MAny things there are which doe tend to the good and flourishing of a King­dome; and many things to the ruine and destruction thereof: Amongst which, idlenesse, and want of imploy­ment is one of the greatest; for what vice and villany is there committed, or liksome poverty indured, that is not generally occasioned thereby: and such persons as live idly out of any calling [...] ulcers in a Common-wealth, oppressors of a State, and impoverishers of a Kingdome. And herein is this great City mightily op­pressed: for many yeeres since the number of the poore was exceeding great; and now of late, especially since these unnaturall warres began, there are multitudes of poore lately sprung up, whose miseries are many: therfore [Page 2]the things that I shall here tender to your great judge­ments, are onely these five:

• To shew 1. Who these poore are.
• To shew 2. Wherein the evill doth consist.
• To shew 3. The causes thereof.
• To shew 4. The cure and remedy.
• To shew 5. And chiefly bow this cure is to be applyed.

And first, who these poore are.

THey are the indigent, distressed, and helplesse crea­tures, such as have not meanes to supply their present wants, whereby they endure much in their persons, and often endanger soules, bodies, lives, and all to get it. And therefore it is that Plato cals poverty, theevish, filthy, sa­crilegious, wicked and dangerous; for it makes many that would live honestly to cheat, lie, steale, kill, turne Turk, or any thing. According to that saying of the Wise-man, Be­cause of poverty, the Land hath sinned.

And for the additionall poore lately sprung up; these are of divers sorts:

• 1. All such whose trades, and imployment, by reason of these troublesome times, are wholly taken away.
• 2. Such as are stript out of their estates, in severall Countries, here in England, and likewise in Ireland, and fled to this great City for refuge.
• 3. Such whose husbands are slaine in these wars, and left destitute with many children, unprovided for.
• 4. Such maimed and lame Souldiers as are recovered of their wounds, but not of their limbs; able to go abroad, but not to worke, whereby to maintaine their families, or themselves, with their labour.
• 5. The great number of Souldiers, and others of the [Page 3]enemies party, which have been taken in the warres, and are now in prison, and have not meanes to subsist of them­selves, but are maintained by the State.

All which, together with the former sort of poore, will make the number almost innumerable; yet, all these must be provided for.

The second thing is, wherein the evill doth consist.

IF we looke to the event of things, we shall finde the miseries of the poore, the sufferings of the Kingdome, but chiefly in this City, to be wonderfull great, and all occasioned through idlenesse; which, as Lycurgus in Plu­tarch cals it, morbus reipublicae, the evils of a Common-wealth, the mother of mischiefe, the nurse of all naughti­nesse, the causer of drunkennesse, begetter of all vice and villany, of thieves, rogues, robberies, murthers, and the roote from whence the multitudes of beggers doe pro­ceed and spring. We may truely say of them, as Aristotle speaks of melancholy, they are commune malum, a generall evill. And these are of three sorts.

• The 1. Insolent.
• The 2. Impudent.
• The 3. Indigent.

First, the insolent and sturdy sort of poore, such as have no calling or profession, nor scarce any constant place of abode: like the Apodes a Bird in India, of whom Juvenall speakes, that hath no feet to rest on, but is alway flying: so these have no setled habitation or im­ployment to be maintained by, but live by cheating, thee­ving, cut-pursing, and such like villanies, lurking and [Page 4]shifting up and downe in secret places, of which there are multitudes.

Secondly, the impudent poore. And such are the com­mon beggers, common private lewd persons, and prosti­tutes, and common street night-walkers; all which, like so many plague-sores infect and poyson this City; yet all these are maintained, not by their owne labours, or any livelihood of their owne, nor their illegitimate children put to nurse, or maintained by any parishes; for then this great, wise, and religious City would long since have sought for redresse.

Thirdly, the indigent, miserable, and distressed poore, which rise up early, sit up late, and eate the bread of carefulnesse, when they can get it, moyle and toyle at the basest and sordids [...] worke, doe any thing, endure any thing, and all for a small reward, which will scarce hold life and soule together; and their greatest sorrow is, their wives and chidren lie at home idly, full of mi­sery, and have no imployment, but forced to commit almost any villany to keepe them from perishing: Yet let these complaine they want worke; and bewaile their distresses, and as Solomon saies, speake with prayers, they are not regarded, nor imployed.

And were it possibe that an estimat could be given of the number of all these insolent, impudent, and indigent creatures, men, women, and children, together with such as are of late increased, and such as are in all the pri­sons about the Towne, we should finde the number in­conceivable.

For heretofore upon this occasion, about imployment for the poore, upon enquiry it was found, that St. Olaves Parish in Southwarke had above eight and twenty hun­dred families which never paid Subsidy, or taxations, be­sides Lodgers and other lewd people.

And in each Family there could be no lesse then three or foure persons, which amounts to ten thousand poore people at the least in that Parish; yet suppose there should be but foure thousand poore in that Parish, the totall number within the Line of Communication and bills of Mortality, would amount to more then forty thousand poore.

And for the charges to maintaine all these, wee may well reckon for House-rent, Cloathes, Victualls, Firing and good Ale, which many of them full dearely love, and other necessaries; to be no lesse then righteen pence a week foure pound a year for each person, which amounts to one hundred & threescore thousand pounds per annum, which these people wast and consume, and use no imployment toward the getting of any part thereof, but meerely ex­haust it from the State.

Nay, if all these should spend but one hundred thou­sand pound per unnum, it is more I believe then this City would willingly spare to be consumed in Idlenesse, Drun­kennesse and Villany.

And to all these may be added the additionall poore lately sprung up, which makes the charges and the op­pression to be far greater.

Where as if all these people were forced to get their owne livings, lesse villany would be daily committed, and more English wares made to supply the Kingdome to fur­ther exportations, and abate importations, to the ad­vance of the State, and reliefe of the poore.

To shew the cause of all this evill and misery.

THe cause in a word is idlenesse, want of imployment; which, as one observes, is the Malus genius of a Nation: for if the subject should be prohibited from their imploy­ment [Page 6]but one quarter of a yeare, many thousands that now live well would beg, and as many starve and perish; which doth infallibly and unanswerably shew, that the imployment of the subject is both the supporting of a Kingdom, and the supplying of mens present wants.

For what causeth a decay of all Arts, Trades, Mysteries, Professions; and what bringeth poverty, beggery and mi­sery, but idlenesse?

Whats the reason that this Metropolitan City, and the Suburbs are the onely nests and harbours for Cut­purses and capitall offenders, and the grand Nursery for lewd persons and illegitimate children, but idlenesse? that all commodities and provision is inhanced in the Ci­ty, but that many thousands of idle people, like Catter-pillers in a Common-Wealth, eate up the fruits and la­bours of others; And Taphouses so abundantly frequen­ted, whereby thousands of quarters of malt is spent in excesse and Drunkennesse? all which would exceedingly refresh the poore, and bring down the prices of Corne and Bread.

Whats the cause that our Kingdome affords not as brave Cities, Townes and Villages as France, Italy, the Low-Countries and other places? because, as some writers say, in those parts they are more politick, circumspect and industrious, and as Polydore reports of us here in England, that our Cities and Towns are small, ruinous, basely built, thin of Inhabitants, and the greatest part of those poore, and all through want of imployment.

Whats the cause that our Gaoles are so full, and every yeare so many hundred of people condemned and Exe­cuted, and others for small matters of theft imprisoned a long time, the Houses of correction so pestered, so much abuse and disorder dayly committed? is it not want of imployment? they can get no work.

What a most pitious thing is it to see a poore man cast in prison, and in danger to be hanged for stealing a sheep, a lambe or such like thing of small value, which a law­lesse necessity constrained him to doe to get food for his poore hunger-bitten Family, his Wife and Children, ready to starve and perish for want of work?

Whats the cause many fall to cheating, turne robbers, rebells, common Villaines, and Women cutpurses, cur­tizans, prostitutes, attempt and commit almost any thing, make their children poore abortives, or stran­gle them as soone as they are borne, and others make away themselves, is it not poverty? as Gasper the Jesuite reportes of the Women of Iapon, if poore they would stifle their children, because they should not suffer irke­some poverty; and Riccius affirmes as much of the women of China, and dayly examples may testify as much a mongst us.

To conclude, whats the generall complaint of all sorts of people, Beggers, Prisoners, the confession of condemned men at the Gallowes? they could get no work: and is it not great pitty to see thousands of people a­ble bodies and dejected spirits cloathed in ragges, ready to be starved, when imployment may amend and cure all?

The fourth thing is the cure and remedy thereof.

NOw if the cause of all this evill be idlenesse, want of imployment, the cure and remedy is by applying the contrary, which is industry, setting of the poore aworke, and although Aristotle defines riches to be either naturall or artificiall, naturall riches are fertill Lands, rich mines; artificiall riches are Coynes, Trades and manufactures; yet what avayles all or any of these without art and industry? for fertil Lands wil bring weeds, rich mines or good trades no profit without Art and Industry.

Art to invent, contrive and regular, and Industry to undergoe and indure the coyle, trouble, and labour of it as Josephus reports of the sons of Seth, that they were ingeni­ons to invent many pretty things, which shewed their Art, and then engraved them upon pillars of Stone and marble that neither inundations of water, nor consumings of fire might deface them, that they might remaine to after Ages, which shewed their Industry: so that Art and Industry is said to bee more durable then riches, for what causeth Countries, Cities and Townes that are very barren and populous to grow rich, but Art and Industry?

For Countries, both the Chinaes populous places, yet grow Rich and flourish by their industry, there is not an idle person nor Begger amongst them.

Zeland and Holland flourishing Countries, and in ge­nerall have almost three Cities to one of ours, full of In­habitants and those Rich, Industrious, Ingenious and po­litick.

For Cities, the Low-Countries have them Faire, Rich, and populous, and all caused by their great industry and skilfulnesse in Trades and Manufactures, by which they maintaine Wars, continue and increase comerce and traf­fique.

And Florance in Italy by making cloath of Gold and Silver Arras, for faire and dainty hangings; Corinth in Greece for its riches and industry, that is called the glo­ry of that Country, and Norrembridge in Germany a City seted in a barren soyle, yet Rich, Wealthy and flourishing, and all caused by Art and Industry, as one notes of them, they are so ingenious and laborious as if (faith he) their soule or intellectus agens was placed in their fingers ends; many other places might be named, and all flourish by their industry.

But if wee looke here in England we shall finde our Cities few, ruinous and most of the Inhabitants very poore, and many of our Townes depopulated and de­stroyed; for what Towne almost throughout the King­dome, that can produce at this day so many substantiall, and able men, as hath been 30 or 40 yeares since, yet every Towne much increased with a number of poore and miserable creatures, whereby our Trades are much decayed, which causes our importations to be great, and our exportations small, to the impovershing of the land.

Now if any demand, wherefore England that is so rich a Country, both in fertill Grounds, good Mines and excellent materialls; yet notwithstanding very poore and full of Beggers, Boterius gives the reason, and saith that fertilty and good meterialls is not enough, unlesse Art and industry be joyned with it, but chiefly industry which undergoes the work, for as it increases or decrea­ses, ebs or flowes, so is the strength, power and ability of a Kingdome increased or abated.

If then the matter of Industry be so weighty of such great importance, it most necessarily behoves all Nati­ons, Princes, Councells of State, Judges, Majestrates, Ci­ties, Townes, Corporate bodies politick, all sorts of peo­ple of all estates and conditions whatsoever, to advance and further so great a worke, which supports and sup­plies all.

And such was the care of King Solomon in building the house of God, he sent to Hyram King of Tyrus for stusse and workmen.

So Selym the first Turkish Emperour, as Valerius notes procured a thousand good Artificers to be brought to Constantionople.

And Iames the first of Scotland, as Buchanan relates sent [Page 10]for the best Artificers he could get in all Europ, and gave them great rewards, to instruct his people.

And Edward the third a most renowned Prince, a­mongst his Kingly Acts, is memorized for bringing that great Trade of cloathing first unto this Land, by sending over such Tradesmen from Gaunt hither.

And the ancient Massilians and many other places held a course, not to admit any man unto their Cities that had not some trade or profession; And Plato made a Law not to have a begger not an idle person amongst them: all which do most evidently shew the necessity of industry, and imployment of the subject.

It is a work of Piety, of Charity, of Justice, of Honour, of Health, of Wealth, of Strength, of Peace, and Safety, and of the flowrishing a Kingdome.

It will be a meanes to save the soules and lives of many thousand,1. Of Piety. which otherwise through a lawlesse necessity, are constrained to commit almost any villany, to the dan­ger of both.

It will relieve many thousand hunger-bitten,2. Of Charity. almost starved families, that would work but cannot get it, are ashamed to beg and afraid to steale, and so languish un­der the burthen of intollerable wants, and poore chil­dren idly bred, which through want of imployment fal to lewdnesse.

For there is a cheating lewd insolentidle sturdy sort of poore,3. Of Iustice. that can worke, but will not; infected with the same disease, as one reports of a Begger that came to some Gentlemen at Bruges with shew of weeping, and pretending himselfe a miserable creature, troubled with a terrible secret disease, they pittied him and gave him money; but one of them seeing the begger fat and well coloured, caused his servant to make after him, and know [Page 11]his malady. To whom the Begger replied, my disease is spread all over my body, ransa [...]ks my very bones, so that I can stir never a limbe to do any work; and I have heard that this disease is called lasinesse, which is a shamefull thing to discover.

And multitudes of people there are in this City misera­bly afflicted with this disease, and nothing but the autho­rity of justice can cure it.

And so it is of all the rest, imployment is an honour, a health, a wealth, a peace, a safety to a Kingdome, the parti­culars whereof for brevity I will omit.

Thus having in short remonstrated the sufferings of the Kingdome, especially of this City, and the miseries of the poore, and the cause, idlenesse and want of imploy­ment; together with the cure by art and industry; And how it hath caused Kingdomes, Countries, and Cities to flourish; and what great care Princes, States, all of all sorts, have alwaies had, and ought to have, to suppresse idlenesse, and support imployment, which supplies and supports all.

The fift and last thing is, how this cure is to be applyed.

THe applying of this cure is by imploying of the poore, by setting them to worke: wherein these three things are carefully to be done in every Parish, Town, Hamlet, Pre­cinct, Prison, and House of correction.

• 1. To raise a stocke.
• 2. To provide materials.
• 3. How to order the worke.

But before we fall upon the applying of the cure, it is requisite to cleare some objections which may be cast in.

[Page 12]1. Object. If the number of the poore be so great as is sug­gested, it is almost impossible that any course can be taken to imploy and relieve them all.

Answ. If the disease be now almost past cure few yeeres more will make it altogether incurable; therefore the lon­ger defer'd the more difficult, troublesome, and chargable, and more behooveful speedily to be prevented.

2. Obj. That a stocke of an hundred thousand pounds will scarce serve to set all these poore upon imployment, to provide magazines, materials, working-instruments, &c. And in regard of the great troubles and taxations upon this City at this time, and the want of trading, so great stocke will not be raised.

Ans. If the power of Majestracy, and the great Councell of the City approve the work, and resolve the prosecution thereof, and a Committee be selected for that end; some whereof of this City, some of Westminster, Middlesex, Southwarke, &c. whose ayd will be very usefull, in regard in those parts most of the poore doe live.

Then it shal be made appeare, that the raising of a stock for imployment of the poore will be an advantage to the City, and no dammage; besides such a ground-worke may be laid:

• 1. The stocke may be raised with little charge to the City.
• 2. The materials may be provided at easie rates.
• 3. The worke regulated with much facility.

To conclude, this businesse is of such consequence, that it requires great care to lay a sure foundation at the first, lest all miscarry; for if after the stocke be raised, materials provided, and the worke set on foot, that it once fall to the ground, then farewell imployment of the poore for ever.