First Cause is , Profuseness in Diet .

't is generally observ'd , That not only more Ale and Brandy is sold than formerly in single Ale houses , and Brandy-shops ; but the number of such Houses and Shops are also increased , that the Money spent in Ale and Brandy , in small Country-shops and Ale-houses , amounts to a vast , and almost incredible sum , did not their Payments for Excise manifest it , Tha a very small and inconsiderable part thereof is spent by Gent . or Travellers , or House-keepers , that pay Rates to the King and Poor , that such as are maintained by Parish-pay , seldom drink any other than the strongest Ale-house Beer , which at the Rate they buy it , cost 50 Shillings , or 3 l. a Hogshead ; that they seldom eat any Bread , save what is made of the finest Wheat-flower , sold by common Bakers .

Second Cause is , Idleness .

Persons once receiving Parish-pay , presently become idle , alleadging the Parish is bound to maintain them ; and that in case they should work , 't would only favour a Parish from whom they say they shall have no thanks : And not only themselves , but the Family to whom they belong , presently become idle too , finding that Parish pay , with the help of their Clamour , their imposing on the Ignorance of some Officers , deceiving the Charity of others , and their threatning the timorous sort with Warrants from Persons in Authority ; a work of less trouble , and more profit than daily Labour .

Third Cause is , Giving excessive Pay .

The Giving excessive Pay to the Poor , hath greatly occasioned their extravagant Expences , and occasioned Idleness in them , and discouraged Industry in others : The Allowance commonly given to Persons maintained by a Parish , being three times as much as an honest Labourer , who with his Wife maintains three Children can afford to do ; which many hundreds in the County do , and that in a decent manner ; as may appear by the proportion next mentioned .

The Common Outgoing of a Day-labourer in Husbandry computed .

As 't is not strange to see Labourers to have four or five Children a-piece , which they maintain by their Labour ; so 't is common to see many maintain three Children a-piece in a decent manner : Now admitting the Wife maitains her self , and one Child , which is the most a Woman can , and what few will do ; what is needful to maintain himself , and two Children , the Husband must bear , he must pay House-rent ; which in 20 Shill . yearly , is weekly — Upwards of 4d . 0. He must buy wood , which cannot well be less than 3 0. His own cloaths in 20 sh . yearly , costs weekly above 4 ob . His Sunday's diet 2 d . & Working-tools weekly 1 d . 3 0. There remains of his Week's wages to maintain 2 Child . meat and drink , cloaths , wash . attend . &c. 1 s . 2 d . Scarce above 1 d . a day for each Child ; so weekly Both cost 2 5

His Wages , or Income .

Herein loss of Work thro' bad Weather , Holy-days , &c. are not computed .

The charge of maintaining a young Child , and of an Infirm Person

Unable to labour , being near the same .

His full Wages in some parts of the County , is weekly 2s . 6d . in others 2s . 8d . in some places less ; and where more is paid , House rent and wood are dearer .

Fourth Cause of the chargeableness of the Poor .

Several of the Poor have ordinarily one House a-piece , intirely to themselves ; which would conveniently serve three or four of them , and the same Fire , Candle-light , and Attendance that now serves but one , might serve three , or four ; and in many particulars , they might assist , help , and comfort one another ; only their Unwillingness , to have their Idleness , Filching , and Profuseness in Diet discovered , makes them extream averse against such Cohabiting .

I. Objection .

Whether the usual way of paying the poor in Money may be altered .

I. Answer .

When Overseers sell their own Goods , the Justice , have often for manifest reasons disallowed it , otherwise they approve well of it .

II . Some poor , as young Children , Ideots &c. are not to Imploy Money , and therefore 't is both reasonable and necessary to provide for them , some other way .

II . Objection .

Is , That the providing of Diet , is both chargeable and troublesome .

Answer .

Each person being limited what to have , and at what times ; and the prices of each particular agreed for ; the trouble cannot be great , admitting that the keeper of a small Ale-House is Imployed and Assigned , to deliver each person his Allowance daily , by a 11 of the Clock ; who are come for it accordingly ; he hath his order as to kinds , and his Weights and Measures ready for quantities , and the Poor have theirs ; so Twenty may be dispatched in a quarter of an hour , with almost as small a trouble , as the drawing Twenty pots of Ale , and is it not less trouble to make one Fire than Twenty , one going to Mill , Market , &c. than Twenty ; one of the Poor may do it , being assigned necessaries for that purpose .

III . Objection .

Whilest many poor Inhabit in the ●everal parts of the Country Par●shes , how can such have their Diet in one place .

Answer .

As many as live in or near the Church Town , or other like Village , may conveniently come at one place ; such as are in remote places , and are not too Old to be removed , are too Old to be Reformed by this Method , for Old Age is incurable ; yet the persons not like to be durable : As to such as may be removed , the Remedy is plain . Only , it may be considered that in case their fear of being removed , will have as good or better effects than the doing it , ( as fear hath often better effects than punishments ) their removal may be rather threatned than effected .

Besides the greater number of the Poor have only some small Contributions , to wards their maintainance , as Six pence or Eight pence per Week : Now such may have so much in Value of such Houshold-Bread , as the day Laborours and poor House keepers , use in their Houses ; and may daily about Twelve of the Clock , fetch so much as is allowed for one day , and no more ; at some small distance , in case they they can come for it themselves ; this way of fetching it will restrain them from being Vagabonds and begging their Bread ; for it s against their Principles to Beg near their own dwelling places , and they cannot go far abroad without loseing such their Parish allowance .

Advantages in providing Diet for the Poor .

I. Whereas the Poor are in some places paid once in a Fortnight , in some once a Month : Seldome one of them hath one Penny left next day after receiving , so are forced to live on the Credit of the next pay day , and to Buy dear ' and lose much in fetching . But by this means , they are sure of a Competency every day , without loss of time , delay or hinderance , which are in truth considerable .

II . They will he restrained from Begging , for none will give to them who are known to have their dayly Commons provided at home . And they cannot go far abroad without the hazard of losing their Parish allowance at home , for not coming for it in season .

III . As 't will be almost impossible that the poor should want , having such daily allowance , so 't is as sure they cannot wast much ; Small-Beer , and such plain and wholesome provision as the Parish Officers are most likely to allow them , being Cheaper , as well as wholesomer , then the Brandy , Strong-Ale and other like fare they commoly allow themselves . And in case they are allowed a competency to carry home or to eat their fill , and carry off none , they cannot justly complain ; the great complaint will be , from the good Ale-Wifes , who will be forced to leave their Trade , when their best Customers must leave them .

IV . The general Antipathy the Poor have against accepting relief this way , exceedingly contributes to the promoting its Design , their calling theirs the Goal-Crock , Bridewell-Crock , Parish-Crock , Goal-Pottage , Parish-Pottage , with like Reproaches on the Place and Fare ; will make many resolve to live without it ; and others as Industrious to avoid it .

V. Tho such Aspersing Terms are to be connived at , whilest they only make it less fancifull to themselves : Yet if by such Reproaches they draw an Odium on the Imployment of providing their provisions , by making it more difficult , or Chargeable to get a Victular ; Then there is need of By Laws fitted for this Oeconomy , to restrain their railery .

As whoever complains his fare is not good ; or not well Cook'd and if upon an Inspection by one Housekeeper chosen by the conmplainer , and another by the Victular , it appear to be well ; or if they Reproach any of the Overseers , or payers of the Poor ; then such offender for Five or Six days , or until a formal Submision be made , to have no Butter to his Bread , or no Bread to his Broath , or wear the Badge a Month or other like punishment , for this or other like Offence , tending to the hindrance or charge of this Domestick Government .

As for the Badges , amongst other things , those or the like , may be Observed .

That whosoever Receives Parish pay , or any Contribution , is to expect to weare the Badge , that so the fear thereof may keep them Submisive and orderly , but the putting it on defac'd , as to such as are of civil demeanor , and whose poverty hath hot been occasioned by Idleness , profuseness , or other ill means , Sick persons , Children , and such whose Age or Infirmities keep them within Doors .

Those not to be exempted from wearing the Badge , viz.

Persons of such weak Capacities as that they are accounted Fools , not as a punishment to them , but to please their Fancy with a fine new thing , all Fools being pleased with such , and so to make it less fanciful to others .

Next , whoever is guilty of Begging , and is not necessitated thereunto , Complainers to persons in Authority for more Relief , if on hearing , it appear they had no cause of Complainr , Abusers of the Parish Officers , or payers , or persons concern'd in providing their provisions , and such as do not submissively and thankfully accept their parish allowance .

Objection .

Another Objection is , why some should wear the Badges , and others none ?

Answer .

To give the Poor a Direct Answer to this Question , is to allow them a Right of Examining : If an Apprentice ask his Master why he must wear Cloath and his Fellow Apprentice Searge , or why his Cloathes differ in Colour or Fashion from his Fellow Apprentice ; or if a Groom or Foot-Boy , ask his Master , why his Livery is Red , and not Blew , or differing in Colour , Cloath or Fashion , from other Grooms or Foot-Boys ? a Master will scarce Answer such a Question , unless it be with a Cudgel , and thereby teach such a saucy Searvant , more Gratitude , and better Manners . And if a Master , or Overseer of one Family , have such an Independant Right , in the Paternal and Domestick Government thereof , shall a Master or Overseer of many Famelies ( for so an Overseer of the Poor is ) have less Power , or not assert it ? Such an Examiner should wear the Badge a Month the longer , and know it for a Maxim , That Beggers must not be Chusers . And that those that have spent their own Stock as well as time profusely , without any restraint , must not so dispose of others .

Another Objection

Is the Obstinacy and Averseness of many of the Parishoners and Payers to the Poor against this Method , as some will be sure to be .

Answer .

It is observed in the Preface to the Liturgy of the Church , that never any thing was so Compos'd as to escape the reach of Clamour and Exception ; much less can this , for those Clamourers , tho they see with their own Eyes , that by this means , the Poor have a constant dayly and certain fit provision , and that 't is Morally almost Naturally impossible , that they should want ; to which they were always exposed in the common way of Relief . And withal know and see , that the obstinate averseness of the Poor to receive Relief , this way , makes them both Thrifty and Industrious , so as to provide before hand , and Maintain themselves without it . Yet still some who are concern'd in Reason and Interest to promote a Method of this Nature , will be pratling against it , and oppose it to the utmost , and will joyn with the Insolence of the Poor , and rather than hinder , will lead and incourage , them in their Aspersions of it , and Clamours against it .

Now it may be said , what shall be done as to such Opposers ?

Answer .

Sure at the long-run , they deserve a formal thanks , for if I am an Overseer , or Provider for the Poor , and invite and make a fit provision for them , and by means of such Clamours and Aspersions my Guests are kept away , I may by such means have the less Company , but the more Chear , or be at the less Charge in providing .

And indeed , nothing Contributes more to the carrying on this Method , so as to make the Poor Industrious , in Order to maintain themselves to live Thriftily , and to provide for Old-Age and Sickness . I say , nothing more promotes such its design , than such Opposers of it , and Clamours against it ; For , tho they seem to stop the Currant , unless their groundless Clamour have in it more Power to hinder , than the Laws and the Authority of Justices of the Peace , and Overseers of the Poor Commissionated by the Law , and Acting according to Law , have to promote it , which may well be reckoned a Moral Impossibility , the Stream will break out and run the Swifter . No Arguments , how Specious soever , will Convince some , and whilest Experience is the common baffler of Speculations , their obstinacy , or uncompliableness may meet with the more Candid Construction . I shall therefore , for their satisfaction , give one instance ; the Parishes of Sampford , C. and W. being both large and near each other , usually for many Years together , paid a like number of Rates ; in the Parish of S. the Method hereby proposed was practised Two Years , and for avoiding Clamour , ( which every thing that is called new , tho as old as Moses , is apt to produce ) the Poor were in a more Plentiful manner than formerly provided for in Cloaths ; and in case any of them said , that their allowance in Diet were not enough in quantity , they had then their fill ; if any misliked in quallity , then the Complainer was to call a fit House-keeper to determine it , which if he or she refused to call , was then at that time sent away without , as a just punishment for his or her Muttering and Ingratitude . In the last of the Two Years , there was this difference , in the Parish of W. where this method was not used , were pay'd full 23 Rates , and yet often Complaints made to the Justices for more . But in S. where this Method was used , not full a 11 Rates and a half , and no such Complaints made as in W. And had I observed the payments of the Poor in other Neighbouring Parishes wherein I was unconcerned , might probably have found them as much differing and advanced in proportion above S. as I saw W. to be , and had this Method continued on in S. one Year longer , ( which wanted not the encouragement of the Justices of the Peace and of the principle payers ) would , as was reasonably believed , have reduced them to 8 Rates , and in a few Years after to Two .

Another Objection

Is , that the former Method for Imploying the most ungovernable of the Poor is defective , such as are Bailiffs , Tinkers , and other daring insolent Poor , for in Country Parishes , there are no Publick Work Houses , and Private Men will not Imploy such , who if alone will spoile their Work , and if with others , will spoile their Work and Company too , and an honest Country House keeper will as soon admit into his House one that is Infected with the Plague as such a resolute disorderly Wretch .

Answer .

A crooked Knife must have a crooked Sheath , and such an ill humoured Workman should have as untoward Work assigned him by the Overseers , which may be to carry Water in Buckets from the lower end of some Country Village Two or Three Hundred paces , or more and therewith to fill a Vessel in the High-way , which done , to overturn it in the way so often as filled , and so to continue till he shews a willingness to get himself Work , and in the mean time to have only some slender allowance in Diet , and in case of refusal or neglect , sent to the Bridewel , as the Statute of 43. Eliz . in this Case directs ; such a Workman so Imployed , will be sure of Overseers enough to observe his Demeanor , and tho he be accounted shameless , will be soon ashamed and weary of such Work , and get himself a Master , or be Mastered in Bridewell , as is before mentioned , as often as he refuseth or neglecteth such his Work .

The Work-House in the City of Exeter , is said by some constantly to Imploy above 100 Persons , by others it 's said , that not 6. are constantly Imployed therein , now both those seeming Contradictions are true .

It must , by the way , be considered , which is too well known , that in every Town , how well Traded soever , many Tradesmen are out of Work , and destitute of Imployment , not for that the Trade or Place doth not afford Imployments sufficient , but that such destitute Persons , have brought themselves out of Credit and Work either by their Sottish , Careless , Surly or other ill demeanor . And such being numerous , and some of them having Families to provide for , would , as such are apt to do , complain to the Magistrates for Work , or rather for relief from the Overseers ; then to maintain them Idle was a great Charge , to promise them Work a great difficulty : Those that knew them not would not Imploy them , because Strangers ; those that knew them , knew them too well to trust their Trade and Stock in their hands , yer maintained they must , yea , will be . This inevitably drew on a great charge ; And yet their Mutinies a greater danger . But since the setting up this Work-house , whereof the Governour is ready provided to Imploy all that come , the Magistrates are not now at a loss how to answer such Complaints ; but assign them to the Master of the Work-house for Imployments . And now those careless , surly Sots find themselves at a loss , they must either humour or comply with the Trad-smen , that have Stocks , and serve them , or Work in the Common Work-house , and submit to that Government , which tho no Prison is in common acceptation near a kin to a Bridewel , being reduced to this Dilemna : They will chuse the first , and rather comply with a Master of their own chusing than of the Mayors , by this means it comes to pass that the Work-house which doth not actually Imploy Six persons in it , doth yet vertually and effectually Imploy above One Hundred ; such a Work-house seems not attainable in Country Parishes . But that which is equally Advantageous , and may be called an Equivalent , may be had in all places , with this differrence , that the City Work-house requires a Stock and Sa●lery ; in the Stock there is a Charge raising , and hazard in Intrusting . But in this Equivalent there is no such Charge or hazard , for Men in Husbandry in the Country , by giving them Lists , to Work round a Parish , and others of Trades , to agree with a Tradesman , to imploy them in Weaving Combing , Spining , and to assign them to Work accordingly : And withal , to order them to give a Weekly , or other constant account at the Pay-Board , that they do Work accordingly , or are otherways dayly imployed , in some honest Labour , is every way as advantageous . For , those that are so Imployed , and the Wages not being great , can be no damage to the Imployer of them ; and the general averseness and abhorence of the Poor , to go about with Lists , and and desire Work , and Work according to such Appointments , and to give a constant account thereof , is altogether as effectual as a City Work-house , to make such Persons to get Work for themselves , and their Wages not being too large , the Imployers of them will be sure to be at no Loss , and the willinger to Imploy them . And in case any Men in Trades , or Women in Spining , spoile , detain or imbezzel , any of the Wool or Ya●ne delivered unto them , the Owner , by making Application to the Two next Justices , ( an easy Remedy ) will get them to be Publickly Whipt , as the Sta● . 7. Jac . 7. doth direct , which they will prevent by making him Satisfaction . But having formerly Written more fully on this Particular , with Presidents for all Proceedings relating thereunto , forbear herein to Repeat the same .

Objection .

Another Objection is , that this Method will lessen the Excise .

Answer .

This is indeed an exception of some Moment for admiting such to be Poor , and like to be chargable to Parishes , as by the common Construction of the Law , especially of an Act of Parliament made 14. Car . 2. chap. 12 Are so adjudged . And that the Badge , how easy soever , and the Parish-Pot , how fat soever , will be accounted Punishments , and no small ones , and will scare them from idle Expences , which may reasonably be presumed , and by experience hath appeared . And that those Persons are the Country Ale-Wives best and almost only Customers , it 's Necessary to Consider , what or how much such loss may be .

As for the purpose , In case I spend 1 s . in an Ale-House , what are the Consequents thereof to me or the Publick . As to my self , I have not only 1 s . the less , for which I am no way the better , But have in spending thereof spent so much time , as had it been Imployed in my Husbandry or Profession , would have gained me at least 3 d . and the Publick some way or other advantaged by my Labour . Now that is lost as well as 15 d . in Money and time ; on the other hand , the advantage thereby to the Publick cannot be more than the Excise , which at most is not above 3 d . Then must the destroying my Health , which Incapacitates me to serve the Publick , the wasting my time , wherein I should have served the Publick , the Beggering my self and Family , and many other publick as well as private Mischiefs , occasioned by Sottishness , must these be countenanced , or at least connived at , for my being thus an advancer of the Excise , in so small a matter comparatively to the Publick , and my particular loss thereby , whereas had I kept to my proper Profession , I might have been as able , and as easily could have contributed as many 15 pences in ready Money to a Publick Revenue , as now I do 3 d . in Excise by drinking of Ale . Were it not much better that His Majestys Proclamation , and the Laws for suppressing Debauchery , and Profaneness were duly put in execution , that so the Streams of Justice might cleanse those Augean Stalls , we should then seek the Peopling , as now the depopulating of our Neighbours , and English Men would then compute their Wealth , and Substance like the Patriarchs of Old , and Forreigners at present , in the Number of their Servants and largeness of their Familys . T is indeed conceived by some that the great increase of the Poor , is occasioned by other means than those herein mentioned .

I. Objection .

Is , That the number of the People is generally increased , and that the number of the Poor , are so too . Which may receive this Answer .

Admitting they are increased , yet doubtless , People increased in former Ages , as well as of late ; and in other Countries , where are no Poor Rates , as well as in England where there are ; yet in truth the number of People , save in Trading-Places , is little or not at all increased ; and that in such Places of Trade , the Ways of maintaining the Poor is much more increased : And whilest the Wealth , as well as Strength of other Nations ; consist in the Number of their People , why should we value our selves , or one another , at a Lower Rate than meer Americans ? As the Glory of a King consists in the number of His People , so doth the Welfare of the People too .

Another Imagination , of the great increase of Poor Rates , is the Dissolution of Abbies , Monasteries , and other Religious Houses ; and 't is withal affirmed , that Poor Rates began not till then . But the Error of this Imagination is easily discovered ; For , there were Laws made for providing for the Poor , long before that Time , as 23. of Edw . 3. chap. ult . 34. Edw . 3. chap. 1.7 . Rich . 2. chap. 7.12 . Rich . 2. chap. 5.11 . Hen . 7. chap. 2.19 . Hen . 7.12 . and about 5. or 6. Statutes of K. Hen . 8. And some of them Ordered Parish Officers and Rates , and tho the Payment was not Obligatory , as now , yet possibly in those Times as effectual .

2. If the Abbies , &c. were Dissolved , yet the Lands still remained , and the Husbanding and Manuring of them Imployed as many hands , ( the best way of Relieving the Poor ) and might Feed as many Mouths , when in Laymens hands as in Churchmens . And if , as some Conceive , such places were by their abuse made Nurseries of Idleness , and the dependance of many Idle Persons , such Idleness Contributed to the increase of the Poor , and such Dependence concern'd only some few , in Comparison of the Poor of the Kingdom in general .

3. In Case the generallity of the Poor of the Kingdom , had Depended on the Charity of those Religious Places for their Subsistance , Then the great want would immediately have ensued on their Dissolution ; and the Government would have been concerned to procure a speedy Remedy . But the Statute now in Force , and the only Compulsory Law that hath been for payment of Poor Rates , was above 60 Years after Abbies , &c. being Dissolved , chiefly by Two Laws made , one in 27. Hen . 8. 1537. another in 1540. and the Law for Poor Rates , 43. Eliz . in 1601. And then tho all Parishes were enabled to make Rates , and Owners of Estates obliged to the Payment ; yet in many Places , no such Rates were made , in 20 , 30. or 40. Years after , and when they were First made , and in many Years after , the Money so Risen was inconsiderable to the present Charge .

But that which more than Answers all this Exception , is , that whereas our Wooll in former Ages was almost all Transported and Wrought up in Forreign Parts , now for the most part Wrought at Home , so that to say nothing of other Countrys , the Searges Sold in Exeter Market , afford a greater Benefit and Subsistance to the Poor , then all the Monastries and Religious Houses in the Kingdom did in former Ages .

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 Impertinent Clamour , of such Excrement of Humanity , ( who exclude themselves from being Beneficial Members of the Publick , 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 Invalid , 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 advanced Four fold , and so in this one County comes to 39000 per Annum , then the Kingdom according to the proportions observed 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 notwithstanding 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 Subsistance 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 't is 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 Imployments 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 Contracting , 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 others . 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 Advanced in Twenty .

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