lations and repetitions of accidents and reverses, than could be believed to be mixed together in the vials of God's providence.

This is an answer to those who say, that people ought to provide for themselves against contingencies. A man in good work might provide against a six-weeks' illness; or against a six-weeks' loss of work; against the consequences of his own misconduct; or a moderate length of old age. But what foresight can be expected to provide against the combination of all these, and the indefinite extent of them? against loss of work-loss of clothes and tools-number of children desertion by husband want of a settlement-natural want of ability and strength -repeated and continued illness? For all these may be accumulated upon one family. Grant any particular number and combination of distresses as the utmost that a man might fairly be expected to provide against, and I would shew it exceeded in extent and degree in numerous instances.

Thomas Mealis failed in the silk-trade at

Wigan; then became a hawker, in which he failed also. He had five children, and no settlement in London, where he supported himself and family by selling fruit in the streets. He, his wife, and two of the children, were attacked with typhus fever, which lasted many weeks. The next year the husband lost the use of his limbs. Soon after, he died.s

Ann Baldwin, who sweeps a crossing in Bedford Place, has no settlement in England. One son is a complete cripple, and almost an idiot. She is old and ill herself; and has no resource for herself and two children, one of them the cripple, but her crossing. She has had eleven children. A daughter in place at Acton was brought home to her one day in a fever, and helpless state; and she has not yet recovered, so as to be fit for service again; and it is likely never will do so. While under these difficulties, another daughter was run over, and taken to the hospital; whose husband had de

S

Mendicity Society, Report 1828, c. 22,256.

serted her; and her two children were thrown upon the grandmother, Ann Baldwin, for support.

The crippled and maimed, the infirm in mind and senses, have not been placed or exemplified as distinct classes, it being already obvious that such persons cannot support themselves, and must starve unless upheld by some external provision; and the only question being, the source from whence this provision should be drawn. Their case will come under discussion among the rest, when considering the duties which arise as consequent upon the real condition of the poor, and our relation to them. This relation cannot be properly understood without first having a more adequate knowledge of their real character and merits than most of us have at present; for in general our opinion of them is both harsh and deficient. I shall endeavour now to exhibit a somewhat more favourable picture, and more pleasing features of their character, than have generally been noticed and insisted upon. Hav

ing done this, I shall have furnished the means of appreciating them sufficiently; for enough has been written of late years of charges against them, to possess the public mind fully with all the unamiable features, and to enable every one to supply for himself the other side of the picture.

CHAPTER IV.

The Character of the Poor.

VIRTUES OF THE POOR CONTENTMENT-RELIGION -MUTUAL KINDNESS AND CHARITY-LIBERALITY

SECT. II. IMPOSTORS-SIGNS OF IMPOSTURE-FREQUENCY OF IMPOSTURES EXAGGERATED.

THE poor are not brutes; indeed they are not. They are not positively brutish. They are not insensible to pain; they are not insensible to pleasure. They are not insensible to unkindness; they are not incapable of feeling and shewing kindness. They are not incapable of gratitude. They are not incapable of conjugal love and fidelity. The conjugal fidelity of the lower orders is interrupted by fewer breaches than among the highest classes, in spite of the weaker guards and more difficult remedies that they are provided with. The conjugal fidelity of the lowest Irish is proverbial.

The poor are not incapable of religious