essays-1-第7章

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t　was　not　thought　prudent　to　dispossess　them　without　giving　them　an　equivalent。　　And　in　order　that　this　equivalent　might　not　appear　to　be　taken　from　the　sums　subscribed　by　the　inhabitants　for　the　support　of　the　poor；　it　was　paid　out　of　the　monthly　allowance　which　the　institution　received　from　the　chamber　of　finances；　or　public　treasury　of　the　state。

Besides　these　periodical　collections；　there　were　others；　still　more　troublesome　to　the　inhabitants；　from　which　it　was　necessary　to　free　them；　and　some　of　these　last　were　even　sanctioned　by　legal　authority。　　It　is　the　custom　in　Germany　for　apprentices　in　most　of　the　mechanical　trades；　as　soon　as　they　have　finished　their　apprenticeships　with　their　masters；　to　travel；　during　three　or　four　years；　in　the　neighbouring　countries　and　provinces；　to　perfect　themselves　in　their　professions　by　working　as　journeymen　wherever　they　can　find　employment。　　When　one　of　those　itinerant　journeymen…tradesmen　comes　into　a　town；　and　cannot　find　employment　in　it；　he　is　considered　AS　HAVING　A　RIGHT　to　beg　the　assistance　of　the　inhabitants；　and　particularly　of　those　of　the　trade　he　professes；　to　enable　him　to　go　to　the　next　town；　and　this　assistance　it　was　not　thought　just　to　refuse。　　This　custom　was　not　only　very　troublesome　to　the　inhabitants；　but　gave　rife　to　innumerable　abuses。　Great　numbers　of　idle　vagabonds　were　continually　strolling　about　the　country　under　the　name　of　travelling　journeymen…tradesmen；　and　though　any　person；　who　presented　himself　as　such　in　any　strange　place　was　obliged　to　produce　（for　his　legitimation）　a　certificate　from　his　last　master；　in　whose　service　he　had　been　employed；　yet　such　certificates　were　so　easily　counterfeited；　or　obtained　by　fraud；　that　little　reliance　could　be　placed　in　them。

To　remedy　all　these　evils；　the　following　arrangement　was　made：　those　travelling　journeymen…tradesmen　who　arrive　at　Munich；　and　do　not　find　employment；　are　obliged　to　quit　the　town　immediately；　or　to　repair　to　the　military　work…house；　where　they　are　either　furnished　with　work；　or　a　small　sum　is　given　them　to　enable　them　to　pursue　their　journey　farther。

Another　arrangement　by　which　the　inhabitants　have　been　relieved　from　much　importunity；　and　by　which　a　stop　has　been　put　to　many　abuses；　is　the　new　regulation　respecting　those　who　suffer　by　fire；　such　sufferers　commonly　obtain　from　government　special　permission　to　make　collections　of　charitable　donations　among　the　inhabitants　in　certain　districts；　during　a　limited　time。　　Instead　of　the　permission　to　make　collections　in　the　city　of　Munich；　the　sufferers　now　receive　certain　sums　from　the　funds　of　the　institution　for　the　poor。　By　this　arrangement；　not　only　the　inhabitants　are　relieved　from　the　importunity　which　always　attends　public　collections　of　alms；　but　the　sufferers　save　a　great　deal　of　time；　which　they　formerly　spent　in　going　about　from　house　to　house；　and　the　sale　of　these　permissions　to　undertakers；　and　many　other　abuses；　but　too　frequent　before　this　arrangement　took　place；　are　now　prevented。

The　detailed　account　published　in　the　Appendix；　No。　III。　of　the　receipts　and　expenditures　of　the　institution　during　five　years；　will　show　the　amount　of　the　expense　incurred　in　relieving　the　inhabitants　from　the　various　periodical　and　other　collections　before　mentioned。

But　not　to　lose　sight　too　long　of　the　most　interesting　object　of　this　establishment；　we　must　follow　the　people　who　were　arrested　in　the　streets；　to　the　asylum　which　was　prepared　for　them；　but　which　no　doubt　appeared　to　them　at　first　a　most　odious　prison。


CHAPTER。　V。

　The　different　kinds　of　employment　given　to　the　beggars　upon　their　　　　being　assembled　in　the　house　of　industry。　　Their　great　awkwardness　at　first。　　Their　docility；　and　their　progress　in　useful　industry。　　The　manner　in　which　they　were　treated。　　The　manner　in　which　they　were　fed。　　The　Precautions　used　to　prevent　Abuses　in　the　Public　Kitchen　from　　　　which　they　were　fed。

As　by　far　the　greater　part　of　these　poor　creatures　were　totally　unacquainted　with　every　kind　of　useful　labour；　it　was　necessary　to　give　them　such　work；　at　first；　as　was　very　easy　to　be　performed；　and　in　which　the　raw　materials　were　of　little　value；　and　then；　by　degrees；　as　they　became　more　adroit；　to　employ　them　in　manufacturing　more　valuable　articles。

As　hemp　is　a　very　cheap　commodity；　and　as　the　spinning　of　hemp　is　easily　learned；　particularly　when　it　is　designed　for　very　coarse　and　ordinary　manufactures；　15；000　pounds　of　that　article　were　purchased　in　the　palatinate；　and　transported　to　Munich；　and　several　hundred　spinning　wheels；　proper　for　spinning　it；　were　provided；　and　several　good　spinners；　as　instructors；　were　engaged；　and　in　readiness；　when　this　house　of　industry　was　opened　for　the　reception　of　the　poor。

Flax　and　wool　were　likewise　provided；　and　some　few　good　spinners　of　those　articles　were　engaged　as　instructors；　but　by　far　the　greater　number　of　the　poor　began　with　spinning　of　hemp；　and　so　great　was　their　awkwardness　at　first；　that　they　absolutely　ruined　almost　all　the　raw　materials　that　were　put　into　their　hands。　By　an　exact　calculation　of　profit　and　loss；　it　was　found　that　the　manufactory　actually　lost　more　than　3000　florins　upon　the　articles　of　hemp　and　flax；　during　the　first　three　months；　but　we　were　not　discouraged　by　these　unfavourable　beginnings；　they　were　indeed　easy　to　be　foreseen；　considering　the　sort　of　people　we　had　to　deal　with；　and　how　necessary　it　was　to　pay　them　at　a　very　high　rate　for　the　little　work　they　were　able　to　perform；　in　order　to　persevere　with　cheerfulness　in　acquiring　more　skill　and　address　in　their　labour。　If　the　establishment　was　supported　at　some　little　expence　in　the　beginning；　it　afterwards　richly　repaid　these　advances；　as　will　be　seen　in　the　sequel　of　this　account。

As　the　clothing　of　the　army　was　the　market　upon　which　I　principally　depended；　in　disposing　of　the　manufactures　which　should　be　made　in　the　house；　the　woollen　manufactory　was　an　object　most　necessary　to　be　attended　to；　and　from　which　I　expected　to　derive　most　advantage　to　the　establishment；　but　still　it　was　necessary　to　begin　with　the　manufacture　of　hemp　and　flax；　not　only　because　those　articles　are　less　valuable　than　wool；　and　the　loss　arising　from　their　being　spoiled　by　the　awkwardness　of　beginners　is　of　less　consequence；　but　also　for　another　reason；　which　appears　to　me　to　be　of　so　much　more　importance　as　to　require　a　particular　explanation。

It　was　hinted　above　that　it　was　found　necessary；　in　order　to　encourage　beginners　in　these　industrious　pursuits；　to　pay　them　at　a　very　high　rate　for　the　little　work　they　were　able　to　perform；　but　every　body　knows　that　no　manufacture　can　possibly　subsist　long；　where　exorbitant　prices　are　paid　for　labour；　and　it　is　easy　to　conceive　what　discontent　and　disgust　would　be　occasioned　among　the　workmen　upon　lowering　the　prices　which　had　for　a　length　of　time　been　given　for　labour；　By　employing　the　poor　people　in　question　at　first　in　the　manufactures　of　hemp　and　flax；　manufactures　which　were　not　intended　to　be　carried　on　to　any　extent；　it　was　easy　afterwards；　when　they　had　acquired　a　certain　degree　of　address　in　their　work；　to　take　them　from　these　manufactures；　and　put　them　to　spinning　of　wool；　worsted；　or　cotton；　care　having　been　taken　to　fix　the　price　of　labour　in　these　last…mentioned　manufactures　at　a　reasonable　rate。

The　dropping　the　manufacture　of　any　particular　article　altogether；　or　pursuing　it　less　extensively；　could　produce　no　bad　effect　upon　the　general　establishment；　but　the　lowering　of　the　price　of　labour；　in　any　instance；　could　not　fail　to　produce　many。

It　is　necessary；　in　an　undertaking　like　this；　cautiously　to　avoid　every　thing　that　could　produce　discouragement　and　discontent　among　those　upon　whose　industry　alone　success　must　depend。

It　is　easy　to　conceive　that　so　great　a　number　of　unfortunate　beings；　of　all　ages　and　sexes；　taken　as　it　were　out　of　their　very　element；　and　placed　in　a　situation　so　perfectly　new　to　them；　could　not　fail　to　be　productive　of　very　interesting　situations。　Would　to　God　I　were　able　to　do　justice　to　this　subject！　but　no　language　can　describe　the　affecting　scenes　to　which　I　was　a　witness　upon　this　occasion。

The　exquisite　delight　which　a　sensible　mind　must　feel；　upon　seeing　many　hundreds　of　wretched　being　awaking　from　a　state　of　misery　and　inactivity；　as　from　a　dream；　and　applying　themselves　with　cheerfulness　to　the　employments　of　useful　industry；upon　seeing　the　first　dawn　of　placid　content　break　upon　a　countenance　covered　with　habitual　gloom；　and　furrowed　and　distorted　by　misery；　this　is　easier　to　be　conceived　than　described。

During　the　first　three　or　four　days　that　these　poor　people　were　assembled；　it　was　not　possible　entirely　to　prevent　confusion：　there　was　nothing　like　mutinous　resistance　among　them；　but　their　situation　was　so　new　to　them；　and　they　were　so　very　awkward　in　it；　that　it　was　difficult　to　bring　them　into　any　tolerable　order。　At　length；　however；　by　distributing　them　in　the　different　halls；　and　assigning　to　each　his　particular　place；　（the　places　being　all　distinguished　by　numbers；）　they　were　brought　into　such　order　as　to　enable　the　inspectors；　and　instructors；　to　begin　their　operations。

Those　who　understood　any　kind　of　work；　were　placed　in　the　apartments　where　the　work　they　understood　was　carried　on；　and　the　others；　being　classed　according　to　their　sexes；　and　as　much　as　possible　according　to　their　ages；　were　placed　under　the　immediate　care　of　the　different　instructors。　By　much　the　larger　number　were　put　to　spinning　of　hemp；others；　and　particularly　the　young　children　from　four　to　seven　years　of　age；　were　taught　to　knit；　and　to　sew；　and　the　most　awkward　among　the　men；　and　particularly　the　old；　the　lame；　and　the　infirm；　were　put　to　the　carding　of　wool。　Old　women；　whose　sight　was　too　weak　to　spin；　or　whose　hands　trembled　with　palsy；　were　made　to　spool　yarn　for　the　weavers；　and　young　children；　who　were　too　weak　to　labour；　were　placed　upon　seats　erected　for　that　purpose　round　the　rooms　where　other　children　worked。

As　it　was　winter；　fires　were　kept　in　every　part　of　the　building；　from　morning　till　night；　and　all　the　rooms　were　lighted　up　till　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Every　room　and　every　stair…case　was　neatly　swept　and　cleaned　twice　a　day；　one　early　in　the　morning；　before　the　people　were　assembled；　and　once　while　they　were　at　dinner。Care　was　taken；　by　placing　ventilators；　and　occasionally　opening　the　windows；　to　keep　the　air　of　the　rooms　perfectly　sweet；　and　free　from　all　disagreeable　smells；　and　the　rooms　themselves　were　not　only　neatly　white…washed　and　fitted　up；　and　arranged　in　every　respect　with　elegance；　but　care　was　taken　to　clean　the　windows　very　often；to　clean　the　courtyard　every　day；　and　even　to　clear　away　the　rubbish　from　the　street　in　front　of　the　building；　to　a　considerable　distance　on　every　side。

Those　who　frequented　this　establishment　were　expected　to　arrive　at　the　fixed　hour　in　the　morning；　which　hour　varied　according　to　the　season　of　the　year；　if　they　came　too　late；　they　were　gently　reprimanded；　and　if　they　persisted　in　being　tardy；　without　being　able　to　give　a　sufficient　excuse　for　not　coming　sooner；　they　were　punished　by　being　deprived　of　their　dinner；　which　otherwise　they　received　every　day　gratis。

At　the　hour　of　dinner；　a　larg