the lawsuit was depending all people were at liberty to weigh on either side. It does at first sight seem a little hard that one brother should give away an estate from another; and there must be some strong provocation to make it appear reasonable; but the circumstances of the whole case are not known, and therefore no man is able to form a true judgement of it; not even to pass harsh censures on particular persons; but when the law has determined right, all people must submit to that determination; otherwise no man is secure in his property, but a number of idle resolute fellows may wrest it from him, and declare that in their opinion he has an unjust title to it. So that if you give your estate by will unequally among your children, as they may have behaved more or less dutiful to you, that which has the least may take the other’s part from him; or another relation may possibly hire such another mob, to take away the whole from them. We shall not at such times see property determined by judge and jury, but by force of arms; and the richest and most powerful man will be able to swallow up all the estates of his lesser neighbours. The law is the only protection of our lives and estates, and if that is once set aside, we must hold them only by the base sanction of a giddy rabble. The law therefore should be strictly maintained by all such who have any possessions. The inferior people indeed, who have nothing to lose, will be at all times for breaking down the fences, that they may have some share of the common plunder. I should mention one instance. Suppose any of you had bought this estate of the late Rogers, being advised by your lawyer that he had the power to sell it, (which he certainly had, as the law has declared he had a right of giving it away,) you would then think it very hard that the present Rogers, with his wicked crew, should come and take it away by force, and afterwards keep it as he now does. Suppose the money you paid him for it he gave to his widow; should you in such a case agree that ’tis his brother’s right to have the estate? Let every one make this his own case.