第1章

SECT。IToamanofcommonsensibilitynothingcanbemoredistressing，thantohearthecomplaintsofwretchedness，whichhe

hathnopowertoredress，andtobedailyconversantwithmisery，whichhecanneitherflyfrom，norrelieve。Thisatpresent

isthesituationoftheclergy，who，invirtueoftheiroffice，areobligedtovisitthehabitationsofthepoor。Heretheysee

helplessinfancyanddecrepitage，thewidowandtheorphan，somerequiringfood，andothersphysic；allinsuchnumbers，

thatnoprivatefortunecansupplytheirwants。Suchscenesaremoredistressing，when，asitsometimeshappens，the

sufferingobjectshavebeendistinguishedforindustry，honesty，andsobriety。Thelawsindeedhavemadeprovisionfortheir

relief，andthecontributionsaremorethanliberal。whicharecollectedfortheirsupport；butthen，thelawsbeinginadequate

tothepurposesforwhichtheyweredesigned，andthemoneycollectedbeinguniversallymisapplied，theprovision，which

wasoriginallymadeforindustryindistress，doeslittlemorethangiveencouragementtoidlenessandvice。Thelaws

themselvesappearbeautifulonpaper，andwillbetheadmirationofsucceedingages，when，intherevolutionofempires，

thewholefabricofourgovernmentshallbedissolved，andournation，asaseparatekingdom，shallexistnomore。These

laws，sobeautifulintheory，promotetheevilstheymeantoremedy，andaggravatethedistresstheywereintendedto

relieve。TillthereignofQ。ElizabeththeywereunknowninEngland；andtothepresentmoment，theyhaveneverbeen

adoptedbyanyotherkingdomuponearth。Ithasbeenmostunfortunateforus，thattwoofthegreatestblessingshavebeen

productiveofthegreatestevils。TheRevolutiongavebirthtothatenormousloadofdebt，underwhichthisnationgroans；andtotheReformationweareindebtedforthelawswhichmultiplythepoor。Atthedissolutionofthemonasteries，thelazyandtheindigent，whoweredeprivedoftheiraccustomedfood，became

clamorous，and，havinglongsinceforgottowork，werenotonlyreadytojoinineveryschemeforthedisturbanceofthe

state，but，asvagrants，bytheirnumbers，bytheirimpostures，andbytheirthefts，theyrenderedthemselvesapublicand

mostintolerablenuisance。Tostoptheirmouths，andtomakethememploytheirhandsinhonestlabour，wastheintention

ofthatday。Butatthesametimethelawstookundertheirprotectionsomeobjectsofdistress，whoforneartwohundred

years，fromanoblekindofpride，refusedtheprofferedaid，orreceiveditwithreluctance；andwhoatthepresentmoment

wouldbemoreeffectuallyrelieved，ifnootherlawsexistedbutthefirstgreatlawsofhumannature，filialaffection，andthe

generalbenevolenceofmankind。Theworld，itmustbeconfessed，iswickedenough:Yetamidstalltheirwickednessmen

seldomwantcompassion，unlessthecircumstancesinwhichtheyfindthemselvesarepeculiarlydistressing。Shouldwe\"in

thestraitnessofasiegebeholdmeneatingthefleshoftheirsonsandoftheirdaughters；shouldweseeamongthemaman

tenderanddelicate，whoseeyeshouldbeeviltowardshisbrotherandtowardsthewifeofhisbosom，andtowardsthe

remnantofhischildren，sothatheshouldnotgivetoanyofthemofthefleshofhischildrenwhomheshouldeat；\"（1）we

mustnotfromsuchinstancesconcludethatallmen，orevenmostmen，aredestituteofmercyandcompassion，orthatman

ingeneralcanbekindandbeneficentonlybycompulsion。Nodoubtineverydistrictwillbefoundsome，whoarestrangers

tothefinerfeelingsofthehumanheart；butatthesametimeineverydistrictwillbefoundsome，whoareenduedwith

generosityofsoul；andothers，whoundertheinfluenceofpietywillrejoicetorelievethewantsanddistressesoftheir

fellowcreatures。Ineveryplacesomewillbedistinguishedforbenevolence，othersforbrutality；butingeneralmaniswhat

hissituationmakeshim。Ishehappyhimselfintheenjoymentofeaseandaffluence？Insuchcircumstances\"hewillbeeyes

totheblindandfeettothelame；hewillbeafathertothepoor；theblessingofthosethatarereadytoperishwillcome

uponthisman:hewillcausethewidow\'shearttoleapforjoy*。\"（2）Letthesamemanbestraitenedinhiscircumstances，let

himbeburthenedwithtaxes，lethimbeharassedbytheclamoursanddistractedbytheincessantdemandsofthemost

improvidentandlazyofthesurroundingpoor；andhewillhavelittleinclinationtoseekforobjectsofdistress，ortovisit

thesequesteredcottageofthesilentsufferer。Itisgenerallyfound，thatmodestworthstandsatadistance，ordrawsnigh

withfalteringtongueandbrokenaccentstotellanartlesstale；whilstthemostworthlessarethemostunreasonableintheir

expectations，andthemostimportunateintheirsolicitationforrelief。Ifthelatter，fromanyimperfectionofourlaws，get

abundantlytoomuch，theformermustofnecessityobtaintoolittle。If，agreeabletothegeneralpracticeofthelabouring

poor，aman，previoustohismarriage，orwhilsthisfamilyissmall，hasmadenoprovisionforhisfuturewants；ifall，to

whomhemightnaturallylookforaid，areinthesamecircumstanceswithhimself；andifthecharityofthoseamonghis

neighbours，whoaredistinguishedforbenevolence，nayofallwhohavethecommonfeelingsofhumanity，isexhausted；if

theywhoaremostwillingareleastabletorelievehim；wemustexpecttoseedistressandpovertyevenamongthosewho

areworthyofcompassion。——ThisatpresentisthecaseinEngland。Thereneverwasgreaterdistressamongthepoor:there

neverwasmoremoneycollectedfortheirrelief。Butwhatismostperplexingis，thatpovertyandwretchednesshave

increasedinexactproportiontotheeffortswhichhavebeenmadeforthecomfortablesubsistenceofthepoor；andthat

wherevermostisexpendedfortheirsupport，thereobjectsofdistressaremostabundant；whilstinthosecountriesor

provincialdistrictswheretheleastprovisionhasbeenmadefortheirsupply，wehearthefewestgroans。Amongtheformerweseedrunkennessandidlenesscloathedinrags；amongthelatterwehearthechearfulsongsofindustryandvirtue。Iflawsalonecouldmakeanationhappy，ourswouldbethehappiestnationuponearth:idlenessandvicecouldnotexist；

povertywouldbeunknown；weshouldbelikeaprosperoushiveofbees；allwouldhaveenoughandnonetoomuch。The

reverseofthiswefindtobethecase:povertyandviceprevail，andthemostvicioushaveaccesstothecommonstock。Ifa

manhassquanderedtheinheritanceofhisfathers；ifbyhisimprovidence，byhisprodigality，byhisdrunkennessandvices，

hehasdissipatedallhissubstance；ifbyhisdebaucherieshehasruinedhisconstitution，andreducedhimselftosucha

deplorableconditionthathehathneitherinclinationnorabilitytowork；yetmusthebemaintainedbythesweatandlabour

ofthesoberandoftheindustriousfarmer，andeatthebreadwhichshouldbegivenonlytovirtueindistress。——Ifinall

cases，thisbread，soillbestowed，weresuperabundant；iftheindustriousfirmerwerehimselfineaseandaffluence；the

grievancewouldyetbetolerable。Butinthisdayitoftenhappensthattheindustriousfirmerisoprestwithpoverty。Herises

early，anditislatebeforehecanretiretohisrest；heworkshardandfareshard；yetwithallhislabourandhiscarehecan

scarceprovidesubsistenceforhisnumerousfamily。Hewouldfeedthembetter，buttheprodigalmustfirstbefed。He

wouldpurchasewarmercloathingforthem，butthechildrenoftheprostitutemustfirstbecloathed。Thelittlewhich

remainsaftertheprofligatehavebeencloathedandfed，isallthathecangivetothose，whoinnaturehavethefirstclaims

uponafather。Ifthisevilcouldbestemmed，whilstthepresentlawssubsist，hemightyethavehope:butwhenheconsiders，

thatalltheefforts，whichhavebeenmadeinhisownparishorinothers，havebeenvain，andthattheevilisconstantly

increasing，heisdriventodespairofhelp，andfearsthatheshallbehimselfreducedtoworkfordailyhire。