官术网_书友最值得收藏!

第1章

It is a melancholy object to those,who walk through this great town,or travel in the country,when they see the streets,the roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex,followed by three,four,or six children,all in rags,and importuning every passenger for an alms.These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood,are forced to employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who,as they grow up,either turn thieves for want of work,or leave their dear native country,to fight for the Pretender in Spain,or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.

I think it is agreed by all parties,that this prodigious number of children in the arms,or on the backs,or at the heels of their mothers,and frequently of their fathers,is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom,a very great additional grievance;and therefore whoever could find out a fair,cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the common-wealth,would deserve so well of the publick,as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.

But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the children of professed beggars:it is of a much greater extent,and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age,who are born of parents in effect as little able to support them,as those who demand our charity in the streets.

As to my own part,having turned my thoughts for many years,upon this important subject,and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors,I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation.It is true,a child just dropt from its dam,may be supported by her milk,for a solar year,with little other nourishment:at most not above the value of two shillings,which the mother may certainly get,or the value in scraps,by her lawful occupation of begging;and it is exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner,as,instead of being a charge upon their parents,or the parish,or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives,they shall,on the contrary,contribute to the feeding,and partly to the cloathing of many thousands.

There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme,that it will prevent those voluntary abortions,and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children,alas!too frequent among us,sacrificing the poor innocent babes,I doubt,more to avoid the expence than the shame,which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.

The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half,of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders;from which number I subtract thirty thousand couple,who are able to maintain their own children,(although I apprehend there cannot be so many,under the present distresses of the kingdom)but this being granted,there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders.I again subtract fifty thousand,for those women who miscarry,or whose children die by accident or disease within the year.There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born.The question therefore is,How this number shall be reared,and provided for?which,as I have already said,under the present situation of affairs,is utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed.For we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture;we neither build houses,(I mean in the country)nor cultivate land:they can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at six years old;except where they are of towardly parts,although I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier;during which time they can however be properly looked upon only as probationers:As I have been informed by a principal gentleman in the county of Cavan,who protested to me,that he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six,even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art.

I am assured by our merchants,that a boy or a girl before twelve years old,is no saleable commodity,and even when they come to this age,they will not yield above three pounds,or three pounds and half a crown at most,on the exchange;which cannot turn to account either to the parents or kingdom,the charge of nutriments and rags having been at least four times that value.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts,which Ihope will not be liable to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London,that a young healthy child well nursed,is,at a year old,a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food,whether stewed,roasted,baked,or boiled;and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie,or a ragoust.

I do therefore humbly offer it to publick consideration,that of the hundred and twenty thousand children,already computed,twenty thousand may be reserved for breed,whereof only one fourth part to be males;which is more than we allow to sheep,black cattle,or swine,and my reason is,that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage,a circumstance not much regarded by our savages,therefore,one male will be sufficient to serve four females.That the remaining hundred thousand may,at a year old,be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune,through the kingdom,always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month,so as to render them plump,and fat for a good table.A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends,and when the family dines alone,the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish,and seasoned with a little pepper or salt,will be very good boiled on the fourth day,especially in winter.

I have reckoned upon a medium,that a child just born will weigh 12pounds,and in a solar year,if tolerably nursed,encreaseth to 28pounds.

為你推薦
長安的荔枝(雷佳音、岳云鵬主演影視劇原著小說)
會員

同名實體書新鮮上市,馬伯庸歷史短小說“見微”系列神作!大唐天寶十四年,長安城小吏李善德突然接到一個任務:要在貴妃誕日之前,從嶺南運來新鮮荔枝。荔枝保鮮期只有三天,而嶺南距長安五千余里,山水迢迢,這是個不可能完成的任務。為了家人,李善德只得放手一搏……古裝版社畜求生記,帝國夾縫中的小人物史詩。

馬伯庸 7.2萬讀過
麻衣神算子
會員

爺爺教了我一身算命的本事,卻在我幫人算了三次命后,離開了我。從此之后,我不光給活人看命,還要給死人看,更要給……

騎馬釣魚 738萬讀過
龍族(1-3合集)(修訂版)
會員

《龍族》同名動畫正在騰訊視頻熱播,8月19日首播三集,每周五10:00更新一集。人類歷史中,總是隱藏著驚人的秘密。在多數人所不知道的地方,人類與龍族的戰爭已經進行了幾千年。路明非的十八歲,在他最衰的那一刻,一扇通往未知世界的門轟然洞開,掩蓋于歷史中的戰爭就要在他面前重開大幕。歡迎來到……龍的國度!中國幻想扛鼎之作,千萬冊暢銷奇跡,三年修訂,六萬字新篇。每個人都曾是荒原上的孩子,走出去的那個是扛起戰旗的王。

江南 36.1萬讀過
奪嫡
會員

【古風群像+輕松搞笑+高甜寵妻】【有仇必報小驕女X腹黑病嬌九皇子】《與君歡》作者古言甜寵新作!又名《山河美人謀》。磕CP的皇帝、吃瓜的朝臣、大事小事都要彈劾一下的言官……古風爆笑群像,笑到停不下來!翻開本書,看悍婦和病嬌如何聯手撬動整個天下!未婚夫又渣又壞,還打算殺人滅口。葉嬌準備先下手為強,順便找個背鍋俠。本以為這個背鍋俠是個透明病弱的“活死人”,沒想到傳言害人,他明明是一個表里不一、心機深沉的九皇子。在葉嬌借九皇子之名懲治渣男后。李·真九皇子·策:“請小姐給個封口費吧。”葉嬌心虛:“你要多少?”李策:“一百兩。”葉嬌震驚,你怎么不去搶!!!

月落 2.5萬讀過
棺香美人
會員

我出生的時候,江水上漲,沖了一口棺材進了我家。十五年后,棺材打開,里面有個她……風水,命理……寫不盡的民間傳說,訴不完的光怪陸離。

鉚釘 6.5萬讀過
主站蜘蛛池模板: 荃湾区| 涟源市| 呼伦贝尔市| 张家川| 大安市| 中宁县| 墨玉县| 五华县| 上栗县| 浦城县| 铁岭县| 扎囊县| 安吉县| 台南县| 彭山县| 沂源县| 霸州市| 富顺县| 溧阳市| 西贡区| 汝阳县| 石林| 天镇县| 福安市| 深圳市| 和平区| 资兴市| 专栏| 宜城市| 玉溪市| 苏尼特右旗| 阳信县| 北宁市| 永春县| 青川县| 红原县| 龙州县| 浑源县| 收藏| 奇台县| 邯郸市|