40 ON THE PLACE OF FISH LV 
the result; and this poverty was in strong contrast 
with former circumstances. The affected class was 
not a common low type proletariat, familiar with 
parish doles, and preferring pauperism to labour. On 
the contrary, it was a people... . legitimately proud 
of its old self-supporting power and independence. 
Borne down of late by the increasing stress of a 
poverty which was quickly tending to become absolute 
privation, the sufferers had not clamoured as to their 
growing need for help. Even to the last they had 
rather shrunk from disclosing it .... As wages had 
begun to fail, first in many cases, there were previous , 
well-earned savings to be exhausted; then in nearly 
all cases there was household furniture and bedding, 
or at least clothing, which might be pawned or sold. 
Gradually during the summer. these resources had 
been drawn upon.... And now in October a crisis 
in this long contest was at hand. Besides the pauper- 
ism which was known, there was an unascertainable 
but enormous amount of impending destitution. The 
ill-nourished were in myriads; .... there was im- 
minent danger that death on a large scale might 
result directly or indirectly from starvation.”” 
Such is the description as addressed by Mr. John 
Simon to the Privy Council. 
The long-continued suffering was a severe trial. 
Worse off than people in a besieged town, to whom 
a successful raid might bring food that would be 
common store, the starving ones had to regard the 
rights of property, and to exist amid supplies they 
could not buy as their own. How the people through 
all the land sent their money to relieve those who had 
fallen into such grievous straits through no fault of 
theirs is commemorated in the window of the Guildhall. 
