essays-1-第8章

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O　ALMS　WILL　BE　RECEIVED　HERE。〃

Upon　coming　into　the　court　you　see　inscriptions　over　all　the　doors　upon　the　ground　floor；　leading　to　the　different　parts　of　the　building。　　These　inscriptions；　which　are　all　in　letters　of　gold　upon　a　black　ground；　denote　the　particular　uses　to　which　the　different　apartments　are　destined。

This　building　having　been　got　ready；　and　a　sufficient　number　of　spinning…wheels；　looms；　and　other　utensils　made　use　of　in　the　most　common　manufactures　being　provided；　together　with　a　sufficient　stock　of　raw　materials；　I　proceeded　to　carry　my　plan　into　execution　in　the　manner　which　will　be　related　in　the　following　Chapter。


CHAPTER。　IV。

　An　account　of　the　taking　up　of　the　beggars　at　Munich。　　The　inhabitants　are　called　upon　for　their　assistance。　　General　subscription　for　the　relief　and　support　of　the　poor。　　All　other　public　and　private　collections　for　the　poor　abolished。

New…Year's…Day　having；　from　time　immemorial；　been　considered　in　Bavaria　as　a　day　peculiarly　set　apart　for　giving　alms；　and　the　beggars　never　failing　to　be　all　out　upon　that　occasion；　I　chose　that　moment　as　being　the　most　favourable　for　beginning　my　operations。　　Early　in　the　morning　of　the　first　of　January　1790；　the　officers　and　non…commissioned　officers　of　the　three　regiments　of　infantry　in　garrison；　were　stationed　in　the　different　streets；　where　they　were　directed　to　wait　for　further　orders。

Having；　in　the　mean　time；　assembled；　at　my　lodgings；　the　field…officers；　and　all　the　chief　magistrates　of　the　town；　I　made　them　acquainted　with　my　intention　to　proceed　that　very　morning　to　the　execution　of　a　plan　I　had　formed　for　taking　up　the　beggars；　and　providing　for　the　poor；　and　asked　their　immediate　assistance。

To　show　the　public　that　it　was　not　my　wish　to　carry　this　measure　into　execution　by　military　force　alone；　（which　might　have　rendered　the　measure　odious；）　but　that　I　was　disposed　to　show　all　becoming　deference　to　the　civil　authority；　I　begged　the　magistrates　to　accompany　me；　and　the　field…officers　of　the　garrison；　in　the　execution　of　the　first　and　most　difficult　part　of　the　undertaking；　that　of　arresting　the　beggars。　　This　they　most　readily　consented　to；　and　we　immediately　sallied　out　into　the　street；　myself　accompanied　by　the　chief　magistrate　of　the　town；　and　each　of　the　field…officers　by　an　inferior　magistrate。

We　were　hardly　got　into　the　street　when　we　were　accosted　by　a　beggar；　who　asked　us　for　alms。　I　went　up　to　him；　and　laying　my　hand　gently　upon　his　shoulder；　told　him；　that　from　thenceforwards　begging　would　not　be　permitted　in　Munich；that　if　he　really　stood　in　need　of　assistance；　（which　would　immediately　be　enquired　into；）　the　necessary　assistance　should　certainly　be　given　him；　but　that　begging　was　forbidden；　and　if　he　was　detected　in　it　again　he　would　be　severely　punished。　　I　then　delivered　him　over　to　an　orderly　serjeant　who　was　following　me；　with　directions　to　conduct　him　to　the　Town…hall；　and　deliver　him　into　the　hands　of　those　he　should　find　there　to　receive　him；　and　then　turning　to　the　officers　and　magistrates　who　accompanied　me；　I　begged　they　would　take　notice；　that　I　had　myself；　WITH　MY　OWN　HANDS；　arrested　the　first　beggar　we　had　met；　and　I　requested　them　not　only　to　follow　my　example　themselves；　by　arresting　all　the　beggars　they　should　meet　with；　but　that　they　would　also　endeavour　to　persuade　others；　and　particularly　the　officers；　non…commissioned　officers；　and　soldiers　of　the　garrison；　that　it　was　by　no　means　derogatory　to　their　character　as　soldiers；　or　in　anywise　disgraceful　to　them；　to　assist　in　so　USEFUL　and　LAUDABLE　an　undertaking。　These　gentlemen　having　cheerfully　and　unanimously　promised　to　do　their　utmost　to　second　me　in　this　business；　dispersed　into　the　different　parts　of　the　town；　and　with　the　assistance　of　the　military；　which　they　found　every　where　waiting　for　orders；　the　town　was　so　thoroughly　cleared　of　beggars　IN　LESS　THAN　AN　HOUR；　that　not　one　was　to　be　found　in　the　streets。

Those　who　were　arrested　were　conducted　to　the　Town…hall；　where　their　names　were　inscribed　in　printed　lists　provided　for　that　purpose；　and　they　were　then　dismissed　to　their　own　lodgings；　with　directions　to　repair　the　next　day　to　the　newly　erected　〃Military　Work…house〃　in　the　Au；　where　they　would　find　comfortable　warm　rooms；a　good　warm　dinner　every　day；　and　work　for　all　those　who　were　in　a　condition　to　labour。　　They　were　likewise　told　that　a　commission　should　immediately　be　appointed　to　enquire　into　their　circumstances；　and　to　grant　them　such　regular　weekly　allowances　of　money；　in　alms；　as　they　should　stand　in　need　of；　which　was　accordingly　done。

Orders　were　then　issued　to　all　the　military　guards　in　the　different　parts　of　the　town；　to　send　out　patroles　frequently　into　the　streets　in　their　neighbourhood；　to　arrest　all　the　beggars　they　should　meet　with；　and　a　reward　was　offered　for　each　beggar　they　should　arrest　and　deliver　over　to　the　civil　magistrate。　The　guard　of　the　police　was　likewise　directed　to　be　vigilant；　and　the　inhabitants　at　large；　of　all　ranks　and　denominations；　were　earnestly　called　upon　to　assist　in　completing　a　work　of　so　much　public　utility；　and　which　had　been　so　happily　begun＇8＇。　In　an　address　to　the　public；　which　was　printed　and　distributed　gratis　among　the　inhabitants；　the　fatal　consequences　arising　from　the　prevalence　of　mendicity　were　described　in　the　most　lively　and　affecting　colours；and　the　manner　pointed　out　in　which　they　could　most　effectually　assist　in　putting　an　end　to　an　evil　equally　disgraceful　and　prejudicial　to　society。

As　this　address；　（which　was　written　with　great　sprit；　by　a　man　well　known　in　the　literary　world；　Professor　Babo；）　gives　a　very　striking　and　a　very　just　picture　of　the　character；　manners；　and　customs；　of　the　hords　of　idle　and　dissolute　vagabonds　which　infested　Munich　at　the　time　the　measure　in　question　was　adopted；　and　of　the　various　artifices　they　made　use　of　in　carrying　on　their　depredations；　I　have　thought　it　might　not　be　improper　to　annex　it；　at　full　length；　in　the　Appendix；　No。　I。

This　address；　which　was　presented　to　all　the　heads　of　families　in　the　city；　and　to　many　by　myself；　having　gone　round　to　the　doors　of　most　of　the　principal　citizens　for　that　purpose；　was　accompanied　by　printed　lists；　in　which　the　inhabitants　were　requested　to　set　down　their　names；places　of　abode；and　the　sums　they　chose　to　contribute　monthly；　for　the　support　of　the　establishment。　These　lists；　（translations　of　which　are　also　inserted　in　the　Appendix；　No。　II。）　were　delivered　to　the　heads　of　families；　with　duplicates；　to　the　end　that　one　copy　being　sent　in　to　the　committee；　the　other　might　remain　with　the　master　of　the　family。

These　subscriptions　being　PERFECTLY　VOLUNTARY；　might　be　augmented　or　diminished　at　pleasure。　When　any　person　chose　to　alter　his　subscription；　he　sent　to　the　public　office　for　two　blank　subscription　lists；　and　filling　them　up　anew；　with　such　alterations　as　he　thought　proper　to　make；　he　took　up　his　old　list　at　the　office；　and　deposited　the　new　one　in　its　stead。

The　subscription　lists　being　all　collected；　they　were　sorted；　and　regularly　entered　according　to　the　numbers　of　the　houses　of　the　subscribers；　in　sixteen　general　lists＇9＇；　answering　to　the　sixteen　subdivisions　or　districts　of　the　city；　and　a　copy　of　the　general　list　of　each　district　was　given　to　the　commissary　of　the　district。

These　copies；　which　were　properly　authenticated；　served　for　the　direction　of　the　commissary　in　collecting　the　subscriptions　in　his　district；　which　was　done　regularly　the　last　Sunday　morning　of　every　month。

The　amount　of　the　collection　was　immediately　delivered　by　the　commissary　into　the　hands　of　the　banker　of　the　institution；　for　which　he　received　two　receipts　from　the　banker；　one　of　which　he　transmitted　to　the　committee；　with　his　report　of　the　collection；　which　he　was　directed　to　send　in　as　soon　as　the　collection　was　made。

As　there　were　some　persons　who；　from　modesty；　or　other　motives；　did　not　choose　to　have　it　known　publicly　how　much　they　gave　in　alms　to　the　poor；　and　on　that　account　were　not　willing　to　have　put　down　to　their　names　upon　the　list　of　the　subscribers；　the　whole　sum　they　were　desirous　of　appropriating　to　that　purpose；　to　accommodate　matters　to　the　peculiar　delicacy　of　the