APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 579 



he could obtain the object he wish- 

 ed to promote for the good of 

 others. Numerous are the in- 

 stances of his anonymous appeals to 

 the public hberality for the relief 

 of virtuous indigence or unavoid- 

 able misery. In the year 1793, the 

 introduction of the general use of 

 cottons instead of silk, having oc- 

 casioned, as was to be expected, a 

 want of employment to the wea- 

 vers of silk in Spitalfields, a great 

 deal of disease, distress and posi- 

 tive want, were the consequences. 

 Dr. Hawes, in his capacity of phy- 

 sician to the London Dispensary, 

 witnessed them with real anguish 

 of mind, and lamented his own 

 inability to afford relief. He made 

 several appeals to the public ; at 

 length he became happily instru- 

 mental in preserving, from abso- 

 lute ruin, nearly twelve hundred 

 families. The following letter to a 

 clergyman, is one, among a great 

 many, which his humane and bene- 

 volent mind dictated on the occa- 

 sion : — 



" Reverend Sir; 

 " Permit me to address you on 

 the present occasion, and to return 

 you my most sincere thanks for 

 your voluntary exertions in behalf 

 of the distressed weavers. Believe 

 me, sir, it is not in the power of lan- 

 guage to describe their long and 

 continued miseries ; miseries not 

 brought on by idleness, intempe- 

 rance, or a dissolute course of life; 

 human wretchedness, absolutely 

 produced by want of employment. 

 My profession obliges me daily to 

 be an eve-witness to the severe dis- 

 tresses, trials, and afflictions, of 

 these much to be pitied of our fel- 

 low-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 on the bed of sickness. 

 I am sure, sir, you will believe me, 

 when I declare that such scenes of 

 complicated woe are too affecting 

 to dwell upon : and therefore shall 

 conclude with my most earnest 

 wishes, that by your pleading in 

 their behalf, other divines may be 

 animated to the same pious under- 

 taking ; I am certain that public 

 benevolence will prevent the pre- 

 mature death of many, will restore 

 health to numbers, and afford the 

 staff" of life to thousands of afflicted 

 families. 



" I am, reverend sir, your most 

 obedient humble servant, 



" W. Hawes, 

 " Physician to the London 

 Dispensary. 

 " Spital Square, Nov. L6, 1793." 



About ten years ago, Dr.Letsom, 

 who had succeeded Mr. Horsfall as 

 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 claims for re- 

 ward?, and paying them. He there- 

 fore still continued his laborious ex- 

 ertions for supporting and extend- 

 ing the influence of the institution, 

 which he had fostered with all the 

 attention, assiduity and interest of 

 a parent. Indeed, a man of less ar- 

 dour, or zeal, or activity must have 

 failed in raising to that degree of 

 eminence, which it now possesses, 

 the Humane Society of London. 

 The tide of prejudice, for many 

 years, ran very strong against a set 

 of men who presumed or pretend- 

 ed, to bring the dead to life. In 



2 p 2 other 



