What can be more deserving of our best efforts for relief than a country gentleman like yourself, we'll say,-of a nominal L5,000 a-year,-compelled to keep up an establishment, pay for his fox- hounds, support the whole population by contributions to the poor-rates, support the whole church by tithes; all justice, jails, and prosecutions of the county-rates; all thoroughfares by the highway-rates; ground down by mortgages, Jews, or jointures; having to provide for younger children; enormous expenses for cutting his woods, manuring his model farm, and fattening huge oxen till every pound of flesh costs him five pounds sterling in oil-cake; and then the lawsuits necessary to protect his rights,-plundered on all hands by poachers, sheep-stealers, dog- stealers, churchwardens, overseers, gardeners, gamekeepers, and that necessary rascal, his steward.
"The Caxtons, Part 2"
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Pox o' fortune, portion, settlements, and jointures.
"The Double-Dealer"
William Congreve
jointures were negotiated at the betrothal of ladies.
"Our Legal Heritage, 4th Ed."
S. A. Reilly