The Oxford Magazine; For JANUARY, 1772. For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. THE CENSOR. NUMBER XIV. F O all the virtues which adorn the difnal confequences of prodigality and human mind, that of univerfal benevolence feems to excite the admiration and applaufes of the world, more than any other. A man may be pious, fober, honeft, virtuous, and juft, in all his concerns with his fellowmortals, and yet pass through life, little noticed, or at most, only a cold esteem for a reputable character will distinguish him from the profligate and difhoneft; but the benevolent man, whofe virtue has its fource in humanity, is almost adored by his relations, his friends, his neighbours, and, in general, by all whom fame brings acquainted with his character. One act of genuine benevolence cancels a thousand faults; or, in other words, "covers a multitude of fins." In fact, the exercise of all other virtues appear to spring from fome selfish motive, which depreciates the most meritorious conduct: But benevolence has its fource in philanthropy, and thofe who practice it, are fo far from deriving any temporary advantage from it, that they frequently expofe them felves to a variety of inconveniences, from following the dictates of humanity and compaffion. Men may be pious and juft from the fear of punishment; they may be fober or chafte, becaufe intemperance and debauchery are ill fuited to their conftitutions, and will bring on disease and anguish; they may be frugal and economic, from the apprehenfions of the VOL. VIII. In diffipation. In the exercise then of every virtue recommended by moralifts, benevolence excepted, we fee the principle of felf-love predominant. the emanations of a liberal mind, we can scarce difcern this common motive, allowed indeed to be a very proper ftimulative to laudable designs. He who risks his person, his fortune, his credit, or his fair fame, for the benefit of his neighbour, cannot, properly speaking,, be fuppofed to have felf-love for his motive. As the generous, benevolent character undoubtedly exalts us above the level of the human fpecies, and affimulates us more than any other virtue, to beings of a celeftial nature, befides gaining us the universal applaufe of all around us; it is no wonder that this character is aimed at by the majority of mankind, and that the greatest errors arife from the pursuit of it upon false principles. If I mistake not, there is an elegant paffage in fome part of that oldfashioned book, the Bible, which in a very few words, points out the diftinction between the man whom the world would call a man of strict honour, of unfullied reputation, and the benevolent character the Cenfor has in view. It would be formal and uncourtly to cite chapter and verfe, and, perhaps, by avoiding this exploded cuftom, Í may induce fome, who want fuch employment, to turn over the book till they find it-The tenor of the fenA. 2 tence 4 The CENSOR. tence is "That for a righteous man, none would die; but for a good man fome would even dare to die." Daily experience demonftrates the truth of this excellent remark. The tenets of Chriftianity, nay the religion of nature, unaided by revelation, if we believe the immortality of the foul, are fufficient to engage us to piety; for a principle of felf prefervation is one trong motive, and fear another, to induce men to be pious; and if by the general term righteous, we are to understand a juft man, it is well known, that the laws of civil fociety oblige every rational mortal, on prudential maxims, which regard his own welfare, to be a righteous man. But we may go one step further, and fuppofe a man to have merited the reputation of a religious, confciencious, juft, fober, prudent perfon, yet this will not entitle him to thofe exertions of perilous fervices, or to thofe unanimous applaufes of his fellow-citizens to which the good man lays an indifputable claim, from the fuperiority of his character. Perfonal hazards of life, and fortune adventured for the fervice of mankind, without a retrospect to felf, deferve reciprocal returns of unbounded affection, and univerfal applaufe. " Far be it from the Cenfor to decry the practice of piety, or to depreciate the merit of the righteous man; but as we have good authority for faying that, "a man may be righteous overmuch," it may not be amifs to leffen the confequence of modern bigotry, by pointing out a more exalted character, and a nearer refemblance to the Deity, the common father of all. and the good man. The latter exalts his character by a clofer imitation of the best attribute of the Deity, and pays him the most pure and fublime homage, by exercifing himself continually, in acts of well-judged benevolence; while the righteous man, the methodically pious, just man, contents himself with acknowledging his dependence on the Deity, prays to him fervently for every bleffing, and when obtained, returns his heavenly benefactor but unworthy thanks; for he hoards the bounties beftowed, or confines them within the narrow circle of fome enthufiaftic fect, instead of dif fufing them with a liberal, yet discreet hand, on the general principle of philanthropy. The righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees contrafted with the story of the Good Samaritan-is a speaking portrait of the two characters, applicable to all times and places. London has her Pharifees as well as Jerufalem; and the many liberal foundations, for the relief of the indigent, the fick, the wounded and infane, give us room to hope, that we have many more Good Samaritans. Yet ftill we hear groaning and complaint in our streets; and, if we may credit our eyes and ears, either a great want, or abufe of charity: For this feeming contradiction in our conduct, I mean to account, by fhewing, that it arifes from erroneous notions concerning goodnefs. A truly good man is the nobleft work of God, and stands higher in the fcale of beings, than the merely righteous man. Mankind are fo evidently fenfible of this truth, that the majority are eager to attain this The clofer we reafon (from what we fublime perfection, but unhappily miknow of the divine nature) on the at-stake the means; especially the female tributes of the fupreme being, the more fully we must be convinced, that his univerfal benevolence to mankind is the object of our warmeft, most difinterested adoration, expreffed by acts of praife and thankfgiving. A fenfe of our own frailties and neceflities, and of the omnipotence of the Deity, excite us to that inferior (though laudable duty of religion) prayer and fupplication. Here then the diftinction bviously ariles, between the righteous part of the creation, who, under the head of charity, commit the greatest errors, impreffed at the fame time with a-ftrong delire to be very good women. It is this wrong train of thinking and acting, which the Cenfor wishes to correct, by convincing thole, who mifapply their charity, that instead of attaining the perfection of goodness, they often do a great deal of mifchief undefignedly, and excites the ill-will, inftend The CENSO R. inftead of the praises of the world, by their indifcreet benevolence. As the most trifling occurrences fometimes give birth to great events, fo a loose hint may lay the foundation of a serious exhortation. This hap SIR, pens to be the prefent cafe; for having received the following letter from a correfpondent, it led me infenfibly into a moral differtation on the character of a good man. It seems to be written by a foreigner. To the Author of the CENSOR. TH HE beggars in France are greatly embarraffed to excite the pity of paffengers; they are now at a loss what. to fay; for Chriftians have left off giving alms for the love of God; but in England they have various refources; fome beg to be idle, or to avoid the fatigue of any kind of labour, others to finoke tobacco, to, take snuff, to drink ftrong beer, or geneva. And they have another advantage over the French beggars, which is, to tell people freely what they require. As I was lately walking in the streets of London, a beggar afked me for a penny to burn the Earl of Bute; as I knew not that he meant only his effigy, I refufed to comply, looking upon it as a great crime to give away my money for fo vile a purpofe; but I am told, that the lovers of Liberty encourage thefe poor politicians, and that there are thoufands of Wilkites who fupport fuch beggars; fo that an English pauper has nothing to do but to difcover the popular party, and by fiding with it, he cannot fail of a comfortable fubfiftence. In fine, Sir, I fee very plainly, that a skilful English beggar, who knows how to touch the paffions or prejudices of his countrymen, may get drunk with his gains three times in a week, while the French mendicant, who asks alms only for the love. of God, cannot afford to intoxicate himself above once in a month. As you are a Cenfor of the public manners, I would be glad to know from you, the cause of thofe fwarms of beggars in England, where you collect fuch immenfe fums for the poor in every parih, and have fo many endowed hofpitals for their fupport and relief. Your ferious thoughts on this fubject, in your next number, will greatly oblige A CONSTANT CORRESPONDENT. Portland-fireet, Fan, 2, 1772. THE answer to my correspondent is partly given in the remarks I have already made; but that no doubt may remain upon the subject, I shall add a. short lesson to those who cannot pass a beggar in the streets, or on the highway, without beftowing their alms, by which they very imprudently support the idle and debauched, whofe induftrious labour would not only supply food and raiment for themselves, but contribute to lellen the price of the neceffaries of life to the poor in general. You, whofe compaffionate hearts indifcriminately prompt you to relieve the feeming wants of every artful beggar, do it undoubtedly with a view to merit the fuperlatively excellent character I have defcribed in the former part of this paper. I am fure this is the motive with my fair friends; but unhappily you fall upon wrong means to attain this defirable end.-You impofe upon yourselves, and encourage the worst fpecies of impoftors; thole who, under fraudulent pretexts, withhold from fociety the exercise of those talents which the God of nature has given them for the joint benefit of themfelyes and of the community in which they live. Is it a child to whom you give your alms in small moneydo you reflect, that while he is thus foliciting the means of difpenfing with with labour for his parents, he is neglecting education, which, however lowly, is fure to be honest in all parts of England, is the only foundation to make CENSOR. impetuous rains defcend, the fcanty produce of the field rots on the ground, and did the unhappy husbandman but know the authors of his ruin, inftead of thofe acclamations which the good man receives from his fellowcreatures, you would be loaded with execrations and instead of that fatisfaction which you felt in your breasts, from the conicioufnefs of a fuppofed benevolent conduct-remorfe and anguish for an involuntary crime, would wound your tender minds, and make even your fenfibility reproach you. I will not add any other inftance; this example, highly natural and probable, fhall fuffice, and the fame reafoning may be applied to manufactures, mechanic arts, and trades; in all which the idle hands, fupported by mif guided charity, would be usefully employed. make that child an induftrious, virtuous man-do you confider that, by giving him an early relish for this eafy inethod of procuring money, you fix a bad habit of living on the public without meriting fubfiftence, and that you train him to petty-larceny, when voluntary fupplies fail, and from thence he proceeds to capital crimes, and thus you indirectly lead him to the gallows. Is it a man or woman, in appearance robuft and vigorous-you are injuring the public in the highest degree; for there is not an art or bufinefs in the kingdom, but wants additional hands. Of every penny given to fuch, be affured one half at leait goes to the publican, the diftiller, and the excifeoffice-yet you would be performing an act, highly meritorious, much more fo than the long prayers of any modern Pharifee, if thefe were real objects of charity-but let me place them before But fome people will tell me, they you in another point of view.-Does only relieve the infirm, the lame, the the itinerant haymaker, his wife, and decrepid, the blind, the aged, and the a ftout boy, loiter on the road, owing fick-my reply fhall be introduced with to your ill-timed bounty, and that of a fix or feven well-difpofed old men and women, who have added their contributions do they faunter at an alehoufe, instead of arriving at the deftined place for exerting their induftry for the benefit of the husbandman-mark the confequence-fome honeft, indefatigable little farmer, who with the fweat of his brow, literally fpeaking, earns a fcanty pittance (the furplus of a rack-rent) for the mainte. nance of a numerous family-already has murmured against heaven (the vice of farmers and gardeners) for an unfavourable feafon-and behold your charity completes his diftraction. His grafs is ready for the fcythe, or it has been cut down, but further affiftance is wanting to finish the harvest-the fky lowers threatens approaching days of heavy rain-he wishes for labourers in his fields, but finds none-it is the season to expect them from all quarters of the kingdom-miftaken benevolence-you have ftopped them on the way-you thought to relieve two or three apparently diftreffed objects, who would very foon have supplied their own wants in a proper way-and you have half ruined a whole family candid fuppofition.-You are most probably either houfe-keepers yourfelves, or upon a level with them; that is to fay, you live in regular fa-, milies, or have connections and interest with reputable houfe-keepers. Make ufe of your fmall money in a manner that will be moit beneficial to those poor objects.-Wholesome laws, that want only due execution, are provided for the purpose of taking them out of the streets, and providing for them in a proper manner, agreeable to the dictates of humanity and found policy.Let a number of well-difpofed perfons depofit the amount of what they annually give away in going to church, or to market, or on a vifit-to form a fund to profecute all parith-officers of every denomination, who mifapply the poor's rate, and all justices of peace who refufe to punish vagrants, and detect impoftors-this has been fuccefsfully practifed in a populous village near London, by twenty families of real good people by which means real objects of charity have been fent to hofpitals and work-houses, and not one impoftor has appeared in it for the last three years, whereas, before that period, they had one counterfeitor of convulfion |