BREAD for the POOR: OR, OBSRVATIONS Upon certain PROPOSALS Lately offered To the King's Majesty and both Houses of PARLIAMENT.  
With some additional Considerations tending to Enriching of the Nation, and E●●rease of most necessary Manufactories amoner us.  
WHEREBY All Poor people (Women and Children from five years old) may be comfortably Employed to get their own Live, Beggars and Vagrants Restrained; the Parish-Charges for the Poor Lightened: And consequently our Lands improved, Rents raised, and yet both Farmers and Tradesmen Encouraged; And many Hundred thousand pounds a year kept at home, which now goes out of the Kingdom to French and there Foreign Commodities.  
By Philo-Anglicus, Gent.  
With Allowance.  
London: Printed for D. M. 1678.   

Bread for the Poor: Or, Observations upon certain PROPOSALS lately offered to the King and both Houses of Parliament.  
THe Labours of the Poor, are the Mines of the Rich; Manufactories and Commerce, the Springs of Wealth to every Nation, whence flow Power at home, and (the effect of that) Reputation abroad; so that no doubt that Prince or Nation that can gain and keep the Trade of the World, will in short time bid fair to be in effect, Master of the World.  
This the FRENCH have not only understood, but vigorously endeavoured; As if they aimed to be little less formidable for their subtlety in Traffic, than by the power of their Arms. For how considerably have they advanced their Trade, and promoted their own Manufactories? Still no less industriously beating down and supplanting those of their Neighbours▪ particularly of England, as (amongst others) for Instance, our WOOLLEN-CLOTH, on which they have laid such heavy Impositions, as almost quite discouraged the exporting any thither; Yet in the mean time bringing over vast quantities of their prohibited Trifles, with the same boats at their return jilting away our Wool (one Pack of which puts three of theirs into Cloth, which otherwise were unserviceable;) and also invite over our workmen, undersell us at Market, and use a thousand Artifices to Ruin that Trade, which once was the Glory of our Nation, and made us renowned through the World.  
These things are too apparent not to be taken notice of, too dangerous not to be obviated. To which purpose what remains, but that we Countermine their policies, and strive to improve to the utmost the Manufactories of those materials which our Kingdom does, or might plentifully yield; And as much discourage theirs, of which our people have hitherto been too fond?  
In order to this, we cannot but observe and applaud a very profitable PROPOSAL lately made by one Mr. Richard Hains, a person though to us unknown further than by his worthy Labours, and that we are informed he is a Sussex-Gentleman, Yet certainly his Zeal for promoting things tending to public Good, and his Industrious Genius in the happy discovery of them, no less than the pains he takes to divulge them, that being reduced by Authority into Practice, they may accomplish the good ends desired, deserves both public notice and thanks. Wherefore, though he has lately printed the same, yet the Book not being so generally dispersed as might be wished, we shall presume to recite some parts of it here: For, Omne Bonum quo Communius eo ' Melius.  
This Author considering the heavy Pressures most Parishes lie under to maintain their Poor, who daily increase; the decay of our Woollen Clothing Trade, and the vast Charge we are yearly at for Linen, Cordage, etc. from other Nations, whereby our Treasure is exhausted, and our Lands fall for want of being improved some other way, besides the common ones, of sowing of Corn, breeding for Wool, etc.  
For Remedy, does propose, 
 That there may be erected in every County of England, according to its Extent or Populousness, a greater or lesser Work house or Working Alms-house, as he properly enough calls it; for so in the end and design of the Erection it is; (Work for Money being a better piece of Alms to those that are able to do it, than Money or Victuals without Work to lazy Vagrants.) In which houses the Poor may be continually employed under Sober and Religious Government in the Manufactory of Linen Cloth. Whereby he demonstrates by a modest Calculation, that above thirteen hundred thousand pounds worth of Linen Cloth may yearly be spun in those houses, besides what is done in private Families: Whence a triple benefit would arise.  
1. Those vast Sums now yearly sent out of the Nation for Linen Cloth, etc. (which computed by very Intelligent persons, has of late cost us more than a Million per Annum) may be saved.  
2. It will be an Employment for the weakest people, not capable of stronger labour, viz. Women, Children, and Aged, now the most chargeable; and set to work those hands which for the most part now are idle; it being supposed there are at least 100000 Beggars or others that want a lawful Employment, who hereby will not only be removed from being chargeable, but on the contrary, kept in good order, may become serviceable to the Public.  
3. Much Land throughout England will be greatly improved by sowing Hemp and Flax; one of which may be plentifully produced in every County of this Kingdom, to the great advantage of Farmers, and consequently of Landlords.  
To facilitare this Work, he has invented an Engine whereby one man may turn fifty Spinning-wheels, which shall serve a hundred persons to spin with at once: so that they shall have nothing to do but employ both hands to draw Tire from the Distaff, and so earn nine pence a day as easily as now they can six pence; as is there evidently demonstrated.  
The Objections that may be made either to the Advantages proposed, or the Method, he has largely and plainly solved; so that I do not perceive any thing that with any colour of reason can be started against it, but he has sound and substantially answered.  
The Title of his Book is, Proposals for building Working-alms houses, as the best Expedient to perfect the Trade and Manufactory of Linen Cloth in England. To be sold by R. Harford, at the Angel in Cornhill. A Piece which I cannot but seriously recommend to the reading and consideration of every good Patriot and true Englishman.  
'Tis certain, when in any Nation Commodities are Imported to a greater value than what are Exported, Impoverishment seems unavoidable: For than our ready Money must go out to even the Balance; whence it appears, A Kingdom may be in as much danger by a great Trade ill managed, as by too little. It seems therefore Proposable, That special Care be taken to improve Commodities of our own growth and manufacture, and restrain the bringing in of Superfluities and Unnecessaries. Hence 'tis considerable, whether the prohibiting of that mighty Glut of French Wine may not be advisable, and the promoting of Cider or other English Liquors (altogether as pleasant, and probably much more wholesome, because more agreeable to English bodies) in its stead. The Decrease of his Majesty's Customs may easily be supplied by the great wisdom of the Nation another way.  
Furthermore, since the first Riches of any Nation is the multitude of its Inhabitants, and that we are like to have great occasion for People, as well to be employed in profitable Manufactories at home, as necessary Defence abroad; 'tis sad to consider how many Thousands of his Majesty's Subjects are yearly ruined by unjust Vexations and trivial Suits; their bodies buried alive in Prisons, and their Families reduced to a Parish-charge. This within the Liberties of London is in a good measure avoided, by that excellent Court established by King James P. M. deservedly called The Court of Conscience. Judicaturs of like nature ('tis conceived) might be as commodiously erected in the Suburbs of that City, and other grand Corporations, where they are more necessary, by reason of a greater confluence there of People mean and Indigent; the common Prey of Brokers, Tallymen, Bum-bayliffs, etc.  
Indeed the whole business of Arrests and Imprisonment (at least by Capias before Judgement) deserves Consideration, if not Regulation. 'Tis certain, From the beginning it was not so: Nor shall I dispute what our Ancestors did to make Trusting fools wise, or Ticking knaves honest. However, the present Course seems a little incongruous,  
1. In Nature, consequently in Law; nothing being destrainable but what can satisfy, which must be an Estate either in Land or Goods: For a man's body is neither Saleable (with us) nor Eatable.  
2. In Discretion; the Creditor hereby disabling the Debtor, renders his Debt more desperate.  
3. In reason of State; depriving the Sovereign of his Subjects, whose bodies thus immured might otherwise be serviceable in Peace or War.  
4. In Justice and Conscience; that a man should be debarred of his Liberty (the greatest Enjoyment Temporal) merely on a Suggestion, before it be judicially proved that he is either a Debtor or Trespasser: Experience witnessing, That scarce one Arrest in ten, but is either wholly causeless, or for spleen, revenge, or some inconsiderable trifle.  
Lastly, In Commerce; Spendthrifts are allured to Rooking, and the trusting Dealer is but smothered in his own Feathers: For, to pack off his Wares at any Rate, he readily books the lose) the reach of his Purse: And if his fortune fall short▪, curses his Confidence; and to eke out his revenge, takes forth a Capias for his Carcase; which proves but throwing good money after 〈…〉 one Crawls out, Twenty are swallowed 〈…〉 or devoured by excessive Fees, and Debaucheries commonly incident to Goals. In a word, 'Tis both a pity and a shame, honest men, merely because poor, should be kept a starving in Prisons; and as for rich Knaves, they do not regard them.  
'Tis a good Maxim, No man ought to be wiser than the Law; yet 'tis hoped, what tends to Public Advantage, may with modesty and due submission be offered to Consideration: And 'tis with that becoming deference these few Hints are tendered to that Great Authority, which has) Power (if thought meet) to make such variations as shall be necessary; whose Consultations may the Everlasting Counsellor bless with Unanimity and Success, for the Good of his Church, and Prosperity of this Nation.  
FINIS.