the case of the governours of the hospital at hoxton, of the foundation of robert aske, esq. 1690-1691 approx. 3 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2009-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a78249 wing c1084a estc r175674 45578219 ocm 45578219 172167 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a78249) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 172167) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2616:19) the case of the governours of the hospital at hoxton, of the foundation of robert aske, esq. governours of the possessions of the hospital at hoxton, in the county of middlesex, of the foundation of robert aske, esq. england and wales. parliament. 1 sheet ([1] p.). s.n., [s.l. : 1690 or 1691?] "anno secundo willielmi & mariæ, regis & reginæ, &c." wing suggests 1700 publication date. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng hospital at hoxton (hoxton, england) charities, medical -england -hoxton. hospitals -england -hoxton. broadsides -england -17th century. 2008-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-07 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-09 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2008-09 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the case of the governours of the hospital at hoxton , of the foundation of robert aske , esquire . anno secundo willielmi & mariae , regis & reginae , &c. by act of parliament , the master and wardens of the company of haberdashers , are incorporated and called governours of the possessions of the hospital at hoxton , in the county of middlesex , of the foundation of robert aske , esq that pursuant to the founders will , they have built and erected the said hospital , and placed twenty poor decayed freemen , and twenty poor decayed freemens sons , of the said company ; where they have maintenance and provision . that by virtue of the said act of parliament , the governours have placed officers suitable to the occasions of the said hospital , viz. a minister who preaches , reads prayers , and teaches the children , a steward or manciple , a matron or nurse , and servants to dress their provisions , make beds , fires , &c. and in further pursuance of their said trust , the governours have purchased divers lands , &c. for a perpetual fund to answer the ends of the said charity ; which amounts to the yearly value of 923 l. 8 s. 4 d. that the annual charge of supporting and maintaining the twenty poor men and twenty poor children , with the charge of the minister , manciple and servants thereunto belonging , at a modest and most frugal computation ; and other the incident charges belonging to the said charity , does amount yearly to the sum of 383 l. 18 s. 4 d. so that the surplus of the whole revenue , does amount to but the sum of 39 l. 10 s. over and above the yearly charge of maintaining the said charity . that in regard the said lands so purchased as aforesaid , have hitherto been made liable to pay taxes , it hath yearly deducted out of the annual rent , the sum of 150 l. for the payment of taxes , &c. beside , that some part of these purchased lands are lease-hold , and renewable every seven years ; and upon every renewal , pay the sum of 200 l. by all which it appears the said governours have only the sum of 39 l. 10 s. to defray the loss of rents , repairs , and the standing empty of farms , &c. which often happens . which necessitous condition of the said hospital , is with all submission laid before this honourable house , humbly craving that out of their charitable consideration they will be pleased for the future particularly to exempt their said charity by name , from paying of taxes for the future , for otherwise the governours will not be enabled by the revenues arising from their said lands , to support and maintain the constant charge that arises from the said benefaction , &c. charles, earle of nottingham, barron howard of effingham, knight of the most noble order of the garter, lord liefetenant of his maiesties counties of sussex, and surry ... england and wales, high court of admiralty. 1613 approx. 4 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a03734 stc 13855.8 estc s100430 99836270 99836270 529 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a03734) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 529) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1572:16) charles, earle of nottingham, barron howard of effingham, knight of the most noble order of the garter, lord liefetenant of his maiesties counties of sussex, and surry ... england and wales, high court of admiralty. nottingham, charles howard, earl of, ca. 1536-1624. 1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. (woodcut) printed by r. blower, [london : 1613] a brief for collections on behalf of anastasius joseph of cappadocia, to ransom his son from the turks. dated at end: london in his maiesties high court of the admiraltie of england, the second day of iuly in the yeare of our lord god 1613. .. printer's name from stc. identified as stc 8499 on umi microfilm. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng joseph, anastasius. ransom -turkey -early works to 1800. charities -england -early works to 1800. 2007-08 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-10 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-11 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2007-11 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion charles , earle of nottingham , barron howard of e●●ingham , knight of the most noble order of the garter , lord lietetenant of his maiesties counties of sussex , and surry , constable of his maiesties honour and castle of windsor chiefe iustice and iustice itinerant of all his maiesties forrests , parkes , chases & warrens on this side trent . lord high admirall of england , ireland , and wales , and the dominions and isles of the same , of the towne of callis , and ma●●…hes thereof , normandy , gascoigne , and gwines , and captaine generall of his maiesties seas , and nauy royall . to all & singuler viceadmiralles , iustices of peace , mayors , sheriffes , bayliffs , parsons , vicars , curates , cunstables , churchwardens , headboroughes , tythingmen , collectors , and all other his maiesties officers , ministers , and l●uing subiects whatsoeuer , to whom thiese presents shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gréeting . whereas the bearer hereof anastasius ioseph , borne in amasia the chiefe cittie of capadocia , a marchant by his t●●de , and of good accompt and worth , was by the malice of some wicked men in walachia , enuying his wealth and prosperitie , accused , falsely , cast in prison , robbed of all his goods , and his onely sonne taken from him and sould to the turkes , who keepes him still in slauery and bondage vntill such time he eyther deny his sauiour christ & turning turke , embrace mahometisme , or pay for his ransome and libertie seauen hundred crownes , vpon consideration whereof hee hath a testimoniall vnder the most high and mightie emperour of germanie , his hand and seale of the duke of walachia , of the patriarch of constantinople , of the archbishops of lacedemonia , and bulgaria , of the earles of pembrooke , and mountgomery , of diuers bishops , deanes , mayors of citties , and sundry learned men of this kingdome , and of the councell of scotland , who haue fauourably assisted him with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almes for his owne better reliefe in his trauels , and the more speedy redemption of his sonne . thiefe are therefore in his maiesties name , and by highnes authoritie royall to me in this behalfe directed : to require you and euery of you in your seuerall places , to recommend his miserable estate and condition vnto the charitable deuotion of the people , and to permit and suffer him the said anastasius ioseph ( he behauing himselfe honestly and soberly according to his maiesties lawes ) to trauell by you and euery of you , through any parts of this realme without any trouble or molestation , and by the way to helpe him with conuenient lodging , he demaunding the same in due time : and hereof faile ye not . giuen at london in his maiesties high court of the admiraltie of england , the second day of iuly in the yeare of our lord god 1613. and in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of our soueraigne lord iames. by the grace of god king of england , scotland , fraunce , and ireland , defendor of the faith , &c. and of his raigne of scotland the ●xe and ●or●●eth . 1613. hareward . to the monthly and quarterly meetings of friends in england, wales, london, the twenty six day of the sixth month, 1692. society of friends. meeting for sufferings. 1692 approx. 4 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a96405 wing w1966 estc r186531 47683553 ocm 47683553 173007 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a96405) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 173007) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2661:12) to the monthly and quarterly meetings of friends in england, wales, london, the twenty six day of the sixth month, 1692. society of friends. meeting for sufferings. whitehead, george, 1636?-1723. 1 sheet ([1] p.). s.n., [s.l. : 1692] signed: george whitehead, samuell waldenfield, john vaughton, william bingley, john feild. reproduction of original in: friends' library (london, england). created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng quakers -ireland -early works to 1800. society of friends -charities -early works to 1800. society of friends -england -congresses -early works to 1800. charities -ireland -early works to 1800. broadsides -england -london -17th century. 2007-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-11 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2007-11 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the monthly , and quarterly meetings of friends , in england and wales ; london , the twenty six day of the sixth month , 1692. dear friends and brethern , with our dear and tender love to you , and all the faithful in christ jesus : these are to acquaint you , that since our late printed epistle from our meeting for sufferings , for a collection for our poor distressed friends in ireland , we have had divers accounts from thence by letters , both of their disposal of what hath been already sent them from hence ; and also how little away it went , when distributed to the many particulars towards their supply ; however , friends love and care for them here is very acceptable to them . we find they are very charitable and tender one towards another ; in so much , that although the calamity was general , and very heavy upon them , that those that had something left , who were but few in number , did readily contribute to them that wanted present subsistance , by several large collections among themselves . and they considering our charges here in england was great , have been the more tender and backward to apply to friends here for relief , altho but few friends there can administer to such a great number of friends , who are in a very poor and low condition , and many in great want ; some having lost all , the very cloathes off their backs . their general loss hath been computed to amount to about fifty thousand pounds , and their number not more then friends in yorkshire . now dear brethren , the intent of reminding you of these things , is , to intreat you in the love of god , and tender compassion to these our suffering friends and brethren , zealously to stir up friends in your respective meetings , to a speedy and liberal contribution , according to our aforesaid epistle , considering their distressed case , as if it were your own ; and remembering their liberality , and christian charity to friends in england , when under sore persecutions , their present necessities being so great , requiring a speedy supply , that this meeting hath already been constrained to borrow one thousand pounds , to remit thither for their present relief , upon the credit of this said collection ; yet we are perswaded the said sum will fall far short of supplying their great necessities ; we therefore hope you will take all speedy care , effectually to hasten the said collection . signed by order and on behalf of the meeting for sufferings , george whitehead , samuell waldenfield , john vaughton , william bingley , john feild . at our meeting for sufferings the , 2d day of the 7th month , 1692. this meeting desiring that the friends in the counties , and particuler meetings , be acquainted of the renewed accounts we received , of the nessesities of our dear friends in ireland , we have hinted at in the letter above written , have ordered the same to be printed , that friends may the more generally have it , and have accordingly now signed the same . william ingram , john staploe , alexander s●aton , john kilbourn , joseph wasye , theodor eccleston , william crouch , thomas cox , henry gouldney , michael russell , samuel waldenfield , john constantine , henry lombe , daniel monro , daniel roberts , daniel quare , daniel wharley , john hall , john fiddeman , john cade , anthony alexander , josiah ellis , john vaughton , john feild . mr. pepys to the president and governours of christ-hospital upon the present state of the said hospital to the honour'd sir john moor, kt. and president, and the rest of my honour'd friends, the governours of christ-hospital. pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. 1698 approx. 5 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a54296 wing p1451b estc r222472 99833639 99833639 38117 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a54296) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 38117) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2175:14) mr. pepys to the president and governours of christ-hospital upon the present state of the said hospital to the honour'd sir john moor, kt. and president, and the rest of my honour'd friends, the governours of christ-hospital. pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. moore, john, sir, 1620-1702, recipient. parrey, william. aut christ's hospital (london, england). board of governors, recipient. 1 sheet ([2] p.) s.n., [london : 1698] signed: s. pepys. a response is printed at foot of p. [2], signed: william parrey. dated at head: york-buildings. monday, novem. 21. 1698. imprint from wing. copy stained. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library, oxford. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christ's hospital (london, england) -early works to 1800. orphans -england -london -early works to 1800. charities -england -london -early works to 1800. 2005-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-06 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-07 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-07 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mr. pepys to the president and governours of christ-hospital upon the present state of the said hospital . to the honour'd sir john moor , kt. and president , and the rest of my honour'd friends , the governours of christ-hospital . york-buildings . monday , novem. 21. 1698. gentlemen , in pursuance of a resolution of his lordship the present lord mayor and court of aldermen at their last sitting ( our worthy president sir john moore present ) in approval of a proposition of mine on that behalf : i inclose you copys of two papers of mine lately wrote , and for their readier vse prepar'd as these are , and directed to the several members of that court ; relating to what has pass'd between the late lord mayor , the said court , and my self , upon the present state of this hospital . and this i do ; as well for your information in all my proceedings in this matter , and satisfaction in the regard shewn therein to the honour , no less than service of this house ( notwithstanding what has been so injuriously averr'd in it to the contrary ) as for inlight'ning at once your whole body , in the truth , and moment of the particulars in present debate concerning it . in order whereto , and for that the court of aldermen have not yet thought fit to allow of my repeated suit to them , for their disburthening me of the charge i still lie under from them , as your fellow-servant . i do ( as such ) tender it as my earnest and humble advice to you , that these papers may not , like others of mine of equal import , be taken-up , and the knowledge of them suppress'd , to the ( i fear ) irreparable wrong of this house : but , if it may stand with your good liking , communicated to a general court specially call'd on that behalf . for as much as , that being done , i shall not doubt a much happier issue of your deliberations thereon , than can attend any longer want of it : besides the preventing what i should otherwise be most unwillingly driven to , of supplying the ineffectuallness of these papers thus address'd to you in a body , by a several one to be transmitted to every member of it . which i cannot but think my duty to see done ; while standing all of us equally interested in the knowing , and accountable for the due improving thereof , to the benefit of the poor , and satisfaction of those we stand intrusted-by for them. which praying your taking in good part from me , as the last occasion , i hope , ever to have of asking it on these terms ; i do with most sincere respect remain , honour'd gentlemen , your faithful and obedient servant , s. pepys . at a general court holden in christs-hospital . the 21th . day of novem. 1698. upon reading a letter with some printed papers from samuel pepys , esq which were all inclosed in a cover , and directed to the president , and governours of this hospital , assembled in court this 21 th of november 1698. it was by this court ordered , that a general court shall be summoned to meet on friday next in the afternoon , particularly for consideration of these papers ; and major aungier is desired to attend mr. pepys , and acquaint him with the meeting of the court next friday . and request the favour of his presence , and to let him know , that if he doth not think that a convenient day , than to desire him to appoint some other short day , as may best suit with his occasions ; and come provided with the particulars of his charge against this hospital . william parrey . by the commissioners for charitable uses. whereas there is a special commission directed to us, under the great-seal of england, by his highness oliver lord protector of england, scotland, and ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, for the redressing of the misimployment and concealing of lands, goods and stocks of money heretofore given to charitable uses, as well by kings and queens of england, as by other well disposed persons. ... england and wales. commissioners for charitable uses. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a84441 of text r211605 in the english short title catalog (thomason 669.f.20[16]). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 6 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a84441 wing e741b thomason 669.f.20[16] estc r211605 99870317 99870317 163433 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a84441) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 163433) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 247:669f20[16]) by the commissioners for charitable uses. whereas there is a special commission directed to us, under the great-seal of england, by his highness oliver lord protector of england, scotland, and ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, for the redressing of the misimployment and concealing of lands, goods and stocks of money heretofore given to charitable uses, as well by kings and queens of england, as by other well disposed persons. ... england and wales. commissioners for charitable uses. england and wales. lord protector (1653-1658 : o. cromwell) 1 sheet ([1] p.) pprinted by thomas newcomb, london : 1655. title from caption and opening lines of text. dated at end: given at worcester-house in the strand, the 22 of october, 1655. requiring the notification of abuses of charitable gifts.--steele. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng charities -england -early works to 1800. charity laws and legislation -england -early works to 1800. great britain -politics and government -1649-1660 -early works to 1800. a84441 r211605 (thomason 669.f.20[16]). civilwar no by the commissioners for charitable uses. whereas there is a special commission directed to us, under the great-seal of england, by his high england and wales. commissioners for charitable uses. 1655 913 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2007-09 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-09 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-10 pip willcox sampled and proofread 2007-10 pip willcox text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion blazon or coat of arms incorporating the commonwealth flag (1649-1651) by the commissioners for charitable uses . whereas there is a special commission directed to us , under the great-seal of england , by his higness oliver lord protector of england , scotland , and ireland , and the dominions thereto belonging , for the redressing of the misimployment and concealing of lands , goods and stocks of money heretofore given to charitable uses , as well by kings and queens of england , as by other well disposed persons . some for relief of aged impotent and poor people ; some for maintenance of sick and maimed souldiers and mariners , schools of learning , free-schools , and schollers in universities ; some for repair of bridges , ports , havens , cause-waies , churches , sea-banks , and high-waies ; some for education and perferment of orphans ; some for or towards relief , stock or maintenance for houses of correction ; some for marriages of poor maids ; some for supportation , aid and help of young tradesmen , handicrafts-men , and persons decayed ; and others for relief or redemption of prisoners or captives , and for aid or ease of any poor inhabitants concerning payment of fifteens , setting out of souldiers and other taxes : wee doe therefore in conscience of our dutie towards god and man , hereby order & declare that if any poor person or persons whatsoever , under any the qualifications before specified , doe or shall find themselves justly grieved with fraud or violence , in the concealement , detention , or abuse of any ( though never so rich and great oppressors ) of any thing that is or shall be due to them , or any of them by the gift , appointment or assignment of any well disposed persons , and shall make their greivances appear before us to be reall ; that they and every of them so grieved , shall have and receive sufficient remedie in the same both for what hath been formerly concealed or detained , as also for what is at present concealed or detained from them amongst such cruell oppressors , their heires , executors and administrators , if they or any of them have assets in law or equity , with all possible speed , and without any fear of their adversaries malitious power or greatness , either for the present or for time to come ; and also that if any person or persons shall out of a due sence and apprehension of the oppressed and perishing condition of the poor , make any just complaint of any concealement or detention of any gift , appointment , or assignement of any lands , rents , or monies belonging to any poor by whomsoever , and shall or can make a clear and full discoverie thereof , every such person or persons so doing shall and may recover the same before us for the use of the said poor , together with all the arreares , against any such unjust dealers whomsoever , their heires , executors , or administrators , if they or any of them have assets either in law or equity . and for their further encouragement herein , the said discoverers shall have and receive a fourth part of the damages awarded against such delinquents to be allowed them , for their charges , care and pains herein ; and we doe hereby further will and require all church-wardens , overseers of the poor , and all other officers authorized by law , to sue for and recover such rights to such uses , to accompt for and pay what they have recovered to the use of any poor concerned therein , and to sue for where none else will or can prosecute what they have not recovered , being due , upon penaltie to pay damages for their neglect herein , being found guiltie thereof by due inquisition ; and that none may be ignorant how to perform what they would or should doe herein , we doe appoint all that are or may be concerned in what is by us required as aforesaid , to repair to walter sheldon gent , clerk of the commission ( at his house at little queens-street end , in high holborne , over against the sign of the george , by the kings-gate that leadeth into graies-inn-fields , in the said county of middlesex ) who shall and will be readie to receive their presentments , and to direct and instruct them at all convenient times . for the better effecting whereof , wee doe hereby will and require all and singular the ministers of the county of middlesex , as well within liberties , as without , to make publication hereof in their severall congregations both in the forenoon and afternoon of the next sabbath-day after his or their receipt of the same , and afterwards to cause it to be fixed on the church-doors , where it may be easily seen and read by all people ; and that no person or persons whatsoever presume or attempt either to deface or take it off from thence , upon their perils , to be proceeded against as contemners of his highness authoritie and commission . given at worcester-house in the strand , 22 of october , 1655. london , printed by thomas newcomb , 1655. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a84441e-30 midd. ss. mr. pepys to the lord mayor upon the present state of christ-hospital. to the right honourable sir humphry edwin, lord mayor pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. 1698 approx. 11 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a54295 wing p1451a estc r222471 99833638 99833638 38116 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a54295) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 38116) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2175:13) mr. pepys to the lord mayor upon the present state of christ-hospital. to the right honourable sir humphry edwin, lord mayor pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. edwin, humphrey, sir, 1642-1707, recipient. [4] p. s.n., [london : 1698] signatures: a.̲, caption title. signed: s. pepys. dated at head: tuesday, octob. 25. 1698. york-buildings. imprint from wing. copy stained. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library, oxford. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christ's hospital (london, england) -early works to 1800. orphans -england -london -early works to 1800. charities -england -london -early works to 1800. 2005-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-06 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-07 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-07 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion upon the state of christ-hospital . 〈…〉 per 1 mr. pepys to the lord mayor upon the present state of christ-hospital . to the right honourable sir humphry edwin , lord mayor . tuesday , octob. 25. 1698. york-buildings . my lord , another three months are now run-out , and the whole twelve of your lordship's great office at the eve of their expiring ; while our poor orphans remain in the same reliefless state i left them in with your lordship , in my letter of the 5th . of april last . wherein nothing more was propos'd of trouble to your lordship towards the remedying it ( and that too of your lordship 's own seeking ) than the accompanying with your authority my report thereof to the gentlemen of christ-hospital ( to whom it was specially directed ) and to the body-corporate of the city , which , as i have heretofore noted , stands originally answerable for the same , to the crown . in neither of which , though abundantly apply'd-to in both , has your lordship thought fit to express any regard to your vndertaking to me . but so much the contrary ; as to have arraign'd my late memorial to you concerning it ( even after your own and the court of aldermen's solemn thanks to me for it ) as a libel , and the only occasion of the no-voice given your lordship , at the late parliament-election for the city . and this deliver'd me from your lordship , and my lady mayoress too , as your joint-message , by the same worthy citizen , and member both of your common council and hospital , whom your self was first pleased to employ to me , on those pious errands i was misled by , to the submitting the execution of this matter singly to your lordship . my lord , i shall not offer at the asking-after , or even aiming at the ground of this your so extraordinary dealing , in a cause of so religious an import ; as leaving that to god , the city , and your self , to be reckon'd-for . it shall suffice me , my lord , to observe , that it has arisen from neither of those causes , whereto the court of aldermen were led to joyn with your lordship in the assigning it , and in the yet unperform'd undertaking for its recovery ; your sickness , i mean , my lord , and sir tho. stamp's absence . give me leave only , to bewail the consequences of it to the poor ; whatever it may end-in to the city . namely , the continuance hereby occasion'd to the imposure upon the gentlemen of the hospital ; whose better information could not but e're this have produc'd some good effects towards its relief . next , the more confirm'd admission of their methods , whose interest ( and therefore business ) it seems to be , to suppress that information . and lastly , the rend'ring the poverty , disorders , and impieties of the place , so much less superable than they appear'd to me when first laid before your lordship ; as to put me beyond all hopes of their redress , from any lower hand than that of a royal visitation . the power of which ( after so glorious a proof of it as i have lately seen , to the lasting honour of his lordship , the present lord chancellor , in the case of st. katherines ) i cannot , on behalf of our distress'd orphans , and in right to their holy benefactors , but bless almighty god for ; and henceforward direct my self wholly to ; without offering either your lordship , my lord elect your honourable successor , his brethren the court of aldermen , the gentlemen of the hospital , or my self , the interruptions i have been so long driven , at the end of every three months , fruitlesly to repeat on this subject . but apply my self to the speedy bringing-up to this day what is now behind of my report , for the six months your lordship has thus unhappily added to the time i had last adjusted it to , relating to the moral part of this house's misery : in order to such vse to be made thereof , as a like royal inspection may , i trust , find it convertible to . it remains ; that in taking my leave of your lordship ( which i would do with all the respect due to your lordship's just character ) i beg you to consider , whether what i either have done , am now doing , or may have further to do , in exposing my observations and sentiments in this matter , be either more or other , than what my cha●ge as a governour obliges me to ; and what my self alone , through my closer applications to the service of the house , am inlighten'd to do ; or otherwhere , than by my immediate duty i am bound ; or , which is yet more , in any other manner , than what is alone left me to do it in . especially , after the miscarriage of all other methods ( personal and written ) employ'd by me with those i thought most concern'd to improve them ; whether at their committees and courts , or separately as private governours and superior ministers ; viz. the treasurer , president , and last of all your lordship , both alone , and in conjunction with your brethren the aldermen : for preventing ( if possible ) the obvious consequences of my being compell'd to the carrying them elsewhere . and even this too , with such a degree of tenderness , as , after all that has been said of its being made the entertainment of coffee-houses , ( to the offence , i find , of my lady mayoress as well as your self , and not a little to my own too , for the sake of the poor , ) to stand ready with a reward of five pounds to whoever shall shew me any one of my printed copies , other than what were strictly deliver'd by mr. town-clerk to your self , the aldermen , and the assistants of that court ; and those severally indors'd by a hand of my own , with the name of each person intitled to the same . and if this , my lord , be a libel ; i shall not undertake for its being my last , where nothing gentler will be hearken'd to ; rather than be conscious of an approaching ruin to a foundation like this i 'm concern'd for , and be dumb. next , my lord , for avoiding any unnecessary repetition of trouble to the court now sitting , where your lordship has yet the honour of presiding ; permit me to pray , that in the notice you may see reasonable to take there , of this paper : you will please to be its remenbrancer , in what , for the considerations assign'd in my last , i then bespoke its favour in reference to the disburthening me of a charge , in which i am at the end of any hopes of seeing my self further serviceable . lastly , let it be no offence to your lordship , that i end with an observation , impossible for me to over-look . namely ; that while i am here lamenting the misfortune of our poor , from the suppression of this report of mine , calculated for their relief ; i find so much of it ( and so much only ) as seemed to me the properest introduction to it , in advancement of charity ; transferr'd in terminis to the head of a sermon and made the text of it , preach'd before your lordship , and published by your command , in express diminution thereof . and not that only ; but to the doing violence to the memory of one ( scarce yet cold in his grave ) whose good works have been too many and too conspicuous , not to have covered errors of a much greater magnitude ( for no man thought him infallible ) than any i hear him charg'd with . especially , in a point of faith ; wherein 't is hard to say , which raised the greater dust , and most to the offence of weaker eyes : his single departure from the doctrine of our church , towards the wrong ; or that of our own doctors from one another , in their determinations touching the right . so far only i shall adventure to interpose , in the particular doctrine advanced in this sermon by your lordship's chaplain ( whom i take to be the first that ever raised it from that text ) as with all deference to recommend it back to your lordship , with this only improvement , for the rendring it more apposite and edifying in the present case ; viz. that the neglect of the poor is as little an evidence of a true faith , in any body else ; as the care of them is a justification of a mistaken one , in mr. fermin . i am , most respectfully , my lord , your lordship 's most obedient servant , s. pepys . mr. pepys to the president, and governours of christ-hospital, upon the present state of the said hospital to the honour'd sir john moor, kt. and president, and the rest of my honour'd friends, the governours of christ-hospital. pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. 1699 approx. 12 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2007-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a54297 wing p1451d estc r222473 99833640 99833640 38118 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a54297) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 38118) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2175:15) mr. pepys to the president, and governours of christ-hospital, upon the present state of the said hospital to the honour'd sir john moor, kt. and president, and the rest of my honour'd friends, the governours of christ-hospital. pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. moore, john, sir, 1620-1702, recipient. christ's hospital (london, england). board of governors, recipient. [4] p. s.n., [london : 1698] signatures: a.̲, signed at end: s. pepys. dated at head: york-buildings. march 30th. 1699. imprint from wing. copy stained, with heavy print show-through. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library, oxford. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christ's hospital (london, england) -early works to 1800. orphans -england -london -early works to 1800. charities -england -london -early works to 1800. 2005-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-12 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-10 taryn hakala sampled and proofread 2006-10 taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mr. pepys to the president , and governours of christ-hospital , upon the present state of the said hospital . to the honour'd sir john moor , k t. and president , and the rest of my honour'd friends , the governours of christ-hospital . york-buildings , march 30th . 1699. gentlemen , your resolution of the 22 th instant , importing your election of me to the treasurership of this hospital , was delivered me by the worthy gentlemen appointed thereto , with a degree of respect as obliging on their part , as the message it self was on yours ; and both surprising . surprising i say ; but without ought of what ( i find ) was in too much tenderness apprehended from me by some of this body concerning it ; as being one , who think nothing below the character of any man to execute , in a service of charity : and who therefore in my late searches into the condition of this house , descended to offices much beneath any thing that can occur in what you are now calling me to . i therefore do most thankfully own the proof you herein tender me of the continuance of your esteem , after the unwelcome freedom i have for some time been unavoidably exercising towards you , upon the unhappy subject of your present state ; in which your selves are now pleased to give me this testimony of your acquiescence : and in the redress whereof , this court shall never want any thing within my power improvable thereto . but whether in the method you now propose , is what i have made it my business for some days to consider ; without being able to bring my self to any other determination in it , than that the giving you any conclusive answer ( whether of acceptance or refusal ) before this resolution of yours shall have passed the censure of another court , is a no less exposing of myself , than imposing on you , ( as in a very late case ) under the vncertain issue of a subsequent court ; and when that is over , of the lord mayor and court of aldermen also : as that without which , by the known constitution of all our hospitals , no election of a treasurer is valid . a consideration of more than common weight at this time ; from the question under which the authority of that court now lies with this ; without ought i can hear-of yet done on their side , in its assertion . which while in doing , and for your clearer guidance in your second debates on this matter at the next court , i think it becoming me , in faithfulness both to you and myself , to lay before you the few following considerations . 1 st . — that i am no freeman ; and consequently , according to the original book of ordinances by which alone ( without entring into the reason of it ) this court and that of the lord mayor and aldermen are at liberty to act herein ; i neither am capable of being your treasurer , nor you nor they , apart or together , in a capacity of making me so . nor is there , i believe , any one instance to be shewn me , of a treasurer not a freeman : and should therefore most unwillingly subject myself to question , for meddling unwarrantably with a revenue so sacred as that of the poor's ; or be an occasion of your adventuring upon that in my case , which was never yet done in any , nor can now justifiably be in this . 2 dly . — that the office and work of your treasurer ought not to be estimated by what we have seen of it in its execution for some years past ; but by the condition the house is reduced to , from its being executed no otherwise . as being an office , that calls at once for qualifications , such and so many , as rarely meet in the same person : such are ( besides that of an approved integrity ) vigour of mind , steadiness of health , entire leasure , vninterestedness , zeal for and tenderness towards the poor , general experience , and particular practice in the business of accounts , a genius fitted for command joyn'd with temper , a thorough-insight into the laws and ends of our constitution , and a capacity of controlling every of our officers and masters in the execution of their dutys , with a constancy of attendance and application ( in his own person , and not by others ) to the performance of his own . a task both in bulk and weight , too much for my age and known infirmities ; besides the disabilitys i am alone conscious to my self of , for it . and though what i have here to add , might not possibly be reckon'd of moment enough alone in this debate : yet in conjunction with what is already said , i know not how without injury to my self to omit the observing ; that i can with no satisfaction think of accepting of a charge , which my self must be own'd to have had the greatest hand in the rendring vacant . 3 ly . — that suitable to my advice to you elsewhere on this subject , i do not see with what safety this court can proceed to the giving a final discharge to its late treasurer , nor how it should expect his being succeeded by any person of sincerity or substance , till a state shall be first adjusted of all your accounts , revenues , charges and debts , to your own and their satisfaction ; and that also laid before , and acquiesced-in by the court of aldermen . besides the review and fresh establishment fit to be first had of the work and instructions of that officer , before the admission of a new. as foreseeing little fruit from any change of hands ( be it what it will ) where those hands shall be obliged by no other rules nor restrictions , than those we owe our present distresses to . for the more successful dispatch of which , as well on the part of your said treasurer as your selves ; i submit it to you , whether it may not be advisable , that the current work of this office be for the present lodg'd with a small commmittee of your own number , properly chosen ; till by the adjustment of these matters , you shall be in a condition of restoring it to its ordinary methods . 4 ly . — lastly , that no degree of industry , experience , or other the vertues ( before requir'd ) in a treasurer , can alone be thought sufficient at this juncture ( where our whole constitution lies at once out of order ) to compass its reformation , without equal aid from a no less vigorous and persevering , however otherwise meritorious a president . one , i mean , whose thorough-knowledge in the design , powers , limitations , and orders of this pious foundation , and the rules of their execution , is able both to preserve himself from being either discouraged or imposed-on , and by his authority , zeal and vigilance , to prevent those practices which , from the want hereof , the generality of this house has been so long misled by , to its vndoing . a reflection , that in one word , would alone suffice ( lay there nothing else in my way ) to deter me from the vndertaking you invite me to , under the circumstances we at present labour in this particular . which having said , and the reasons of it thus opened ; it remains only for me to beg , that my declining your present offer may not be taken for a declension in any part of my concernment for the prosperity of this house . forasmuch as no consideration shall ever discourage or divert me from the pursuit of it ; till by some means , ordinary or extraordinary ( though much rather the former ) i see it restored to the state wherein all good men wish it . in view whereof , give me leave with great satisfaction once more to assure you , that ( without any such obligation as this of your treasurership ) neither you nor your helpless orphans shall ever want the best effects of my personal attendance and service , from the moment that , by your thorough-applications , and those of the court of aldermen towards it , i shall have any grounds to hope , that such my attendance and service , may be followed with any success , to the recovery of the lost honour of this house , by its return to that religious strictness which once distinguish'd it from all others , in its compliances with the holy and charitable ends provided-for by its munificent founders and benefactors ▪ i am gentlemen , your most humble and obedient servant , s. pepys . mr. pepys to the right honourable sir francis child, kt. lord mayor, and to the court of aldermen upon the present state of christ-hospital. pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. 1699 approx. 19 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a54298 wing p1451e estc r222474 99833641 99833641 38119 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a54298) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 38119) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2175:16) mr. pepys to the right honourable sir francis child, kt. lord mayor, and to the court of aldermen upon the present state of christ-hospital. pepys, samuel, 1633-1703. child, francis, sir, 1642-1713, recipient. city of london (england). court of common council, recipient. [6] p. s.n., [london : 1699] caption title. signed at end: s. pepys. dated at head: york-buildings, march 7th. 1698/9. [i.e. 1699] imprint from wing. copy stained, with heavy print show-through. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library, oxford. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christ's hospital (london, england) -early works to 1800. orphans -england -london -early works to 1800. charities -england -london -early works to 1800. london (england) -economic conditions. -early works to 1800. 2005-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-07 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-08 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-08 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mr. pepys to the right honourable sir francis child , kt. lord mayor , and to the court of aldermen , upon the present state of christ-hospital . york-buildings , march 7 th . 1698 / 9. my lord and gentlemen , that nothing may rest uncommunicated to this court , of what goes from me to that of christ-hospital ; any more than , by your allowance , i with-hold from them , ought of what i offer you : i here tender you a copy of a letter of mine thither , of the 25. of january . the contents of which bearing my farewel to them , as with all respect my purpose is in this to you ; i cannot but recommend the perusal thereof to this court ; as carrying with them such a representation of the perishing state of that house , in some fresh particulars essential to the well-being of it , as render it a thing little less than hopeless for me ( by ordinary means , at least ) any longer to think of saving it : after finding my self put to above seven months labour , in compassing only its treasurer's signing that one article of his account , which you had before had from him vnsign'd ; and more than ten , in finding passage only , through this court thither , to my late report of the state of the same . and what it is that may be look't-for from it , even now it is there , with a committee of few less than forty , and of them the majority such , as will find little work for them in it , but self-arraignment ; i submit to your lordship and this court. especially , when you shall be pleas'd to reflect upon the present circumstances of that house's government ; viz. vnder the guidance of a president , equal indeed to the worthiest of his predecessors , both in his general virtues , and special munificence to that place . but one , whose piety has out-liv'd his strength for being otherwise personally aidful to it , in any of the weightier duties of that charge . vnder a treasurer , who ( besides what you have elsewhere before you concerning him ) was also pleas'd to declare himself unable both in mind and body , for the longer execution of his office ; and therefore made his formal resignation of it , and had it as formally accepted-of from him in court there , above two years since . vnder the direction of gentlemen acting indeed as governours , and to whom as such i have for more than 23. years had the honour of reckoning my self a fellow-servant ; but are said to stand reported to you at this day by your learned council , not to be such , nor capable of being so , without ( what they have never yet had ) the confirmation of this court. and lastly , vnder an administration also on the part of your lordship and your honoured brethren , so gentle ; as to have suffer'd your orders thither , even in points the most important , to lye 7. months together wholly neglected , and your authority as openly renounc'd ; without having yet thought fit to have ought done ( within my notice at least ) in assertion of it . a reflection , my lord , as hard to be accounted-for , as in it self grievous . forasmuch as , if after so uninterrupted a jurisdiction , as has been always exercis'd by this court , and with a submission as constantly paid thereto from these hospitals ; if after so long a succession of gifts and bequests to them , and those to great values , in reliance upon the credit and authority of this court alone for their security ; if after so establish'd a veneration acquir'd to it , as guardians of these foundations , and particularly as the moral fathers of the orphans of this house , when in your easter and other solemnities , they , as your children , bear no small part in the honour of your processions ; and lastly , if after what in my particular i have been endeavouring herein for your service , and for the service of the poor ; this court shall appear to have been all this while thus credited and thus obey'd , without authority at this day , under the greatest of their miscarriages , to visit and reform them ; for so also your learned council are said to have determin'd . what must be thought of this mistake ? and particularly , how will the pious credulity of our princely founders and past benefactors be to be lamented ; and what more to be either hop'd or wish'd-for of them , on these terms , in time to come ? what must the apprehensions now be of those , whose subsistence rests upon the authority only of this court , for the payments that house stands charg'd with to their vse , out of the larger benevolences of their charitable auncestors ? or theirs ; whose debts of more modern date , lye unpaid ( many thousand pounds deep ) by that hospital at interest , upon no other security ? what is there to be rely'd-on of fruit from the retrospections said to be now on foot there , or those lying before your lordship and this court , from my report ? or in a word ; what to be hop'd-for either of satisfaction for so much of our poor's stock and benefactor 's bounties as has already miscarry'd ; or of better provision in time to come , for securing the remainder ? what , i say my lord , must the result of all this be , and how to be answerd-for ; should this court be so unhappy , as knowingly to permit such a foundation and its revenue to rest one day longer , in hands no otherwise qualify'd-for , nor better intitled to the trust of it ? while by a resolution of its own , not yet 16. months old , you have been pleas'd to declare your selves standing governours of the same , and ( as such ) required your being ( as anciently ) summon'd to every of its courts , and accordingly have ever since been so , and now are : to the entitling your selves ( i fear ) to a nearer concernment in the fate of it , than may have been yet sufficiently reflected-on ; and possibly , to an accountableness with them , for the good or bad events of their managements there . a consideration i am the more willingly your present remembrancer in , from the fresh endeavours said to be now on foot there , for resuming their old liberty of taking-in children , while unprovided of a bit of bread for those they now have , otherwise than by running into new debt , or length'ning their score of interest upon the old ; besides sacrificing the innocence of so many fresh infants , to the dissoluteness of manners now reigning , among those they are to be there mixed-with . the evil of whose contagion , and pressure of which debt , i take to be no otherwise removable , than by a total stop to be for some time put , to the occasions of both. an expedient , that i well know will at the first hearing be thought as impracticable , as in other respects extraordinary . but the case is extraordinary too ; and consequently , to restrain its remedy to ordinary methods only , is little other , than to leave it remedy-less . which i cannot think any gentleman , who hath the honour and trust of a governour there , will contentedly sit-down with , while furnish'd with any thing to offer towards the saving it , as ( for want of better ) i do this : and yet with an opinion so far from deeming it impracticable , as to reckon it a work neither of length nor difficulty ; if , in atonement for that misconduct of ours , by which , from the prosperity this house was in while under the care but of 16. governours with 500. children , it has been brought into the condition it now lies with 400. governours ( little more or less ) and but 400. children ; if ( i say ) in atonement for that misconduct , we would improve the opportunity of this nearness in our numbers , to the easing the house at once of the whole , by every governour 's taking to himself one : thereby leaving the income of it entirely free to the discharge of its debts , doing right to its founders and benefactors , and that being done , to the setting-out afresh , with a revenue clear'd , its discipline reform'd , and provision made for its future better conduct through the whole . and this i lay with all deference before your lordship and this court , as that without which , or some other aequivalent , i must avow my despair of ever seeing this unhappy house in the state it ought to be ; and therefore would be glad , with your concurrence and the concurrence of the gentlemen of that body , to be doing my part , either in this or any other effectual proposition , towards it . i am well aware , my lord , of the censure this fervor of mine may expose me to , as one overpressing in a cause , wherein others neither less interested nor less discerning than my self , are pleas'd to shew so little of the dissatisfaction i do ; and without any surprise on my side at it , as well remembring how little different my own sentiments were of it , while my knowledge thereof ( like theirs ) had no other direction , than the information of others . whereas no sooner was i engaged in the closer and more deliberate enquiries apply'd thereto of my own , but that indifference of mine was awaken'd to the degree of concernment i now profess ; and which , on like conviction , would be no less in any other , whose morals ( like mine ) know no middle , in matters of trust at least , between scrupulously iust , and down-right the contrary . or to speak more plainly ; between mixing my own hand in the ruin of this religious house , and sitting silently within view of its being brought-about , by the vanitie , supineness , prodigality , or self-interest of others . indulge me therefore , my lord , the liberty of this one only closing note to your lordship upon this subject . namely , that as the direction of the hospitals , has in all times hitherto been undeniably exercised by your honourable predecessors , in this place ; and as uninterruptedly submitted-to . so is it no less evident , that however an occasion has now ( after sevenscore years practice ) been administred to the questioning it ; your said predecessors , ( the lord mayor , commonalty , and citizens of london ) upon covenants first by them entered-into with k. edward vi. for the good government of them , were by his special charter of incorporation as governours thereof , furnished with all the powers requisite to the enabling them to make-good those covenants . in consideration of which , and in duty to your lordship , to the city , to this court , and to the poor , i cannot ( as a servant to all ) but most earnestly pray ; that this matter may without delay , be laid for remedy before that body corporate , where-ever it now rests ; in order to the preventing , if possible , any unnecessary recourse to methods extraordinary , for what should be thought attainable by ordinary . especially while , sitting a parliament , with so many of your own number , and of the hospital's , members therein , and with a bill already ( i take it ) before them , relating to charitable uses ▪ no reasonable supplement ought to be doubted from it , to that ordinary power : if any such can be judg'd wanting , after so illustrious a proof , as i have sometime since given you , of the issue of his lordship , the present lord chancellor's proceeding in the late memorable case of st. katharines 〈◊〉 proceeding i cannot but remind you of ; as well as of the check put but few years before at the great seal , to a visitation then offered-at , in a method less regular , in the case of st. thomas's . to conclude , my lord , this calamity of ours in our hospital-concernment is a spot not to be cover'd in our feasts of charity , once the glory of this city . and a spot not at the worst neither , but daily spreading , and daily deepening too , through every part of it . witness its appearance ( where least to have been lookt-for ) in the very last act of our treasurer's signing this account ; as giving you therein , his own hand in evidence against the truth of what you had had before from him vnsign'd ; and in which , as in all other its former editions , to my self , to the hospital , and from thence to the lords of the treasury , there had been suppress'd in the single article of sea wages , a sum no less than 1400 l. besides others of greater moment yet behind . and this too , notwithstanding repeated cautions to them concerning it ; and particularly in my last , whereof this brings you a copy . and since which ( as fresh at it is ) they have nevertheless adventur'd to ask , and actually received more than 700 l. upon that very head on which the treasurer has so lately own'd his having twice that sum of the king 's in his hand , yet to be accounted-for . be pleased therefore to think of some speedy prevention to the growth of this our reproach . and towards it , permit me only to say ; that as uneasy as the vndertaking may appear to others ; i see no cause of apprehending any thing of more difficulty needful towards it ( whether as to the due animadverting upon what is past , or better providing for what is to come ) than a right choice of a very few hands to be assign'd thereto , supported with an authority suited to the work , and powers requisite to the rendring their labours and determinations therein effectual . which being adjusted , and that only ; i should with great assurance of success , both readily and gladly pay the utmost of my personal service to the gentlemen so commission'd ; as well in detecting the errors of my own calculations ( and which for the poor's sake i could wish more , than i dare yet hope them to be ) as suggesting and applying adequate remedies , to what those gentlemen in their happyer enquirys may find truly needing the same . but if after all ( which god avert ) it should be our infelicity , even with the aid of that charter , not to have wherewith of our own to help our selves herein . the cause nevertheless is too sacred , both in it self , and as it is the king 's , to be permitted to sink , while within the support i have so often mention'd , of his own soveraign visitation ; and more particularly in what relates to himself within our care in the mathematical foundation ; by translating it , from the hands in which it now languishes , to those he is pleased to intrust with that of his own later erection , to the same royal purpose in the advancement of navigation , within his own palace and inspection at greenwich . i am in most respectful manner , my lord and gentlemen , your ever most faithful and obedient servant , s. pepys . a sermon preach'd june 1, 1699, at feckenham in worcester-shire, before the trustees appointed by sir thomas cookes, kt. bart. to manage his charity given to that place by john baron ... baron, john, 1669 or 70-1722. 1699 approx. 55 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 22 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a31012 wing b879 estc r10496 12386114 ocm 12386114 60847 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a31012) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 60847) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 268:2) a sermon preach'd june 1, 1699, at feckenham in worcester-shire, before the trustees appointed by sir thomas cookes, kt. bart. to manage his charity given to that place by john baron ... baron, john, 1669 or 70-1722. [4], 37, [1] p. printed by leon. lichfield, oxford : 1699. advertisement on p. [1] at end. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng charities -sermons. 2004-09 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-11 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-01 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preach'd june 1. 1699. at feckenham in worcester-shire , before the trustees appointed by sir thomas cookes , kt. bart. to manage his charity given to that place . by john baron , m. a. and fellow of balliol college in oxford . to him that soweth righteousness , shall be a sure reward . prov. 11.18 . oxford , printed by leon. lichfield , 1699. to the right worshipful sir tho. cookes , of bentley , knight-baronet . sir , i hope you will not be surpriz'd , when you find your name set before the following discourse . as it was preach'd at your request , so i think i have no reason to doubt of your favourable acceptance of it ; especially since i know you are perswaded , that the doctrines contain'd in it , are both sound and seasonable . the charitable settlements which you have already made , are a sufficient argument , that you firmly believe good works to be absolutely necessary to salvation ; and your very earnest desire of perfecting your more noble designs , notwithstanding the discouragements you have met with , farther shew , that you look upon the time of life to be the most proper , if not the only time of doing good . as far as i remember , i have never seen any just discourse on this subject ; and i heartily wish , what i have here said , may answer my chief design in the publication of it , which is , that i may convince men of ability of the danger of delaying their charity till they dye . if i should not be so happy as to succeed herein , it will yet be a great satisfaction to me to consider , that i have so fair an opportunity of acknowledging your generous kindness to me , and of assuring you withal , that i am , honour'd sir , your very humble servant , john baron . ball. coll. oxford july 11. 1699. gal. chap. vi. ver. 10. as we have therefore opportunity , let us do good unto all men . in these words there are three things contain'd , i. a duty recommended . ii. the extent of this duty . iii. the proper time of performing it . i. the duty here recommended is that most excellent one of doing good , to which we are indispensably oblig'd , both by the principles of natural and reveal'd religion . right reason directs us to it , almighty god has expresly commanded it , our blessed saviour , while he was upon earth , exemplify'd it to us , for he went about doing good , act. 10.38 . and he has likewise assured us all , who are call'd by his holy name , that we must be exercis'd in it , if we desire or hope at the last day to give up our accounts with joy , and not with grief . notwithstanding the great heats that have been rais'd about justification , herein all agree that good works are the necessary visible fruits , whereby the sincerity of our hearts may be known ; without these our hope is presumption , our assurance nothing but a groundless confidence , and our faith absolutely ineffectual . for as the body without the spirit is dead , so faith without works is dead also , jam. 2.26 . ii. the second thing to be observed is the universal extent of this great duty , express'd in these words , let us do good unto all men . our kindness must be extended as the blessings of heaven are , and the displays of our love must reach like those of the sun in the firmament , to the just and the unjust . for we are all brethren , descended from the same common stock ; and he that is afar off , as well as he that is near , is ( according to the christian interpretation of the word ) our neighbour . 't is true indeed the proud and ill-natur'd pharisees of old , restrain'd the sence of this word , and accordingly confin'd their charity and mercy within the narrow limits of their own nation : but he who came to fulfil the law , to supply what was wanting , and to explain what they by their false glosses and ill-grounded comments had darkned and perplexed ; he who was the way , the truth , and the life , has taught us by the parable of the good samaritan taking pity on a stranger , that fell among thieves , that under the gospel every person , who stands in need of our relief , tho' he be as great an adversary to us , as a jew to a samaritan , must yet be looked upon as the object of our compassion and mercy , and of any charitable acts , which he can receive , and we perform . iii. the third thing to be observed is the proper time of performing this duty , which is , when and while we have opportunity . for though to do good to all men , be a duty incumbent upon us , yet we are not at all times equally oblig'd to the exercise of it . the cries of some that want , never come to our ears , and the necessities of others may be so great , that we are not able to relieve them . no man can be oblig'd beyond his knowledge and power , neither will much be requir'd of him , to whom little has been given . the apostle therefore saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as we have opportunity , let us do good unto all men. the old version is , while we have time ; dr. hammond renders it , as we have ability ; grotius his note upon the place is , dum manet haec vita , while we are alive . all these put together will compleat the signification of the word : for after death we can do nothing , and in this life we can then only be said to have an opportunity offered us of doing good , when the wants of others , and our own plenty meet together . so that what st. paul here presses , from the certainty of a reward , which we shall reap in due time , if we faint not , is , that we be merciful after our power , and so far as we have ability , embrace every opportunity of doing good while we live . these things being premised , that my following discourse may the better suit with the present occasion , i shall endeavour to shew , 1. that 't is upon several accounts more advisable for men of ability , to dispose of what they intend for charitable uses in their life time , than to leave it to be manag'd by others after their death . 2. that men of ability are in duty oblig'd to do good while they live . 3. i shall speak of the peculiar excellency and usefulness of those charitable settlements , which are design'd to promote and encourage learning . 4. and lastly , i shall enquire what is the duty of all those , who more immediately enjoy the benefit and advantages of such foundations . first i am to shew that it is upon several accounts more advisable for men of ability , to dispose of what they intend for charitable uses in their life time , than to leave it to be manag'd by others after their death . this proposition i hope to make good from the following considerations : 1. that it is utterly uncertain , whether that which men of ability leave to the disposal of others , be ever settled according to their original design and intent . 2. it is a greater argument of a free and generous mind , to dispose of what they design for charitable uses while they live , than to leave it to be manag'd by others after their death . 3. it shews they firmly trust in , and more entirely rely upon the good providence of god. 4. it may conduce very much to the raising of their affections from things below , and placing them on things above . 5. by settling what they design for charitable uses while they live , they will in all probability derive a blessing upon themselves for the remainder of their lives . 6. and lastly , the reflection upon what good they have done , will afford them great comfort and satisfaction when they come to dye . 1. in the first place it should be considered by men of ability , that it is utterly uncertain , whether what they leave to the disposal of others , be ever settled according to their original design and intent . for a man's will may be stifled or perverted ; it may be the interest of some , that it never see light , of others , that it be interpreted quite contrary to the intention of the testator . a son does not always inherit the vertues of his father , and those generous principles whereby the one was governed , are many times found to have little or no influence on the other . if this should be the case , if the son's eye should be evil , because his father's is good ; we must expect to see him , instead of fulfilling his will , making a thousand trifling scruples against it . either he will except to some particular clauses of it ; or by objecting the contradiction and inconsistency of its parts , he will at one stroke attempt to invalidate and overthrow the whole . like the unfaithful disciple , he reckons all wasted that is set aside for god's service ; and thinks his father's giving any thing to the church or poor , is a direct robbing of his own children or relations , and consequently a sufficient arguent that he was not in his right mind . if the trust and execution be lodged in extraneous hands , which have no such immediate relation to the testator , they also may be careless and negligent , ignorant and unskilful , men that don't love , or don 't understand business ; they may disagree among themselves , or have private ends of their own to promote . these are no impertinent , impossible , or maliciously contrived suppositions , as appears from the frequency of commissions for charitable uses , and the many years distance between the death of some donours , and the compleat settlement of their benefactions . after all , admit that none of these things should happen , but that the executors , out of a sence of their duty , should resolve to use their utmost diligence , in order to the settling every thing as it was design'd ; yet the charity it self may be such as cannot be so employ'd . when it comes to be put in practice , it may be found contrary to some constitution of the realm , or it may be inconsistent with the customes or priviledges of the body or society , for which it was originally intended . there may be several other impediments , which while the charity was only in theory or design , could not be foreseen or prevented . the civil law indeed in such cases directs very well , that when what is given for any special or determinate use , cannot be so applied , it may be dispos'd of otherwise , as shall be thought most necessary for the publick good . i think our laws likewise make some such provision : nevertheless it is still most advisable for men of ability , to fix what they design for charity in their life time . for by this means , if one way be observed unlikely to take effect , they may immediately resolve upon another . they may review their settlement when it is made , they may add to it , they may correct , alter or explain what they please in it , and at last leave it entirely to their own satisfaction . it is to my purpose , and therefore i must by no means forget to observe here , what unexpected hindrances that honourable person , who has already been a great benefactor to this place , has met with ; which though they have created him much trouble and uneasiness , yet i have all imaginable assurance , that his heart is still fixed and ready ; and i do not question but his more diffusive charity will in a short time be firmly settled in oxford , which he has long since designed , as a completion of his other good works , so beneficial to , and by the care of his worthy trustees , and skilful masters , so successfully carry'd on in this county . 2. the second consideration i would propose to men of ability , is this , that it is a greater argument of a free and liberal heart , to dispose of what they intend for charitable uses while they live , than to leave it to be manag'd by others after their death . 't is certain that god has a peculiar regard to the thoughts and intents of their hearts , and 't is no less certain , that that onely will be accepted and rewarded by him , which they dispose of not grudgingly or of necessity , but with a free and ready mind : for god loveth a cheerful giver , 2 cor. 9.7 . now those who seek and embrace every opportunity of employing what they design for charitable uses while they live , do abundantly evidence this readiness and cheerfulness in giving . whereas such as leave their charity to be distributed by others after their death , which they might conveniently dispose of themselves whilst alive , seem to have a certain secret reserve , that the world shall never be the better for what they possess , so long as they can reap any benefit from it themselves ; and by resolving to give part of their substance when they dye , they do in effect resolve to give nothing while they live . as therefore we pass not the best complement , and consequently lay no very great obligation upon our friends , by offering them what we cannot any longer keep or make use of : so in the esteem of all indifferent men , there is little generosity in him , who adjourns his charity , as sinners commonly do their repentance , not to a more convenient season , for the present will be always equally inconvenient , but to the very utmost extent of nature , and at last goes naked out of this world , meerly because he can't carry his mammon of unrighteousness away with him . such a man's charity , if i may so call it , is somewhat like that improper kind of donation , which the roman law calls , donatio mortis causa . whereby he that gave any thing did it only conditionally , propter mortis suspicionem , in case he should dye in his journey , in battel , or of the disease under which he then laboured . he had rather indeed the person to whom he thus gave any thing should have it , than his heir ; but he still secur'd the propriety to himself , so long as he lived , and it many times happen'd that he lived long enough to repent of , and revoke his donation . just so it is here : a man's will , tho' never so solemnly made , is during his life-time , provided the use of his reason be continued to him , changeable and ambulatory . so that he who gives any thing in one , may grow out of humour , and re-call it by another . the best and wisest of men are very wavering and irresolute , so that no one knows what a day may bring forth . and suppose there should be no danger in the delay , but that the former should stand unalter'd , yet a testament is of no strength at all , whilst the testator liveth ; and therefore that his design'd charity ever takes effect , is not wholly due to his will and intention , but in some measure also , to that standing unchangeable decree , whereby it is appointed for man once to dye . if you could certify him that he had longer to live , and that his soul should not yet be requir'd of him , he would be sure to hold fast his possessions . his desires would increase with his heaps , till at length they became capacious and unsatiable as the grave ; and i make no doubt , but the same tenacious principle , which hinders him from reaching out his hand to do good , as he has an opportunity , would equally influence him an hundred years hence twice told , if we could suppose his days to be so prolonged on the earth . those then afford us the highest demonstration of a noble , a large and generous soul , who settle their charity themselves ; thereby giving glory to god , before he causeth darkness , before their feet stumble upon the dark mountains , and they themselves fall into the ruines of old-age . 3. my third consideration is this , that they who dispose of what they design for charitable uses , while they live , do thereby shew , that they firmly trust in , and more entirely rely on the good providence of god. the lord ( saith the psalmist ) hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdom ruleth over all . his providence extends to all the works of the creation , but he is said to be particularly concern'd for the children of men. we ought therefore to lay aside all anxious perplexing thoughts for to morrow , and to cast all our care upon him , who has promis'd not to leave us , nor forsake us . and the best way to evidence this our reliance upon the good providence of god , is to make him a plentiful return of his own bounties , and to do good proportionably to our ability with what we at present enjoy . we ought to remember , that a considerable part of our blessed lord's divine sermon upon the mount , was design'd to remove our doubts concerning the things of this life ; that we might not be troubled or discompos'd , as the heathens were , with fearful apprehensions of future wants . we may learn from thence , that our life is more than meat , and our body than raiment ; and therefore we may surely conclude , that god who is so able , and so kind as to give the one , cannot be unable , neither will he be backward to give the other . we cannot but observe , that the fowls of the air are plentifully fed , though they contribute nothing to their own support ; and that the lilies of the field , which do neither toil nor spin , are yet so richly arayed , that they exceed solomon in all his glory . and having such demonstrative arguments of god's providence , over beings of an inferior class , we may be very confident that his watchful eye is over man , who being made in his own image , is the perfection and master-piece of this lower world. the case of the gentiles was far otherwise : the idols they adored were wood and stone , the work of men's hands ; which they saw stood in need of the help and protection of their votaries , whose wants they were ignorant of , and so could by no means be thought able to supply them ; upon this account it was no great wonder , that they were so very solicitous for themselves . but if we , who worship the true living god , who understands all our necessities before we ask , and has promis'd in his due time to relieve them ; if we should continue to disquiet our selves about distant events , and future contingencies , it might justly be thought , that we have not learned christ so perfectly as we should , and that this distrust of ours proceeds from a very great weakness , if not from a total want of faith. and as there is some reason to suspect , that the same evil distrustful heart is in those , who defer their charity till they dye , so the best method of removing all just grounds of such a suspicion , is to be rich in good works while they live . for he that disperseth abroad , and is glad to distribute to the necessities of others , gives all the world a satisfactory and convincing proof , that he firmly believes in god , and entirely depends upon his never-failing providence , for the supply of his own . 4. i desire it may be considered by men of ability , that the disposing of their charity while they live , may conduce very much to the raising of their affections from things below , and placing them on things above . the conversation of all true christians is in heaven , there they ought to set their affections , even while they sojourn upon earth . for they are but strangers and pilgrims here below , and therefore they must not irregularly love the world , neither the things of the world. if any man love the world , the love of the father is not in him . the friendship of the world is direct irreconcileable enmity against god , and an immoderate desire of earthly enjoyments is the root of all evil . we can't serve god and mammon . would we be able then to wean our thoughts from all that looks great and inviting here ? would we be able to raise our minds to an heavenly frame and temper ? the way and means hereto , is to return our money into the other world. lay up ( saith our saviour ) for your selves treasures in heaven , for where your treasure is , there will your heart be also . where-ever we are , our affections will always point toward the beloved object , and whilst our treasures are those of this world , we shall not easily be brought to be intent on the next . but if we do good with what we possess , we are then said to lend unto the lord ; and it will be no difficult matter to elevate our desires , and to fix them on heaven , when once we have remitted our treasure thither . then we shall be wholly at leisure for divine contemplations , never to be interrupted or distracted by any of those casualties , which trouble the thoughts of the children of this world. there will be no moth , nor rust to corrupt , no secret or avowed thieves to break through and steal . and whereas the most cautious and subtle usurer upon earth is somtimes cheated and disappointed ; they who give credit to the sovereign lord of all , need fear no disadvantageous compositions , no shuffling or discount : they are sure of receiving their own again with usury , either an hundred-fold in this world , or in the world to come everlasting life . 5. it is worthy the consideration of men of ability , that by disposing of their own charity , they will in all probability derive a blessing upon themselves for the remainder of their lives . righteous and merciful men are the peculiar favourites of heaven , and by a secret and undiscerned providence , all things are made to work together for their good . lose thy mony ( saith the son of syrach ) for thy brother and thy friend , and let it not rust under a stone to be lost . lay up thy treasure , according to the commandments of the most high , and it shall bring thee more profit than gold . shut up alms in thy store-houses , and it shall deliver thee from all affliction . it shall fight for thee against thy enemies , better than a mighty shield and strong spear , ecclus. 29. as for what the poor miser objects , that charity is wholly inconsistent with our temporal interest , and that by doing good to others we shall in a short time impoverish our selves and our families ; 't is spoken with as much ease , and as little reason , as other calumnies are , by men who dare speak any thing but what is true , and do any thing but what is good . the royal psalmist was a man of years and experience , when he declared , that he had never seen the righteous forsaken , nor his seed begging bread . and his son solomon , so justly celebrated for his wisdom , observed , that there was that made himself rich , and yet had nothing , and there was that made himself poor , and yet had great riches . and again , that there was that scattered , and yet increased , and there was that with-held more than was meet , and it tended to poverty . that the liberal soul was made fat , and he that watered , was watered also himself . our heavenly father , who is the fountain and onely dispenser of all plenty , and from whom alone every good gift cometh , is always able , and does many times reward the liberal man with temporal blessings , improving every alms which he gives , like the oyl in the poor widow's cruse , which was so far from failing , that it increased in spending , and grew more by being consumed . i own this is not universally true : the charitable man does not always meet with a proportionable recompence in this world. but then it should be farther considered , that when it pleases god otherwise to order things , and to fail him in his returns here , he has for his security the promise of him who is truth it self , with whom is no variableness or shadow of turning , that he shall be amply rewarded at resurrection of the just. and besides all this , if we should farther suppose that god , for the tryal of his patience , or out of very faithfulness , should cause him to be troubled : if he should suffer by any common calamity , if any fatal change , any sudden extraordinary revolution of state should reach him among others ; in a word , if poverty should overtake him like an armed man , yet he has this apparent advantage over the unmerciful worldling , that the good deeds which he has done , will recommend him to the liberality of others , and the light afflictions , which he here indures , will procure him a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory . 2 cor. 4.17 . 6. and lastly , it ought to be considered by men of ability , that the reflection upon what good they have done , in their life , will afford them great comfort and satisfaction , when they come to dye . this is as important a consideration as can well be , for the thoughts of this great change do naturally affright and disturb the soul , which never stands in more need of comfort , than at the time of its separation . the best men , when they are laid on the bed of sickness , feel some disorder within , some doubts arising concerning their salvation ; they are perplexed and divided between hope and fear , nature and grace . now the most effectual way of removing these disquietudes , and of procuring rest for our souls at the hour of death , is to reflect upon what good we have done in the healthful and vigorous part of our lives . alms are a lasting foundation , and a sure pledge of peace and tranquillity ; and good works , which are done out of an unfeign'd faith in jesus christ , will deliver from death , and contribute very much to the covering a multitude of sins . i do not remember ( saith st. jerom ) that i have read , that ever any charitable person dyed an evil death ; for having the holy spirit for his comforter , a good conscience for his testimony , and christ for his advocate , he can with cheerfulness commit his soul to god , as to a faithful creator . 't is a mighty ease and refreshment to him , to remember , that he has clothed the naked , fed the hungry , entertain'd the stranger , and visited those that were sick and in prison ; and to consider withal , that whatsoever kindness or mercy he has shew'd to his necessitous neighbour , will be as well accepted by christ , as if it had been immediately done unto himself . if amidst these joyful composing reflections , the great enemy and accuser of mankind should raise any distrustful thoughts in his heart , he can presently fly for refuge to the father of mercies , who knows and pities his infirmities , and who will the rather deliver him because he observes his confidence is ballanced with reverence , humility and godly fear . as for cruel uncharitable men , it is not so with them ; at the approach of death , when the terrors of the lord set themselves in aray against them , fearfulness and trembling comes upon them , and an horrible dread overwhelms them ; they are like the troubled sea , which cannot rest . the sensual delights which they heretofore so eagerly pursued , can now entertain or divert them no more , neither will their treasures of wickedness profit them in this day of wrath . they may look for some to have pity on them , but they will find none ; none that can redeem their souls , or make an agreement with god for them . they are left perfectly as men without hope , which is certainly the most miserable condition they can be in on this side hell. they remember that they many times stopped their ears , and turned their faces from the poor and needy , and therefore they conclude that the face of the lord will be turned away from them : and as they shewed no mercy , so they are under a certain fearful looking for of judgment without mercy . the bitterness of their souls makes them long for death , and yet the sence of approaching vengeance makes them afraid to dye . i shall conclude this consideration with the words of the truly pious bishop taylor : certain it is , ( saith he ) god cannot , will not , never did reject a charitable person in his greatest needs and most passionate prayers . for god himself is love , and every degree of charity that dwells in us is the participation of the divine nature : and therefore when upon our death-bed a cloud covers our head , and we are enwrapped with sorrow , when we feel the weight of a sickness , and do not feel the refreshing visitations of god's loving-kindness , when we have many things to trouble us , and looking round about us , we see no comforter ; then we should call to mind , what injuries we have forgiven , how apt we were to pardon all affronts and real persecutions , how we embraced peace when it was offered us , how we followed after peace when it ran from us : and when we are weary of one side , we should turn upon the other , and remember the alms , that by the grace of god , and his assistances , we have done , and look up to god , and with the eye of faith behold him coming in the clouds , and pronouncing the sentence of dooms-day , according to his mercies , and our charity . from what has been said , i think 't is evident , that it is upon several accounts more advisable for men of ability to dispose of what they intend for charitable uses in their life time , than to leave it to be manag'd by others after their death . i proceed now in the 2. second place to shew , that men of ability are strictly oblig'd to do good while they live . i shall not here undertake exactly to state how much good every man ought to do , indeed it cannot nicely be determined . there is a great difference in the conditions and abilities of men ; some want much more than others to support themselves handsomely , according to the station or office they are in , or to maintain or educate their children agreeably to their birth and quality . there cannot be one standing measure of charity common to all ; and since it has not pleased god under the christian dispensation , to assign any particular proportion , every man must be left to the direction of his own conscience herein . all that i am about to prove then is this , that they who are able , ought according to their ability , to do good if they have an opportunity , while they live . this will appear from the consideration of the circumstances they are in , and the relation they bear to the supreme lord of all the world. for who made them to differ from others ? or what have they , which they have not received ? the earth is the lord's , and the fullness thereof ; the richest of men are only stewards and trustees under him . the many talents they possess , and all the special and eminent blessings they enjoy above others , are derived from the fountain of his all-sufficient and overflowing goodness . therefore they must be employ'd according to his will , and agreeably to those great and noble ends for which they were originally granted ; such as are the glory of god , and the assistance of their fellow-creatures . and whether at all , or how far they have improved the advantages here afforded them , will be strictly enquired into at the great day of retribution . then they must all appear before the judgment-seat of christ , then the almighty's book of remembrance will be opened , all men will be called to give an account of their stewardship , and will be rewarded or punished according to their works . they will not then be judged by their bare intentions , or conditional resolutions , which through their own fault never took effect ; neither will it be enquired , what good they have remotely designed , but what they have actually done , when they were alive , and had an opportunity of doing it . the time of life is the only proper season for exercising those talents they are intrusted with : the living , the living , they may praise god , and honour him with their substance , but in death who remembers the poor ? or how can a man be charitable in the grave ? unless therefore men of ability will be content to be reckoned among the negligent or unfaithful stewards , either among such as hide their talents , and make no use at all of them , or among such as abuse them to the dishonour of their master , they must search out for , at least lay hold of every opportunity of improving them while they live . i know such as get all that they can , and keep all that they can get , may say at the last gasp , that tho' they have done no good in their life time , yet they have all along resolv'd it , and according to these resolutions , their charity will commence after their death . to this i answer , first , that resolution is in its own nature an imperfect act , and therefore can signify nothing without performance and consummation ; unless it be where a sudden death , or some unforeseen , irremoveable impediment has hindred it . so that this resolution will prove an argument against themselves : for if they were not convinc'd of the absolute necessity of doing good , why did they ever resolve it ? and if they were , certainly they cannot imagine meerly to resolve it , will be sufficient . secondly , as for their charity commencing after their death , i dare not encourage any one to depend upon it , who might as conveniently have employed it himself . i am sure our blessed saviour frequently presseth his disciples , to work while it is day , i. e. while they live , because the night of death cometh , when no man can work . and from that most solemn description of the last judgment , wherein he peculiarly recommends to us all the acts of compassion and mercy , i find no mention made of resolving to clothe the naked , to feed the hungry , to visit the sick , and the like , nor any great grounds to hope , that a death-bed charity , which might as well have been setled in the life of the donour , will be accepted by him . nay rather , upon an attentive and indifferent view of that account of the process of the last judgment , we may conclude , that to him that hath an opportunity of doing good while he lives , and doth it not , to him it will be sin . i would not here be mistaken , and therefore i must a little farther explain my self , which i cannot better do than in the words of a late author , in his practical discourse concerning death . it is the good ( saith he ) we do while we live , that shall be rewarded , and therefore we must take care to do good while we live . it is well when men , who do no good while they live , will remember to do some good when they dye . but if god should accept such presents as these , yet it will make great abatements in the account , that they kept their riches themselves as long as they could , and would part with nothing to god , till they could keep it no longer . the case is different as to those who did all the good they could while they lived , and when they saw they could live no longer , took care to do good after death : such surviving charities as these prolong our lives , and add daily to our account ; when such men are removed into the other world , they are doing good in this world still ; they have a stock a going below , the increase and improvements of which will follow them into the other world. blessed are the dead which thus dye in the lord. i come now in the 3. third place to speak of the peculiar excellency and usefulness of those charitable settlements , which are design'd to promote and encourage learning . these i conceive excel other kinds of charity in two respects : 1. because the benefit of them reaches to the soul , as well as to the body . 2. because the whole kingdom reaps advantage by these , whereas several other kinds of charity terminate in particular persons , or in one body or society . 1. the benefits of those charitable settlements , which are designed to promote and encourage learning , reach to the soul , as well as the body . to do good to our brethren in any respect or capacity , is very commendable ; but since the soul is the better part of the man , 't is proportionably a more noble design to provide for that , than for the body . the wants of the mind are most importunate , and the necessities of the flesh may be better born , or more easily supply'd , than those of the spirit . hunger and nakedness are not of so fatal a consequence , as ignorance and error , and however mean the accommodations of the body are , that the soul be without knowledge is not good . 't is better to be poor , than unlearned . this , i suppose , will look like a paradox , but i truly believe it was the opinion of the most eminent among the ancient philosophers , who in a right sence despis'd dominions , and slighted dignities , being chiefly careful about regulating and improving their intellectual faculties . they knew , that to have their understandings clear , and free from prejudice and error , to be able to think methodically , and argue closely , to have their wills set strait , and their affections under the conduct and discipline of reason , was a perfection and happiness , wherein they excell'd the generality of mankind , as much as some in human shape do the beasts that perish . and here let us suppose a child to be born in the wilderness , to grow up to manhood without any instruction and information , to have no notices of things , no rules and directions for the government of his life communicated to him by others ; verily there would not be a more miserable creature upon the face of the earth . we should find him dull and stupid , froward and obstinate , churlish , barbarous and untractable ; ignorant , and yet hating instruction , unable to judge aright , and therefore easily to be seduced ; vain and roving in all his imaginations , and violent in the pursuit of his pleasures , neither fearing god , nor regarding man , without discretion , without civility , without humanity it self . in short , this mere animal of such wild , desart , uncultivated manners , would be useless to himself , and an intolerable burden to all about him . for sand , and salt , and a mass of iron , are easier to bear , than a man without understanding , ecclus. 22.15 . upon this consideration of the great inconveniencies , and manifest evils the want of learning and instruction exposeth men to , some have made it a question , whether they were more oblig'd to them from whom they had their being , than to those who gave them their education . others , tho' they have not gone so far , have yet remarkably honoured those , who by guiding and directing them in their tender years , contributed to the rectifying and exalting their natures . others again to shew their esteem of learning , have encouraged and rewarded it in those that have been strangers , and profess'd enemies to them . thus when alexander had taken and plundered thebes , he spared the house and family of pindar , summum in doctos favorem manifestissimo exemplo testatus . and though the romans suffered by the inventions of archimedes , yet marcellus to evidence how much he was concern'd at his death , ordered a sepulchre for a memorial of him ; which being over-run with brambles , was restored by cicero after the space of an hundred and thirty years . many more instances of this nature might be produc'd , both from ancient and modern histories ; but since all civiliz'd nations are already agreed , that instruction is the very life of the soul , more need not be said to prove , that those charitable settlements which are design'd to promote and encourage learning , do peculiarly excel most others , because the benefit of them reaches to the soul as well as to the body . 2. whereas several kinds of charity terminate in particular persons , or in one body or society , the whole kingdom reaps advantage from those settlements , which are design'd to promote and encourage learning . this advantage is much every way , we will briefly consider it first , 1. in time of peace , which is therefore reckoned so great a blessing , because of that security it gives to all ranks and conditions of men at home , and the free liberty of trade and commerce abroad . in both which respects those foundations that promote and encourage learning are very advantageous and useful . in these all liberal sciences are taught and improved , and there are none of the inferiour manual arts , that serve to provide man with food and raiment , or do otherwise minister to the necessities and conveniencies of life , but what receive some benefit from hence . the masters of them being enabled by arithmetick , and some rules of the mechanicks , to proceed with less charge , and more ease and expedition , at least with more certainty in the business of their respective callings . in these also men of higher quality and better parts , have all imaginable opportunities of leisure , books , and conversation , whereby , if they are not extremely wanting to themselves , they may in due time become useful in their generation , and capable of doing god and their country service , either in the church , or in the state , in the court , or at the bar. in a word , take away those helps to learning and knowledge , such charitable settlements as we are now speaking of afford , and peace it self would only serve , like the quiet silence of the night , to lull us fast asleep , and to let us more insensibly slide backward into that profound , universal ignorance , which we now pity in others , and from which we of this nation have not yet many ages been delivered . and then for trade and commerce with other nations , who are as different from us in their language and customes , as they are remote in their climate , i shall take the boldness to affirm , that they may doubt of , or deny any thing , who either do not see , or through prejudice will not acknowledge how much this island is engaged to those , who by a right use of the means and opportunities of studying charitably reached out to them , have very far advanced several useful parts of learning , particularly astronomy , geography and navigation . 2. let us consider how far these settlements which are made for the encouragement of learning , advantage the whole kingdom , in relation to war. 't is manifest , if we would succeed herein , we must not only have disciplin'd souldiers , but also skilful mathematicians , and expert engineers ; such the royal society , and the two universities have , and i trust always will afford us . besides , the arts of war being vastly improved , an ordinary skill and policy , or a little acquaintance with our own affairs , will stand us in no great stead . our generals must be able to look back and make judicious remarks upon the noble exploits , and cunning stratagems of those ancient nations , which have heretofore been nations of renown . lastly , since the end we ought to propose when we make war , is an honourable and a lasting peace , we ought to have men of years and observation , to deliberate of , and manage so weighty a concern ; men that understand the laws of nature , and of nations , and the undoubted rights and interest of our own , as well as the strength , the constitution , and pretences of those kingdoms , with whom they are to treat . now how far these foundations , which are design'd to promote and encourage learning , have contributed to the supplying this nation with men thus useful , thus absolutely necessary in its greatest exigencies , may be easily understood if we will but consult the lives of the wisest statesmen , the most eminent commanders , and the most famous admirals , that are mentioned in our english annals . i know very well what a hideous out-cry was made some years ago by the quakers , and other illiterate enthusiasts , against all liberal sciences , all skill in the tongues , and histories , against all books , but the bible ; against the schools of the prophets , and all universities , as heathenish , anti-christian , marks of the beast , as deformities , darkenings , impertinencies , &c. but i shall not say one word at present to their testimony , as they call it , partly because all that has been urged against humane learning has been particularly considered by others , but chiefly because the cry of these men is not now so great , they having got some measure of that knowledge among themselves , which before they condemned as rags and tatters in us . thus much may suffice concerning the third thing i propos'd to speak of , namely , the peculiar excellency and usefulness of those charitable settlements , which are design'd to promote and encourage learning . i shall therefore go on in the 4. fourth and last place , to enquire very briefly what is the duty of all those who more immediately enjoy the benefit of such foundations . 1st . then , they who more immediately enjoy the benefit of such foundations , ought to set apart some time for the solemn commemoration of their founders and benefactors , to assert the honour , and report the praises of those famous men , who have been the instruments of so much good to mankind , and by whom the lord has wrought so great glory . the remembrance of righteous men should be always fresh on the minds of them , who have received good at their hands , and they should be telling of their liberality from day to day . as they were honour'd in their generations , and were the glory of their times , so care should be taken that their names may live for evermore , that posterity may understand the noble works which they have done , and the children , who are yet unborn , may call them blessed . if we look back on the accounts of former times , since man was plac'd upon the earth , we shall find , that they who have done well , have had praise of the same . the heathens had publick orations , and anniversary feasts in memory of those who had wrought any great deliverance for them , or who had been the inventers , or promoters of any useful arts or sciences . the jews also did honour to worthy persons at their death , and never mentioned them afterward , without a blessing on their memory . and the christians in the several ages of the church , have not only had set speeches in commendation of men eminent for their piety and charity , but have also recorded their good works , that they might be had in perpetual remembrance . this they saw was a likely method of infusing excellent principles into the living , and of exciting and provoking them to an holy and laudable emulation of the dead . since therefore they who enjoy the benefit of others bounty and liberality , have the example of all nations to engage them , and of all the ages of the world to warrant their paying the easy tribute of praise to their benefactors , it would be an argument of very great ingratitude , if they should suffer their memorial to perish , as though they had never been . all that i shall farther add on this head is , that they must beware their gratitude does not degenerate into superstition , and that when they are celebrating the charity and beneficence of men , they do not forget to give glory to god , who is chiefly to be respected in all the returns they make to his creatures : for his name alone is excellent , and his praise above heaven and earth . psal. 148.13 . 2. it is the duty of all those who enjoy the benefit of such charitable settlements , to take good heed that they make a right use of them , that they so improve their time , and all other advantages , that they may in some measure answer the pious designs of their founders , and the just expectations of their country . they must not think such provision is made for them , only that they may with the less concern for to morrow , sit down to eat and drink , and rise up to play ; or that the liberality of their benefactors was intended as a cloake for , or an occasion of sloth and idleness , pride and vanity , intemperance and disorder . if they would discharge themselves as they ought , they must be sober , modest , humble , devout and industrious ; manifesting by the whole course of their lives and conversations , that they have a due sence of the extraordinary encouragements reach'd out to them , through the want whereof many men of great natural parts , have been determined to the spade , the hammer , or the plough ; and so their whole lives being taken up in a laborious pursuit of those things which are necessary for the satisfying and supporting of their bodies , their minds have been neglected , and they themselves unfit for those higher and more noble employments , which a liberal education would have qualify'd them for . how can he get wisdom ( saith the son of syrach ) that holdeth the plough , and that glorieth in the goad ? that driveth oxen , and is occupied in their labours , and whose talk is of bullocks ? or the carpenter , or they that cut and grave seals , or the potter that turneth the wheel about with his feet , or the smith sitting by the anvil , who fighteth with the heat of the furnace , and has the noise of the hammer and the anvil ever in his ears ? all these want that leisure and retirement , which are necessary to the getting of learning and knowledge , and therefore it is not expected , that they should be able to declare justice and judgment , or that they should fit themselves for standing before princes , or sitting high in the congregation . but of them to whom much is given , and for whom liberal men have devised liberal things , both god and men will require the more . whatever talents they are intrusted with , whatever opportunities of learning they now enjoy , they must hereafter give an account of them , and therefore they ought faithfully to manage , and industriously to improve them here , by a constant vigorous application to such studies , as may edify , not puff up ; fill , but not swell the mind ; such as may promote the glory of god , their own salvation , and render them serviceable and beneficial to the publick . for really a man may be idly and unprofitably busy , he may rise early , and late take rest , and eat the bread of carefulness , and all this while only labour for the wind , and serve no other ends but those of folly and vanity . and 't is altogether as good to all the purposes of a civil or religious life , to fold our arms , and do nothing , as to squander away our time , and exercise our parts about trifles and things of no value . to conclude , not he that knows much , but he that knows what is most useful , is , and always will be , accounted the best scholar , and the wisest man. finis . advertisement . sir thomas cookes of bently , in the county of worcester , baronet , hath built at bromsgrove in the same county , a large and convenient school-house , with a very good dwelling-house for a school-master . and by deed bearing date june 22. 1693. settled on feofees 50 l. per an. for ever , freed from all taxes and payments , for the said school in this manner , viz. 20 l. per an. to a school-master , nominated by sir thomas and his heirs , and licensed by the bishop of worcester , to instruct 12 poor boys in learning and religion , as established in the church of england , to be admitted into the school between 9 and a 11 years old , and continue at school 6 years at least ; 16 l. per an. to buy them cloaths , viz. blew coats , caps , &c. 10 s. per an. to buy them books ; 10 s. per an. for prayers and a sermon at bromsgrove church on the 1st of may , when the feofees are to meet for managing the said charity , and 1 l. for their entertainment yearly on that day ; and the 12 l. remaining , to be kept as a stock for placing out the said boys apprentices , not allowing to any one boy above 12 l. appointing excellent rules for the good ordering of the whole affair . he also gives the present school-master 20 l. more per an. for preaching a sermon every lord's day in the afternoon at tardebig , sir thomas's parish-church , two miles from bromsgrove ; and further , he gives 10 l. per an. to an usher in the said school . he hath likewise by deed , dated about the 24 of march , 1695. setled on feofees 50 l. per an. for ever , freed from all taxes and payments , for a school at feckenham in the said county , appointing a school-master and 12 poor boys , with the same allowances , in the same manner , and under the same rules , with bromsgrove forementioned , only fixing thursday in whitsun-week , for the yearly meeting of the feofees at feckenham . 2 cor. 9.6 . he which soweth bountifully , shall reap also bountifully . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a31012-e370 ●oh . 14.6 . luk●0 ●0 ●0 . d. 50.8.4 . inst. l. 2.7 . heb. 9.17 . ps. 103 19 heb. 13.5 . col. 3.2 . 1 joh. 2.15 . mat. 6.20 , 21. psal. 37.25 . prov. 13 7. prov. 11.24 , 25 jam. 1.17 . 1 kings 17.16 . 1 tim. 6.19 . 1 pet. 4.8 . ad nepot . mat. 25.40 . job 6.4 . isa. 57.20 . holy dying , p. 52. 1 cor. 4.7 . mat. 25 dr. sherlock , p. 288. rev. 14.13 . prov. 19 2. suppl . in q. curt. livii lib. 25. cap. 31. ecclus. 39. londons charity inlarged, stilling the orphans cry. by the liberality of the parliament, in granting two houses by act, and giving a thousand pound towards the work for the imployment of the poor, and education of poor children, who many of them are destroyed in their youth for want of being under a good government and education, whereby they may be made serviceable for god, and the commonwealth. also this good work is much encouraged by the liberall contributions of many well-affected citizens of london, for the better carrying it on for the glory of god, the honor of the nation, and comfort of the helples poor. with a platform, how many officers needfull to govern 100 children in a work-house, with laws and orders for the schoolmaster to read to the children once a day for a time, afterwards twice a month, whereby they may be kept under a godly and civill government, to the great joy of good peopl. with other observations worthy the reading. / by s.h. a well-wisher to the nations prosperity, and the poors comfort. hartlib, samuel, d. 1662. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a87192 of text r206315 in the english short title catalog (thomason e598_4). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 59 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a87192 wing h993 thomason e598_4 estc r206315 99865488 99865488 117733 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a87192) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 117733) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 92:e598[4]) londons charity inlarged, stilling the orphans cry. by the liberality of the parliament, in granting two houses by act, and giving a thousand pound towards the work for the imployment of the poor, and education of poor children, who many of them are destroyed in their youth for want of being under a good government and education, whereby they may be made serviceable for god, and the commonwealth. also this good work is much encouraged by the liberall contributions of many well-affected citizens of london, for the better carrying it on for the glory of god, the honor of the nation, and comfort of the helples poor. with a platform, how many officers needfull to govern 100 children in a work-house, with laws and orders for the schoolmaster to read to the children once a day for a time, afterwards twice a month, whereby they may be kept under a godly and civill government, to the great joy of good peopl. with other observations worthy the reading. / by s.h. a well-wisher to the nations prosperity, and the poors comfort. hartlib, samuel, d. 1662. [2], 14, [8] p. : ill. printed by matth. symmons, and robert ibbitson, london : 1650. an enlarged edition of: hartlib, samuel. londons charitie. with a woodcut of orphan children on the verso of the titlepage. annotation on thomason copy: "aprill 15. 1649"; the imprint date is crossed out. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng children -institutional care -england -london -early works to 1800. charities -england -london -early works to 1800. great britain -history -commonwealth and protectorate, 1649-1660 -early works to 1800. a87192 r206315 (thomason e598_4). civilwar no londons charity inlarged, stilling the orphans cry.: by the liberality of the parliament, in granting two houses by act, and giving a thous hartlib, samuel 1650 10811 7 0 0 0 0 0 6 b the rate of 6 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2008-07 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-10 john pas sampled and proofread 2008-10 john pas text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion londons charity inlarged , stilling the orphans cry . by the liberality of the parliament , in granting two houses by act , and giving a thousand pound towards the work for the imployment of the poor , and education of poor children , who many of them are destroyed in their youth for want of being under a good government and education , whereby they may be made serviceable for god , and the commonwealth . also this good work is much encouraged by the liberall contributions of many well-affected citizens of london , for the better carying it on for the glory of god , the honor of the nation , and comfort of the helples poor . with a platform , how many officers needfull to govern 100 children in a work-house , with laws and orders for the schoolmaster to read to the children once a day for a time , afterwards twice a month , whereby they may be kept under a godly and civill government , to the great joy of good peopl . with other observations worthy the reading . by s.h. a well-wisher to the nations prosperity , and the poors comfort . london , printed by matth. symmons , and robert ibbitson , 1650. the orphans cry , we perish , we die . as we you see so may yours bee for the lords sake some pity take lay not this sin to their charge i am sick , i die dead in the street to the right honorable thomas foot , lord mayor of the city of london , with the worshipfull sheriffes , and to the gentlemen of the corporation for the poor , both aldermen and common-councell of the city of london ; s.h. wisheth your lordship , and the rest , happines in this life , and eternall consolation by christ jesus in the life to come . right honorable , with the rest of the gentlemen : i hope this is the year of jubilee , or joy to the poor , and all gods peopl , and that by your helps and assistance , concurring together , such a work of reformation will bee set on foot , and caried on for the good of the poor , as well for their souls , as their bodies , as was never so exactly performed in former ages in our nation . the work of the poor consists in two things , viz. comfort , the honest helples poor . reform , the obstinate ungodly poor . and for your ground and authority to cary you on in the performance of this good work , you hav 1 the law and command of our god . 2 the laws of our land , and the assistance of parliament if you need 1 the law of god saith , he that will not work , let him not eat : this would be a sore scourge , and smart whip for idle persons , if gods law were so executed , that none should be suffered to eat , till they had wrought for it ( if they were able ) this would torment such persons ( both back and belly ) more then ten lashes a day , and such a restraint from victuall , would in time drive them to works whether they would or no , tho never so stubborn ; for if such should be made to fast that will not work , one or two dayes , before they eat , they will be glad to fall to his or her labour the third day ; for hunger will tame the wildest colt , and constrain him to come to hand for hey or straw . 2 the laws of the land saith , he that is idle , and may work , and will not , let such be sent to the house of correction , and there be imployed , and restrained from a begging idle life . there are other good laws made against incorrigible rogues , which i will omit to speak of , desiring those that would know more of them to search the statutes of england , which are very good in suppressing the idle , and relieving the needy , onely if one thing might be added : that no lusty person should have the benefit of a passe if he lived abov thirty miles from london ; the reason why i speak of the distance of thirty miles , it is because the cariers come two or three times a week , and a letter from the corporation to the parish , and the said carier that dwells nearest to the parish to cary it ; and the porter that is servant to the carier , to cary the said letter to the parish where the begger saith he was born , or last dwelled , and he to deliver it to the constable or collectors for the poor , and they without delay upon a penalty to return answer by the first or second return of the carier , and their hands with the hands either of a justice or minister of the parish , of the truth , whether ever any such person were born there , or inhabited amongst them ; by this means you will soon discover much falshood amongst beggers , and much carelessenes among constables , in not guiding home the beggers to their parish , a penalty on them will make them bee carefull ; therefore if the corporation do intend to do the work truly , faithfully , and with advantage to the commonwealth , they must neither take the word of a wandring begger , nor the true service of a careles constable , for they are both ill members to a well-governed common-wealth , and will deceive ; therefore two letters from the corporation to the parish where the begger saith he was born , or last abode will be very necessary , viz. one to know the truth whether ever any such person belonged to them , by this means you shall have a true account whether the beggers report be true : the other letter is when the begger is sent away with the passe , to know whether he be come to his parish , if not , you shall be sure then to know what constable was in the fault , that the begger was not conducted to his parish , such constables being fined , will make others beware , this will be little charge to the corporation , and your work done very judiciously with care & prudence ; for some beggers may commit some misdemeanor in their country ; therefore it is a simple thing to take their word , for they will never tell truth ; as for example , suppose a constable of london should take up a begger in his precinct or parish , & should ask him where he was born or last dwelt , the begger should say , at york , or newcastle , when as peradventure he was neither born , nor inhabited in any of the foresaid cities , and it may be he was never in that country in all his life , yet upon the bare word of the begger the constable makes his passe , corrects him , and sends him away to the place of his birth , or last abode , as he saith , and when he comes thither , the inhabitants there will own no such person , and so he must be brought back again to the great trouble of the country , according to this i will give you a president . a gentleman who is now one of the corporation being constable , a lusty begger was begging in his parish , he asked him where he was born , he said at dover , he caused the beadle to whip him , and made him his passe , and sent him for dover , when he came thither , the inhabitants of dover would not receive him , they had none such born there , they sent him back again to london from whence he was sent ; when the constable saw him , he admired that the laws were so defect ; and he was sory the country was so much troubled , by carying , and re-carying to no purpose ; then he asked the begger where he did ever dwell , he said at bristol , the constable sent him away for that place , and what became of him afterwards he could not tell . herein we find it is a trouble to a commonwealth , that a constable hav no more proof concerning a wandering rogues birth or abode , but onely his bare word , which may lye if he please , as well as tell truth . consider in the next place how a careles ' constable may prove an ill instrument to the commonwealth ; for if a lusty begger passe through the hands of many constables safe as he is carying along the country ; yet if at last he fall into the hands of a careles constable he can make his escape and go into another part of our nation , and continue still a trouble and a danger to the commonwealth , for some of them are very desperate and envious ; if a farmer give not them an alms to their own mind , or a crosse-word , they care no more to set his barn and ricks of corn on fire , then to light a pipe of tobacco , so desperate many of them are to do a mischief by day or by night ; wherefore in my apprehension ther 's no better way to guide beggers to their homes then by way of the carier , for some cariers hav been complained of for bringing boyes and girles , and leave them at london upon the charge of this city . i conceive a carier or wagoner are the fittest men to convey beggers , that dwell about 30 miles from london , for trunk ; provided the parish pay the carier for his paines , and if the carier or wagoner do not perform their care for the good of the commonwealth , let a penalty be laid upon on them , by this means , the constable will be freed , and the country eased of such persons that are a pest and trouble to our nation . and if in case a lusty vagrant should say he was born a hundred miles or more , not then to have a passe , but rather be kept to work either in the house of correction , or in the gallies , or clensing of streets , i mean little narrow places where carts seldome come , with such like imployment , till such time they can be sent to the english plantations , unlesse such can procure good security to live orderly . i have no more to say , but beseech the lord that your lordship , with the rest of the corporation , may be tender fathers to the honest poor , and severe to the obstinate , knowing , as i said before , you have the law of god , and our nation to strengthen your hands , and the power of parliament to countenance you . for which shal be the daily prayer of him , who is your humble servant , s.h. to the right honorable his excellency , tho. lord fairfax , generall of the english army . right honourable , that which sets the chiefest diadem upon great persons , is not so much in their birth , and blood royall , as in their piety and charity , such persons whose hearts god hath seasoned with the graces of his holy spirit , they are of a hyer bloud , then those that are born from emperors and great persons , such as they are but born of the flesh , they are not born of the the spirit : and christ tells us , if we are not born of the spirit , that eternall royall seed , we shall never enter into the kingdom of god . by this we find ( my lord ) that there is a necessity to seek after this second birth , being of the spirit , & from the spirit of god , as our first birth is of the flesh , and from the flesh of men ; the first birth is a fading birth that shall perish ; the last birth is a lasting birth that shal never perish , it shal never dye , as christ saith , viz. they shall never dye in the spirit , though they suffer death in the flesh , and our saviour christ bids his peopl , not to fear them that can but kill the body , but are not able to destroy the soul . my lord , i hear many boast of their first birth , which is but from sinfull man at the best ; but i hear but few in comparison of the other to boast or glory any thing in their second , which is from the highest birth royall of all , inasmuch as the is none greater then he , who is not only called king of kings , but king of the saints , that is king of kings to overpower them , for they are in hands like rivers of water , that have their tydes , who have their flowings and swellings , ebbings and fallings , as pleaseth the lord ; and he is also called the king of saints , because he is their governor and protector ; therefore he is not ashamed to say , i will be your father , and you shall be my children ; and christ his dear son , is not ashamed to call them brethren . by this we find that the saints , whether rich or poor , noble or ignoble , are in great favour with god and christ . and the apostle st. james saith , god loves the poor that are rich in faith ; and the poor so qualified , through the grace of jesus christ , are in a capacity to hav a right to the hy birth-right of the royall bloud of heaven , which is the hyest birth and bloud of all : and truly , my lord , whereas god and christ loves the poor , i rejoyce when i see rich men , and great men love the poor that excell in vertue ; and this i must speak to the honor of your excellency , that both your self , and the officers of your army , have been cordiall in propagating the cause of the poor , and their miseries , in that your lordship upon request of some wel-affected , to send two or three letters , some of them to the parliament , and one to the lord mayor of the city of london , late deceast , that they would improve their power and interest for the carying on of this good work , that poor children that beg , may hav maintenance , imployment , and godly education ; and all sorts of wandring poor kept under a daily government , whereby god may be glorified , and good peopl hav joy and comfort in it ; 't is a mercy to a nation when great men are good men , seeking to advance piety and charity more then their own honors , and we hav cause to bles god , that hath made you instrumentall for the honor of god , and the good of the poor , and for the continuance of these mercies to the nation : it shall be my daily prayer , with the peopl of god , that piety and charity may never fail you to your dying day , and that you may then everlastingly enjoy that heavenly birth-right , and by bloud royall spoken of before . your excellencies most humble servant in the lord . s. h. to the reader , christian reader , picturs of misery , mooves the hearts of mercifull peopl to greev , the condition of the poor is like the picturs in the begining of the book , decypher'd out ; some crying , some dying in the streets , if thou desirest to remedy these miseries , by thy liberall contributions , according to that portion god hath given thee , thou dost like a good steward ; and god and christ who is the father and saviour of the poor , who are rich in faith , will crowne thee with mercies here , and with glory and life eternall in heaven hereafter ; but if thou hast this worlds good , and yet are miserable and hard hearted , and regardest not to advance so good a worke , as imploying the poor , take heed thy condition be not like his that solomon speaks of , saying , he that withholdeth corne in the time of famine , the poor shall curse him : i desire of god , that thy coveteousnesse may not abound so much upon thee , that the curse of god and the curse of the poor should fall upon thee . remember how much dives doggs were kinder to poor lazarus then their master , for they came and licked lazarus soars , when as their master would not give a penny towards the poor mans cure , so farr in love with his money was he . but what was the end of his cruelty ? perpetuall woe and misery , as the scripture saith ; and because he had not a favour to the poor man , he lost the favour of god . thou knowest not what a third warr will produce , for , rumours are abroad , therefore i councel thee to be liberall to advance this good work of the poor , while thou hast it , that god may shew mercy upon thy soul and body , and preserve the rest of thy riches from forreign plunderers , and doubt not , but god will favour thy life and estate , when thou favourest the poor . the advance of this worke we hope will produce great joy to the nation , and we hope that the parliament will to their utmost stand for the honour of god , and the good of the peopl , which consists in piety and charity ; that is , by advancing the gospell of christ , and seeking the peace of the nation , for so in severall ordinances they have declared to doe . 1. they have declared they will provide maintainance for preaching ministers in england , tho yet many places therof are in darknesse , wanting , as also for other countreys beyond the seas belonging to this natino that the word of the lord may have its free course and be glorified amongst them as it is with us in this citty of london . 2. they will endeavour that the releife and imployment of the poor may be settled in all citties and market townes of the nation , as in london . 3. they will endeavour the releasment of poor prisoners that are not able to pay their hard hearted creditors , and yet lye in prison for a small debt ; and as for such that lye in prison and are able to pay , and will not doe it , being the undoing of many a poor man and his family , which doth occasion great poverty upon the nation . 3. they will endeavour to appoint friend-makers in all great parishes of the nation , that the mighty may not oppresse the poor ; this is a worke of great concernment , and will prevent much poverty in the nation , and bring glory to god , and honour to the parliament : god is angry with oppressors , as he was with king pharaoh , and it was his end throuwe , and god saith , they that oppresse the widdow , the fatherlesse , the stranger , the poor , he will take away their oppressors with hornes , and fish-hooks , he will not heare their cry in distresse , but will scatter them among all nations , a fearfull judgement will fall on such as neglect to settle a short and speedy way to right the poor against their oppressors ; therefore it was a good saying of one , that quick justice makes quiet kingdomes , but forma pauperis are oft times tedious to the undoing of many a poore man , and also many actions arising more from malice then matter , are a meanes to impoverish many a poor body . and truly i must speak plainly , it stands upon the parliam●t , to dispatch these high and publick things out of hand , for the peace and prosperity of the common-wealth , for the honest rich , and mercifull & comfortles poor , whither prisoners or others , wait for a reformation , as the thirsty ground for raine , and indeed i must say , there is as great need for the parliament to find out ways and means to preserve peopl from poverty , by oppressors or otherwise , as it stands upon them to keep peopl from starving when they are poor . and now christian reader , thou that art cordiall for a godly reformation , and desirest not onely that swearing , sabboath-breaking and drunkennes may be pull'd downe , but also oppression , which is like a violent storme , and sweeping raine , as solomon sayth , but also desirest , that good things may be planted throughout the nation for the glory of god , and the peace and prosperity of it . wherefore i pray thee be not impatient or unbeleeving , but pray , and wayt , and thou shalt see the parliament will act suddenly , according to the hearts desire of the godly , and mercifull , rich and the oppressed poor , for the finishing and perfecting of all which , shall be the dayly prayer of him , who desires to be , thine in the lord christ , s. h londons charity inlarged , stilling the orphans cry . the corporation appointed by authority of parliament for the well ordering of the poor within the citty of london , and the liberties , that the honest poor who are willing to worke , may be countenanced , and the idle suppressed ; and the said corporation i hope doth desire to acquaint all well affected peopl that are willing to advance this pious and charitable worke by their liberall contributions what their intents and purposes are ( by gods assistance ) to carry on the foresaid good worke : and , therefore to take off all jealousies that none may have the least suspition of their fidelity , as well in relation to the preserving of the stock as also in performing the good worke so long desired by many good peopl , shall be declared as a well wisher to them in these particulars ensuing . 1. they will endeavour that the lord mayor may be moved to send his precepts to the marshalls and constables , and beadles of the citty of london , to bring all idle persons to bridewell and the workhouses , and to allow somthing to the officers for every one they shall bring to the aforesaid places ; that the corporation may know how the better to dispose of them , either for sea or land . 2. i hope they desire an unanimous conjunction with the governours of bridewell , london , that they may assist each other by taking up , and imploying to worke all the lusty poor they find begging . 3. i hope they will endeavour that the said lusty poor be kept hard to worke , and not to depart thence at least , till he or shee have beene there a moneth , unlesse they can give sufficient security to the corporation and governours of bridewell that they will behave themselves civilly and orderly , leaving off the trade of a begging idle life . 4. i hope they will indeavour that all such as are acquitted for petty fellony may not be set at liberty , as formerly they have been , for within a moneth or lesse they have fallen to their old course of stealing , and brought to prison againe : therefore that such upon the discharge out of prison , may be brought to the houses of correction , whether it be london , westminster , middlesex , or surrey , where the party lived , or the these committed , or else imployed in the shipps and busses for the fishing trade , the better to make them serviceable to the common-wealth , by reforming their ungodly life . 5. they will endeavour that such as are incouragable to have power from the parliament to send them to the plantations belonging to the english , beyond the seas , to see whither god will be pleased to turne them . 6. i hope they will take care that poore children may be taught to write and read two houres in a day , so that by that time the boys come to the age of 12.14 . or 16. they will be able to read and write , fit for apprentices , but such as are quick witted to make schollars , and accomptants , or what they delight in , either for sea or land . and i hope also , they will endeavour that such poor that are willing to worke at home with their children , that they may have hempe , flax , cotten-wool , & other materials to work upon at their own dwellings , they leaving a pawn , or bringing a friend for their security to returne such materialls againe to the steward of the corporation , and not to sell it , or pawne it away for ale and strong beere , as some poor have done their masters worke . 7. i hope they will indeavour to use all meanes ( some of them being justices of the peace ) to prevent such familys from poverty , who are made poor by common drunken husbands , such drunkards bring misery and poverty in the common-wealth in three relations . 1. by it , they make their familys poor . 2. by it , they are apt to charge and burthen their parishes . 3. by it , they impoverish the plenty of the nation , by spending the plenty of it wastfully , and so threaten a famine upon us ; for two drunkards will spend more in drunkennesse in one night , then will serve two moderate men halfe a weeke . 8. i could wish , for the better sanctifying of the lords day , for so i call it , especially from christs resurrection , because then our enemy death was overcome , and our full redemption wrought , that the schoolmaster on every such sabboath , keepe the children and others belonging to the work-house , from wandring the streets and feilds in sermon time by exercising his gifts of prayer , reading of chapters , singing of psalmes , catechising them in such a cathecisme appoynted by authority ; that children may be prevented from errors , especially that of free-will , for a man is not saved by his owne works , but the chiefest hopes & assurancet of his salvation standeth upon these helps ensuing . 1. by the free grace of god that pardoneth a sinner of his sins ; as a mercifull creditor forgiveth a poor man a debt , when he hath nothing to pay , as christ makes the comparison of the creditor and the two debtors , that when they had nothing to pay , the creditor forgave them , luke 7.4 . meaning god the creditor , and the two debtors were jew and gentile , the gentile was the greatest debtor , for he was for a time a prodigall , yea without god in the world , having no feare of god before his eyes , but now the worke of grace by christ jesus , hath wrought a great reformation in many a poor gentiles soul . 2. as god is the forgiver of sin , so he is the giver of power against sin , that is , by his holy and good spirit in converting a sinner , which makes the saints to rejoyce and wonder when the strong holds of satan in a sinner are throwne downe . 3. means we are saved by faith , that is , beleiving that christ jesus was the best sacrifice that ever was offered to take away sin from sinners , therefore christ hath gotten him this honour , that he is called the unspotted lambe of god that taketh away the sins of the world , that whosoever beleiveth on him should never perish but have everlasting life . 4. meanes of salvation is a mans works , where god hath given him some measure of his spirit , for to act . therefore a man must be carefull not to deny his spirit by despising it ; nor he must not greive the spirit , nor quench the spirit , if any doe , god will be angry with such , for he hath made man a rationall creature : therefore the apostle saith , we are the workmanship of god , created unto good works ; yet we are to know , that without christ we can doe nothing that is good , no more then a body can live , when the spirit of life is departed from him ; these are speciall things for a school-master to instruct , and season children with , on sabboath-days . also the reading of good sermons are very profitable , which i desire may consist of these heads . 1. a sermon concerning the holy trinity , in their offices and attributes , needfull to be knowne in these erring times , for some deny a trinity , some deny christ , and some deny a unity or spirituall union . 2. sermon of faith . 3. of love . 4. humblenesse of mind in these proud times . 5. of sobriety and chastity , in these drunken and unchast dayes . 6. self-denyall , that is , denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts , we may live righteously and soberly , &c. 7. of the excellency of patience that makes a man intire . 8. of contentednesse in a low condition , and affl●ction ; for godlynesse with content is great gaine . 9. of the excellency of truth , which will cast out of a man , lying and stealing . 10. of the excellent joys of heaven , and chiefly wherein , viz. in beholding the beauty of god and christ , as a bridegroome delights in the faire beauty of his bride , above all her riches . 11. the horror of hell , and chiefly wherein , viz. the losse of the glorious presence of god , and his love and favour ; this is a hell beyond the unquenchable fire . the lord deliver us from it . 12. a sermon not to be idle , but labour with our hands for the good of the common-wealth . t●se sermons being read , and the blessing of gods spirit carrying on young and old to the practise of it , who can tell but this may be a meanes to beget abundance of the poorer sort of people , and their children to a holy knowledge and obedience to god , in life and conversation , and consider if any shall scruple at the reading of these things ? i answer it is ordained of god , as well as preaching . see these places in scripture which doe confirme it . deut. 31.11 . josh. 8.34 , 35. jer. 36.6 . dan. 3.16.17 . luk. 4.16 . act. 8.30 , 31. act. 13.27 . 2 cor. 1.13 . collos. 4.16 . 1 thess. 5.27 . rev. 5.4 . 9. is in relation to their imployment . 1. upon the fishing trade , this will not onely imploy many thousands , but also be a meanes to bring in food for the great releife of the poore . there is a booke lately come forth very usefull to imploy housands of peopl for the advance of fishing , and are sold at the greybound in little-brittaine . 2. the children shall be imployed to spinning , knitting , and sowing , and such other imployment as consists to the making of their owne cloathes , therefore to have a weaver to weave the cloath , and a taylor to make and mend their cloathes ; other imployments in time may be found out , which may be very assistfull to handycraft-tradesmen , and the good of the marchant . 10. is in relation to rayment and food for the children . 1. for their rayment , a c●urse woollen suite for winter , and a canis or such like for summer , as for their food , i will speake of it afterwards . 11. is in relation to their recreation . 1. sometime warlike excercise , which many children take much delight in , this recreation will be comodious to the common-wealth , by bringing them up , some for the drum , and pipe , some for the trumpet , and all will be skil'd with warlike termes and postures , which they will not forget when they come to be men . this excercise to be performed by each vvork house at home once a weeke , or fortnight , and once a moneth in summer time in some convenient place , then , and there all the children of ability of body , in the vvork houses to meete together , to excercise their skill and valour . other recreations may be used in winter time , as the children of christs church doe , for the sharpening of their wits , reviving their spirits , and preventing them from scurvyes , and dropsies , and such like . this usage of children serves to confute the thoughts of some , that thought the corporation would not be so kinde , and tender-hearted unto poor children ; and therefore to take off all jeal●usies , i shall be bold to say this of the corporation , i verily beleive that such children whom god doth endue with grace , and towardlynesse of carriage , they will be willing to prefer to the best services and honest masters they can get for them , for the better joy and comfort of such poor that live orderly . 12. i hope the corporation will endeavour that all such well minded peopl , whom god hath inriched with this worlds good , and having their hearts inlarged to the poor , by giving them bread and other food , one day in the vv●ek● , or more , to as many as come to their doores , as to my knowledge some rich bakers of london do , that such bread or any other provision as they , or any else , that shall give , may be fetched from their houses by the beadle or the like officers , for the releife of the poor in the vvorkhouses , which will be a considerable thing to uphold the stock , because much of the stock will be spent towards feeding & cloathing the young children , and that the beadle or other officer be carefull for the receiving of it , having two or three of the people of the vvork-houses to goe with him in gathering it , and they to deliver it to the cooke or sutler , for the use of the poor . this also will be a great succor to such vvomen that beg with little children in their armes and hands , for bread , and broth , and beere , are the chiefest things that children feede upon , all which will be had with little charge to the corporation : onely the beadle or officer for his paines , and i beleive some men will , from a charitable disposition , doe it for little gaines , because it is for the honour of god , and the good of the poor . 13. and lastly , i hope they will endeavoor that these ensuing lawes may once or twice a weeke for a time , be published to the children by the school-master , for the better regulating them in the feare of god . 1. that none young nor old in the work-house shall sweare , neither by the name of god , nor the lord jesus christ . 2. that none eyther young or old give their tongues to lying , rayling , filthy talking , or singing ribbauld songs . 3. that none scoff at any man or womans person , being deformed , seeing it is the workmanship of god , who might have layd it upon thee that scoffest ; nor to scoff at any mans profession being never so low and mean in the world , if needfull in the common-wealth . 4. that none have any cursed wishes in their tongues to any , neyther in the work-house nor abroad . 5. that none give their hands to stealing , or imbezeling any of the goods of the corporation , or any of their fellows goods belonging to them in the work-house . and if any refuse to obey these , or the like wholsome lawes , and orders of the work-house and despiseth to be under the government and correction of such punishment as the corporation shall thinke meete for such offences , greater or lesser , that then they be sent to bridewell or house of correction , to receive further punishment for deserts . consider that these lawes and orders being read by the aforesaid school-master , upon such dayes as the corporation shall appoint , and the punishment executed upon the offendors , young or old , will be a meanes to make many of them affraid to offend ; as it appeares by solomons words , prov. 22.15 . foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child , but the rod of correction shall drive it farr from him . here followeth to be considered the charge and the gain of imploying the poor in these particulars ensuing : 1 how many officers needfull to govern 100 children . 2 the wages of officers to govern the children from 5 or 6 year old , to 14 or 15. 3 the charge of dyet for such children whose parents are dead , or very poor . 4 what profit will arise out of their labour towards this charge . first , how many officers needfull to order 100 children in each work-house ? 1 a steward . 2 a schoolmaster . 3 a cook , or sutler . 4 a botcher . 5 a cobler . 6 a barber . 7 five women teachers , to order the said hundred children in spinning , kniting , or the like ; in all , there will be need of these 11 officers . 2 what wages each officer to have yeerly in a competent measure for the better preservation of the stock , and a hopefull carying on of this good work .   li . d. s. 1 the stewards salary , besides his lodging , 50 0 0 2 the schoolmasters salary , with his loding , 20 0 0 and if this be thought too little , allow him so much serge as will make him a suit and cloak of the childrens spinning , which will be a good help to him .   li . d. s. 3 the cook or sutler his salary , 12 0 0 and the benefit of selling bread and beer to the work-peopl , &c.   li . d. s. 4 the botcher his salary 6 0 0 5 the cobler his salary , 4 0 0 6 the barber his salary , 3 0 0 7 the 5 women 5 li. a peece salary , comes to 25 0 0   120 0 0 besides , if every woman may be allowed a peny out of every shilling the children earn by spining , kniting , or other work , this will not onely be a means to stir up the children , to make them quick-handed , but also the teachers , and the corporation will both gain by it , for the better preserving the stock for the good of the city ; as for example , the five women having 20 children a peece to govern , if each woman after a while , can by her industry and care , bring her 20 children to earn 12 d. a week a peece , this will bring to the teacher 20 d. per week , but when the children come to earn 18 d. per week , then it wil be 2 s. 6 d. per week , which amounts unto yearly 6 livre. 10 s. so that with the allowance of the corporation 5 li. per annum , with her own care and industry to forward the children , will amount yeerly to 11 li. 10 s. consider , if the corporation allow a competent maintenance to every officer , they shal be sure not to want an officers or teacher , when any dye or be removed , for peopl wil sue for an office in the work-house , as parents sue yearly to get their children in christ-church hospitall ; besides , after a few years , the corporation wil hav teachers of their own trayning up , to serve their occasion when ever they need . having shewn the totall of all the salaries , for all the officers amounting to yeerly 120 livre. 3 i come now to speak of the charg of dyet for the 100 children , this will be a thing uncertain , because all the whole 100 children may not be at the charge of the corporation for thee meals a day , whether they be strangers or inhabitants , for that were to bring a vast charge upon the corporation and city ; and if the corporation should entertain all that come east , west , north , and south , they should have ten strangers for one parishioner , i beleev it is not so intended by them , but rather the livelihood they appoint , is for such children that are in the parish wher the work-house is , or such parishes adjoyning near , or about the work-house , viz. such children who have neither father , nor friend ; but the parishes , and they ought to be the fathers to them to provide for them , and such children must have three meals a day , and lodging with it . another sort of poor children there are , who are the children of poor widows , or poor parents , who are so poor they are not abl to pay for their childrens schooling 3 d. or 4 d. per week , much les to find them victels , but are inforc'd to send them , to beg bread , and pottage , or what they can for their livelihood , such as these also to have some allowance three times a day , except on publick fast dayes , they going home to their parents for lodging . there is another sort of poor children , whose parents are very poor , yet they send not their children a begging , yet they fare very hard , scarce eat a peece of meat throughout the year , whose fare for the most part is bread and pottage , and roots in winter , and herbs in summer , or raddishes , and salt , with a peece of bread , without butter or cheese , and their drink for the most part , fair water from the pump , and yet blessed be god , tho the fare be mean , yet they are long livers and healthy . these poor peopl if their children might be allowed one meal a day , and their childrens teaching , they would acknowledg it a mercy from god , so to put it into the hearts of good peopl , to provide for poor children , and others . i come now to speak of the allowance of three meals a day , and the charg of it , begining with the winter season , because then provision is deerer then summer . 1 for breakfast in winter 3 ounces of houshold bread , a mess of pottage , and half a pinte of drink . the charg of this meal is about a ob . 2 for dinner , 5 ounces of bread , a pint of beer , a mess of pottage , made sometimes of meat , sometimes of milk , and sometimes water-grewel , one herring , or that quantity in other fish , with a turnip with it , to qualify the saltness of it . the charg of this meal will be about 1 d. ob . 3 for supper , 4 ounces of bread , half a pint of beer , one hering with a turnip , and somtimes broth in cold weather . the charg of this is about ob . q by this we find , that the charg of three meals a day , amounts to 2 d. ob . q this will be the most , if these three things be considered , for the improvement of dyet . 1 if the fishing trade for the city of london be caried on by the parliament and the city , some pious persons with 600 l. stock , will undertake to bring from sea , fish monthly for the relief of the poor at the work-house , which will much ease the corporation , and the charg will not be so great as to buy all at london . furthermore if a quantity of london busses may be set out by the parliament and city , the rich and poor in and about london would fare the better by it . 2 if we may buy one time with another ordinary wheat at 6 s. per bushel , we may allow a child 12 ounces of bread for a peny that is 3 for breakfast , 5 for dinner , and 4 for supper , with other things with it , all which amounts unto each day except publick fastdayes   2 d. ob . ●o . by the week it amounts to 1 s. 7 d. q. by the yeer about 4 livre. 3 s. 6 d 3 som yeers we may buy wheat for 3 s. and 4 s. per bushel , which now worth 7 s. or 8 s. per bushel , so that when 't is a cheap year of corn , and our own industry and labor ( all hands working ) for carying on the fishing trade , we shal be abl by gods blessing to find our children food at a cheaper rate then i hav set down . consider if one childs dinner cost 1 d. ob . which is for the whole week 10 d. ob . as well sabbath days as others , for so i hope the corporation do intend to do , that so all boys and girls that come to school or work , may be kept under government on the sabbath days , as i said before , from rambling abroad . reckon then if one child cost for one meal a day by the week     10 d. ob what will the charg be for the yeer 2 li . 5 s. 6 d. then reckon for 50 children a yeer is 113 li   15 s. consider then , 50 children 3 meals per day , amounts to by the yeer about 227 li   10 s. now reckon the charg of 100 childrens diet , as well those 50 that are to hav but one meal a day , as those that are to hav 3 meals a day , and see what the whole charg amounts unto . their charg of diet amounts unto yeerly about 341 li. 5 s. the officers salary amounts to yeerly 120 livre.   in all it comes to 461 li. 5 s. here is the whole charg laid down in as low a maner as may be in christian charity , as well for the smalness of the wages for the officers , as the littlenes of the meals for the children ; and tho the allowance be small , yet it will be a great refreshment to many a poor child , for nature is content with littl , and grace with less . also the contributors to this good work may see the care of the corporation is so much for the good of the city , that they would competently refresh the poor , and not wast and lavish the stock ; but that this charitabl work may be held up for ages , by gods blessing , and good mens endeavor . upon the prosperity of the fishing trade , for the better ease of the charg of diet , if children eat fish 4 times a week ; that is , on mundays , wednesdays , fridays , and saturdays , and meat on sabbath days , and thursdays . a quarter of a pound of beef for a child is the allowance of christs church hospitall to their children ; and on tuesdays a little dumpling or pudding , a fare that most children delight in ; and this note , if children be refresht in winter with 7 meals for 10 d. ob . in summer , provision is cheaper . 4 particular , what profit these 100 children will bring in weekly by their labour towards this great charg . suppose after 2 or 3 months teaching , by the care of the teachers , the children may be brought to earn 12 d. per week a child , one with the other , viz. som children , tho in 2 or 3 months teaching cannot earn 12 d. per week , by reason they are dull , and heavy handed , yet others being quick-witted , and nimble-handed , may earn above 12 d. per week , so that one with the other , they may earn 12 d. per week or more . reckon if 100 children by their labour , earn 12 d. per week one with the other , it amounts to per week , 5 li . and 5 li. per week , by the yeer amounts to 260 li. the charg of officers , and diet , being yeerly 461 livre. 5 s. the loss is yeerly 201 livre. 5 s. consider then , when the children come to earn 18 d. per week or more , the loss will not be so great ; but put the ease the corporation should lose 200 li. yeer , yet the church of god , and the commonwealth will gain by it , but he that seeks his own interest above the honor of god and the commonwealth , shews himself to be no true friend to god , nor the commonwealth ; therefore i counsell all peopl hy and low to their uttermost , advance the honor of god , and the good of the commonwealth , lest they fall and perish , as many great men have done of late ; for 't is dangerous when god and a commonwealth , eys a man as no friend to them . the work of well-ordering the poor is a rare work , and by it three excellent things will be produced , toward a good reformation . 1 gods honor will be set up , when that that is good is advanced . 2 the peopl of god will rejoyce , when sin in children and others is beat down . 3 the poor children will have a benefit by it , because thereby they are like to be made serviceabl for the commonwealth ; otherwise , they wil be as thorns in the sids of the nation ; wherfore i rejoyce when i see great men in hy places to have pious hearts , and publick spirits , such persons god , and a nation will stand for , against all their enemies , and he will make their enemies to be at peace with them . but as for such that are enemies to this good work , either by opposing it in their words , and works , or by starving it with their poor and small charitys , i fear god hath a curse for them here , or a wo for them hereafter , when christ shall say , go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill , and it is angels : and christ will say to such , inasmuch as ye have not don it to the poor , ye have not don it to me : such opposers of charitabl good works , when they shall com upon their death-beds , they will then wish they had given half their estates with zacheus , that they could then obtain the love of a christ , and the happiness of a zacheus , that salvation might com unto their house , as it did unto his ; therfore i wish all rich men that desire to obtain the love of a christ , to make their hands and their eys , their first executors , because their last executors may deceive them , as som have don . consider , if children are kept under government and imployment , they are the fitter for tradesmen , & others , and so therby , made serviceabl to the commonwealth , so that the loss of 200 l. is the preserving of 100 children from ruin : therefore we conclude , if the city of london should lose 1000 l. per annum in this work , yet they would gain by it , in the preservation of 500 children , and more ; for if children are not kept under a government , they will in time grow to a generation of ungodly wretches , having no fear of god before their eys , and so become a dishonor to god , and a burden to the commonwealth . therefore let us judge seriously , which will be the greatest loss , either mony or peopl to a commonwealth ? viz. whether 500 children should perish yeerly , rather then the city of london should lose 1000 l. over and above their other common charity ? if ungodly , uncharitable muck-worms should say , we had rather see 500 children beg and starve yeerly , rather then the city of london should lose 1000 l. yeerly towards poor childrens education and relief ; i would say to such unchristian like peopl , as st. peter said to simon magus , thy mony perish with thee ; so say i , let their mony perish with them , rather then poor souls should perish for the want of so small a portion of food for a meal , as i have set down before . and whereas the losse of 200 li. ariseth in the dyeting of 100 children , if these insuing helps may be gained ; the losse wil then be very little , which is by way of gathering from bakers and others , who give bread one or two days a week constantly to the poor at their doors , but if the poor of the work-houses might have it , they would rather give it there . for i understand there are many honourable and rich persons in and about london are resolved to give no more at their doors , since they have heard of a corporation appointed to regulate the poor by work , and other good government , therefore as christ said . take up the fragments that nothing be lost . i beleeve the practise of this wil save the city of london , 500 l. per annum or more , otherwise it wil be lost . as i have spoken of the officers and their salleries , so i desire to shew what is the cheife worke of a steward to do , and what the school-masters work is , and the cook or suttlers is , 1 the stewards work is , to keep books of accounts , one book is , what he receives from the treasurer , either monys , or materials received from the publick store house , appointed by the corporation , for the laying in of wool , hemp , flax , &c. the second book is , what commodities are delivered out , to work-people in the house , or abroad . 3 book is , for the commodities received when t is wrought . 4 book is , to take notice of what losse was in any pounds of wool , hemp , flax , or cotten wool , as well in weight as tale , this will be a means to prevent stealing and carelesnes , such losses the workers to make good , besides the allowance , some masters allow one ounce in the pound losse in childrens work . 2 his care is to see to the house , that it be swept and washt , and kept clean and wholsom , when the corporation or strangers come into it , to see the people at work . 3 his care to see the instruments belonging to the work people , that they be preserved , and if any hap to be brok , or out of order to see them repaired , and to buy such things as the corporation shall appoint . these are the cheifest things the steward is to perform , for the honour of the worke . the office of the schoole-master is , 1 to pray with the people once a day at least . 2 to teach the children to read & write , 2 hours in a day , one in the forenoon , the other in the afternoon , the rest of the day to work 3 to read the lawes and orders at certain times to the children , to the end they may know how to walk before god and men , for the law read , is a terrour to mild children , and such will reproov others that are more stuborn , saying i will tel my master , because you did swear , or you did this or that evill , contrary to the laws of the work-house , these words falling from the child will daunt the reprooved . 4 to exercise those gifts , god hath given him , on the sabbath days , by prayer , reading of chapters , and sermons , as afore-mentioned , and catechizing the children , by this meanes the streets and fields will bee cleared of many idle children who now spend their days in wickednesse , to the dishonor of god , and the disgrace of this city , and common wealth . when god shall be pleased to bring this government , then rich and poore , affected with goodnesse shal say , happy art thou o england in this thy reformation , and blessed be thy god for it . 3 the office of the cook or sutler , to provide such provision for the children as the corporation shall appoint . 1 by taking care , that all such provision that shall be given weekly by well disposed people , for the comfort of poor children , whether it bee bread from bakers , beer and broth from taverns innes , & others , or what else any shall provide , for the maintenance and upholding this good worke . 2 for his better livelyhood , that he provide bread and beer , and such like for the comfort of poor people that work in the house , for they will be glad to have it nigh them , that they may not be hindred of their work : besides , the having of it by small quantities , farthings and halfe penny worths , as they have need . these are the cheifest things , that these three officers are to act , for the glory of god , the honour of the corporation , and the comfort of the poor , that none may perish for want of bread , as many have done of late ; witnesse some about westminster that lived upon dogs and cats these deer and hard times ; others upon beasts blood and brewers graines boyled together , and the poor woman that killed her child , and dyed for it the last sessions 1649. upon her examination , she confest extream need and feare of famine occasioned it . to conclude , for the better releife of the poor , it was well observed of one , who said , that england had many hundred of acres of waft and barren lands , and many thousands of idle hands , if both these might be improved , england by gods blessing would grow to be a richer nation then it is now by far . a parliament power would do much towards this work , to make it generall throughout the nation , by causing all planting of tobacco to be thrown down in england , which is a hinderance to the poor englishmen beyond the seas , and a wrong to the custom , if they sell it in other countries for want of vent here , that such lands may be imployed in sowing hemp , and flax , and roots , and planting of trees for fruit and fuel , all which would be a great succour to the poor , as well to imploy them , as releive them ; the parliament have intentions to make this good worke of imploying and releiving the poor , generally throughout the nation . the great god of heaven is able to make them to act and perform it for a generall good . finis . april 12. 1650. imprimatur , iohn downam . some proposals for the imployment of the poor, and for the prevention of idleness and the consequence thereof, begging a practice so dishonourable to the nation, and to the christian religion : in a letter to a friend / by t.f. firmin, thomas, 1632-1697. 1681 approx. 104 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 25 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a41337 wing f972 estc r12645 12846169 ocm 12846169 94424 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a41337) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 94424) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 713:3) some proposals for the imployment of the poor, and for the prevention of idleness and the consequence thereof, begging a practice so dishonourable to the nation, and to the christian religion : in a letter to a friend / by t.f. firmin, thomas, 1632-1697. [3], 46 p. : ill. printed by j. grover, and are to be sold by francis smith ..., london : 1681. end of text signed: tho. firmin. author's only known publication--cf. dnb v. 7, p. 49. listed in bm, v. 73, col. 436 with an earlier edition of 24 pages, 1678. enlarged edition. reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng poor -england. poor laws -england. working class -england. labor movement -england. labor -england. charities -england. unemployed -england. 2006-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-02 robyn anspach sampled and proofread 2007-02 robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion shee layeth her hand to the spindle and her hands hold the distaffe : pro : 31. 19. depiction of woman at spindle . some proposals for the imployment of the poor , and for the prevention of idleness and the consequence thereof , begging . a practice so dishonourable to the nation , and to the christian religion . in a letter to a friend by t. f. for even when we were with you , this we commanded , that if any would not work , neither should they eat , 2 thes . 3. 10. let him that stole steal no more , but rather let him labour , working with his hands , the thing that is good , that he may have to give to him that needeth , eph. 4. 28. london , printed by j. grover , and are to be sold by francis smith , at the elephant and castle , and brab . aylmer , at the three pigeons in cornhill . 1681. some proposals for the employment of the poor , and for the prevention of idleness , &c. sir , it is now above four years since i erected my work-house in little britain for the imployment of the poor in the linnen manufacture , which hath proved so great a help , and afforded such relief to many hundreds of poor families , that i never did , nor i fear ever shall do an action more to my own satisfaction , nor to the good and benefit of the poor . in a former letter that i wrote upon this occasion , i gave you some account of the management of the said work-house , especially with relation to the parish of aldersgate ; which letter being wholly out of print , and much desired by some persons , i shall here insert the chief things conteined therein , with what else hath come into my thoughts concerning that matter ; hoping that when the great benefit of such an undertaking shall be made publick , every good man will some way or other give incouragement to it ; there being nothing so necessary for the prevention of poverty and the consequence thereof , begging , as to provide some imployment for our poor people , whereby to prevent idleness , the mother and nurse of all mischief , and one of those sins for which god destroyed sodom with fire and brimstone from heaven , as the holy scripture informs us . to the end therefore that poverty , together with that wicked trade of begging ( which so many thousands of late years have taken up , to the dishonour of almighty god , and the great scandal of the government of this nation ) may be prevented , i shall humbly propose a few things , which being put in practice , may with gods blessing , prove effectual to the ends designed . and the first is this , that every parish that abounds with poor people , would set up a school in the nature of a work-house , to teach their poor children to work in , who for want thereof , now wander up and down the parish and parts adjacent , and between begging and stealing , get a sorry liveing ; but never bring any thing to their poor parents , nor earn one farthing towards their own maintenance , or good of the nation . this , in a short time , would be found very advantagious , not only to the poor children themselves , who by this means , whilst young should be inured to labour , and taught to get their own livings , but also to their parents , who should hereby both be freed from the charge of keeping them , and in time , be helpt by their labours , as it is in other places ; and moreover the parish should be freed from much charge which many times they are at , to keep such poor children , or at least which they are necessitated to allow their parents towards it . nothing being accounted a better argument for a large pension , than that a man or woman hath six or seven small children , whereas unless they were all born at a time , or came faster into the world than ordinarily so many children do , it is very hard if some of them are not able to work for themselves . i my self have at this time many poor children , not above five or six years old , that can earn two pence a day , and others but a little older , three pence or four pence , by spinning flax which will go very far towards the maintenance of any poor child . not that i would have these schools confined only to spinning , but left at liberty to take in any other work that the children shall be capable of , as knitting of stockings , winding of silk , making of lace or plain work , or the like : for it matters not so much what you employ these poor children in , as that you do employ them in some thing , to prevent an idle , lazy kind of life , which if once they get the habit of , they will hardly leave ; but on the contrary , if you train up a child in the way that he should go , when he is old , he will not depart from it . and this is the way ( as i am informed ) that is practiced in holland and other places , with so great advantage , that there is very few children who have attained to seven or eight years of age , that are any charge to their parents , or burthensome to the parish . and mr. chamberlain in his book , intituled , the present state of england , hath observed , that in the city of norwich , it hath been computed of late years , and found , that yearly , children from six to ten years old , have gained twelve thousand pounds a year more than they have spent , chiefly by knitting fine jersey stockings . this school would be of no great charge , but many ways advantagious to the parish . at this time i have a person who for five shillings a week , doth constantly teach between twenty and thirty poor children to spin ; some that are little , upon the single wheel , and others that are bigger , upon the double , or two handed wheel ( like that which you have at the beginning of these papers , which i esteem the best way for spinning , and full as proper for wooll as flax ) which when they are expert in , i give the children leave to carry away with them to their several places of abode , that so there may be room for others ; and of these , there are divers that can earn six pence a day , and some more , allowing them two hours in a day to learn to read in , instead of that time which is allotted to the poorest of our children to play in ; a custom that i verily believe hath been the ruin of many thousand poor children , and hath nothing in the world to justifie it but an old proverb , which yet we have not fully observed : for instead of giving them all work and no play , the generality of our poor children have all play and no work , which is a thousand times more mischievous than the other . not that i would have all manner of recreation and divertisement prohibited to children , nor will it be hard to find some others besides playing at push-pin , or hide-farthing , neither of which , nor twenty others now in use , are any ways conducing to the health of their bodies , or to the improvement of their minds ; but are only fit to teach them lying and wrangling , with twenty cheating tricks , which many times they retain as long as they live . i believe there are very few persons who have had occasion to take one of these poor children for a foot-boy , or otherwise , but can tell you the sad effects of such an idle life as they have been brought up in ; the lad having from his cradle , if he had any , been permitted to play , has made it so natural to him , that send him in what haste you will , upon any errand , if he meets with a play-fellow , will have a touch of his old sport , and many times for want of such a one , will be exercising his hand alone , rather than forbear his old trade . let any man that hath occasion either to walk or ride through the out-parts of this city , ( where mostly our poor people inhabit ) tell but what he hath seen of the rudeness of young children , who for want of better education and employment , shall sometimes be found by whole companies at play , where they shall wrangle and cheat one another , and upon the least provocation , swear and fight for a farthing , or else they shall be found whipping of horses , by reason of which , they sometimes cast their riders , to the hazard or loss of their lives or limbs ; or else they shall be throwing of dirt or stones into coaches , or at the glasses , insomuch that i have been a hundred times greatly troubled , to see the rudeness and misbehaviour of the poorer sort of children , ( especially of late years ) they having been generally so much neglected , that they have neither been taught their duties either towards god or man. to me it seems very strange , that such children whose parents receive any pension from the parish , or that are brought up at the charge of the several parishes or in hospitals , as soon as they come to six or seven years old , are not taught to do something towards their own maintenance , which is the way in holland , as hath been said . there the children in hospitals , as soon as they come to any bigness , are two hours in a day , to wit , from five to seven in the morning , taught to read and write ; but when seven a clock comes , they are by a bell called to breakfast , which when they have eaten , every one hath their several employment allotted to them for all the day after , excepting only such time as they have to eat in . the boys are sent to the ship-yard to pick okum , to turn the wheel for the rope-maker , to wind quils for the weaver , or to braid nets , or the like : the girls to spin , to knit , to weave lace , or to work with the needle , or some such like employment as they are fit for ; so that as i am informed , a thousand children shall be brought up with less charge in holland , than five hundred here ; and i cannot apprehend what harm such a dutch trick would do us , if we had wisdom enough to practice it . if it be said that their children are not maintained so well , nor learnt so much as generally our children in hospitals are ; i answer , 't is so much the better , for why should poor children that must be put out to poor trades , where they must work hard , and fare hardly , be fed with white bread , or taught farther than is necessary for such trades ? is not this to make them too big for their business , which is always for the worse ? why , i pray must a poor boy that is designed for a mason , bricklayer , shoomaker , or the like honest and necessary trade , be taught to write as if he were designed for a master in that art ; or so far in arithmetick , as if he were designed for a merchant ? is it not enough that such children are taught to read the bible , and so much of arithmetick and writing , as may fit them for such trades and employments , as they are intended to be put unto ? and must children be kept from seven to fifteen years old , to learn so much , when two hours in a day would be more than enough to effect it ? and all the rest of their time might be spent in doing something or other that might help to keep them , and be by degrees , inured to the work and business for which they are designed and intended . this in a very short time , however it may seem hard at first , would be much more pleasant to the children themselves , than sitting eight or ten hours in a day under a severe school-master , who many times shall whip a poor child for not remembring or else for mistaking a few words , as severely as a rogue in bridewel , for picking a pocket , or cutting a purse . i am well aware from some discourses that i have met with of late , that what i have said in this particular , will give offence to some whom i am very unwilling to displease ; and that they will object the great prejudice which will be done to some children of good parts , if they should be hindered in their learning , by the advantage of which , if their trades failed , they might be able to teach arithmetick , or writing , or to keep merchants accounts . to which i answer , first , that there is no danger , that many handy-craft trades should fail : as long as people are born naked , there will be need of shomakers , taylors , weavers , and such like ; and as for those that may be able to teach arithmetick , writing , &c. there neither is , nor i believe , ever will be any want of such persons , even among them , which received their education from their parents , and not upon charity : nay , i dare say , there is so many of these at present , that not one half of them can be provided for in those ways . not but that if a poor lad were found of extraordinary parts , he might be permitted a more liberal education ; but the number of these is very few , and to give it unto others , is to do them and the commonwealth a great prejudice . i my self have known some persons kept seven or eight years at school , to learn the latin tongue , which have stood them in very little stead afterwards , being gone from school they have soon lost it , and thereby all the time they spent to gain it ; whereas , if they had instead thereof , been taught some useful art or other , they might have been the better for it as long as they lived . it is very well known , that at this time , there is hardly employment for one half of the clergy-men that are in england . yea , some will tell you , that there are not above ten thousand livings in england , and that there are above thirty thousand men in orders to supply them . i am not bound to make good the truth of this computation , but sure i am , that great multitudes want employment , and that if the smallest living or lecture shall be void , there will be many competitors for it . also , some will tell you , that the number of those that pretend to the law of late years , are so much increas'd , that many of them ( thanks be to god ) want employment , although there are a sort of men in the country ( as i am informed ) that make it their business to set men together by the ears , and ride from market to market upon but a very little better account , not but that i think and know there are many worthy men of that profession , i heartily wish they were all such ; 't is only those that are guilty of incouraging suits and quarrels , that i am offended with , and if they are offended with me for saying thus much , i cannot now help it . but not to forget the objection , pray let it be considered before you ingage persons in a liberal education , how they shall be maintained in it ? and before you send lads to cambridge and oxford , how they shall be kept there ; if any man will be so kind to do it for a poor boy , 't is very well , and i for my part have nothing to say against it : otherwise , i am very sure , and know it by sad experience , that for want of such supplies , some have been sent to those places , that had better have stayed away , and been put to some honest trade , by which they might have lived more comfortably themselves , and more profitably for the nation : but at the rate that some would order the matter , the plough , the sea , and manufactory , which are the great concerns of england , should be wholly neglected , as being too mean employments for the poorest of our children . he that hath a mind to see more of this , let him read britania languens , pag. 100. 102. &c. and pag. 133. but that i may after so long a digression return to the bufiness i was upon , to encourage the setting up of schools for the instruction of young children , and bringing them to some employment , whereby to get their own living , the charge hereof , as hath been said , would not be great , but the advantages very many ; and among others , this is not the least , that the parents of such poor children would have more time to follow their business and employments , and that with more content and satisfaction , when their children were not only kept out of harms way , but were learning something that would do them some good at present , and more hereafter ; all the trouble they should have , being only in the morning , to dress them with such poor rags as they had to put upon them , and to give them some small matter for their dinner , and to fetch them home at night , if they were too small to go home alone : for at this school , i would have children taken in from three to ten years old , those of the younger sort might be taught their letters , and to read till they were able to spin , or do some other work , and even then i would have two hours in a day at least , allotted to these poor children , to learn some plain and uncontroverted catechism , that might teach them the principles of religion , and also to perfect their reading , which through the blessing of god , might be a means to prevent much of that ignorance and wickedness that is found amongst our poor people , and bring them to sobriety and virtue , which being once done , they will of their own accord , naturally fall to some honest employment , without which , 't is impossible they should continue good , or happily enjoy themselves . that this is a way that would very much conduce to the happiness of poor people , and their poor children , i have found by very much experience , having at this time several poor children at my work-house , that over and besides their learning to read , have learnt to spin both upon the single and double wheel , and can earn from two pence to six pence a day , as hath been said ; which , every saturday night , i cause to be paid to the children , to carry home to their poor parents , or else , cause to be laid out for themselves in such things as they need . but before you enter the child upon the double wheel , or suffer it to spin with both hands , you must teach it to spin well with either hand upon the single wheel , which is turned with the foot as the other is , by means whereof , you may teach the child to draw out the flax with either hand indifferently , and to be as nimble and quick with one hand as with the other ; otherwise , when it comes to spin upon the double wheel , which hath a quill for each hand , the threads will not be alike , but one will be more twisted , and the other less ; it may be , the one will be too much , and the other too little , and so will not do well together . in this school , are taught boys as well as girls , which they take very well unto ; and for want of other employment , they may be kept at , till they are fit to go to prentice , or to do other business ; and the girls , till they are fit to go to service , and no longer : for it is a thing greatly complained of in the country already , that by reason of so great numbers of single persons that of late are fallen to the spinning trade , and to live at their own hands , there is so great a want of servants , that it is very hard for the meaner sort to get a supply , unless upon much higher terms than formerly ; and the like would soon be here , if single persons that were come to any age , were encouraged to live at their own hands : for which reason , and some others , i have taken special care , that no person that is fit to go to service , or to prentice , shall have any of my work. from what hath been said in this particular , touching the great benefit that would arise to every parish , by setting up such a school for the ends above specified , i would advise any person that had a mind to settle any thing upon a poor parish , to appropriate it to some such use as this , rather than to give it at large to the parish , to be disposed of at their pleasure : for this would be in effect , rather to ease the rich , than to help the poor , it being too well known , that several parishes that have great incomes for their poor , have yet their poor as ill provided for , as those that have less . if therefore i had a 100 l. a year to settle upon a poor parish , i would do it after some such way as this : twenty pounds a year i would appoint for an able and honest woman , to teach forty of the poorest children to read , and to spin flax or hemp , first upon the single , and then upon the double wheel , which when they had well learned , they would be in a capacity to get their own living . five pounds a year i would allot for the rent of a large room to teach the children in ; twenty five pounds a year i would assign for the buying of hemp and flax to teach the children to spin upon . twenty five pounds a year i would allot for the payment of the poor children that should spin the same , allowing one penny for every 600 yards of yarn , which the children should every week be paid for and carry home to their poor parents , or else be laid out for them in such things as they needed . fifteen pounds a year i would allot for the weaving of such yarn , and whitening such cloth as should be made of the yarn . eight pounds a year i would allot for the buying such wheels and reels , as the poor children should use ; which , at their going out of the house i would have given unto them . the remaining two pounds , i would appoint to be laid out for a dinner for the trustees , which should be upon a day prefixt , upon which day they should audite the accounts for the year past , and distribute the cloth which was made , some of it to the poor children that spun the yarn , and the rest to other poor people in the parish , especially the aged and impotent , it being more easy for them to get a meals meat , to feed their hungry bodies , than a shirt to cover them ; neither is the charity much less to cloath the naked , than to feed the hungry ; nor the promise greater to the one than to the other . however , by such a deed of charity , i should do both ; and also by teaching the children to read , and learn their catechisms , you should instruct their minds , which is a piece of charity no whit inferiour to the feeding their bodies , or clothing their backs : for without knowledge , solomon saith , the heart cannot be good ; and god by the prophet complains , that his people perish for lack of knowledge . this settlement i would so make , that it should not be in the power of the parish , nor yet of the trustees to alienate to any other use or purpose whatsoever ; but upon so doing , it should come to the hospital of christ church , or some such like foundation ; the governours whereof , would always take care that the trnst were performed , or in case it was not would soon take it out of their hands . having this proposed ( as i conceive ) a very likely way to prevent idleness in the younger sort , my next care must be to prevent it in those that are of age , which i judge may be done by each parish , if they would provide such work for them , as they might carry to their own homes , which though never so mean and homely , are more desirable than any other place , which also is the way that i have taken in the parish aforesaid , and which is the way that all the countries take for the spinning of those vast quantities of yarn , which is every year made use of , for the making of bays , sayes , serges , and stuffs of all sorts . and that which some of late have proposed of bringing them to a publick work-house , will never effect the end desired ; for suppose a woman hath a sick child , or husband , or some infirmity upon her self , in all which cases , she may do something at home , but cannot leave her own house : and supposing that none of these should happen , which is yet very frequent , not one person of many , will endure the thoughts of going to a publick work-house . sometimes it happens , nay , very frequently i have known , that persons of good education and well related , have fal'n into great poverty , which for these reasons , and lest they should fall into contempt by the discovery , they are willing to hide as much as they can , and therefore cannot expose themselves to work in a publick place . true indeed , for vagrants and sturdy beggars that have no habitation , and that will not work unless they are held to it as galley-slaves are tied to their oars ; such work-houses are very necessary , and i wish we had more of them , and that those we have were employed to that purpose ; but for such poor people as have habitations of their own , and are known in the places where they live , and that would take pains at home , it is altogether unreasonable and unprofitable in my poor judgment to bring them to a publick work-house . obj. but against this , of every bodies carrying their work to their own houses , it will be objected , what assurance can you have , that these poor people to whom you deliver your flax and hemp to spin , will bring it home again ? they may die , and what will become of it then , or they may pawn it , or run away with it ? answ . to all which i answer , that it is possible that one or all of these may happen as they have done sometimes among those that i have employed ; but to prevent all loss that may come by these ways , if the persons be wholly unknown , which can hardly be if they live in the parish , let them leave six pence in hand , which is about the price of a pound of hemp or flax , which no poor body who is of any good behaviour , but will find credit for , if they have it not of their own ; and let this lie as a pawn till they bring home their work , and as long as you shall employ them , or be satisfied of their honesty . obj. but some will object , that by this setting poor people to spin , you will take them off from other employments , as winded of silk , stitching of bodice , kniting of stockings , making of lace or the like , which are more necessary employments than spinning of flax and hemp to make linnen cloth , we having that already very cheap from other countries , for which also his majesty receives much custom , which by this new trade will wholly be lost . answ . to which i answer , that there is no fear that any person who can wind silk , knit stockings , make lace or the like , will leave these employments , if they can have them , to spin flax and hemp , the price thereof being so very low ; but if any of these should fail , as many times they do ( as for instance , kniting of silk stockings was of late years a very great employment , whereas now they have found out a way to weave both silk and worsted : the kniting trade is greatly abated , and 't is like , in time will come to very little ; had not then the poor people better spin than do nothing ? and were it not much better that his majesty should lose the custom of some linnen cloth , than that the poor people should lose both their bodies and souls too in sloath and idleness , the latter whereof , is many times the consequence of the former . but as to the custom of cloth , it is humbly conceived , that if a higher impost were laid upon foreign linnen , it would be a ready way to encourage this manufacture at home ; and also bring in as much money to his majesty , though there should come in less cloth than now there doth . but further , let it be considered , that this employment of spinning flax and hemp , is set up , and intended only for those persons that have nothing else to do , or that can do little else ; of which number there are very many antient people , who cannot see to wind silk , to stitch bodice , or to work with a needle , which yet can spin indifferent well : nay , there are some at this time which spin to me , that can see no more than the wheels they spin upon , that yet follow this employment , and can draw a thread that for some purposes doth well enough ; and for young children , there is nothing they can more easily learn , than to spin linnen , their fingers being never so small , being big enough to pull out the flax , and to make a fine thread , in so much , that some children that i have taken up , that came begging to my door , which in six months time , have drawn a pound of flax to so fine a thread , that the spinning hath come to twelve pence , which very rarely antient people will draw to seven pence . obj. but again it will be objected , where will you find a stock to employ so many poor people as shall want work ? answ . to which i answer , that there are few parishes , but either have a stock of money , or so many good men , that would willingly lend gratis , if not give considerably towards the carrying on of so good a work as is the employment of the poor : but in case either of these should fail , the parish may as easily raise a stock to set the poor at work , as raise money by a rate to keep them in idleness . 't is very well known , that some parishes about london , do raise some thousands of pounds every year for the relief of their poor ; and yet as the matter is handled , very few who are not through age or sickness confined to their houses , but do beg up and down the streets : to prevent which , i know no better way , than to provide work for all that are able ; and instead of giving them twelve pence or two shillings in a week , in dry money , to give them the like value in flax or hemp , which , when they had spun , they should be paid for at the same rate , together with what the spinning of it came unto . this in all probability would lessen the number of our beggars and street-walkers , who having not sufficient for the supply of their wants , allowed them by the parish , make up the rest by begging : if any one of these should pretend that they cannot spin , the answer is very near at hand , they may soon learn ; since i set up this employment , i have taught several persons of about sixty years of age , to spin , who do constantly follow this work , if they have no other ; but if this answer will not do , the next should , which is this , if the person cannot live of her pension , and will not , being able , accept of such employment as the parish hath to give ; let her get some other , by means of which , she may help to maintain her self , so that she be not found begging in the streets , upon pain of losing that relief which she received from the parish ; to prevent which , 't is like she would fall to work , from which , and her pension , she might make a good shift to live : or , otherwise let her person be secured as an idle beggar , in the house of correction , where she should be made to work , or forbid to eat , as the apostle st. paul adviseth , saying , if any will not work , neither let them eat . but further , to encourage the setting up of the linnen manufacture for the employment of the poor , i desire it may be considered , that there is no commodity that i know of , that is of the like value , that can be set up with less stock or less loss at first , three parts of four even of that cloth which comes not to above two shillings an ell , will be paid for labour to the dresser of the flax , and to the spinner , and weaver , and as they spin finer , the price will advance so much , that five parts of six shall go out upon that account . i my self have seen a pound of flax not worth above eighteen pence at most , spun to that fineness , that the pound of thred hath been worth eight or ten shillings ; and from other countries we daily receive thredspun of flax , not above three or four shillings a pound , at the price of three or four pound sterling . then as to the loss by children and learners , it will not be near so much as in many other things . a child may first be set upon spinning of tow , which cost about two pence a pound , which though it be spun never so badly will serve for some kind of use or other , which in wool would be good for nothing , which yet is many times the price . moreover , i desire it may be considered , that in this trade all sorts of persons whether young or old , male or female , may find employment ; if of years and able , they may beat hemp , dress flax , and make them ready for the spinster , and when spun , may be employed in weaving it , and those of both sexes that are not able , may be put to spinning , as it is usual in many places . obj. the next objection i have met with is this , what will you do with all the yarn these poor people shall spin , if you turn it into cloth , the commodity is brought over so cheap , that you will never be able to sell it without much loss . answ . i must confess , this objection hath too much of truth in it , wholly to be removed : the best answer i can make to it at present , is this , that we had better lose something by the labour of the poor , than lose all , by letting them live in sloth and idleness : for , suppose you should give six pence for that which really is not worth five pence , here will five pence be gained to the nation , tho' one penny should be lost to the parish . but besides , let it be considered , that if this person had not been employed , there would not less have been spent , but rather more ; forasmuch as six pence that is got by labour , doth many times go further than twelve pence given for doing nothing , all that time people are idle , they will be spending , if they have where withal ; and if they have not , 't is like they will be worse employed , and either beg or steal to supply their wants . all that i can further say to this objection , is only this , that it is to be hoped in time , as our people grow more skilful and industrious , we may be able to sell as cheap as our neighbours ; but if we cannot , 't is much better to lose something in a way that will make the poor people better , and the nation richer , than to suffer them to live in sloth and idleness , to their utter ruine , and to the great loss and damage of the kingdom . obj. but it may be some will object and say , where will you find persons that have skill to manage this employment , or whom shall the parish trust with it ? if it be left to every body's care , it will come to nothing ; forasmuch as commonly that is no body's , which is every body's business : and if you leave it to the care of one or two , the parish may be cheated . ans . to this i answer , that it is not to be doubted , but that in every parish some such honest and faithful persons may be found , as would not wrong the parish , nor imbezzle one farthing of their stock , but account it their honour to be employed in so noble and generous a work , which would not only make a better provision for the poor , but make them better also . a.b. in c.d. when the yarn comes in , i lay every sort by it self , that is spun to a fineness , and when i deliver any of it to the weaver , i enter to his account the quantity and quality ; as for instance , to a. b. in c. d. so many pound of yarn , which cost such a price ; and when the weaver brings home his cloth , i weigh it again , by means of which , i can certainly tell you , at the making up of the account , whether all my flax and hemp be brought home by the spinner , and all my yarn by the weaver ; as also what my cloth stands me in : by which i do prevent being deceived by others , and deceiving my self . when i first began to employ the poor in spinning , the best direction that i could receive , was to pay for spinning the same price that the flax and hemp stood me in , or what those sorts were generally sold for ; but this i soon found to be a very unequal way : forasmuch as some people would spin a much finer thread than others , and better deserve 8 d. for spinning a pound of flax that cost but six pence , than another four pence ; so that after a little time , i brought all the poor people to spin six hundred yards for a penny , were the thread finer or courser , which was three knots or lays about a half yard reel , with one hundred threads in a lay , which makes just six hundred yards ; and since then , with much ado , finding the loss to be great , i have brought them to fifty yards more , which yet is much less than is spun in other places . in the contract which the city of bristol made with one mr. king , and others , for the employment of five hundred of their poor people in the way of spinning : for the first year , he was obliged to pay them two pence half penny for sixteen hundred yards of yarn , which is much about the price that i pay the poor people here , because they being either wholly to learn , or much to seek , might not be discouraged ; but after the first year , by this contract , he might alter the price , provided he never brought them to spin above eight hundred yards for a penny ; and i doubt not , if our poor people could be brought to spin so much here , there would be no loss by the liunen we make , but rather profit ; but the mischief of it is , our poor people have not been brought up , either to work hard , or to fare hardly ; and the trade of begging , being known to be so easie and gainful , they will much rather range about forty or fifty parishes in a day , and get a penny in each parish , than work hard in one to get six pence or eight pence ; which they must do in this employment : so that till the magistrate will do his duty , and see the laws put in execution agaiust beggars , or the people grow so wise , as not to encourage this wicked course of life , i have little hope to see this matter much amended . having given you an account of the price i pay for spinning , i shall now tell you what i pay for flax and hemp , ( though this is sometimes more or less , as the markets rise or fall ) as also what i pay for dressing them , and for weaving the cloth i make , because i would give the greatest encouragment i could to the setting up this manufacture , for the employment of our poor people , till some other , or better way should be found out . for riga hemp at this time , i pay twenty shillings a hundred , which is very low ; for quinborough about twenty two , which is cheap ; for muscovia flax , about forty four a hundred ; for quinborough about forty shillings a hundred ; for holladay about thirty six ; for pater-noster flax , about thirty : all which prizes are very high to what they are at some times ; for english flax , about five pence half penny a pound undrest ; which prizes i rather insert , to give buyers a little aim , than for a standing rule . for beating of hemp , i pay four shillings and eight pence , a hundred weight . for dressing hemp long or short , eleven pence a dozen pound , for dressing flax i give three pence a stone , accounting eight pound to the stone . for weaving cloth , i pay the several prices following , for yarn spun to six pence and seven pence a pound , for every ell of cloth half-ell wide , two pence half penny ; for that which is three quarters wide , three pence ; for that which is three quarters and half wide , three pence half penny ; for that which is yard wide , four pence ; for that which is ell wide five pence . for yarn spun to nine pence and ten pence a pound , i pay one half penny more for every half quarter of an ell , rising as before ; in that of seven pence and eight pence , and the like in that which is still finer ; for course cloth , yard half quarter wide , i pay three pence an ell , and for sacking , about three pence a yard . which prices i have here inserted , as i said before , rather to give some aim , than to be a standing rule ; yet this i am sure , no one need to exceed them , but in some places they may be abated , according to the cheapness of living , over what it is in this city . it is a thing greatly to be wished , that we could make linnen cloth here , as cheap as they send it us from abroad , but if that cannot be done , nor any other way found out to employ our poor people , we had much better lose something by the labour of our poor , than loose all their labour , and keep them into the bargain , which must be done one way or other ; for the back and belly have no ears , hunger will break through stone walls , and if some people cannot honestly , they will any way supply their wants , though they are hanged for their pains . but thanks be to god , there are still amongst us , an honest sort of poor people , that are content to take any pains for a living , rather than beg or steal , and for their sakes chiefly , i have set up this employment , and do heartily wish it were better for their sakes , they being indeed the truest objects of charity that will do what they can to get a living , and 't is great pity , that such poor souls should not be helped : if by what they are able to do , they cannot procure to themselves necessaries of this sort . you very seldom see any begging about the streets , except upon some extraordinary occasion or accident , and then 't is done with great modesty , and as much against their natures as any thing in the world , but starving . but as for those common beggers , and especially those profligate wretches called the running camp , which every day pester our streets ; they are a people that one would think came from the suburbs of hell it self , a dishonour to humane nature , a shame to the government , and an intolerable trouble to all persons they come near , by their swearing , scolding , fighting , &c. you may easily know them , as also by their numbers , for they commonly go in companies , and will be present at all solemnity , but more especially at feasts and funerals . of late they are grown so impudent , that they will thrust themselves into churches , and by their brawling and scolding , many times disturb the minister ; when sermon is done , the congregation must not pass out , but one by one , because they will make the most they can of it , by asking every person something , and what they get , they spend as wickedly as they get it : so that to relieve these miscreants , is a greater act of folly ( that i say no worse of it ) than to throw a man's money down the thames , for hereby you give encouragement to this wicked kind of life : and would once people be perswaded to forbear this foolish pity , they would be necessitated to work . i lately heard a gentleman tell this story , who was persued by a lusty rogue in lincols-inn-fields , that refusing to give him any thing , cryed , ah , master if all were of your mind , i know what i would do ; upon the hearing of which , he turned back again , and said , why sirrah , what would you do ? truly master said he , i would fall to work : and i doubt not but the rest of his brethren would do the like , but that they find begging so beneficial a trade . it is not above six months since , that a gentleman of good quality , that lives in the country , told me , that having occasion to pass some of the fields about the town , he met with a young fellow that askt him for an alms , whom he no sooner lookt upon , but he well remembred him to have lived in the same parish where he did , and asking him if he were not such a man , he told him he was , and presently called the gentleman by his name ; who asking him how long he had folowed that trade ? told him , ever since his wife died , which was about three years : in short , the beggar askt him where he lay , and desired he might have leave to wait upon him at his chamber , which he readily granted him ; withal , wondring in himself , what he should have to say to him , but when he came , he soon acquainted him with his business , which was to get him to put out 200. l. that he had gotten by his new trade , to keep him as he said , when he was old ; by which you see , that begging is a very gainful trade . so that 't is no wonder that so many fall upon it , and that all places , but especially this city and suburbs are so filled with them , nor is there any hopes to see them fewer , till the laws are put in execution both against them , and those that do relieve them . if any shall think that i am very uncharitable , because i would have all lusty beggars made to work , or soundly whipt , and such as relieve them , punished as the laws require , i am very confident that they do not consider upon what good grounds such laws were made , nor the great evil such relief doth both to the persons themselves , as well as to the nation , nor yet the plain injunction of the apostle , who saith , if any will not work , neither let them eat . obj. but some will still object against the setting up the linnen manufacture , that the commodity is more proper for other countreys , because they have more plenty of hemp and flax ; and also , that if we do not take off their linnen , they will not take off our . woollen cloth , which is the staple commodity of our nation , and ought rather to be encouraged than any other . answ . to which i answer , first , that for flax , our country , at least some parts of it , is as proper as any other , and may with good management , be made so for hemp also . a worthy person in surry , having a mind to employ his poor neighbours , and to prevent the great mischiefs that idleness had produced among them , as begging , stealing and breaking of hedges , resolved to set up the trade of spinning flax , and making of cloth , which for some time he did , by supplying himself with flax from london ; but afterwards , he caused ten acres of his own land to be sown with flax ; and after a just computation of his charge , reckoning his neat flax at one penny in a pound less than he paid for the same sort from london the year before , made twenty shillings an acre of his ground , which would not have been let at four shillings . but secondly , let it be considered , that some countreys have fallen upon the making of wollen cloth ; and others in a manner prohibited it , by laying so great a charge upon it ; so that it is in a manner absolutely necessary for us to fall upon the making of linnen cloth , to make up the damage they have done us . 't is true , the exchange of commodities one nation with another , is a very profitable way of commerce , provided the ballance of trade be any thing equal ; which it is well known hath not been with france for some years of late : so that there is very great reason we should fall upon making such cloth as we receive from thence , and that as great an imposition should be laid upon their linnen cloth , as they have laid upon our woollen : the linnens imported from france of late years , as saith britania languens , hath been estimated at five hundred thousand pounds : and so much as our importations from france , exceed our exportations thither : so much the nation loseth , and is impoverished ; and in the same proportion france gains , which may be accounted a double loss to england , not only in making us so much poorer , but also in making our most formidable neighbour so much the richer , and consequently , so much the more able to do us harm : therefore , so much cloth as we make here , and would otherwise be brought us from france , to the same proportion our nation saves , and france loseth ; which is a double advantage to us . i confess , it is very necessary ; that the woollen manufacture should be kept up to the height , and a thousand pities that any of our wooll should be carried out of england unwrought , especially at such a time as this , when the commodity is so much advanced , and grown so scarce , that 't is much to be feared , we shall not long have enough for those hands that are already employed in it ; so that instead of prohibiting the wearing of silk , and hair stuffs for five months in a year , when so many thousand persons are employed in those commodities : it is thought may prove very prejudicial ; and that we had more need to encourage these manufactures , or any other , to employ our poor , than forbid them ; neither indeed , will this be a way to lessen our woollen manufacture , but much more to encrease it : forasmuch as any person that wears silk , or hair that is brought from beyond sea , in exchange for our woollen cloth , may be truly said to wear twice as much , as he that has nothing but woollen upon his back . i desire also , that it may be considered , that although it matters not how great a price is paid for what is worn of the wollen manufacture among our selves ; yet if we shall not be able to send it abroad at a reasonable price , we shall put other countreys upon seeking out other commodities that will be cheaper , which may prove very mischievous . there is no great danger , that ever our making of linnen cloth should do the woollen much harm , unless we could make it cheaper than we have it from other places ; and then if we furnished them with linnen to as good advantage as woollen , the matter would be much the same . but lastly , i am not fond of one employment for our poor , more than for another , let but our idle people be employed , and the trade of begging supprest , and i shall have attained my end : for this i am sure , is a far greater evil to the nation , and every way more mischievous than the setting them to make linnen-cloth , or any other thing would be . nay , i am very confident , i conceive upon good grounds , that it were much better for the nation to employ the poor to pick straws , if there were no better employment for them , than to let them live in sloth and idleness , because what they got by their labours , would go much farther than so much given them for doing nothing : all the idle person hath to do , is to spend what you give him , which he will quickly do , when that is all his business , but he that is employed hath something else to mind ; neither will his wants be so many , as the others , nor himself in half so much danger as the idle person , whose head is the devils anvil , where he forges all his instruments of death , and by being altogether at leisure , may even be said to tempt the devil himself to fall upon him , being ready for want of other or better business , to do any thing , which either the devil or his own wicked heart can suggest to him , or set him upon . but there is one objection more , which i have lately met with , which i cannot well pass over , and that is this ? obj. though it cannot be denied but that in the general , the employment of the poor is a very good work , yet it may not be convenient to set up any manufacture in this city for the doing of it , least by this means you drain the countreys of all their poor people , and in time so fill the city and suburbs with them , that all the manufactures in england shall not be enough to employ them ; and also , because by experience it is found , that all those places where there is any manufacture set up , are much fuller of poor people than any other . and lastly , because it is not convenient , that the making and consumption of any commodity should be in one and the same place . to which i answer , first , that if the employment of the poor be good in any place , it is so here , both because they are more in number in this city and suburbs , than in any other places , and because if they are here suffered to be idle , they will have more temptations and opportunities to do mischief , than they will have any where else . as to what is objected , that by the setting up of any manufacture here for the employment of the poor , you will drein the countreys of all their poor people , and at last so fill the city and suburbs with them , that all the manufactures of england shall not be enough to supply them . i answer , first , that there will need no more work to employ them in the city , than in the country ; so that if all the manufactures in england will not employ them here , neither will they do it in the country . but , secondly , i desire it may be considered , that where there is one person comes to this city to find work , there is two comes to beg or to do worse : so that if due care were taken to employ all persons that were idle , and the laws put in execution against beggars , a great many persons would soon leave the city , and return to their own countries , where they might have near as much money for their work , or at least more meat for their money ; and till this easie and gainful , though wicked trade of begging shall be supprest , i do not expect to see fewer , but more beggars every day . it is well known , that of late years , many persons have come from the farthest parts of this nation to set up this trade here , and if speedy care be not taken to prevent it , this city and suburbs will drain all the poor people of england unto them , begging being here a better trade than any where else , and greater encouragement given to it . as to that part of the objection , which saith , that those towns , where there is any manufacture set up , are fuller of poor people than any other places , the answer is easie . first , because those places have abundantly more people in them than any other , all manufactures being carried on chiefly by the poor , and not only by the rich ; so necessary are the poor to the carrying on of any manufacture , that the one would cease without the other . but let it also be considered , that as in these places , there are the poorest , so also here are the richest ; and as there are in these places more poor people than in others , so also there are more rich people than in those places where there is no manufacture , the trade of such places being very little ; let any one compare the trade of colchester with the trade of ipswich , and he shall find , that where the town of ipswich gets one penny , the town of colchester gets twelve pence ; and for every twelve pence returned in ipswich , there is near twenty shillings returned in colchester . let the poor of any place be never so many , provided they work and do not eat the bread of idleness , the place will be the richer for them , and the trade far the better : for these people must eat , and drink , and wear clothes , as well , tho' not so good , as those that are richer ; and by these the trade will be much increased , and the inhabitants made much richer than otherwise they would be : a multitude of poor people well employed , would be like a multitude of bees in a hive , which would much sooner fill it with honey than if they were fewer . i would gladly know how our poor people shall be provided for , if begging must not be allowed , nor working encouraged , for fear of bringing more poor people among us . put the case this were an evil which yet i cannot allow , must we not do good to our own poor , for fear it should bring the poor of other places among us . for my part , i am so far from thinking abundance of poor people an evil , that if they were well employed , they would prove a blessing to us : for in all labour there is profit , saith the wiseman : 't is only idleness that makes the poor a burthen both to themselves , and the places where they inhabit . but lastly , that all pretences may be taken away from such as object against our employment of the poor among us , lest we should bring in the poor of other places : if the several parishes do not like of this , they have laws to keep them out ; and they may thank themselves , that so many necessitous persons do daily come in among them , because they do not prevent inmates , but suffer any to settle among them , that may be chargeable , without giving security to prevent it . but it is further said in the objection , that the making and consumption of any commodity , should not be in one and the same place . to which it is answered , that this part of the objection , even by the confession of all , hath no force in it as to many things ; and why it should as to any , i see no reason : it was never doubted , but that good beer and ale , which some call our english manufacture , may without any prejudice , be made and consumed in one and the same place ; and why not any commodity for the back , if there be need of them , as well as those for the belly ? i do not understand : we use to say , every man will christen his own child first : so much of any commodity as is necessary , will be made use of in the place where it is made , and only the rest sent abroad . put the case , for want of other employment , the city of london should set their poor people upon making linnen cloth , and that in time they should be able to fit the country with it , upon as good terms as they do twenty others that are made in this city . where would be the prejudice , if in the first place they supplied themselves with what they have occasion for . but as to the sort of work , you will employ the poor people in , i am not concerned so much for that , as that you do employ them some way or other , and prevent that idle kind of life , which many of them lead , which will bring them , not only to beggary , but to all manner of vice , as hath been already observed from what hath been said , i think it doth plainly appear , that the only way to prevent poverty and want among those that are well and able to work , is to bring them to labour , and prevent idleness , which being done , it will be much easier to provide for those that through age , sickness , or the like , are utterly uncapable of doing any thing towards their own maintenance : and that this might effectually be done , care must be taken to put the laws in execution , which are made on that behalf , which i am told , hath strictly enjoyned every parish , to take care , that such persons , may have such an allowance , as may be suitable and sufficient for their wants , that so they need not be necessitated to beg , nor forced to go out of their own parish to seek relief : insomuch , that if the places where they live , be not able to give them a sufficient supply to their wants and necessities , they ought to apply themselves to their next neighbours for help and assistance ; and in case they fail herein , 't is their own fault . and indeed , what can be more reasonable than such laws as these ? forasmuch as there is nothing can tend more to the dishonour of any nation , than to see such poor , aged , sick and impotent people , necessitated to beg up and down the streets , when god knows , many times they are fitter to be in bed. that we do not force such as are able to work and get their own livings , is a shame only to our prudence , and want of good government ; but that we necessitate such persons as those to beg , is a shame to our very profession of christianity , and shews that we are hard-hearted , and have no bowels of compassion to our poor brethren . surely this is not to give honour to the aged , nor to be eyes to the blind , and feet to the lame , and wisdom to them which have no understanding , nor yet to do to others as we would that they should do unto us , if we were in such circumstances . it many times falls out , that persons who have lived well in their younger years , and it may be wrought hard when they were able , that by reason of sickness , or some sad accident , have come to poverty in their old age. how often hath it fallen out , that widows , by trusting their estates in the hands of knaves , have lost all they had , and been brought to want ? having out-lived all their friends and near relations , and nothing to help them , but the kindness of the parish , and if that fail , how miserable must they be ? now for the prevention of which , i would propose one or two things more . first , that in every great parish , there might be some other persons appointed besides the church-wardens , who should be men of the best reputation , both for honesty and estates , to whom i would have given that honourable title of being called fathers for the poor , as it is now in the french and dutch churches , whose chief work and business it should be , to visit such poor people , and to inspect their wants , and to have some part at least of the parish stock , committed to them for the supply of them whereas now alas , the poor people must themselves apply to the church-wardens if they are able to crawl abroad , otherwise , if their own neighbours , which many times are poor enough themselves , are not the kinder , they may perish in their own houses for want of food , physick , fire or cloaths , as i have great reason to believe many hundreds have done of late years , i pray god lay it not to our charge , that in a nation so abounding with riches and plenty as england doth , any person should perish through want . it is well well known , that the church-wardens of most parishes , come not to those places , because they are better or richer men than others , but because of their long standing in the parish ; and many times , god knows , they are no more affected with the wants and necessities of a poor creature , than a grave-maker at the sight of a dead corps . secondly , i propose that some such houses may be crected here as are in holland , for the reception of aged persons , to which they may resort , and be admitted as soon as they find themselves in a declining condition , before all is spent or lost , paying for their admittance according to their age , and the quality of such houses as they should desire to go into ; for of these , i would have several sorts . this in a few years would prevent much of that poverty and necessity , that oftentimes fall upon old age ; as to give an instance or two , suppose that a woman buries her husband , who leaves her in goods and money to the value of one or two hundred pounds , but altogether unable to manage the trade her husband followed or any other , what can this poor woman do , to live upon the interest of this money , though she knew never so well , how to secure it , she cannot ; and if she lives upon the principal , it will soon be gone . in such a case , what more advisable , than that this person forthwith go and purchase for her self a being in one of these houses , where she shall be well provided for , as long as she live , and be delivered from the fear of want in her old age , which many times is more grievous than the fear of death it self ? how often have it faln out , that widows who were left well by their husbands , for want of understanding to manage their estates , or by trusting it in insolvent hands , have lost all , and brought themselves to poverty ; or suppose as many times it hapneth , that while a man and his wife live , their trade should either grow out of fashion , or so bad , that it was not possible for them either to get a living by it , or to fall into any other . in this case , would it not be much for the advantage of both these persons , while something was left , to go and make provision for themselves in one of these houses where they should be comfortably provided for as long as they lived , and the longer liver of them . i doubt not , but there are many persons that have known the cases now put often to happen , and many others of the like nature ; this would be a sort of charity , if i may call it charity , very advantagious to the persons that should partake of it , and as it may fall out , very profitable to the setter of it up , but however , without loss , and would really be a far greater piece of service done to the nation , than are for the most part our alms houses , which though never so well intended , are in some respects prejudicial , drawing poor people to settle in such places where they are erected , and a means to make some people careless in laying up any thing against old age , in hopes of being there provided for ; not that i would wholly discourage this way of charity : in some respects it may be good , but yet i will say , that this is no way inferiour to it , in as much , as many times it would effectually prevent that poverty which often falls upon old age , which is doubtless as great an act of charity , as to relieve persons in necessity . i am verily perswaded , if one such building as this i am now speaking of , was erected , for the reception of aged men , or women , or both , and well endowed for the performance of such conditions as should be made , there would be no want of persons to go into it ; and that in a short time , so many would be erected , that the next generation should not see one quarter so many of poor aged people , exposed to beggary as in this . there are some persons that i know , who have poor relations , that would willingly be at one or 200 l. charge , to see them thus provided for . i wish that all that were able , were so well minded ; but on the contrary , to their shame be it spoken , i know some that have so little charity for their poor relation , that though they are able , yet suffer them to want ; nay , to beg . i hope the number of such uunatural wretches are not many , yet some such there are , who provide not for their own kindred , of whom the apostle saith , that they have denied the faith , and are worse than infidels . but now sir , that i may give you an account of the work-house in aldersgate parish , and the management of affairs there ( which was the thing you desired , and what first i chiefly intended ) by which i hope there will appear a very likely way to prevent much poverty for the future , and beggary for the present . the house being finished , i acquainted the parish , that if they had any poor people that wanted employment , if they went thither , i would supply them , upon these conditions , viz. that they should not take away their pensions from any that i employed , nor give pensions to any but such as would , being able , follow that work i had to give them , or some other , by means of which , and the pension received from the parish , they might provide for themselves without begging : for i have long observed , that a great many of those persons we find begging up and down the streets , are such as do receive some pension from the parishes where they live ? but that being too small to maintain them , they make up the rest by begging , which might easily be prevented in every parish , as it was in this we are now speaking of , there being here no person that had a pension , and was able to work , but was supplied therewith , and with these together , were inabled to make good provision for themselves , and to live much more happily than before : and if at any time any of these persons should be found begging in the streets , the parish promised to take away their pensions , and i promised to take away their work , and leave them to provide for themselves as well as they could , which must be by begging or stealing ; but wherever they begged , it should not be in this parish , at least , not with any good success : for the parish having called over all their poor people , and appointed work for those that were able , thought it convenient to give a badge , with the three first letters of the parishes name upon it , to such , and only such as they found uncapable of any labour ; by means of which , they were permitted to go into the parish , if they were able , or else to send some in their names at such an hour of the day , to receive such broken bread and meat as their neighbours had to give , who also promised to give it unto these , and no others : for by this badge , which was made of blew and yellow bays , pinned upon their sleeve or breast , they were known to the inhabitants to be those very persons , whom the deputy , common-counsel-men , and church-wardens had judged fit to receive such charity . and i know not why any body should be offended that the parishoners should invite their poor neighbours once a day to come to their houses to receive such bread and meat as they were willing to give them , neither would i have these poor people go under so dishonourable a name as beggars , but to be lookt upon as invited guests . and would their rich neighbours now and then invite them to their tables , it would take away this reproach , and be an obligation upon their servants , to take care that what they gave them at other times , were decently set by for them , and not scambled up and down as in some places i have seen it done as if it were to be given to dogs , rather than christians ; this were indeed to follow the advice of our blessed lord and saviour , who saith , luke 14. 13. when thou makest a feast , call the poor , the maimed , the lame , and the blind , for they cannot recompence thee , but thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the just . and this course of giving a badg to your own poor neighbours , by which they might be known , and resolving to relieve no others , unless there were not enough of these ; in which case , some from other parishes might be allowed to come in like manner , tho at first sight it may seem to have little in it , yet if duely practiced would be found of very great moment , and productive of many goods effects ; insomuch , that it is impossible it should fail , unless the parish fail in their promise . for first of all , by this means , you will in a short time clear your parish of all those idle beggars that daily infest it , to the great trouble of all house-keepers , whose doors are seldom quiet from one or other of them , to the great disturbance of the whole family , it being in some places almost one bodies work to give them answers . then this will tend to the quiet of all passengers that shall have occasion to go through your parish , who are wont to be haunted with those evil spirits , from one end of the street to the other ; and if by accident they meet with any one by the way , with whom they have occasion to speak , and shall make the least halt , they must in their own defence , give them something to be gone , or else they will hear all they say , or by their begging , hinder them from saying any thing ; this is a thing so well known to all that live in or frequent the city , that i need not say more concerning it . now by means of a badge , the parish will know whom they relieve , and when it shall come to be known that they have resolved to relieve at their doers , no other but their own poor neighbours as it will in a short time ; the common beggars will know better how to employ their time , than in visiting such places , where nothing is to be got . and while this parish of aldersgate took the course prescribed them , i my self have taken a friend , and gone through the chief places of this parish , and have not found one beggar in it ; i must confess , of late they have been something remiss in the prosecution of the methods agreed upon , but i doubt not they will fall upon it again . ( for i hear , instead of badges made of bays , they have made some of brass , and resolve to give the poor aged and impotent people , new-coats , all made of gray cloth , to put them upon , that so the parish may the better know their own poor people , that are appointed to take such relief as they have to give at their doors ; ) and then i am sure , what i now tell you was done , will be done again . obj. but here it will be objected , that some parishes are so full of poor people , who are not able to work , that they are not able to relieve one quarter of them in this kind . answ . to which i answer , that there are several parishes and some wards within the city of london , which have very few or no poor people in them , wherefore i humbly propose , that by the allowance of the lord mayor , &c. it may be permitted to those poor parishes , to send daily some of their poorest people for relief . as for example , suppose the parish of algate which is very full of poor people , should be permitted to send such a number of them into the ward of langbourn , with a badge of the parish , by which they might be known , at such an hour of the day , to receive what bread and meat they had to give , and this ward desired by the alderman , deputy , or common-counsel-man of every precinct to give their broken victuals only to these persons : this in a short time would have the like effect in this ward as it had in the parish aforesaid ; yet least it should be found troublesome to the ward , that these poor people should be ranging about it from one end to another , it might with ease be ordered , that every precinct should have such a number allotted , according to it's bigness or smallness , to receive their fragments ; by which means , the ward should be more quiet , and the streets rid of those multitude of beggars which are every day found in them , to the great trouble of the people , and the dishonour of the government , as hath been said . and till some such course as this was taken , i would advise every family that have broken bread and meat to bestow , that they would not throw it away upon those common beggars that come to their doors every day , who many times are too fine mouthed to eat any of it themselves , unless a choice bit now and then , and either throw away the rest , or sell it unto others ; but rather to invite two or three poor families to come for ir at such times as you should apppint , which would be a great comfort to them . this is the way which i have taken for many years last past , so that now my door is seldom troubled by common beggars on this account . from what hath been said , i suppose it will appear very practicable to bring all the parishes in england into such a method , that no poor body should want work , or be permitted to beg otherwise than by the allowance of the parish , which yet i would not have called by this term : for what hath been done in one parish , may be done in every one , if the circumstances are the same . but 't is like some will still object and say , that this of aldersgate parish , is a rich parish , and the poor very few in it to what there are in others ; so that what is related , may with greater ease be effected here , than where the poor are more numerous . ans . to this , i say , it is very true , there are several rich men in this parish , and the poor of this parish , tho' many , are not yet so many as in some others ; yet even here there are many poor people and their children that do spin flax and hemp , tho' they are not all pensioners to the parish , nor i hope ever will be , it being my design to prevent that as much as i can . but over and besides those of this parish , there are above 1500 more out of other parishes in and about the city of london , some of which do constantly follow this employment , and others only when they have no better . as suppose a poor woman that goeth three days in a week to wash or scour abroad , or one that is imploy'd in nurse-keeping three or four months in a year , or a poor market-woman , that attends three or four mornings in a week , with her basket , and all the rest of the time these folks have little or nothing else to do ; but by means of this spinning , are not only kept within doors ( some of which would otherwise be begging in the streets ) but made much more happy and chearful , being by their own labours able to make provision for themselves . and were the rich of this parish fewer than they be , and the poor many more than they are , the same course might be taken , and would prove effectual to the ends before exprest : and by how much greater the number of the poor people are , by so much the more need to find them employment , it being much more easie to provide them work , than to keep them in idleness ; and much more for their advantage , to be put into a way to get their own bread , than to give it them for nothing : if with their pension , you find them employment , 't is like that 6 d. will go further , and do them more good than 3 s. nothing being more mischievous to the poor , than to live in sloth and idleness , as hath been said . but further , to encourage the setting up of schools in every greeat parish , for the instruction of young children , and bringing them to labour ; and also for providing work for such as are of age , which they may carry to their own habitations : i have a few things more to say . first , by means hereof , you will prevent much of that mischief that happens to young children , by suffering them to wander up and down without any care or government , by reason of which , they do not only get a lazy , idle habit , which yet is no small evil , but learn all manner of wickedness that they are capable of , as lying , swearing , thieving , and such like , which by sad experience , we find many times they retain as long as they live , being bred in the bone , will hardly be got out of the flesh , it being almost as possible to wash the blackamore white , as it is to teach them to do well , that have been long accustomed to do evil : whereas , if due care were taken to instruct young children , and to put them into a good course of life , before evil had taken hold of them , both labour and vertue would be much more pleasing to them , than idleness , sloth and vice. then by providing work for such of your poor people as are able , and may want it . by this means , you shall in the first place , most certainly , make provision for all the honest and industrious poor in your parish , who will , with great joy and thankfulness , be employed in any honest way to get a penny , idleness being to them the greatest burthen in the world , insomuch , that several persons have told me , they have taken as much pleasure in earning a penny , as they have in useing it , their minds being all that time quiet in which they have been employed , and the day seem'd shorter , and passed away much more pleasantly than otherwise it would have done , no part of it being a burthen to them ; and had you seen as i have done many a time , with what joy and satisfaction many poor people have brought home their work , and received their money for it , you would think no charity in the world , like to this of finding them employment . do not think that all the poor people in england are like those idle vagrants you find up and down the streets , no , there are many thousands whose necessities are very great , and yet they do what they can by their honest labour to help themselves , and many times they would do more than they do ; but for want of employment , several that i have now working to me , do spin some fourteen , and some sixteen hours in four and twenty , and had much rather do it , than be idle . here , if it were to the purpose , i could tell you many sad stories of the great wants and necessities of several poor people , that i have been an eye-witness of , that would melt the most rocky heart into compassion ; the poorest people are many times those that come least in sight , who fare hard , and work hard to get bread . some trades are grown so bad , and several commodities fal'n so low in their price , that some who could with ease have earned 2 s. or 2. s. 6. d. in a day , can now hardly earn 12 d. by reason of which you have men run away from their wives and children , leaving them to the parish ; and sometimes , run distracted , or make away with themselves , instances of all which cases , i have known too many . to whom should charity be extended rather than to such poor people , who are willing to take any pains for their living , and yet are wholly idle many times , for want of work ; but by this means of providing work for all persons that want employment , it will be much more easie for the honest and laborious poor to find relief . secondly , by this means you will leave all idle persons so much without excuse , that they will not deserve your pity , whatsoever their wants and necessities are , they must thank themselves , who will not make use of such a means , as is put into their own power ; for if this course was taken in all parishes to imploy all that were able , and did want work , then when you saw a lusty person begging in the streets , you might say , go to your parish , and work for your living : but unless this be done , and you are sure that this person may have employment , to bid him go work for his living , is no better than to say to a brother or sister that is naked , and destitute of daily food , go be warmed and filled , but give them not those things that are needful for the body . i pray god lay it not to the charge of this city and suburbs , that so little care hath been taken in this respect , for this is one of those things to which it is chiefly owing , that our prisons are so full of fellons and debtors , of which it is thought , no age hath produced the like ; for tho i know one man that within a few years last past , with the charity of some worthy persons hath delivered many hundred poor people out of prison , that lay there either for their fees or very small debts ; and i have reason to believe that many more hath been delivered by others , yet let any one but go to the marshalsey , or the prison of white chappel , or to the two compters of london , and he shall find them very full of prisoners at this time . it was hoped that the city of london would have provided a stock , and appointed a place to which poor persons might have brought their pawns , and have been supplyed with money upon any extremity , which would have been no loss to the city , and much to the advantage of the poor , who now are fain to go to such brokers as will not lend twenty shillings a week under six pence , which comes to 26 s. a year , by which trade they make above two of one in a years time , to the ruine of many poor people ; neither is this the worst of it , but for every 20 shillings they borrow , they must leave many times , above 40. s. worth of goods , which they must fetch away in such a time , which being never so little elapsed , the goods are no more to be heard of . neither are many of our tally-men much better , who trust poor persons with twenty shillings worth of goods , or rather with twelve or fourteen shillings worth , instead of twenty , to pay them by 6 d. or 12 d. a week , wherein , if they fail to pay , they hurry them into a prison , with great charge for arrests and proceedings at law , which many times exceed the first debt ( which we hope will be in a great measure prevented , by setting up a court of conscience in the city of westminster , and borough of southwark , as it is at present in the city of london ) at which prison , they are sure to lie , till charity comes thither for the release of poor prisoners , which they very well know will come at ceatain times of the year ; and then , if you meet with a kind jaylor , or a creditor of any compassion , 't is like you may get out your prisoner with some small abatement , otherwise not ; so that in effect , most of those moneys that are carried to prisons , run either into the bailiffs , or the jaylors , or into the pawn-brokers , or tally-mens pockets . this i instance , not to hinder people from delivering persons out of prison ( i wish there were many more so well minded ) but to provoke them to do all they can to keep them from coming thither : it being twice as great an act of charity , and much more for the benefit of any person , to keep him from falling and breaking his head , than to take him up and give him a plaister : so to keep a poor man from going to prison , is much greater charity than to help him out ; and i heartily wish , that this sort of charity were more in practice , both here and in other countreys , where they tell you of prodigious numbers that are every year brought to their hospitals and charitable houses , when it is much to be feared , little care is taken to prevent that poverty , misery and necessity that falls upon them ; but is rather occasioned from the badness of some laws , or from the want of good ones . methinks it were greatly to be wished , that care were taken to provide work for all our poor debtors and felons , that being cast into prison , could not there keep themselves without the charity of such places . nay , for our felons , i see no reason but they should be made to labour , though they could otherwise provide for themselves : this would be a good means to prevent much of that wickedness which is practiced in those places . it seems to me very unreasonable , that prisons should be places of pleasure , delight and choice ; yet some such there are , into which , several persons of good estates , but very bad consciences , remove themselves on purpose to cheat their creditors , and to spend their own , and other mens moneys in sloth and luxury , whilst their poor creditors are fain to fare hardly , and many times to live in sorrow and want. as these therefore should be wholly supprest on the one hand , so also those little prisons about the town , which in some respects i may call little , because the houses are not big , by reason of which , 20 or 30 shall be cast into one room , and that none of the bigest , and also because the actions are not great for which persons are sent thither , tho' it may be , some of them have more commitments and discharges in a year , than newgate it self . into some of these prisons i have known several persons cast for a debt often groats , and sometimes for less , where , if the person continue but a night , his fees shall be 13 s. 6 d. to the keeper and his company , besides 1 s. 6 d. garnish-money , 3 s. for the writ , and 5 s. for the arrest , with some other charges . it it is not very long since i had one of these jaylors before the judges , for taking unlawful fees , and other exorbitant practices ; but before any thing was determined in the matter , the person made a rope , and hanged himself . it is a most lamentable thing , that these little prisons are not supprest , or at least regulated , and a table of fees set up , both in them , and all the prisons of england , that so all the poor people may know what they have to pay , and not be left to the mercy of a cruel jaylor , who rather than he will abate any thing of his demands , will keep a poor wretch in prison till he is almost starved there , and his wife and children quite starved at home . i do not lay this charge against them all , some i have known to be more compassionate , yet such i have known also , that upon the least displeasure taken against a poor prisoner , have threatned to make dice of his bones , before he would abate him a penny , and no doubt he would have been as good as his word . 't is in these places that they eat up the poor of the land , as a man would eat bread ; neither are the jaylers themselves sometimes more cruel , than the poor people are one unto another , insomuch , that i have greatly wondred to see how violently they will prosecute one another , it being most certainly true , which solomon hath observed , that when the poor oppresseth the poor , it is like a sweeping rain , that leaveth nothing behind it ; much of which cruelty also would be prevented by setting up a court of conscience in the out-parts of this city , as it is already in london , to which all persons should apply themselves for any debt under 40 s. with very little charge to themselves ; by reason of which , the creditor would be much more like to get his debt , and the debtor better able to pay him , than when five times the value of the debt shall be run out in charges of a suit , as many times i have known it , to the utter ruine of the debtor , and loss of the creditor's money . and as for those night-walkers , and other idle and vitious persons , that are sent to bridewel , and other houses of correction , it would be of great use , that there were some law to confine them to such places for a certain time , according to the nature of their offences , where they might be taught to work , and made able to get their own livings , both while they were there , and when they came out , as it is in holland and other places ; whereas , for want of such a law , these kind of people are no sooner put into prison , but they are bailed out again , and if they do receive the correction of the house before they are discharged , it signifies very little , neither can it reasonably be thought , but that they will follow their old trade again , for want of a better ; whereas 't is very probable , if they were taught a more honest way to get a living , they might leave off that wicked course of life , which they had followed , and betake themselves to that employment they had learnt in prison , or if they did not , if ever they came in again , it might be for a much longer time , which would make them at leisure to repent their folly , and careful to avoid the like again , especially , if they were suffered to eat no more than they earned , and to do as much work for 2 d. in the prison , as they might have three pence for if they were out , which would also help to bear the charge of such places , which as i am informed , is the way taken beyond sea , with great advantage to the persons themselves , who are hereby brought to sobriety , and also to such houses . i have heard the worthy president and some of the governours of bridewel , complain of the want of such a law , having observed , that of the vast numbers that have been sent thither , of which many have been corrected , yet few in comparison , have been amended , but as they have been soon discharged the house , so they have soon been brought thither again , without any alteration , except for the worse . and how indeed can it otherwise be expected , these people having been brought up to nothing of labour when they were at liberty , nor taught nothing when they were under confinement , by which they might provide for themselves , will do it either by the old way they formerly took , or some other as bad , rather than starve . i humbly propose therefore , that the women and young people might be taught to spin well upon the double wheel , or to weave lace , or the like , and that the men might be taught to beat hemp , dress flax , or comb wool , or else to weave linnen-cloth , &c. and to be taught these so well , that they might find employment in some of these ways , when they came out of prison , which 't is like , many would rather take unto , than run the hazzard of such another confinement , or by taking such a course as would bring them to the gallows . i my self have found some people very hardly , brought to any employment at first , that by fair means have fal'n to it , and the lazy habit being got off , have been more pleased with it than to live in idleness , and have so continued for some years . when this is effected , the person is in a manner out of danger : for i dare say , there hath been more lost through idleness , than any other vice whatsoever ; when people have no work to do , or employment to follow , their first attempt is to run into debt of such as will be so mad to trust them , which not being able to pay , they are run into prison , from whence , if they get out by the charity of others , their next trade is begging , or it may be stealing , for which they come to be hanged . i therefore would advise all persons who are so charitable as to release poor persons out of prison , to take especial care of those who have a trade to follow , and a house to go unto when they went out ; otherwise 't is very like the person is better where he is , and in less danger of doing mischief , either to himself or others : for , for want of these , the person being out , of prison , must either fall to begging , or that which is still worse , stealing , or cutting of purses ; insomuch , that i have sometimes known , and heard often of persons that have been taken out of one prison for debt , and in a short time thrown into another for felony . but that i may return to the business i was upon , to encourage the providing of work for the poor , by means of which they may be better able to provide necessaries for themselves . by so doing , all that have any bowels of compassion , will find themselves greatly eased in their minds , and their enjoyments of the good things of this world , more sweet and pleasant to them , when they are not imbittered with the sad thoughts of the wants and necessities of their poor neighbours , who otherwise will have no way to relieve themselves , but wretched begging , or wicked stealing . besides that , they will be more secure in the enjoyment of their goods , by how much there will be fewer persons that will have the temptation of extreme want to make them steal , and be injurious unto others in their possessions . and lastly , to leave many things unsaid , all good christians , who are serious in the profession of religion , and hope of eternal life , must needs rejoyce to have a hand in such a work as this ; because nothing can more confirm our hope of having our portion among those to whom our lord jesus will at the great day of accounts say , come ye blessed of my father , &c. then this , that we have relieved the hungry , thirsty , naked and imprisoned , or have been a means to preserve those that otherwise would have fallen into those miseries and calamities . postscript . thus sir , in compliance with your desire , and the desires of several other friends , i have exposed my private thoughts to publick view and censure , not doubting , but all well-minded and ingenuous persons will accept of my good will , tho they may not be satisfied with my reasons , nor yet in the management of the vndertaking , which now for full five years hath been carried on with some difficulty , and very great pains , as any one must imagine . this i am sure is the worst that can be said of it , that it hath not yet been brought to bear its own charges . the reason of which , i have already given in part : however this doth greatly satisfie me , that every penny that hath been lost by it , either by my self , or those friends that have helpt to bear it , hath been many times gained to the poor , and to the publick ; neither hath the loss been so great , as to afright any man that is able and hath a good mind , from undertaking the like : for in above 4000 l. laid out the last year , in the management of the whole affair , reckoning house-rent , servants wages , loss by learners , with the interest of the money employed in the concern , there was not above 200 l. lost , one chief reason of which i must attribute to the kindness of several persons that took off some of the commodities i made at the price they cost me ; and in particular , to the east india and guinnea company , who gave me encouragement to make their allabas cloths and course canvas for their pepper-baggs , which in former times they use to have from other countreys . 't is most certain , that unless a higher impost be laid upon foreign linnen , it will not be possible for us at present , to make it so cheap as it is brought over , for our poor people will neither work so hard , nor can live so cheap as generally the poor people of other places do ; therefore we must be content to lose something in this way , or find some other to employ our poor people in , for employed they must be , as we tender the good of their souls or bodies ; and i am of opinion , notwithstanding all that i have yet heard or read to the contrary , that the setting up the linnen manufacture would many ways be of great advantage to this nation , although to provide against the worst , i have made a good progress in the woollen manufacture also , insomuch , that had not the price of wool so greatly advanced of late , i doubt not but by this time to have made one of one ; but of this i shall give no further account at present . all that i have more to say , is to request such persons as have any kindness for my vndertaking , to assist me therein , by taking off my hands some of the cloth the poor people shall make , at the price it stands me in , tho it be a little dearer than they might have cloth elsewere ; i have met with some persons so charitable , that not having occasion for any for their own vse , have bought good quantities to give away to the poor , who have been as thankful for it as for money , there being many thousands that have not above one shirt to their backs , and many that have none , insomuch , that within less than two years , i have given away to men , women , and children , above 3000 , whose bodies have been greatly refreshed by them ; and i doubt not but many of them have blest god for them , and pray'd for their benefactors . i have heard many people say , they would be ready to help such as are industrious : here are objects to their own hearts desire , that do all they can , but cannot do enough to keep themselves from want , insomuch , that had i not been inabled to give many of them money as well as work , when either they or their children have fal'n sick , they might have perished through want. if any one shall desire thus to shew their charity to the poor , either by buying the cloth they make , or otherwise , what they shall freely contribute to their help and relief , shall be faithfully given to them by theirs , and the poor's servant , tho. firmin . finis . 