the Poor in Bavaria. 245 



him ; and certain rules were observed in disposing of 

 the districts, in case of vacancies by deaths or resigna- 

 tions, promotions or removals. A battle, it is true, 

 frequently decided the contest between the candidates ; 

 but when the possession was once obtained, whether by 

 force of arms or. by any other means, the right was ever 

 after considered as indisputable. Alliances by marriage 

 were by no means uncommon in this community ; and, 

 strange as it may appear, means were found to procure 

 legal permission from the civil magistrates for the cele- 

 bration of these nuptials ! The children were of course 

 trained up in the profession of their parents, and hav- 

 ing the advantage of an early education were commonly 

 great proficients in their trade. 



As there is no very essential difference between de- 

 priving a person of his property by stealth and extorting 

 it from him against his will, by dint of clamorous im- 

 portunity or under false pretence of feigned distress and 

 misfortune, so the transition from begging to stealing 

 is not only easy, but perfectly natural. That total insensi- 

 bility to shame, and all those other qualifications which 

 are necessary in the profession of a beggar, are likewise 

 essential to form an accomplished thief ; and both these 

 professions derive very considerable advantages from 

 their union. A beggar who goes about from house to 

 house to ask for alms has many opportunities to steal, 

 which another would not so easily find ; and his profes- 

 sion as a beggar gives him a great facility in disposing 

 of what he steals, for he can always say it was given 

 him in charity. No wonder, then, that thieving and 

 robbing should be prevalent where beggars are nu- 

 merous. 



That this was the case in Bavaria will not be doubted 



