Angliæ notitia, or The present state of England together with divers reflections upon the antient state thereof.

Concerning Servants in England.

The Condition of Servants in England is much more favou∣rable than it was in our Ance∣stors dayes, when it was so bad, that England was called the Purgatory of Servants, as it was and is still the Paradise of Wives, and the Hell for Horses.

Ordinary Servants are hired commonly for one year, at the end whereof they may be free (giving warning 3 Moneths be∣fore) and may place themselves with other Masters; only it is accounted discourteous and un∣friendly to take another Mans

Servant, before leave given by his former Master; and in∣discreet to take a Servant with∣out a Certificate of his diligence and of his faithfulness in his Ser∣vice to his former Master.

All Servants are subject to be corrected by their Masters and Mistresses, and resistance in a Servant is punisht with severe penalty; but for a Servant to take away the life of his or her Master or Mistris, is accounted a Crime next to High Treason, and called Petty Treason, and hath a peculiar Punishment Ca∣pital.

Slaves in England are none since Christianity prevailed. A Slave brought into England, is upon landing ipso facto free from Slavery, but not from ordinary service.

Some Lands in England are holden in Villanage, to do some particular Services to the Lord of the Mannor, and such Tenants may be called the Lords Servants.

There is a Twofold Tenure called Villanage, one where the Tenure only is servile, as to plow the Lords ground, sow, reap, and bring home his Corn, dung his Land, &c. the other whereby both Person and Te∣nure is servile, and bound in all respects at the disposition of the Lord; such persons are called in Law pure Villans, and are to do all Villanous Services to improve the Land he holds to the Lords use, themselves to be wholly at the Lords Service, and whatever they get is for their Lord; of such there are

now but few left in England. The nearest to this condition are Apprentices (that signifies Learuers) a sort of Servants that carry the Marks of pure Villans or Bond-slaves (as be∣fore in the Chapter of Gentry is intimated) differing however in this, that Apprentices are Slaves only for a time and by Covenant; the other are so at the Will of their Masters.

FINIS.