them were confined in a houfe of correction, on a daily allowance of three pence; and even part of that small pittance was. embezzled by the fervants of the house. Pinching hunger did not reform their manners; for being abfolutely idle, they encouraged each other in vice, waiting impatiently for the hour of deliverance. Mr Stirling, with confent of the magiftrates, removed them to a clean houfe; and instead of money, which is apt to be fquandered, appointed for each a pound of oat-meal daily, with falt, water, and fire for cooking. Relieved now from diftrefs, they longed for comfort: what would they not give for milk or ale? Work, fays he, will procure you plenty. To fome who offered to spin, he gave flax and wheels, engaging to pay them half the price of their yarn, retaining the other half for the materials furnished. The fpinners earned about nine pence weekly, a comfortable addition to what they had before. The reft undertook to fpin, one after another; and before the end of the first quarter, they were all of them intent upon work. It was a branch of his plan, to fet free fuch as merited that favour; and fome of them A them appeared fo thoroughly reformed, as to be in no danger of a relapfe. The ingenious author of The Police of France, who wrote in the year 1753, obferves, that notwithstanding the plentiful provifion 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 feveral memorials to the ministry, proposing to adopt the Englifh parochial affeffments, as greatly preferable. This is a curious fact; for at that very time, people in London, no lefs diffatisfied with thefe 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 possible, 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 rever be idle in England for want of employment; L 2 ployment; and they always fucceed the best at the employment they chufe for themselves. With respect to the latter, punishment will not compel a man to labour he may affume the appearance, but will make no progrefs; and the pretext of fickness or weakness is ever at hand for an excufe. The only compulfion to make a man work seriously, is fear of want. A hofpital for the fick, for the wounded, and for the maimed, is a right establishment; being productive of good, without doing any harm. Such a hofpital should depend partly on voluntary charity; to procure which, a conviction of its being well managed, is neceffary. Hospitals that have a fufficient fund of their own, and that have no dependence on the good will of others, are commonly ill ma¬ naged. Lies there any objection against a workhouse, for training to labour, deflitute orphans, and begging children? It is an article in Mr Hay's plan, that the workhoufe fhould relieve poor families of all their children above three, This has an enticing appearance, but is unfound at bottom. Children require the tenderness of a a mother, during the period of infantine diseases; and are far from being fafe in the hands of mercenaries, who study nothing but their own eafe and interest. Would it not be better, to distribute small fums from time to time among poor families overburdened with children, fo as to relieve them from famine, not from labour? And with refpect to orphans and begging children, I incline to think, that it would be a more falutary measure, 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 themselves, would be a proper encouragement. The best-regulated orphan-hofpital 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 hospital; 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 fubfift ence. Na 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 institution is the most judicious exertion of charity and patriotism, that ever existed 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 tafte; with a few adjoining acres for a kitchen-garden. The fund for purchafing, building, and maintenance, must be raifed 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 eafer fervice; which feldom fail to corrupt fervants. They ought to be comfortably provided for, adding to the allowance of the house what pot-herbs are raifed by their own labour. A number of virtuous men thus associated, would end their days in comfort; and the profpect of attaining a fettlement fo agreeable, would form excellent fervants. How ad vantageous |