greatest in this city: where yet the number of those, who want such a provision, is and must be the largest.

However, till further employment can be had for them, they are much better employed at school, than they would be else. How are other poor children, whether maintained by their parents or the public rates, spending their time? Visibly, the most part of them, neither in doing nor learning any one thing that is good; but as much of the contrary, as ever they will and can: whilst these are kept, all of them in a considerable degree, and such as are lodged at their schools, entirely, from bad company and bad habits; from which their parents have not leisure to keep them, if they had always inclination: they are accustomed to application and confinement, to orderliness and obedience; which will greatly prepare them for keeping close to work hereafter: they are bred up in the precepts of honest industry: they have it upon their minds from the first, that they are to get their living that way, and no other; and they are at last all put out to it.

Surely these considerations must have the effect, on all thinking persons, of restraining their censures, though by no means their wishes. For it is both to be wished most ardently, and endeavoured most heartily, that every obstacle to so excellent an improvement, as that of introducing work, may as soon as possible be every where overcome. This is not a thing, which you, who are the managers of these charities, are driven into; and excusing yourselves from it, as long as you can. You very well know, how important a duty industry is. You neither have, nor can have, any inducement to discourage it in this case; but all the reason in the world to the

contrary and such, as absurdly clamour against you, would give a much better and very welcome proof of their zeal, if they would assist you, and share the difficulties of the attempt with you. But, without waiting for what is so little to be expected, there are some schools, where the children do work: why may not their methods and regulations be inquired into, and imitated by others? All the new erected schools in Ireland join labour with instruction: probably something might be learnt from them. Persons of experience in various kinds of business in this great city, could surely, some of them, suggest what at least would deserve trial. For the girls especially one should think employment might be found; and for most of them, I believe, is: complete employment, where they live together; and where they do not, a good deal; in making, for instance, their own and others' coarse cloaths. For as to fine work of any sort, it would be raising them above the rank, for which they are intended; and might therefore be a worse and more lasting mischief, than setting them to none. What either sex can do, perhaps, will seldom turn to much profit: but merely doing any thing that tends to usefulness, will be so great an advantage to them of itself, that some danger, nay some certainty of loss by it at first, may very well be borne for the sake of it. Or to prevent this, if any person would hire, or even accept of their service, for one part of the day or week; the remainder of it might be very sufficient for their other instruction. Or whenever their parents could keep them well employed, provided assurance was given that they did so, that might be allowed: especially in the country; where, according to the different seasons of the year, there are very busy and

very leisure times: and their friends will be much the readier to send them to the latter, for being sure of their assistance at the former. Their learning, it must be acknowledged, will go on the more slowly for it, and their teachers will have more trouble with them but, sooner or later, they will be taught as much as they need. And accordingly I see with great pleasure, that the printed rules of the trustees have expressly provided, indeed for every thing right and proper in the management of their trust, that can well be thought of, but particularly for leave to be given in this case. And were there exact accounts procured from every part of the nation, what rules are observed in the several schools, with the reasons of them I am persuaded it would be a means of vindicating them in most things, as well as directing them better in some. I shall only add further under this head, that where labour is not made part of their business, it will be advisable, to take the children young and to keep them no longer, than till they have acquired some competent degree of knowledge and good principles. For so they will have all that they can have: work as soon as possible, and other instruction in the meanwhile.

3. The manner of disposing of them, when they come to be dismissed, is the next point. And as all education is for the sake of what shall follow it, the trustees for them should interest themselves not a little in their future course of life; and, so far as they can, secure their parents' consent when they are admitted, to their being placed out properly.

The profane or vicious, if any such be allowed to take them, will esteem them the less, not the more, for a considerable part of what they have learnt; and do nothing to preserve the impressions of it,

perhaps a great deal to efface them; and then will throw the whole blame of their ill behaviour on the management, under which they have been; and charge it with every thing, that their own imaginations can suggest. Good persons therefore should always be sought out for them to go to. And they should be earnestly entreated, to keep them in the way into which they have been put: especially to see, that they constantly attend on the Lord's day's service, and make a proper use of their religious books. For some such should always be given them at their leaving the school, with a solemn charge concerning the main branches of their conduct.

But not only the persons, with whom they are placed, but the employments, in which they are fixed, should be well considered. Great numbers of them have been sent to sea: and it is not the fault of the trustees, but of the parents, that more are not defending or enriching their country on board our ships. Of the rest, those who are bred in this town mostly become either apprentices or household servants : and, it seems, objections are made against each method of disposing of them.

It hath been said, that they are put to retailing shopkeepers, or other easy employments, unsuitable to their original condition; and that more money is required, and given with them, than with other children: all which, I am assured, is absolutely false in fact. They are put, as they undoubtedly ought, to laborious working trades, and no other: with many of them, no money at all is given: with most of them, but forty shillings: with some few, five pounds: but more with none. And indeed it is evident, that the friends of such an education will dispose of them as

cheap as they can; were it for this reason only, that they may take in as many as they can.

Another suggestion is, that they are put out to worthless persons, in bad circumstances, who take the money, and then break. But neither of this do I find any proof. However, though a groundless assertion, it may furnish an useful warning.

But at least, it is objected further, breeding so many of them to trades occasions a scarcity of servants. Now even in this town, not two-thirds of the boys, nor much above one-fourth of the girls, have been put apprentices at all: and a great part of these were probably no other than household servants, taken by indenture for a term of years. What the proportion hath been in the country, doth not appear: but in all likelihood it must have been very small. Or were it otherwise, disproportions of this nature will soon rectify themselves. Where apprentices or journeymen are not wanted, and other servants are, these children will of course be sent where the demand is greatest: nor can the trustees have either inclination or power to prevent it.

But whilst one of the writers against our charity schools accuses them of lessening the number of servants*, the other charges them with increasing it ↑. Possibly the meaning may be, that they increase the number of the upper and idler sort, and lessen that of the lower and more laborious. Now as to this: the boys, when they come from school, are plainly incapable of the higher services: nor are many of them taken, even for footmen. And yet, what plenty soever there is of livery servants, there is so loud a complaint of the want of sober and honest ones, that I Essay, &c. p. 346. + Cato, p. 241.