Bread for the poor, or, A method shewing how the poor may be maintained and duly provided for in a far more plentiful and yet cheaper manner than now they are without waste or want.

Another Objection.

Is, That whosoever shall vigorously set on this, or other like Method, shall find he hath stirred a Hornets Nest. The Ale-Wives, Brandy-Sellers. Hugsters and Regraters, and such who by thei•• small Pennards, and worse Weights and Measures, grace and regrate on the Poor, with others who Clamour meerly for Clamours sake; will be all alarm'd, and whilest the real Grounds of their Clomour, is too Scandalous to be insisted on; will pretend that their Frenzy (which they call zeal) is on the Poors behalf, whom they in truth regard as Flies do the Sores of a Gaul'd Horse, Dulcis odor lucri ex re qualibet; but their fury seems to afford an Argument for a vigorous going on, rather than a hindrance, for if the cause w••re not good, such Ill Persons would not oppose it.

2. If they shew such Zeal for promoting their selfish, Scandalous, petty Gains; shall a person whose designs are Just, and truly plausible, and for the general good of his Country, shew less Zeal therein, then such Scandalous Wretches do in their selfish designs? Did ever a Traveller in the midst of his Journey return back, only because the Dogs Barkt at him: And shall the Rude Noise and Imper∣tinent Clamour, of such Excrement of Humanity, (who ex∣clude themselves from being Beneficial Members of the Pub∣lick, by withdrawing their Assistance from Contributing to its Welfare) obstruct or cool an honest Courage and well fixt Zeal, in a matter of so great a Concern? Shall Laws and Officers be neglected, the Sacred Obligations of Oaths and Trusts be violated, the Publick Welfare be Disregarded, and all other Obligations, both Humane and Divine, become In∣valid, meerly because opposs'd and bark'd at by a senceless Rabble? What's become of the Virtue of former Ages, when not a few chuse it as the greatest Honour to Dye for

their Countries good, and is their Motto (Dulce & decorum pro patria mori) not to be seen in mens practices, as well as in Books and Escutchins. Indeed Peace and Quiet, whilest they Consist with Truth and Justice, are very pleasing: But to prefer an outward Peace, before an inward, or to equalize it with Truth or Justice, is beneath the Quality of a Man, and intollerably Scandalous in a Christian Kingdom.

Besides, whilest self Interest is Adored by those who regard nothing else that becomes a Party, and makes its claim, for if the publick fail, private Interest must fail too; and whether the publick be in danger is worth the Considering, if within one Age the Charge to the Poor in Rates, be advanc∣ed Four fold, and so in this one County comes to 39000 per Annum, then the Kingdom according to the proportions ob∣served in some former Assessments, that Charge is far more than One and Twenty times so much, Consequently above 819000 l. per Annum; add to this, what they receive by Begging, and what they might get in the time they now spend Idly, or worse, which few but will agree, is more than the Poor Rates, so the same being but another such Sum, and Added to the former, makes up 1638000 per Annum; Add to this, that which may be more than all the rest, that notwithstand∣ing the great Advantages of Trade (of Late Years indeed not without some Interruptions by War) That the Charge to the Poor, and their insolent Carriage, Increaseth faster then ever: So that at this rate, the whole Rents and Profits of all the Lands in the Kingdom will in a little time be swallowed up, this way, and little or nothing will be left whereby to pay Taxes, for Support of the Government, or for the Competent Sub∣sistance of the Proprietor. And in Case those new Landlords, who are called poor, be not satisfied, they will not want Watt Tylors and Jack Straws to Head them in taking distress, and in form of Law, the distress and distresses found to take, lead,

drive, carry away, &c. and detain and keep, and not only so, but to take Possession, and Livery, and Seasing of what they have been out of, and what they'l say others have Enjoyed long enough.

Those who speak plausibly of former Ages, talk what Churches, Colleges, Hospitals were then Built; And what other great Acts of Piety, Charity and Magnificence were then done. But in Case the Charge in Maintaining the Poor which the present Age is at beyond the former, and which, as 'tis manifest, might be saved, and the Poor be provided for in a better and plentifuller manner than now they are, if that excessive Charge were imployed in such and other like Acts of Piety, Charity and Magnificence as before are mentioned, more such Pious Noble Acts might be done in one Year, than were then in seven; or in Case such excessive Charge were imployed in Building good Ships, the Strength and Glory of the Kingdom, and other Maritane Affaires, the advantage to the Publick would be very great; or in Case such excessive Charges were saved to the Country, they already know what to do with it. Many good Laws have been made to prevent the Exportation of Wooll, which an Antiquary seems to fancy to be the Golden-Fleece, hinted in the History of Jason. The vast Damage to the Kingdom by such Exportation, and the Benefit thereby to Forraign Countries, is easier known than prevented; yet in Case the many Thousands of People of the meaner sort, that have not other fit Imployments, were Imployed in working up thereof, there would be none left to Carry off, and Consequently the Exporting thereof would be impossible as well as unlawful. Should the Inundation of the Sea, or some Mighty Torrent Yearly sweep off so much Land of this County, as is worth 1000 l. such a Waste would justly be accounted a Publick as well as Private Loss, and no small one; and in Case the preventing thereof

were feasable, Attempts to that purpose would not be wanting.

The idleness and profuse ways of Living of the meaner sort, wholly occasioned through the neglect of Officers, like a Mighty Torrent, hath of late Years swept off at least 20000 l. per Annum, more than would, with the help of their Labour, Maintain them in a far better manner then now they are Maintained, whose Maintenance doth now Cost at least that Sum Yearly, more than it did within 30 Years last, (and yet at that time the Charge was double to what it was some Years since the making the Statute by which the poor Rates are now made, being about 96 Years since; now that which was done 30, 40 or 50. Years since, and much within that time, and always before in all places, without much care, skill or difficulty, may with ease be practised again, especially considering (what is before mentioned) that Im∣ployments for the poor, are now much plentifuller, and Wages far greater than formerly. Indeed, those who look for a sudden Remedy for a Distemper so long in Contract∣ing, may meet with a disappointment. Aged and Impotent poor, by what means soever their poverty was occasioned, must neither be Starved, nor Maintained in so scanty a manner as to be rather a lingering Death than a fit Maintenance; what was the occasion of want in them, may be prevented in o∣thers. One drop of Water seasonably applied, may quench that spark which otherwise might endanger a whole Town. And he that shall in the first Years attempt, by due and fit Imployments, as well as fit allowances, only Stem the Tide, and make some abatement of the Charge, and but some Reformation in their way of Living, will in a few Years, by a prudent Managery, find the effects to exceed his expectation, and greater abatement in the Charge of their Maintainance in the next Seven Years, than hath been Ad∣vanced in Twenty.

To satisfy the Scruples of some, it's necessary, by the way, to Answer One or Two Short Questions.