Sect. 7. And be it enacted, That every person between the ages of eightoon and fifty, or who may hereafter attain to the age of eighteen years, except as before excepted, whose public taxes may amount to twenty shillings a year, shall at his own expence, provide himself; and every apprentice, or other person of the age of eighteen and under twenty-one years, who hath an estate of the value of eighty pounds, or whose parent shall pay six pounds annually towards the public taxes, shall by his parent or guardian respectively be provided with a musket or firelock, with a bayonet, a cartouch box to contain twenty three cartridges, a priming wire, a brush and six flints, all in good order, on or before the first day of April next, under the penalty of forty shillings, and shall keep the same by him at all times, ready and fit for ervice, under the penalty of two shillings, and six pence for each neglect or default thereof on every muster day, to be paid by such person if of full age, or by the parent or guardian of such as are under twenty-one years, the same arms and accoutrements to be charged by the guardian to his ward, and allowed at settling the ccount of his guardianship.