5013 Το The CANDID READER. Hope you approve of the efforts. which I have made for the fervice of the poor, and particularly the infant parish poor of these great cities. There is good reason to believe that a law will be made, on the foundation of the most urgent neceffity which. ever existed in any community, to prevent the effufion of blood. No one will conceive that I mean this in a literal fenfe, but that ill-timed parfimony, ignorance, and negligence, have operated like poison, and destroyed vaft numbers of infants. But time ripens all the concerns of life, and death; and we may flatter ourselves that thefe fatal difeafes will be cured, not in these cities only, but in other great towns, where the evil predominates. Conceiving it to be no mean part of the task I have undertaken, I have thrown in A my 89X677 my mite towards the reduction of the price of bread, it being confiderably too high in proportion to the price of corn, as well as the wretched adulteration of it. This alfo regards health and fickness, happiness and mifery, life and death; and there is reafon to believe fome falutary legislative refolution will be taken upon it. As to our conduct towards the adult parish poor, or young perfons paft their infant ftate, much is wanted to be done: but it depends more on the due execution of the laws already exifting, than upon any new regulation. If divine laws do not render men obedient, human institutions can hardly be expected to prevail. What a fatal error it is in many who are charged with the care of the poor, that they forget the appointments of providence, and the distinguished favor of heaven! If they remembered the beatitudes annexed to an attentive concern for the prefervation of the poor, they would think themfelves in the true path which leads to immortal happiness. They would fee every parochial community, under what ever name or legal regulation distinguished, in fuch a light that they could hardly fail of harmonizing in fentiments; and forfake all narrow private interests and emoluments, which our laws never in-tended should be indulged. They would unite in promoting the true welfare of the objects committed to their care, which requires too much time to allow of tedious harrangues, fruitlefs altercations, or personal vindictive disputes. You will also obferve that I have gratified my inclinations in exploring a more ample field of national policy and humanity, as to the root of the impiety and mifery of the lower claffes of the people; which feem to be growing up to maturity. If we cannot eradicate them entirely, let us at least exert ourselves to remove them, in the comfortable hope that they will cease. How this is to be accomplished, but by the virtue of the higher claffes, is inconceivable to me. That there is ftill a great deal of virtue amongst us, cannot be difputed: neceflity A 2 neceffity will generate more; and we must not defpair, but that it may become fafhionable to indulge ourselves in the pleafure of promoting univerfal happiness with refpect to both worlds; and difcountenance each other in the contracted felicity of vain and fenfual indulgences in the parade and intemperance of life, which have been condemned by the wife in all ages. It is very easy to obferve how short and tranfient fuch pleafures are, even to thofe who are moft devoted to them; and how little they are diftinguished when multitudes pursue the fame course. The poverty they often entail; the unforeseen reverse of fortune; ill-health, or age, and devouring time, ufually change the fcene with an amazing rapidity! A short study of arithmetical philofophy, in the probable duration of life, which I recommend in feveral of these pages, may eafily open our eyes, in fpite of the prevalency of cuftom, or a fucceffion of vain and empty pursuits. Our |