ACCOUNT 
Ynany important obfervations, and 
many practical conclufions: ithe 
author however adds, 
“T have purpofely, and almoft 
wholly, abftained from drawing 
conclufions from the facts * here 
prefented to the public. To offer 
detailed plans of reform ,in that 
branch of political economy which 
concerns the poor, much exceeds 
my abilities; nor am I inclined to 
enter the lifts in which I fhould 
find fo many competitors. I fhall 
therefore purfue a very different 
method from that’ ufually followed 
by writers on the poor; who vo- 
hintarily impofe upon themfelves 
the tafk, fo much and fo juftly com 
plained of by the Ifraelites, of 
‘making bricks without ftraw; and 
raife their fpecious fyftems, with- 
out well authenticated facts to fup- 
port them. The edifice of politi- 
cal knowledge cannot be reared 
without its * hewers of ftone’’ and 
“drawers of water.”? I am con- 
tent to work among them: and, 
whilft others prefer (and there ne- 
ver will be wanting many who will 
prefer) the more arduous tafk of 
architectural decoration, to affift in 
digging the foundation, or in drag- 
ging the rough block from the 
quarry. The glory of the builder 
may be more enviable, but the 
drudgery of the mafon is pra¢tical- 
ly more ufeful. The one may em- 
bellifh the fabric; but without the 
labours of the other it would never 
be reared at all. The induftry of 
OF BOOKS. 483 
the peafant, and the ingenuity of 
the manufacturer, are the brick and 
mortar of the political ftructure ; 
the raw materials which the ftatef= 
man muft work with. He will al- 
ways do well to recolleét, that the. 
“ jutting frieze”? and the ‘ Corin- 
thian capital’? generally owe their 
ftrength and folidity to the folid 
brick-work behind them. 
“For the inelegancies of ftyle 
which may be found in this work, 
I deem it unneceflary to make any 
apology. I have endeavoured to 
be plain, fimple, and perfpicuous ; 
but have never waited that time in 
polifhing a fentence, which I 
thought could be better employed 
in afcertaining a fact; and even in 
matters of faét,thus brought forward, 
there will, I more than doubt, be 
too often found fomething to abject 
to as inaccurate, Errors there are; 
and muit be, in a work whofe ob- 
ject is fo extenfive, and whofe de- 
tails are fo circumftantial. Even 
parliamentary enquiries concern- 
‘ing the ftate of the poor are not in- 
fallible. 4 
“ Of the utility and tendency of 
fuch a work, the public will be bet- 
ter judges thanit’s author. Ihope, 
however, that I may be permitted; 
without incurring the imputation 
of arrogance, to obferve,; that if 
thefe Refearches fhould exhibit in- 
creafed and increafing comfort in 
the circumftances of thofe whofe 
unremitting labour beft entitles 
them to receive it, it fhould check 
* Twill not affert that my queries are the beft calculated even to acquire the 
information 1 wanted: “ |’art d’interroyer n’eft pas fi facile qu’on penfe. 
C’eft 
bien plus l’art des maitres que des difciples; il faut avoir deja appris beaucoup de 
chofes pour favoir demander ce qu’on ne fait pas. 
‘Le favant fait, et s’enquiert, 
dit un proverbe Iadien; ‘ mais l’ignorant ne fait pas méme de quoi {f/enquéris.”” 
Rouffeau La Nouvelle Heloife, iv. \ert. 3. 
Hh 2 
the 
