ADVICE ABOUT THE CHARTERHOUSE. 379 



now charged, should be in some sort eased : for 

 that were a work generally acceptable to the king 

 dom, if the public hand of alms might spare the 

 private hand of tax : and therefore, of all other 

 employments of that kind, I commend most houses 

 of relief and correction, which are mixt hospitals ; 

 where the impotent person is relieved, and the sturdy 

 beggar buckled to work ; and the unable person 

 also not maintained to be idle, which is ever joined 

 with drunkenness and impurity, but is sorted with 

 such work as he can manage and perform ; and 

 where the uses are not distinguished, as in other 

 hospitals ; whereof some are for aged and impotent, 

 and some for children, and some for correction of 

 vagabonds ; but are general and promiscuous : so 

 that they may take off poor of every sort from the 

 country as the country breeds them : and thus the 

 poor themselves shall find the provision, and other 

 people the sweetness of the abatement of the tax. 

 Now if it be objected, that houses of correction in 

 all places have not done the good expected, as it 

 cannot be denied, but in most places they have done 

 much good, it must be remembered that there is a 

 great difference between that which is done by the 

 distracted government of justices of peace, and that 

 which may be done by a settled ordinance, subject 

 to a regular visitation, as this may be. And besides, 

 the want hath been commonly in houses of correction 

 of a competent and certain stock, for the materials 

 of the labour, which in this case may be likewise 

 supplied. 



