of Virtue and Religion than Charity-Schools ever did or ever will produce, and thofe who complain, when they have fuch Opportunities, that they cannot imbue their Parishioners with fufficient Knowledge of what they stand in need of as Chriftians, without the affiftance of Reading and Writing, are either very Lazy or very Ignorant and Undeferving themselves.

That the most Knowing are not the most Religious, will be evident if we make a Tryal between People of different Abilities even in this Juncture, where going to Church is not made fuch an Obligation on the Poor and Illiterate, as it might be. Let us pitch upon a hundred Poor Men, the first we can light on, that are above forty, and were brought up to hard Labour from their Infancy, fuch as never went to School at all, and always lived remote from Knowledge and great Towns: Let us compare to these an equal number of very good Scholars, that shall all have had University Education; and be, if you will, half of them Divines, well versed in Philology and Polemick Learning; then let us impartially examine into the Lives and Conversations of both, and I dare engage that among the first who can neither Read nor Write, we shall meet with more Union and Neighbourly Love, lefs Wickedness and Attachment to the World, more Content of Mind, more Innocence, Sincerity, and other good Qualities that conduce to the Publick Peace and real Felicity, than we shall find among the latter, where on the contrary,

we may be affured of the height of Pride and Infolence, eternal Quarrels and Diffentions, Irreconcilable Hatreds, Strife, Envy, Calumny and other Vices deftructive to mutual Concord, which the illiterate labouring Poor are hardly ever tainted with to any confiderable Degree.

I am very well perfuaded, that what I have faid in the laft Paragraph will be no News to most of my Readers; but if it be Truth, why fhould it be ftifled, and why muft our concern for Religion be eternally made a Cloak to hide our real Drifts and worldly Intentions? Would both Parties agree to pull off the Masque, we fhould foon discover that whatever they pretend to, they aim at nothing fo much in Charity-Schools as to ftrengthen their Party, and that the great Sticklers for the Church, by Educating Children in the Principles of Religion, mean, infpiring them with a Superlative Veneration for the Clergy of the Church of England, and a strong Averfion and immortal Animofity against all that diffent from it. To be affured of this, we are but to mind on the one hand, what Divines are most admired for their Charity Sermons and moft fond to Preach them; and on the other, whether of late Years we have had any Riots or Party Scuffles among the Mob, in which the Youth of a famous Hofpital in this City were not always the most forward Ring-leaders.

The Grand Afferters of Liberty, who are ever guarding themselves and Skirmishing against

Arbitrary Power, often when they are in no danger of it, are, generally fpeaking, not very fuperftitious, nor feem to lay great stress on any Modern Apostleship: Yet fome of thefe likewife fpeak up loudly for Charity-Schools, but what they expect from 'em has no relation to Religion or Morality: They only look upon them as the proper means to deftroy and disappoint the power of the Priefts over the Laity. Reading and Writing increase Knowledge, and the more Men know, the better they can Judge for themfelves, and they imagine that, if Knowledge' could be rendred Univerfal, People could not be Priest-rid, which is the thing they fear the most.

The First, I confefs, it is very probable will get their Aim. But fure Wife Men that are not Red-hot for a Party, or Bigots to the Priefts, will not think it worth while to fuffer fo many Inconveniencies, as Charity-Schools may be the Occafion of, only to promote the Ambition and Power of the Clergy. To the other I would anfwer, that if all those who are Educated at the Charge of their Parents or Relations, will but think for themselves and refuse to have their Reason imposed upon by the Priests, we need not be concerned for what the Clergy will work upon the Ignorant that have no Education at all. Let them make the most of them: confidering the Schools we have for those who can and do pay for Learning, it is ridiculous to imagine that the abolishing of Charity-Schools would be a step towards A a 2 any

any Ignorance that could be prejudicial to the Nation.

I would not be thought Cruel, and am well affured if I know any thing of myself, that I abhor Inhumanity; but to be Compaffionate to excess where Reafon forbids it, and the general Interest of the Society requires steadiness of Thought and Refolution, is an unpardonable. Weakness. I know it will be ever urged against me, that it is Barbarous the Children of the Poor fhould have no Opportunity of exerting themselves, as long as God has not debarr'd them from Natural Parts and Genius more than the Rich. But I cannot think this is harder, than it is that they should not have Money as long as they have the fame Inclinations to spend as others. That great and useful Men have fprung from Hofpitals, I don't deny, but it is likewife very probable, that when they were first employ'd, many as capable as them-felves not brought up in Hofpitals were neglected, that with the fame good Fortune would have done as well as they, if they had been made use of instead of them.

There are many Examples of Women that have excelled in Learning, and even in War, but this is no reason we should bring 'em all up to Latin and Greek or elfe Military Discipline, inftead of Needle-work and Housewifry. But there is no scarcity of Sprightliness or Natural Parts among us, and no Soil or Climate has Human Creatures to boaft of better formed

either infide or outfide than this Ifland generally produces. But it is not Wit, Genius or Docility we want, but Diligence, Application, and Affiduity.}

Abundance of hard and dirty Labour is to be done, and coarse Living is to be complied with: Where shall we find a better Nursery for thefe Neceffities than the Children of the Poor? none certainly are nearer to it or fitter for it. Befides that the things I called Hardships, neither feem nor are fuch to thofe who have been brought up to 'em, and know no better. There is not a more contented People among us, than those who work the hardest and are the least acquainted with the Pomp and Delicacies of the World.

Thefe are Truths that are undeniable; yet I know few People will be pleased to have them divulged; what makes them odious is an unreasonable Vein of Petty Reverence for the Poor, that runs through moft Multitudes, and more particularly in this Nation, and arifes from a mixture of Pity, Folly and Superftition. It is from a lively Sense of this Compound that Men cannot endure to hear or fee any thing faid or acted against the Poor; without confidering, how Juft the one, or Infolent the other. So a Beggar muft not be beat tho' he strikes you firft. Journeymen Taylors go to Law with their Masters and are obftinate in a wrong Cause, yet they must be pitied; and Murmuring Weavers must be relieved, and have fifty filly things

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done