Provision for the Poor: OR, REASONS FOR The Erecting of a WORKINGHOSPITAL In every County. As the most necessary and only effectual Expedient to Promote the LINEN MANUFACTORY;  
With Comfortable Maintenance for all Poor and Distressed people in City and Country. By which all Beggars, Vagrants, etc. throughout the Nation, may speedily be Restrained, and for ever Prevented.  
In Pursuance to certain PROPOSALS to the KING and PARLIAMENT.  
With Allowance.  
London: Printed for D. M. 1678.   

Reasons for the Erecting of a WorkingHospital in every County.  
HAving lately published certain Proposals tending to Promote the Linen Manufactory, and disburden the Nation from the present Charge it lies under in maintaining its Poor; wherein, as the best Expedient to Promote the one and Remedy the other, I humbly offered to Consideration the building of a Working Alms-house in every County: and also gave notice of an Engine which would very much facilitate the Work. Which mean Treatise, as it hath had the good luck to be very favourably perused, and its Design approved by several Honourable and Worthy Persons; so is it next to impossible, that it should wholly avoid the common fate of Censure, and impressions of contrary Opinions. However, with all modest Deference to Dissenters, I do not as yet find any grounds for changing my former Sentiments touching the Necessity of building such Working-Alms-houses.  
That promoting the Linen Manufacture is the great Interest of this Nation, will not be denied; and that the same, if managed in a proper method, will afford a comfortable Employment, and Maintenance for the Poor, as also save many Hundred thousand pounds, is generally agreed. But what Method or Course will best, most certainly, and effectually attain those Ends, is the Question, viz. whether all the Poor of every sort shall be employed in this Manufactory dispersedly at home; or that a great number of them together (especially Children, Single persons, Vagrants, etc.) be planted in public Work-houses under good Government. The former may possibly be preferred by some, but the latter is what I have recommended, and indeed do humbly conceive it so essentially necessary the perfecting of that Reformation designed, that without it the aforesaid Manufactory will never be promoted to the best advantage, nor the Poor be any thing high so useful to themselves and their Country.  
That I may not seem conceitedly obstinate in this Apprehension, I shall set down some of those Considerations which have prevailed with me therein.  
The Ends aimed at, are 

1. The more speedy and profitable promoting the Linen Manufactory.  
2. The easing all oppressed Parishes of the Charge of the Poor.  
3. The most effectual Expedient to Restrain, Reform, and Employ all Beggars, Vagrants, etc. and render them serviceable to the Public.  
4. The good Education of Poor Children and others in religious and virtuous Principles, planting in them Habits of Industry, Labour, etc.    
To accomplish these, and these jointly, is, I say, the Scope of our Endeavours; for indeed they depend one upon another. Now without Public Work-houses, the two latter cannot be promoted at all; and the two first particulars very slenderly, or nothing near so well as with them: For;  
I. As to promoting the Linen Manufactory, it consists partly in Quantity, making more; partly in Quality, making finer than heretofore.  
That with Work-houses we shall make more Cloth, is not to be doubted; because there the Engine beforementioned may be used, which cannot be in private Families: By the help of which there may not only be spun a pound and a half as easily as one pound, of equal goodness, without it, but also many more People Employed, as young Children, Persons defective in some of their Limbs, etc. Again, is it not probable that much more Work will be done where people are kept orderly to their Business, than when they are left to their own Liberty; or at best, have only an overfond Parent to keep them to it? And is it not too true, that the Poor rarely endeavour to lay up any thing for Sickness or Old age, and will work by their good wills only for Necessity? Which is the reason that our Manufactures are generally more plenty, and as cheap, when Provisions are dearest. Most of them, if they can but get Victuals, will play away half their time; which introduces habits of Idleness, Pilfering, etc.  
2. As to improving Fineness in Spinning, besides the advantage by the Engine of having both hands at liberty to order their Tire, 'tis certain where many are together, there are not only better helps for Instruction, but also emulation and striving to excel each other, will much promote it: As we see Universities and public Academies, for like reason, preferred before private Schools or Tutors, in Education: Especially Encouragements being given to those that excel, and Correction to such as deserve it.  
II. Then for the second Head, Easing the Parish of Charge, since by the help of the Engine in Public Work-houses a Child of four years of age may get its living, and do more work than a Child of six years can do elsewhere, what an ease will this be to oppressed Parishes, that they may so soon send thither the Children of all their Poor, and many decrepit people, who are now the greatest Burden?  
III. The third Intention is to Reform and Employ Beggars, Vagrants, etc. and I cannot see how this can at all be effectually accomplished without Public Work-houses; which will infallibly effect it, and soon remove as well the Dishonour as the Charge of feeding their Laziness, and carrying them up and down with Passes; wherewith now too often they take their Circuits, first from the North to the South, then to the West, and so round the Land, to the great expense and trouble of Officers. This Consideration alone methinks is enough to persuade the Erection of such Houses, it being computed that there are above One hundred thousand Beggars or others that want a lawful Employment in this Kingdom.  
Moreover, these Working Hospitals will put an end to all vexatious and chargeable Suits and Controversies, by which much money is spent between Parish and Parish, for settling and placing such as are chargeable; and all Magistrates eased of much trouble which attends them on this account. But without such Public Working-houses this Grievance will hardly be removed; which at present, and for some time past, hath been so considerable, that I know not but the money that is spent this way in one Country within seven years' time, may build an House by which they may be freed from it for ever.  
Furthermore, by means of these County-Workhouses, the Inequality of Taxations and Charges whereby one Parish is greatly oppressed with the multiplicity of Poor, when at the same time other Parishes are not at a quarter-part of such Charge; which Intolerable Grievance can no way be Reform so effectually, without such County-Workhouses.  
IU. Nor is the fourth Head, viz. Bringing up of Poor Children, etc. in religious Nurture and honest Labour, less worthy of our Care; not to be at all, or at lest no way so well and effectually brought to pass, as by these Public Nurseries of Industry, under regular and prudent Government. And how sad is it to consider how many thuosand poor Children, by the folly, the negligence, the viciousness, or ill example of their Parents, instead of enjoying the blessing of good Education, spend their most precious, because most teachable, years, and most susceptible of good or ill to influence the rest of their life, either idly in playing and wand'ring up and down, or what is worse, Begging or Pilfering, as Hedge-breaking, Wood-stealing, or the like; without ever being taught the Principles of Religion, their Duties to their Parents or Superiors; nor instructed in any Trade or Labour to get an honest Livelihood. Which becomes no less mischievous to Society in general, than fatal to themselves: For undoubtedly Idleness in Youth is the Seed-plot of the Hangman's Harvest.  
Besides all this, until such Work-houses be resolved on, we can never be certain that the hands of all idle people shall be Employed, or the Manufactory effectually prosecuted: And who then will be so venturous on Uncertainties to plant Hemp and Flax enough to carry it on, seeing all things remain as before, viz. much Talking, and little Doing; many good Laws and profitable Inventions, but a want of due Method to make them effectual?  
But possibly, instead of such inviting and encouraging Incitements for planting Hemp and Flax, some may desire that the Land-occupiers may be imposed upon and forced by a penal Act, to sow a ceatain number of Acres thereof, until they become as plenty as Peas-straw.  
To which I answer, It seems unreasonable to lay such an Imposition, before a certain right Method be established for the effectual Manufactoring of the same: For if it should, what will be the sequel? May not our Hemp and Flax be as burdensome as our Wool? Yea, may not England be famous all the world over, as abounding with huge stocks of Wool, Hemp, Flax, Poor People, and Beggars in abundance, and all for want of Public County-Working-houses of Confinement, for administering Instruction, Encouragement, and Correction?  
Or if the most necessary Method for Administration of Justice, and Improvement of profitable Inventions be rejected, how can we reasonably lay an extraordinary Imposition on Linen, before we are certain our Method will bring idle people to Industry for our supply?  
But infallibly to prevent such doing a good and necessary Work by halves, and to avoid these discouragements and sore Evils, I cannot but still solicit for such Public Working-Houses: Then may we readily plant Hemp, Flax, etc. Because we know that all idle hands, either at Home, or in the Work-houses, will certainly be employed industriously in taking off and Manufactoring the same, as it grows. And why any man should be very eager to force the raising of a great Stock, and yet be prejudiced against the certainest Expedients for the most speedy and advantageous promoting and manufacturing the same when raised, my weak Capacity can give no good reason.  
But must add, That this Manufactory may be accomplished with more case and comfort to the Poor, when they are incorporated into such great Bodies, where a Granary may be more beneficial, than it can be otherwise to afford Bread cheap and plenty amongst them, when Corn is scarce and dear.  
As also, That however these Working Almshouses may be contemned, and the Proposer and his Expedients for expedition rejected, I doubt not but it might easily be made appear, that by means of such Work houses, the Woollen Manufacture may be greatly promoted.  
In fine, Why should we contemn the most infallible Expedients, and which we see practised with success? It's judged, that to one Pickpocket, Cutpurse, etc. in Amsterdam, there are an Hundred in London, and to one sturdy Beggar in Holland (in time of Peace) there are four hundred in England; And what's the Reason? They have Publick-Work-houses in every City, for perpetual confinement in cases requiring the same. Wherefore, to attain the like happy Reformation in England, without such Houses aforesaid, is next to that which is impossible. Wherefore if our design be rather for the Public Good, than it is to gratify out own Fantasies, why should we reject the effectual Means, now in being in Holland, where besides the Rasp-houses in Amsterdam, there is a Spin-house in every City?  
If any object against these great Work-Houses, as being too chargeable, etc. I shall refer, them to my Book lately published, entitled, Proposals for Building in every County a Working Almshouses, for promoting the Linen Manufactory, sold by R. Harford at the Angel in Cornhill, and Mrs. Walton at the foot of the Parliament-stairs, where I doubt not but my Answer to that and other Objections, may to the Judicious be satisfactory. Only adding here, to such as imagine the Building of these Houses will require too much time, That they may be erected and completed assoon as the Hemp and Flax can be raised and prepared: And at the farthest, all may be finished in Two Years time.  
R. Haines.  
FINIS.