for the poor in that kingdom, mentioned above, there was a general complaint, of the increase of beggars and vagrants; and adds, that the French political writers, diffatisfied with their own plan, had presented several memorials to the ministry, propofing to adopt the Englifh parochial affeffments, as greatly preferable. This is a curious fact; for at the very fame time people in London, no lefs diffatisfied with these affeffments, were writing pamphlets in praise of the French hofpitals. One thing is certain, that no plan hitherto invented has given fatisfaction. Whether an unexceptionable plan is at all poffible, feems extremely doubtful.

In every plan for the poor that I have feen, workhoufes make one article; to provide work for those who are willing, and to make those work who are unwilling. With refpect to the former, men need never be idle in England for want of employment; and they always fucceed the best at the employment they chufe for themselves. With refpect to the latter, punishment will not compel a man to labour ferioufly: he may affume the appearance, but will make no progrefs; and the pretext of fickness or weaknefs is ever at hand for an excufe. The only compulfion to make a man work feriously, is fear of want.

A hofpital for the fick, for the wounded, and for the maimed, is an excellent establishment; being productive of good, without doing any harm. Such a hofpital fhould depend partly on vofuntary charity; to procure which a general conviction of its being well managed, is neceffary. Hofpitals that have a fufficient fund of their own, and that have no dependence on the good. will of others, are commonly ill managed.

Lies there any objection against a worklioufe, for training to labour deftitute orphans, and begging children? It is an article in Mr Hay's plan, that the workhouse should relieve poor families of all their children above three. This has an enticing appearance,

but

but is unfound at bottom. Children require the tenderness of a mother, during the period of infantine difcafes; and even after that period, they are far from being fafe in the hands of mercenaries, who study nothing but their own eafe and intereft. Would it not be better, to diftribute finall fums from time to time among poor families overburdened with children, fo as to relieve them from fa-. mine, not from labour? And with refpect to orphans and begging children, I incline to think, that it would be a more falutary mea-. fure, to encourage mechanicks, manufacturers, and farmers above all, to educate fuch children. A premium for each, the half in hand, and the other half when they can work for themfelves, would be a proper encouragement. The best-regulated orphan-hospital I am acquainted with, is that of Edinburgh. Orphans are taken in from every corner, provided only they be not under the age of feven, nor above that of twelve: under feven, they are too tender for a hofpital; above twelve, their relations can find employment for them. Befide the being taught to read and write, they are carefully inftructed in fome art, that may afford them comfortable fubfiftence.

No man ever called in queftion the utility of the marine fociety; which will reflect honour on the members as long as we have a navy to protect us: they deserve a rank above that of gartered knights. That inftitution is the nobleft exertion of charity and patriotifm, that ever was known in any country.

A fort of hofpital for fervants who for twenty years have faithfully adhered to the fame mafter, would be much to my taste; with a few adjoining acres for a kitchen-garden. The fund for purchafing, building, and maintenance, must be raised by contribution; and none but the contributors fhould be entitled to offer fervants to the houfe. By fuch encouragement, a malady would be remedied, that of wandering from mafter to mafter for better wages, or easier fervice, which feldom fails to corrupt fer

vants.

vants. They ought to be comfortably provided for, adding to the allowance of the house what pot-herbs are raised by their own labour. A number of virtuous men thus affociated, would end their days in comfort; and the prospect of attaining a settlement fo agreeable, would form excellent fervants. How advantageous would fuch a hofpital prove to husbandry in particular!

Of all the mischiefs that have been engendered by over-anxiety about the poor, none have proved more fatal than foundling-hofpitals. They tend to cool affection for children, still more effectually than the English parish-charity. At every occafional pinch for food, away goes a child to the hospital; and parental affection among the lower fort turns fo languid, that many who are in no pinch, relieve themselves of trouble by the fame means. It is affirmed, that of the children born annually in Paris, about a third part are fent to the foundling-hofpital. The Paris almanack for the year 1768, mentions, that there were baptized 18,576 infants, of whom the foundling-hofpital received 6025. The proportion originally was much lefs; but vice creeps on with a fwift pace. How enormous must be the degeneracy of the Parifian populace, and their want of parental affection!

Let us next turn to infants fhut up in this hofpital. Of all animals, infants of the human race are the weakeft: they require a mother's affection to guard them against numberless diseases and accidents; a wife appointment of Providence to connect parents and children in the ftricteft union. In a foundling-hofpital, there is no fond mother to watch over her tender babe; and the hireling nurse has no fondnefs but for her own little profit. Need we any other caufe for the destruction of infants in a foundling-hofpital, much greater in proportion than of those under the care of a mother? And yet there is another caufe equally potent, which is corrupted air. What Hanway obferves upon parifh-workhouses, is equally applicable to a foundling-hofpital. VOL. II.

G

“ T。

"To attempt," fays he, "to nourish an infant in a workhouse, "where a number of nurfes are congregated into one room, and

confequently the air become putrid, I will pronounce, from in"timate knowledge of the fubject, to be but a small remove "from flaughter; for the child muft die." Down then with foundling-hofpitals, more noxious than peftilence or famine. An infant exposed at the door of a dwelling-house, must be taken up: but in that cafe, which feldom happens, the infant has a better chance for life with a hired nurse than in a hospital; and a chance perhaps little worfe, bad as it is, than with an unnatural mother. I approve not indeed of a quarterly payment to fuch a nurfe would it not do better to furnish her bare maintenance for three years; and if the child be alive at that time, to give her a handfome addition?

A house of correction is neceffary for good order; but belongs not to the present effay, which concerns maintenance of the poor, not punishment of vagrants. I fhall only by the way borrow a thought from Fielding, that fafting is the proper punishment of profligacy, not any punishment that is attended with fhame. Punishment, he obferves, that deprives a man of all sense of honour, never will contribute to make him virtuous.

Charity-fchools might have been proper, when few could read, and fewer write; but these arts are now fo common, that in most families children may be taught to read at home, and to write in a private fchool at little expence. Charity-fchools at present are more hurtful than beneficial: young perfons who continue there fo long as to read and write fluently, become too delicate for hard labour, and too proud for ordinary labour. Knowledge is a dangerous acquifition to the labouring poor: the more of it that is poffeffed by a fhepherd, a ploughman, or any drudge, the lefs fitted is he to labour with content. The only plaufible argument for a charity-school, is, "That children of the labouring poor are taught

66

taught there the principles of religion and of morality, which they cannot acquire at home." The argument would be invincible, if without education we could have no knowledge of thefe principles. But Providence has not left man in a state fo imperfect: the principles of theology and of morality are ftamped on his heart; and none can be ignorant of them, who attend to their own perceptions. Education is indeed of use to ripen fuch perceptions; and it is of fingular ufe to those who have time for reading and thinking: but education in a charity-school is fo flight, as to render it doubtful, whether it be not more hurtful by fostering laziness, than advantageous by conveying instruction. The natural impreffions of religion and morality, if not obfcured by vitious habits, are fufficient for good conduct: preserve a man from vice by conftant labour, and he will not be deficient in his duty either to God or to man. Hefiod, an ancient and refpectable poet, fays, that God hath placed labour as a guard to virtue. More integrity accordingly will be found among a number of induftrious poor taken at random, than among the fame number in any other clafs.

I heartily approve every regulation that tends to prevent idlenefs. Chief Justice Hale fays, "That prevention of poverty and "idlenefs would do more good than all the gibbets, whipping"posts, and gaols in the kingdom." In that view, gaminghouses ought to be heavily taxed, as well as horse-racing, cockfighting, and all meetings that encourage idleness. The admitting low people to vote for members of parliament, is a source of idleness, corruption, and poverty. The fame privilege is ruinous to every small parliament-borough. Nor have I any difficulty to pronounce, that the admitting the populace to vote in the election of a minister, a frequent practice in Scotland, is productive of the fame pernicious effects.

What then is to be the refult of the foregoing enquiry? Is it from defect of invention that a good legal establishment for the