¥799.] 
ef diffenting minifters of London and 
Weitmintter, and would not be fuffered 
to be prefent at any of their. meetings) 
The buiinefs of the regium donum-<certainly 
requires fome public explanation ; and no 
men afe more interefted in this than the 
perfons who have been employed in the 
diftribution, if they have difcharged the 
wut with integrity and honour. 
dar, Sir, 
Your humble fervant, 
A PROTESTANT DISSENTER. 
a 
Go the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
TRUST youwill readily admit, that 
in eftimating the importance of any 
pian forthe relief of the poor, its influ- 
ence on their feelings and character delerve 
at leaft asmuch confideration as the im- 
mediate relief afforded them; ior if the 
mode in which charity is adminiftered 
tends to create a mean and fervile difpo- 
fition in the obje&ts of it, the evil done 
may frequently be of much greater mag- 
aitude than the benefits arifing from a pal- 
liation of the diftrefles of poverty, be- 
caule the latter are generally temporary, 
and fometimes work their own cure by 
roufing the fufferer to greater exertion, 
whereas the difpofition juft mentioned is 
permanent in its effects, and the fource of 
half the villanies that difgrace fociety. 
This is a point which ought to be ma- 
turely confidered in forming the arrange- 
ments of every plan intended for the relief 
of the indigent. ‘* There is a {pirit of 
independence to be found in the walks of 
humble life, which would rather fubmit 
to great difficulties than rely too much on 
the bounty of others. This is a difpo- 
fition which it is the duty of every well 
regulated community to cherifh and culti- 
vate; fince (referring to moral contidera- 
tions only) there is not a more powerful 
ftimulus to the exertion of honeftindultry, 
nor any better prefervative from that de- 
{ponding ftate of mind, which aggravates. 
the unavoidable ills of poverty, by indo- 
lence.” 
Thefe obfervations are taken from the 
addrefs of a fociety for f{upplying the poor 
with meat-foup during the winter feafon ; 
an inftitution founded on {uch judicious 
principles, and the utility of which foon 
became fo apparent, that two other fo- 
cieties of the fame kind were afterwards 
formed, and it is much to be withed the 
example was more generally followed in 
owt large manufacturing country towns. 
The fociety is eftablifhed in the principal 
Charity for Soup.—Antiquity of Hats. 
27 
manufacturing quarter of the metropolis, 
and during the laft winter contributed 
very largely to the daily fupport of nume- 
te flies of the iaduiicets and indi- 
gent. It was confidered as a fair calcu- 
lation, that during the delivery of the 
foup, which did not commence till the 
16th of January, and terminated the 28th 
of March, the fociety at an expence of 
424]. 5s. 6d. provided more than 200,000" 
meals of a palatable and wholefome food 
for the poor. The foup is not delivered 
gratis, which would be liable to much 
abufe, and be inconfiftent with the prin- 
ciples on which the fociety is formed, 
but /o/d at one penny per quart, and though 
it coft the fociety leis than two-pence per 
quart, it will be eafily conceived that it 
was much better than thofe who were fup- 
plied with it could have prepared for 
themfelves for three-pence. 
The conftant fuperintendance of fome 
of the fub{cribers, during the making and 
ferving, enfures the good qualities of the 
materials, and prevents all abufes ; and 
if among any of the poor prejudices have 
heretofore exifted again{t this kind of food, 
experience in the prefent inftance has com- 
pletely removed them, fo that in addition 
to the immediate benefit derived, it may 
be the means of introducing this excellent 
and economical method of cooking more 
generally into their families. The hopes 
whick were at firft formed of the fuccefs 
of the fociety, were realized during the 
laf{t feafon beyond expetatien,. which 
enabled it to recommence the delivery of - 
the foup on the 4th inftant, with much 
better accommodations, and a fair prof- 
pect of being a permaneat inftitution. 
Dec, 7th, 1798. BAG [ie (oe 
ye RE EEEE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HOUGH TI cannot anfwer very fa- 
tistaétorily the enquiry of your cor+ 
relpondent MUNNOO, refpecting the orj- 
gin of hat-making, I will venture to re- 
commend to his confderation, the former 
part of the article Hat. in the Englifh 
Encyclopzdia, where the praétice of wear- 
ing hats is ftated to have commenced ip 
the weftern parts of Europe, about the 
year 1400; and where it is obferved on 
the authority ef F. Daniel, «that when 
Charles II. made his public entry inte. 
Rouen, in 1449, he had ona dat lined 
with red velvet, and furmounted. with 4 
plume or tuft of feathers.” Suppohng 
hats to have been, allowing only fcr their 
Variations in fhape, what they are nowy 
J cone 
