be the hand of God upon him, in punishing him for those sad wishes he wished upon himself: and he further added, that he desired all good people to pray for him.

Let this sad spectacle of divine vengeance move us to consider, with what a God we have to do: be not deceived, God will not be mocked. Let every one consider and admire God's free grace and mercy, that he hath not been made a subject of God's immediate wrath, instead of being a living monument of God's long-suffering and patience. Let no man presume to take God's name in vain; much more, not dare to challenge God's vengeance upon himself. This sad example (being well considered) may deter all that hear of it from such notorious sins. Let every man take the advice of Moses, Deut. xxxii. 29. "To be wise, to understand, and to consider their latter ends:" which, being done, will bring us to the knowledge of God, ourselves, of Heaven and Hell, and prevent from being unhappy or miserable, either in body or soul. Which is the hearty desire of your humble remembrancer.

W. V.

PROPOSALS FOR BUILDING, IN EVERY COUNTY,

A

WORKING-ALMS-HOUSE OR HOSPITAL,

AS THE BEST EXPEDIENT

TO PERFECT THE TRADE AND MANUFACTORY OF
LINNEN CLOTH.

WHEREBY

1. All poor people and their children, from five or six years old, may be employed and maintained; as also all beggars, vagrants, &c. restrained and for ever prevented, and so all parishes eased of that intolerable burden.

2. Many hundred-thousand pounds kept at home, which now every' year goes out of the kingdom for linnen, whereby our wealth becomes. a prey to other nations.

3. Much land improved in every county to great advantage of landlord and tenant. Humbly offered to the consideration of the great wisdom of the whole nation, now assembled in parliament.

Printed at London, by W. G. for R. Harford, at the sign of the Angel, in Cornhill, 1677. Quarto, containing fourteen pages.

CONS

ONSIDERING the great complaints of poverty; the heavy burdens most parishes lie under to maintain their poor, which daily increase; the swarms of beggars, vagrants, and idle people in city

and country; the great, and it is feared, irrecoverable decay of our ancient trade for woollen cloth; the vast charge we are yearly at in purchasing linnen, &c. from other nations, whereby our treasure is exhausted, and our lands fall for want of being improved some other way, besides planting corn, breeding for wool, &c. which are become of so low a price, as scarce to turn to account: and understanding, that, for remedying thereof, the improving the manufactory of linnen is now under debate, I have taken the boldness to offer the following proposal, which, if thought fit to be put in practice, will, in my opinion, infallibly conduce to all the good ends desired and intended,

viz.

That there may be erected in every county, according to its extent or populousness, a greater or lesser working alms-house, wherein the poor may be continually employed in the manufactory of linnen cloth.

The advantages whereof are evident; for,

I. This manufactory is an employment for the weakest people, not capable of stronger work, viz. women and children, and decrepit or aged people, now the most chargeable; as likewise for beggars and vagrants, who live idly, and by the sweat of other men's labours, and can no way so effectually be brought to industry and order, as when reduced into so narrow a compass or confinement, under fitly qualified rulers, officers, and regular government.

II. These working alms-houses may raise and supply the nation yearly with a sufficient stock of linnen cloth, the finest sort excepted, if true measures be taken, and the design effectually prosecuted as for example, one million three hundred and fifty-two thousand pounds worth of cloth may yearly be spun in them only, besides what is made in private families thus demonstrated;

i. It is well known by experience, that three quarters of a pound of thread, worth twelve-pence per pound spinning, will make one ell of cloth, worth two shillings per ell; which three quarters of a pound two spinners may spin in one day; hence it follows,

2. That two-thousand spinners will spin thread enough in one day to make a thousand ells of cloth, worth a hundred pound. And, working but two-hundred and sixty days in the year, may spin twentysix thousand pounds worth of linnen cloth in a year.

3. Suppose then there be as many publick work-houses, as there are counties, which are fifty-two, and in every work-house, one with ano. ther, two-thousand spinners (though in some more, some less) then according to these reasonable measures, there will be the fore-mentioned sum of one million three-hundred and fifty-two thousand pounds worth of cloth spun in one year; which is what we undertook to demon

strate.

This or some such prodigious sum of money might yearly be raised to the nation, whereby a treble benefit would ensue: First, we might save so much money, now yearly sent out of the nation for linnen, which, as computed by very worthy intelligent persons, has of late cost us more than a million per annum. Secondly, by employing those hands, which, for the greatest part, are idle; it being reasonably supposed

that there are, at least, a hundred-thousand beggars, or others, who want a lawful employment. Besides, almost all, both men, women, and children, that can but pull tire, or tow from the distaff, or such easy work, may be speedily employed and removed from being chargeable; so that there will be no fear of any parish in the kingdom being oppressed, or indeed charged, save only in case of extreme age, or children in their infancy, neither of which continues long. And Thirdly, much land, throughout England, will be greatly improved by sowing hemp, flax, &c.

Object. It may be objected, that if the house be stocked with so many weak, antient people and children, this will cross the great design, because they will not be capable to spin their quantity of cloth, nor so fine.

Answ. As to fineness, it matters not, if but one in five be employed in it, to an exquisite degree; for there is enough occasion for coarser, for sacking, sails, ticking, common table-linnen, sheets, &c. And as to quantity, it may not be the less, because the most laborious thing in spinning is turning of the wheel.

Now, for the better effecting a design so profitable and honourable to the kingdom, I have improved my small genius to the utmost, notwithstanding I, above all projectors, have been most discouraged: and I know whoever will attempt any thing for publick benefit, may expect these three things. The first is necessary, the second customary, and the third diabolical. viz. To be the object of wise men's censure, other men's laughter, and, if advantageous to himself, envy's implacable displeasure; of which last, I have had a share to the highest degree, that revenge could express; and this too from a pretended loving brother, a person of an honest profession, and of as debauched a conscience; yet I say, notwithstanding such discouragements, I have spent some time for publick advantage, viz. To find out an expedient both for ease and quick dispatch, so as that the weak may do as much as the strong, and the strong, much more than before.

As thus: one man may turn fifty spinning wheels, which shall serve a hundred persons to spin with at once; so that the spinners shall have nothing to do but employ both hands to draw tire from the distaff. The demonstration of the infallibility of this invention may be easily made,

when commanded.

As also, an engine by which fifty men may, without striking a stroke, beat as much hemp in one day, as a hundred shall do in two days.

Besides the advantage of this spinning engine in case, its expedition will also be considerable; for if, as we doubt not, by this help spinners can earn nine-pence per day, as easy as six-pence per day without it, by that means, computing only a thousand spinners in each of the fiftytwo work-houses, in one year's time, will be gained the sum of one. hundred and sixty-three thousand nine-hundred and sixty-eight pounds and upwards, as by calculation appears; and the invention for hempbeating, which is the hardest work of all, will likewise, in its kind, be very considerably advantageous.

Object. 2. But some will be ready to object, and tell us, That we talk of brave things, if words would do the work; but where is the

money for the building of such great hospitals? and providing all tools and materials will cost many thousand pounds.

I confess here is the knot, which seems knit by magick art; but, if it can be untied, without cutting or breaking the thread, then I hope Pour proposals will not be rejected.

C Answ. To this therefore I humbly answer, That it may be done by a county charge, with as much satisfaction, pleasure, and advantage, as to part with five pounds, to prevent paying fifty shillings per annum; which I think no wise people will judge to be an hard bargain; especially, if they consider the other vast profit to the nation, and that thereby they purchase, in the country, fifty shillings per annum more, by improvement of their lands for hemp or flax.-As thus:

Suppose every parish, one with another, throughout the nation, re lieves as many poor people, beggars, &c. as doth amount to twelve. pence in the pound; so that every hundred pound per annum pays five pounds per annum to the poor: now if every hundred pound per annum pay five pounds towards building such hospital, then whereas more than half their poor consists of children, women, and decre pit weak persons, unfit for any other employment, but such as may fitly be removed to this hospital; it follows, more than half their charge will for the future be abated; yea, many parishes have scarce any poor to provide for.

Wherefore, as for raising money, we will take our measures thus. In England, there are commonly accounted nine-thousand seven-hundred and twenty-five parishes, and fifty-two counties; so that, one with another, there are a hundred and eighty-seven parishes to each county, and each parish supposed to be worth fifteen-hundred pounds per annum, some more, some less, at the rate of twelve-pence per pound, it will amount to the sum of fourteen-thousand and twenty-five pounds, in each county, which undoubtedly will compleat the house and materials.

Object. 3. But this method will not hold, because one county hath not so many parishes as another.

Answ. It matters not; let each county build proportionably to their money, as it will arise at twelve-pence per pound, we doubt not but it will be sufficient.

Object. 4. It may further be objected, as impossible, that the spinning engine should turn to account, because, as often as one spinner bas occasion to stop, all the rest must be idle; and again, since every wheel hath its motion alike, and several spinners work some faster, some slower, therefore, all considered, this project will make but a confusion.

Answ. To this I reply; any one may stop, and the rest work on, and also may vary the motion of each spinning instrument, so as the nimblest and the slowest may have their desire: nor may these instruments be contemned, since they are as cheap as the other, and so or dered, that the spinners may sit or stand when they please; which, doubtless, will be a good conveniency.

The invention of these engines is wholly mine, and, if they prove effectual, I hope I shall not be deprived of receiving some benefit thereof;

because I am so free, as, in effect, to discover it before-hand. How. ever, I submit to what the pleasure of authority shall allow and to the intent, these hospitals may never fail of encouragement, that the inven tion may be for ever secured to them, and prohibited to all others, so that the same may be improved only for their benefit, and private persons not take the advantage thereof, to the prejudice of this our pious and necessary design: I doubt not but many will say, 'Tush! This is easy; any body may invent such things as these.'-Thus the industry of one is gratified with the contempt of others: Howbeit I leave it with all humble submission to the grave wisdom aforesaid, to consider,

1. Whether these great hospitals may not become nurseries for bringing up all poor people's children to industry, and how, by a methodical government, every one may be so encouraged, that, one striving to excel the rest, in a very short time, the finest linnen may be made at home, upon far better terms, than what comes from beyond the seas; and whether there be not a probability, if the engines take, that we may come to transport linnen, upon as good terms as other nations, since flax and hemp may bere be as plentifully produced as in any other country.

2. Whether this great and profitable trade may not be managed, for the most part, by those who at present are a burden; so that those which before were industrious, may follow their former employments, and so no want of people for husbandry, &c.

Object. 5. But what shall we do for weavers ?

Answ. I propose it to consideration, whether it might not be a more christian and effectual course to suppress notorious malefactors, except only in cases of treason and murder, to condemn them hither, for life or years, where they may be serviceable to turn wheels, fit tire to the distaffs, reel yarn, swingle or hitchel hemp or flax, weave, &c. which an ordinary ingenuity may learn in a few days, rather than to send them out with a brand to commit fresh villainies, or transport them, whence they presently return: and this is the rather to be heeded, for that foreign plantations have now so little occasions for thein, that merchants refuse to take them off the sheriff's hands, without being paid for their passage; so that above eighty convicts in Newgate lately obtained a general pardon, on that very score, because they knew not what to do with them: besides, how many overstocked trades are there that complain for want of trade, These may quickly learn to weave, and never fear an employ. Object. 6. But, as to convicts brought hither, it will be objected, that they must be kept more secure, lest they escape and do mischief. Answ. They may be secured well enough, and those that turn the wheel, &c. may be separated by an iron grate from the rest :-And here, by the way, the pious wisdom of the city of London may find out a means, whereby all those impudent night-walkers, and nurses of debauchery, may be wholly removed, which at present are a destruction, both to the estates, bodies, and souls of many hundreds, and cannot be reclaimed by ordinary Bridewels, because their labour there is only a punishment, and turns not to advantage, to keep them there all their days, or at least until they marry, and keep within doors.

&c.