of God upon them and their families.Living miferably under them, and unable, by all theirtoil, to pay them, they are every moment in fear leftthey come upon them, and ftrip them of all theyhave, and turn them out of doors. Hence it is, thatif any man in rich equipage and drefs is {ten neartheir houfes, they think it mufl be their landlord, andare at once thrown into a dreadful alarm. Y/ere thegreat beneficent in proportion to their,power, or werethey but looked upon as harmlefs, the poor would rejoiceto fee them, and think themfelves honoured tomeet and converfe with them. But, at the very fightof them, the haplefs farmer and his family expe£l immxdiatebeggary and ruin ; the children run and hidetheir heads ; the wife trembles and the farmer himfelf,when called upon, goes to meet his mafter with•,all the expreffive fymptoms of averfion, hatred, andfear. Having felt the rigour of their mafters fo often,they dread to feel it again : Like thofc ancient flaves,