370 ON THE PLACE OF FISH IN 



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 

 Sirnon 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. 



