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On collecting CHARITY by Briefs.

when prevalent. Grant me, kind heaven, but one petition, that before the calamities come upon my country, which these things threaten, my hoary head may be laid in the filent grave, that I may not fee the moft difmal fight the human eye can behold, The fall of a great and happy na

xion

OBSERVATIONS on the prefent Method of collecting Charity on Briefs, and a Remedy propofed to leffen the Expence,

HERE is no greater impediment to

the loffes or neceffities of their fellow-fubjects, when fuch contributions are gathered by brief, than the charge, which always has hitherto attended this way of collecting their alms: This is the true reafon why the fufferers get fo little as they do, as I have found by long experience. If therefore this charge could be leffened, the fufferers would not only receive more than at prefent they have done, but the people would give more.

The charge for a brief was the following, in 1740. 1. s. d. Lord chancellor's fiat and figning 38 100 The patent

The printing

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20

The ftamping 9871 copies
The laying and collecting
thefe at rod. each, with-
in the bills of mortility,
at is. 6d. each

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25 18 2 50 13 10 0

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127

parishes I have known they have not given one farthing) for this charge (wallows ap all.

The reason why rod. was al'owed for laying and collecting a fingle copy I fuppose to have been originally this: The col jectors laid and collected each copy fingly at the respective parish: But now it is a general, I believe I may fay, an univerfal custom to deliver out half a year's copies, which are commonly fix, to the church wardens of each parish at one vifitation, and at the next to receive them all together with the money collected; for this caufe are these words, Pray return all briefs at the next vifitation, printed on the backs of them. The collector or his deputy by this means, in a diocefe, where there are 400 copies laid and collected, if there are fix different briefs, at 1od. each copy, receives 1ool. or at 6d. 601. for attending only at the feveral places where vifitations are held;, And as he then lays copies at the fame time he collects thofe he laid the half year before, Che doubles his gain, and in the whole

B

year receives 200l. or 1zol. for the attendance of a few days.

Who the undertaker is, whether Mr. Hilborne Withy, who has been a trustee, and whose name has been figned to all the copies I have feen for many years past, or fome other perfon, I cannot tell: But he or the collectors have a very gainful poft 415 3 2D as things now stand, even allowing a collector to every diocefe, as I fuppofe there is; and whatever the writer of the letter fpeaks of the charge of letters of request, of advertisements of perfons riding about the country to gather the collections; alt which he artfully huddles together to make a remedy feem impoffible; I think it is very easy to propofe fuch a remedy, as will reduce the charge not inconfiderably.

£. 513 64

By a letter now printed on the back of the copies, we are told, that the charge of the fiat, patent, printer, and register for ftamping amounts only to five farthings E per parish, and that the undertaker has only fix pence per parish for laying and collecting. Allowing this to be true, the charge will be the following,

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I would therefore have, as at prefent, a patent under the great feal, that the fufferers may enjoy the protection of proper authority; for letters of request figned by neighbouring juftices of the peace have always this falvo in them, As far as by law we may, intimating that they are not a fufficient warrant for afking alms; and befides, I have known briefs granted, when money has before been collected upon fuch letters for the fame lofs: But the charge of laying and collecting of briefs may be very much leffened by the following expedient.

The petitioners fhould chufe, and the trustees give, as they are impowered to do, deputations to fome perfon of competent fkill and probity in each particular diocese, to deliver out the copies at one visitation for the diccefe, and to collect them with the contributions at the following visitation, as the manner is at prefent; allowing him

128

Of Street-Walkers and Bawdy-Houfes.

10s. for every brief for the whole diocese; for as there are 27 diocefes, and the vifitations for those diocefes, tho' held at different places, are in many of them not more than three or four, and in the moft extenfive and largest but fix, he would, as there are for the most part fix feveral briefs, receive 10s. per diem or more for his A trouble.

The charge for a brief would then stand thus, according to the account in 1740. 1. s. d. Lord chancellor's fiat and figning 38 10 0

The patent

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25 18 2

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The laying and collecting 27} 13 10 0

diocefes at 10s, each

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C 64 18 22

I foresee an objection to what I have here offered: What remedy is there again the collectors embezzling the money thus collected? Surely, bond to the trustees with proper fureties and fufficient penalty, as is the practice in the publick revenue, may be taken; this will not coft more D

than half a crown for each collector, which will (well my account only 31. 78. 6d. for all the diocefes: the copies may be fent down to the collector by the common conveyance of stage waggons, and fent back again, when collected, the fame way, and the money remitted by bills to the trustees: Allowing for all this half a crown more for each diocefe; then the half crown allowed before, 108. to the collector, make in all 155. for each diocefe or zol. 58. for 27 diocefes, or the whole kingdom, a very confiderable faving to the petitioners.

What I have to add more is this; that I do not know whether the lofs in any brief has ever been made good by the con

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tributions; this I am certain of, no pub-
lick account is ever given of this matter.
A great lofs is generally ordered to be col-
Jected for from houfe to houfe; where it
has not exceeded 400cl. I have known zes.
collected in a small village; that it would
be a fatisfaction to the publick, if the clear
contributions, all charges deducted, were
taken notice of in fome Gazette: That G
if the trustees would take care to pay all
the overplus, if there fhould be any, into
chancery, a flock might be raised towards
the lofs of other fufferers; that if they,
as fome of them are bishops and peers and

March

other perfons of diftinction, would watch
against the farming of briefs, for that they
are farmed has formerly been a prevailing
notion and is not yet worn out, tho' à
law has paffed against so iniquitous a prac-
tice; then all arguments for denying con-
tributions would be cut off from people
of proper ability, nay, they would give
the reins to that compaffionate temper,
which is now tightly held in by the before-
mentioned either real or feeming grievances
and reasons of complaint.

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON
MAGAZINE.

I

SIR,

HAVE lately, and but lately, read a piece, intitled, An Inquiry into the causes of the late increase of robbers, &c. and confidering what I had wrote upon the subject, which you was pleafed to infert in your Magazine for October laft, I did expect that the author, in order to make up a round dozen, would have mentioned streetwalkers and publick bawdy-houses, as one of the causes of the evil now complained of ; for that it is a caufe, and a chief cause too, no man can difpute, who has ever thought feriously upon the fubject, especially after reading what I had wrote, and you had published fo long before the appearance of this Inquiry.

However, upon perufal, I found this caufe not fo much as once mentioned, or indeed hinted at in any part of this performance. I coniefs, I was at a lofs how to account for fach a neglect, and even now can fuggeft but two reafons for it; one of which is, that the author being, as I am informed, not only a trading juftice but a trading author, he has not lately perhaps had time to read any thing but what he writes himself. By faying, that he is a trading juftice as well as a trading author, I hope no one will imagine, that I mean any reflection: I mean only, that he has fome fort of pecuniary reward for what he does in both thefe capacities; and this every gentleman is not only intitled to, but ought to aim at, who is not fo lucky as to have an independent fortune of his own.

The other caufe that may be affigned for this neglect is founded upon what is often afferted by malevolent people, but I hope without any truth: They fay, that not only many of our conftables, but many of our juftices of the peace, derive great advantages from our ftreet-walkers and publick bawdy-houfes, by laying them under annual or cafual contributions; Nay, they add, that a juftice may fometimes have ten or twenty guineas a year from a noted bawdy-houfe in his neighbourhood, for his protection and favour, without de

1751. The Rich anfwerable for the Vices of the Poor. 129

firing him to do any thing but what he may anfwer for at the quarter feffions; and that the conftables, who are too often fuch as ferve for hire, are not only in fee with fach houses, but often make a good jobb of their watch night, by thofe ladies who walk the streets within their beat.

Thefe are the fuggeftions, which one A finds pretty general among the people, and in my youthful days I have often met with what feemed to be a confirmation of fuch reports; for the mothers, in their cups, would fometimes give broad hints, and even very plainly infinuate, that they had' an understanding with fuch a justice, or fuch a conftable in their neighbourhood; and as it was a frequent cuftom with the B rakes of my club, to pay a visit to the next roundhouse, and treat the constable and watchmen with wine and strong beer, at two or three o'clock in the morning, We often at that time found it full of wicked women; but when our curiofity led us to return there about feven, we generally

the fine cure places, which are by that means now alone to be acquired.

:

How this indolence or selfishness in our rich people is to be corrected, I do not know Whatever a fecond Alfred, with defpotick power, might do, i am afraid, that nothing befides will do, but fome ter rible publick misfortune; and therefore I am convinced, that what I have affigned as one of the chief caufes of the increase of ftreet and highway robberies can no way be removed, but by erecting fuch hofpitals as I have proposed. Indeed, as custom has rendered it impoffible for unfortunate women to fubfift without cffence, I think it would be cruel to inflict fevere punishments upon them, unless you first contrive and

eftablish fome method for removing that impoffibility. The fame complaint les with respect to our laws against vagabonds; for when the poor cannot find employment in their own parish or county, they muft wander into another in fearch of it, and if they do not there prefently meet with it, they must beg for fubfiftence; on which

found most of them gone, and none left they are taken up and punished as idle va

but a few of the moft wretched, fome of whom very boldly affirmed, they were detained, and muft fuffer, because they had not half a crown, or a crown, to pay for their ransom.

Whether there was any real ground for thefe fuggeftions, I shall not take upon me to determine; but from the nature of things they feem but too probable; for in D a country where the rich are too indolent, or have too little publick spirit to take upon them the execution of the laws, it must be trufted to the poor who ferve for hire; and it is very natural for them to take money for not executing the laws when they find they cannot get near so much by putting them in due execution fo that the poetical character of Justice-Hall at the Old Bailey extends itfelf to every inferior degree of magistracy, and may be altered thus:

Where poor offenders must submit to
fate.
[state.

That rich ones may enjoy the world in

For this reafon I cannot without indignation hear a rich tradefman, or a rich country 'quire, complaining of the nonexecution of our laws, when, to my knowledge, the former never ferved in perfon the office of constable, nor did the other ever attend a quarter feffions, or endeavour to qualify himself for ferving his country as a justice of the peace. The only pubfick fervice which the rich now feem fend ef, is the fervice in parliament; and even this, I fear, would be very little fought after by the rich, if it were not for the extravagant falaries and perquifites attending March, 1751

E

F

G

gabonds, whereas no perfon ought to be deemed fo, but fuch as refuse to work for their fubfiftence when it is offered.

I therefore hope that, as the methods for preventing robberies and other felonies are now under the confideration of the legiflature, they will not only think of punishing fuch as may hereafter happen, but of removing, as much as poffible, every caufe of their increase; and if they do, they will certainly provide fome method for the employment and fubfiftence of thofe unfortunate women, who may be called the des plorable outcasts of the human race, and who would gladly labour for their daily bread, rather than continue in that forlorn

and abandoned ftate, which accident, or the treachery of men, has drove them into for tho' his worship has not mentioned common prostitutes and publick ftews as a caufe of the evil row complained of, no man can doubt of its being one, who has read my last upon this fubje&t ; and notwithstanding the exceffive delicacy he fhews, with refpe&t to the luxuries of the great, I hope, he will not infift, that this is a luxury in which they ought to be indulged. This brings me to confider the favourable fentiments he has expreffed, with respect to Vauxhall and Ranelagh gardens, maf querades, and polite gaming affomblies.

I hall admit, that in none of these there is any thing that can in itself be called criminal; but as to every one of them the confequences are fatal, in a political as wel as moral fenfe, The tradefman who ruirs himself by frequenting them, ruins only his own family; but the nobleman, or R

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130 MISCHIEFS of our publick Diversions.

member of parliament, who by fuch means reduces himself to diftrefs, ruins his country; and therefore, there is no government we should dread fo much, as a government that encourages fuch expenfive diverfions.

But has this gentleman forgot the wellknown adage?

Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis.

A

B

Does he think, that there is any pleasure,
or any vice, in which the great are allow-
ed to indulge themfelves, that can effectu-
ally by law be denied to the little ? We
know the contrary: Fashion has in all ages,
and in all countries, triumphed over law.
1 could mention feveral vices, fame of
them too abominable to be mentioned,
that have been prohibited by the laws of
all focieties, and the precepts of all religi-
ons, and yet they have been, and are now,
avowedly practifed in many countries.
Therefore, to prevent by law the enjoy
ment of any pleafure, or the indulgence of
any vice, amongst thofe of inferior rank, C
whilft it is made fashionable by the practice
of the great amongst us, I shall always
look on as a chimerical project; and for
this reafon I have always looked on it as a
glaring inconfiftency in our laws against
gaming, to except the palaces of our fove-
reign.

The expence of thefe publick diverfions,
D
were it higher than it is, might not per-
haps be too great for perfons of very opu
Jent fortunes, but their refort to fuch places
renders it fashionable, and this will induce
multitudes to go thither who cannot fpare
the expence. We know the curiofity of
the female fex in particular, and the vio-
lence of their patfion for what is called in-
nocent pleasure. When temptations are
thus publickly thrown in their way, if their
fathers or hufbands cannot or will not in-
dulge them, fuch of them as are handfome
will find thofe that can, and by indulging
their innocent pleafures, they are often be
trayed into thofe that are criminal,

From reafon therefore, as well as from

Experience, I must conclude, that the multitude and variety of our publick diversions have corrupted and debauched many an ho neft man's wife or daughter, who would otherwife have preferved her virtue; confequently in a double refpect I must confi. der these innocent diverfions not only as a moral, but as a political evil. And for the fame cafon I must condemn all lotteries,

March

coming up to her price; for a lottery ticket may corrupt a frail woman, who would reject double the value in ready money with difdain.

A just and wife government will always be careful to preferve, as much as possible, the virtue of the female fex; for in a coun try where there is no virtue among the women, it will generally be found, that there is very little true honour among the men ; and as it is impoffible to confine the enjoyment of publick expenfive diverfions to thofe only who can spare the expence, they ought to be restrained, if not prohibited ; because they lead others into neceffity, which is the most formidable enemy to the virtue of the female, and the honour of the male part of the human fpecies. I am, SIR,

E

F

Feb. 24,
1750-I.

Your conftant reader,

and humble fervant,
An OLD RAKE,

and P.

In my last, p. 435. col. 1. l. 6. from the bottom, for efficent, r. efficient 436. col. 1. l. 6. from the bottom, for lewd, r. wicked.

The ARGUMENT of the Second Book of the SCRIBLERIAD, (a Mock-Heroick Poems, defigned gravely to ridicule false Tofte and falfe Science, or the useless Researches of the falfe Virtuof. (See p. 30, 40.)

HE fecond book leads the imagina

TH

tion, at once, from the barren de. fart, to the moft fruitful spot in the world, the antient Arfinoe, now Faiume. Here Scriblerus meets a company of pilgrims, formerly his father's friends, who defre him to relate his whole adventures to them. He begins his narration. Gives an account of his waiting three years in vain at Naples to fee the eruption of Vefuvius. Propofes going to Jamaica in hopes of feeing an earthquake. Sails with his friends, is driven by contrary winds below the Cape of Good-hope. Arrives at a most delightful country, which is defcribed: But fuddenly flies from it, moved by a fatal mifinterpretation of an oracle. Scriblerus, continuing his narration, describes a wonderful coast, the furprising appearance of which ftrikes a damp on his companions. Deidemon and Thaumaftes are chofen by lot to reconnoitre the country. At their return, they give a very imperfect account of their adventures, being ftupified by exceffive fear. Scriblerus fets out alone on

publick or private, tho' in themfelves inno- Ga farther discovery.
cent; because they propagate a spirit of
gaming among the people, and are of fig-
nal fervice to thofe leachers, who having no
qualities of body or mind, to gain a wo-
man's affections, think of nothing but

What occafioned Scriblerus's Flight from the delightful Country, was the fudden Appearance of feveral armed Bands, which feemed to threaten War the firft were

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Extracts from the SCRIBLERIA D, &c.

1751.
compofed of Acrofticks, then came the
Chronograms and Anagrams, &c. The
rift are defcribed as follows.

To join thefe fquadrons, o'er the cham-
paign came

A numerous race of no ignoble name;
The mighty Crambo leads the intrepid van :
The reft a forward, loud, industrious clan. A
Riddle, and Rebus, Riddle's dearest fon;
And falfe Conundrum, and infidious Pun;
Fuftian, who fcarcely deigns to tread the
ground;

And Rondeau, wheeling in repeated round.
Here the Rhophalics in a wedge are
drawn,
[lawn.
There the proud Macaronians † fcour the
Here fugitive and vagrant o'er the green,
The wanton Lipogrammatift is feen.
There Quibble and Antithefis appear,
With Doggrel-rhymes and Echoes in the

rear.

Rbophalic verfes begin wieb a monofyllable, and continue in words growing gradually longer to the last, which must be the longest of

"all.

Rem regem regimen regionem religionem.

+ The Macaronian is a kind of burlesque poetry, confifting of a jumble of words of different languages, with words of the vulgar tongue latinized, and Latin words modernized. This verfe bas employed the pens of many French and Italian writers. We bave feen three or four long poems of this kind by our own countrymen.

Et dabo fee fimple, fi monftras love's
pretty dimple,
Gownos, filkcotos, kirtellos, & peticotos,
Eufkos & faccos, ftomacheros, cimbrica
fmockos.
Ignoramus.

The ARGUMENT of the Third Book.

A

Prieftefs of Rumour relates to ScribTerus the hiftory of the queen of the -country. He is fruck with the beauties of an elegant temple, which he defcribes, as also the queen's magnificent entry and her perfonal endowments.

He makes

B

C

131

impatience had impelled her to give her
felf a defperate wound, upon which Saturn
cuts her fatal hair, and the dies.

The Temple above mentioned is defcribed as
follows.

Soon I defery'd where near a cypre ́s
wood,

A dome, upheld by stately columns, flood:
Where brass and variegated marbles join
Their mingled beams, to grace the splendid
[fold;

shrine.

Here glitt'ring ores their native charms un-
There yellow mundick shines like burnish'd
gold.

Sulphurs and marcafites their beams difplay,
And lucid crystals rival Titan's ray.'
Rang'd as a cornice, various foffils ftand,
The mimick (port of nature's wanton hand.
Mitre and turban-forms the work adorn,
Triton's huge trump, and Ammon's boast-
ed horn.
[ing vein,

Here fibrous plants with many a branch-
And there the curious texture of the brain.

recal

But how, O! how fhall fancy's pow'r
[wall!
The forms that breath'd along the pictur'd
p:
Where in Mofaic wrought, the thells furpafs
The pencil'd canvas, or the fculptur'd brais.
Dearest to nature firft are feen a race
Who bear the marks of her peculiar grace.
Here griffons, harpies, dragons mix in
D
Alight,

E

himfelf known to her. She professes her regard for his family and for his own merits, p to which he is no ftranger After which the invites him to a partnership of her bed and throne. Scriblerus confults with Albertus, and is advifed by him to accede to her propofal of marriage: Saturn endea-vours to deter him from it by fearful dreams and omens: Notwithstanding which, the marriage is celebrated, but the confummation prevented by the flight of two owls, G which, added to the foregoing portents, intimidate the hero to that degree, that he refolves to fly from his beloved queen. Her reproaches and entreaties prevailed on him to return, but not till her unhappy

Here wild chimera rears her tripple height.
In glowing colours mighty Geryon stands,
And bold Briareus wields his hundred hands.

the alteration of the file, concludes LD England, of March 9, concerning with a word in favour of the ladies, as follows. This change of the file will caufe

an anticipation of their ufual reckoning,
and precipitate them 11 days fooner than
they expected, into the state that is most
dreadful to a fair lady, virgin, wife, or
widow; I mean the fate of old age..
But as there must be 11 days left out of
the year, in which we are to make our ef
fort to come up with time; and thefe it
days muit of confequence be, that year,
totally expunged from the calendar; about
one 3d part of the British ladies will have
no birth day in this year of contraction,
and therefore may fairly fqueeze the 23
months and 2 thirds, which will intervene
betwixt their preceding and fubfequent
birth-days, into a fingle year. And, as it
is not yet certainly and generally known,
in what part of the year thofe 11 days will
be omitted, every lady in the kingdom has
a right, at prefent, to flatter herself with
the hopes of being 11 months and zo days
younger, rather than 11 days older, by this
reformation in our calendar.

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