An humble request 〈…〉 St. Pauls Covent-Garde● with other great and Noble Persons, Ladies, Gentry, and Well-wishers to the numerous poor Children in St. Martins, St. Giles's, and St. Clements Danes, in the ●ounty of Middlesex.  

WHereas the Right Honourable Wm. Earl of Bedford, has( by a most excellent and kind Letter) lately commended to our Reverend Minister, the Dean of Peterborough, a good and charitable Design now at High-Gate, for the Breeding and placing forth of poor Children, with intimation or his own Kindness, It is humbly prayed, that you the Honourable, Charitable Gentry, and other good Inhabitants of Covent-Garden, would set the first Example, by giving or subscribing some certain sum, or sums, to some of these Papers, as your charitable Prudence shall direct, for raising Five Hundred Pounds towards the endowing or carrying on the Schools or Hospitals at High-Gate. In consideration whereof, it is humbly offered and promised, that Ten poor Children shall always have their Breeding, Habit, and placing forth in the said Hospitals, which are most excellently situated, being distinct, and a little separate from one another, with many Conveniencies of Buildings,( having bought the marquis of Dorchester's house) more than can be raised for the same Money, by 4 or 5 Thousand Pounds, in a sweet and good Air, where they will be less subject to be interrupted in their Learning, and their Healths better preserved than in the Suburbs, and cheaper dieted, by reason of conveniencies to brew, bake, with Grounds for keeping Kine, and setting all manner of Kitchen Garden-Roots, and Fruits, which in London, or the Suburbs, must be bought by the Penny. The Over-seers of the Poor only paying for their diet, at the same rate that they or others usually do, for poor Children about 6 Years of Age, by which kindness of yours this Parish will always have Ten poor Children in a good Habit, well educated, placed forth, and made fit to live in a hard World. The Boys shall all be taught to red. writ, Cast Accounts, some the Rudiments of Navigation, or Learning, if apt unto it, common Painting, Planting and Gardening, and others for Drawing, which very many Children are much inclinable to with Pen or Chalk, or else put forth to Handicraft Trades. The Girls, which are the weaker Sex, and have been always less provided for, to red, writ, Sew, Raise Paste, Still, Dress, and what else may qualify them for Services: And upon the Death or placing forth of any of these Children, others to be put in of the same Sex, the next Easter or Christmas following, by you the good Benefactors, Church-Wardens, or Vestrys Appointment: In doing this you will set a pattern for the well breeding of many Hundreds of poor Children in other Parishes, and in probability lay the Foundation of raising the good Design now before the Reverend Ministers, and worshipful Vestry-Men of these Four great Parishes, St. Martins, St. Giles's, St. Clement's, and St. Paul's Covent-Garden: And this may likewise invite Persons of Honour, and encourage all the Charitable Gentry of these parts to commiserate the poor Children of these Parishes above mentioned, who now filch, steal, beg, lye about in bad places, and by Alleys, without clothes, or any Breeding, learning from one another to curse, lie, and game, poisoning each others Souls in their first Principles and Childhood: Which Christian Commiseration the charitable Gentry inhabiting hereabouts, would certainly be found willing to exercise in giving something Annually for the Breeding, clothing, and placing of them forth to such good Employs as their Genius shall most led them to: Their own Parishes Overseers still paying for their Diet, as now they do & it may be in a very little time, most noble-minded Persons, or great Families, Ladies, Gentlemen, & others, would be willing to keep, for the honour of these parts, some 10, some more, some less, 2, 3, or 4 Children for a few years, or during pleasure; & if it were but one Child, or half a one, which many Trades-men would do, it were great Charity to give this Education for raising their Fortunes in a hard world, which this way in some measure would certainly do, and be as a little Portion within their Skin, making a kind of Christ-Church in time with much ease, namely 3 l. yearly for a Child, Boy or Girl, at which rate 300 l. maintains a Hundred Children, and about 2000 l. so many for Seven Years, in which time Twenty and Twenty Thousand Pounds may be given in much probability: Christ-Church had 2000 l. given this last year by Report. Charity is as good in the Suburbs as elsewhere, and the Nobility and Gentry better able to give. The Childrens Habit shall a little incline to the Benefactors Liveries, if desired, they visiting or showing of themselves once or twice a year to the Parishes, and good Benefactors: which Kindness may still be continued for as long time as they please, which is yet hoped and agreed to be, until the placing of them forth, by such Honourable or worthy Persons out of each Parish, as the Vestry shall prevail with as first Governours to accept of this Trust; choosing a Treasurer amongst themselves.  I do subscribe to give towards keeping 〈◇〉 annually 
For future Memory whereof, it is desired this may be sent to the Reverend Minister, Vestry, or some present or former Church-Warden, or Overseer of the Poor, that it may be fairly Registered in the School; nigh Thirty of them, and old Inhabitants of Covent-Garden, being there present( on Bartholomew day 1682.) with the Lecturer, and another Minister, did unanimously conclude this Design, and every thing pertaining thereto, most worthy of all Encouragement.  
It is earnestly prayed that the Gentlemen Shopkeepers of the New-Exchange would espouse this design, by commending it to such Honourable and Worthy Persons as they shall-think fit; and if they please to choose a governor and Treasurer also. The prosperity of which would be pleasurable to see in Summer days.  

But the greatest of all is Charity.  1 Corinth: 13 
With my whole desires haue J sought thee: &c. And thy word haue J hide in my heart that J might not sin against thee.  Psal. 119.   

〈…〉 the 〈…〉 a Year add to the Parish provision for the poor Children, will give Education, 〈◇〉 Breeding, and placing of them forth, preventing many evils and miscarriages in their Minority, for want of Government and looking after. And is it not then a thousand pities but this Proposal should 〈◇〉 ed, when it may so easily be done by a few Nobility, Gentry, and other Charitable Persons, giving some small Sum for setting it going towards three, or four years maintenance? In ●●ch time vast sums may be given by Will or legacy, being once established by Charter Royal, which some Honourable Persons doubt not to get when a Fund or Stock is obtained; In the mean time were not this a pleasing Sight which the Nobility, Gentry, and others would delight to see; namely, one, two, or three hundred( may be five hundred) Parish Children, well clothed, and Disicplin'd, on some set Day in the year, at St. Martins Church, or elsewhere? How many thousands of Eyes, with Applauses, attend Christ-Church Boys, and their Benefactors, when they show themselves in Whitson-Week? this may be, and is the same for nature in a small degree, as near as one member to another, when set a foot, and going on, which 1000 l. down would do, for 2 or 3 years, in which time this would gain repute, and grow; Therefore seeing the Buildings are already prepared, cheap and easy, for Boys and Girls, to be always bread in 2 distinct Hospitals by themselves, with every thing that may be desired to make them Praise-worthy; looking down upon the greatest Body of Nobility and Gentry in all Europe, as Rich Charitable, and Noble-Spirited, as any in the world; And seeing no such public Thing is or has ever been for these Parts, and their Honour, how will Generations to come bless their Memories, to see it so raised as to go on and prosper; Can Charity ever be repented of, if well and rightly managed? Most that give here, make their Eyes their Executors, and may choose what worthy Governours they please; Who knows how many indigent Children may here have a Rise, and good step for their Fortunes in this world? Christ-Church Boys being well educated, become very considerable Persons( many of them;) some by Sea and Navigation, some by Learning, and many other good Employs, make good Citizens, and Masters; these Children may do the same, having good Education; but nothing can be done without stepping forward, or giving something down: 2000 l. is promised or subscribed already, and about 300 l. received; 2●00 more would set it in an hopeful thriving way beyond all doubt. If times are bad, it is the better to be good and do good; there is no device nor work in the Grave, where all are going; and upon the dying Bed men never repent of being good, or doing such deeds. One giving draws on another; and Many giving each a little makes a great thing in a little time. Consult and Act, commend this Paper and Design, and sand for more of them, so may you have comfort in a few Months to see something going on, which may last for many 100 years, we hope, to the end of the world. The Churchwardens, Vestries, or Overseers for the poor will inform what Children they have, and if it were but once a going, surely the Nobility, and Gentry would be inclined through the generosity of their Spirits, to do worthily, and Parish Children by degrees be ten times better provided for then ever yet, with much ease. Charity certainly was never ordained all for one place, but some for the Suburbs also; nor do the Clouds and small reins refresh only one spot, but all more or less, Had Christ-Church and many other Hospitals never been, thousands would have wanted Cloths, Food and Breeding. Good designs are praised in after Ages, tho slighted in their first Attempts. In some public Acts men live and give to the worlds end. Children in the Suburbs may find the truth of this as well as others, if it be set a going; it is good to consult the Blessing and Benefit that may accrue by a good Design when once raised, as well as the difficulty in raising of it. He that watereth shall be watered; Make ye friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that when ye fail,( that is, when ye depart this world) they may receive you into everlasting habitations; He that observes the winds shall not sow, and he that observes the Clouds shall not reap, that is, he that makes slight excuses, and objections Charge them that are Rich in this world( says the great Apostle) that they do good, and not trust in uncertain riches, but be rich in good Works. Give and it shall be given to you. Right giving to the poor is lending to the Lord, laying up Treasure in Heaven, the best Insuring Office for ourselves, and posterity against the time to come.  
☞ But we shall conclude all, with these 4 Requests. First. That the Honourable or Worshipful Vestries in these Parishes, would for some time appoint a little Meeting, for 3, 4, or half a dozen of each Parish, once or twice a Week, at a certain Place, an hour or two, to consult what is best to be done, to set this Design presently on foot; And whether it were not a good way to press it a little upon some worthy Persons to accept of this Trust or trouble, to be looked upon, as present Masters to this intended Hospital? Secondly, To think on some Great and most likely Noble Persons, to make a good beginning of this public work of Charity in each Parish; choosing some active Persons to wait on them with such inducing Arguments as they shall think fit, for obtaining kindness down, Promise or Subscription. Thirdly, That some Person or Persons may be appointed to give notice from one Parish to another, what day or hour they intend to meet, and afterwards acquaint the Vestry what is done or acted. Fourthly. That all would join in this to finish a little Building that lies unfinished, to prevent that damage which the winter weather( now just upon us) must of necessity bring, which 3 or 4 hundred Pounds would do, and make conveniences for many Children presently, which if they please may be sent from each Parish before Christmas next.  
All Charitable and Ingenious Minds will easily suppose, that though 4 Parishes be only mentioned in what goes before, yet it was not to exclude the Charity of any in the City, be they Companies, or single Persons, but rather to incite their free Generosity to imitate and equal the worth of such Noble Minds, as in these 4 Parishes have bestowed their Charitable Benevolence upon the City Hospitals.  
 depiction of Father Time (with hourglass) as reaper (with scythe), braced by butterflies. 
Time drops pearls from his golden Wings. Wee for Butterflyes hazzar● God, Christ and Haeaven. Call time again, Call Time again cried a great One Dying