THE PHILOSOPHY OF POVERTY. 43 



exceeds aught I ever saw before, and, after all, I hope not for much 

 good being done." 



Here, then, we have the evidence and opinions of a man who has 

 laboured amongst the people he describes who has visited their 

 homes and, as far as his power and abilities extended, has done all 

 that he could to amend and enlighten them. Yet we find that he is so 

 shocked and disheartened at the depravity and utter demoralization 

 which he has witnessed, that he declares his conviction to be, that 

 " not much good can be done." 



This hardness of heart this extent of wickedness and social degra- 

 dation, does not arise from want of education ; that is, such educa- 

 tion as is generally afforded to the poor ; for we find that most of 

 these people could read at least. Mr. Ashworth says, page 9, "I 

 have began to take out with me religious tracts, which have been 

 read with much pleasure, and have been lent by one neighbour to 

 another ;" and further, " the tracts are read and well liked." Here, 

 then, is proof positive that the deplorable state of things is not attri- 

 butable to what many people call the origin of evil namely, igno- 

 rance of the elements of learning. 



One of the greatest curses attendant upon the present condition of 

 the lower classes of our population, is the spending of their wages in 

 drink. It is lamentable to consider what an amount of misery and 

 of privation is suffered for the sake of a momentary stimulus. 

 Amongst the manufacturers, indeed, one almost ceases to wonder 

 that they do drink, as the nature of their employment, and the pro- 

 tracted hours of labour, induce a feeling of physical exhaustion, 

 which leads them to the readiest means of relief. In doing so, they 

 err, indeed, most widely ; but with morals so depraved as we find 

 them, we feel little, or rather no surprise, that those hot-beds of 

 crime and immorality the gin-shops, are perpetually crowded. 

 The reasoning of Maggie Mucklebackit, in Sir Walter Scott's te An- 

 tiquary," is singularly applicable, ee Ay ay its easy for your 

 honour, and the like o' you gentlefolks, to say sae, that hae stouth 

 and routh, and fire and fending, and meat and claithes, and sit dry and 

 canny by the fire-side ; but an ye wanted fire, and meat, and dry 

 claise, and were deeing o' cauld, and had a sair heart, whilk is warst 

 ava', wi just tippence in your pouch, wadna ye be glad to buy a 

 dram wi't, to be eilding and claise, and a supper and heart's ease into 

 the bargain, till the morn's morning?" Maggie's speech;, though 

 highly descriptive, and though speaking the language of millions, is 

 incorrect both in a moral and physical point of view, but it would 

 make an excellent heading to a discourse on temperance. 



It seems strange, indeed, that any great body of people should thus 

 voluntarily become the agents of their own misery, as it does not ap- 

 pear that the manufacturers have the excuse of extreme poverty, 

 which, above all things, has a tendency to make men reckless. In the 

 analysis jof the evidence taken before the Factory Commissioners, it 

 is stated that the average weekly wages of all persons employed, is 

 10s. 5d. It must be remembered, that this rate of wages is not 

 eaned solely by the head of a family; but that, generally speaking, 



