hat; because the man who was starving for want of food _could
not have_ seven-fold; _could not have_ any substance in his house. But
what are we to think of JUDGE BLACKSTONE, who, in his Book IV., chap. 2,
really _garbles_ these texts of Scripture. He clearly saw the effect of
the expression, "MEN DO NOT DESPISE;" he saw what an awkward figure these
words made, coming before the words "A THIEF;" he saw that, with these
words in the text, he could never succeed in making his readers believe
that a man ought to be _hanged_ for taking food to save his life. He
clearly saw that he could not make men believe that _God had said this_,
unless he could, somehow or other, get rid of those words about NOT
DESPISING the thief that took victuals when he was hungry. Being,
therefore, very much pestered and annoyed by these words about NOT
DESPISING, what does he do but fairly _leave them out_! And not only leave
them out, but leave out a part of both the verses, keeping in that part of
each that suited him, and no more; nay, further, leaving out one word, and
putting in another, giving a sense to the whole which he knew well never
was intended. He states the passage to be this: "If a thief steal to
satisfy his soul when he is hungry, _he_ shall restore seven-fold, _and_
shall give all the substance of his house." No broomstick that ever was
handled would have been too heavy or too rough for the shoulders of this
dirty-souled man. HALE, with all his desire to make out a case in favour
of severity, has given us the words fairly: but this shuffling fellow;
this smooth-spoken and mean wretch, who is himself _thief_ enough, God
knows, if stealing other men's thoughts and words constitute theft; this
intolerably mean reptile has, in the first place, left out the words
"_men do not despise_:" then he has left out the words at the beginning of
the next text, "_but if he be found_." Then in place of the "_he_," which
comes before the words "_shall give_" he puts the word "_and_;" and thus
he makes the whole apply to the poor creature that takes to satisfy his
soul when he is hungry! He leaves out every mitigating word of the
Scripture; and, in his reference, he represents the passage to be in _one_
verse! Perhaps, even in the history of the conduct of crown-lawyers, there
is not to be found mention of an act so coolly bloody-minded as this. It
has often been said of this BLACKSTONE, that he not only _lied_ himself,
but _made others lie_; he has