' 
“5OS 
ject connected with the institation of which 
he was the zeslous advocate and unwearied 
promoter. His whole life was aconstant ex- 
emplification "of «his motto; > Homo sum bz- 
mani ‘nihil a’ me alien pato. We did not 
suffer his exertions to:abate, because he could 
, Hot succeed in the first, second, or third at- 
tempt ; ‘but persevered with uncommon ar- 
~ddur till he could obtain the object he wished 
to'promote for ‘the good of others: Numerous 
are the instances of his anonymous appeals to 
the public liberality for the relief of virta- 
-ous indigence or unavoidable misery. In the 
year 17953, the introduction of the general use 
of cottons instead of silk,: having occasioned, 
as was to be expected, 2 wantof employment 
to the weavers of silk in Spitalfields, a great 
deal of disease, distress; and positive want, 
were the’ consequences. Dr. Hawes; in his 
capacity of physician to the London Dispen- 
- sary, witnessed them with real -anguish of 
. Mind, and lamented his own inability to afford 
relief. We made several appeals to the pab- 
lic, at length he became happily instrumental 
in preserving, from absolute ruin, nearly 
twelve hundred families. The following let- 
terto a clergyman, is one, among a great. 
many, which -his humane and benevolent 
mind dictated on the occasion. 
‘SOReveEREND Sin, 
** Permit me to address you on the present 
occasion, and to teturh you my most sincere 
thanks for your voluntary exertions in behalf 
, of the distressed weavers. Believe, Sir, it is 
not ‘in the power of language to describe their 
long ahd continued’ miseries 5 miseries not 
brought om ‘by idleness, intemperance; or a 
dissolute course of life; human wretchedaess, 
absolutely produced by want of employment. 
My profession obliges me daily tobe an eye- 
witness ‘to the severe distresses, trials, and 
afflictions, of ‘these thuch to be pitied of our 
fellow-creatures. Whole families, without 
fire, without raiment, and without food; and, 
to add to the catalogue of human woes, three, 
four, and five, in many families languishing 
of the bed of sickness. Iam sure, Sir, you 
will believe oe, when I declare, that such 
sctnes of complicated woe are too affecting to 
dwell upon:-and therefore shall conclude 
with my most earnest wishes, that by your 
pleading intheir behalf, other divines may be 
animated to the same pious undertaking; I 
am certain that public benevolence will pre- 
vent the premature death of many, will re- 
store health to numbers, and afford the staff 
of life to thousands of afflicted families. 
“«¢T am, Reverend Sit, your most obedient 
humible servant, W. Hawes, 
Physician to the London Dispensary.” 
Spital- Square, November 16, 1793. 
About ten yearsago, Dr. Létsom, who had 
succeeded Mr. Horsfallas treasurer of the 
Humane Society, resigned, and Dr. Hawes 
was chosen as his successor.» He had previ- 
ously discharged that ‘part of the treasurer's 
office which consists in examining into the 
Account of thelaleW. Hawes; M.D. . 
claims for rewards, and paying He 
thereforé still continued his laborious > 
for supporting and exvending the influence of 
the institutiun, which he had fostered with 
all the attention, assiduity, and interest of a 
parent. Indeed, a man of less ardour, or 
zeal, or activity, must have failed in raising 
to that degree of eminence, which it gow pos- 
sebsses, the Humane Society of London. The 
tide of prejudice, for many years, ran very 
strong against a set of men who presumed, or 
pretended to bring the dead to life. In other 
institutions, the subscribers have ‘the means 
of aftording relief to some sick or distressed 
neighbours, or have something to dispose of, 
some good they can personully confer; but, in 
this institution, there is nothing of the kind, 
which has been an obstacle to itsestablish- 
ment. Its patrons and promoters have, it is 
true, the godlike satisfaction of knowing they 
contribute towards presetving the; lives of 
many of their fellow-creatares from prema- 
ture death. They have a gratification too, of 
avery superior kind, afforded them at the an- 
niversary festival; they see men, women, 
and children, whum they have coutributed to 
rescue from an untimely death, walk in so- 
lemn and silent procession, expressing as they 
pass, their gratitude te God and to their ber 
nefactors. This is one of the most interesting 
and aflecting scenes a man of feeling cam wit- 
nessjand it seldom fails to cause thetear of sym- 
pathy to steal down the cheeks of the specta~ 
tors. It certainly reqaired all the energy and | 
undeviating perseverance of Drs H. to place 
this institation in opposition te numerous dif- | 
ficulties, in that state of respectability and 
permanence in which he has left icy and to 
which such a cause is justly entitled. To 
the same zeal for saving the lives of his -fel- 
low-creaturés, niust we attribute his uniform 
attention to the etablishment of similar socie- 
ties in numerous towns of the united ‘king- 
dom ; and in various parts of Europe, Ame- 
rica,and India. No man could be more alive 
to éistress of every kind than Dr. Hawes; 
and to a great variety of which he was acon- 
stant witness in his attendance on the-poor, as 
physician of the London and Surry Dispensa- 
ries. In many cases he found them more in 
want of nourishthent than medicine; having 
told them’ what was necessary, he would 
afford them the meahs of procuring this nou- 
rishment, and hasten from them to prevent 
their overwhelming him with their gratitude. 
Instances too have frequently occurred of his 
overtaking persons in the street, whom he 
knew tobe in great want; of his taking his 
hand from his pocket, and putting the means 
of relief into their hand, and passing quickly 
on; The instances of his benevolence, hu- 
manity, and real charity, wust have been nu- 
merous’; for many of those which are known, 
have been incidentally discovered. It was 
truly said of him in the Morning Chronicle; a 
day or two after his death, that he was a man 
ef whom it may with the greatest truth be 
a asserted, 
