1802.] 
fyftem of melioration is more deferving of 
applaufe, or more decidedly neceflary to 
the completion of their truly patriotic in- 
tentions, than the freedom of choice whichis 
left tothe fturdy objeéts of their benevo- 
lence, to receive or not the boon that is 
offered them. 
Well indeed has Count Rumford, the 
father of this admirable fyftem, inftruéted 
us to manage, with great circum{pection 
and policy, ‘‘that impatience of con- 
troul,”’ that ‘ jealoufy and obffinate per/e- 
werance in maintaining the rights of per- 
fonal liberty and independence, which fo 
ftrongly mark the human charaéter in all 
the ftages of life.” It is indeed on the 
degree of addrefs with which we are able 
to dire& this principle, that our degrading 
or exalting the poor—our effectually re- 
lieving or materially injuring them, de- 
pends ; and whether we fhall refcue po- 
verty or increafe mendicity by, our cha- 
rities. a 
But, Sir, the obje& of my addreffing 
you at prefent is left to repeat what has 
already been fo well enforced by others, . 
than to fuggeft what, T apprehend, might 
be made a fource of confiderable relief to 
the poor, and render the eftablifhments now 
exifting in the metropolis, and in fome 
principal towns in the country, capable-of 
more extenfive benefit to the objects of 
their bounty. 
One of the public eftablifhments for 
feeding the poor in Bavaria, we are told 
by Count Rumford, was effentially aided 
by the praétice of fending round to the 
houfes of the inhabitants of Munich co- 
vered carts with proper attendants, to re- 
ceive gifts of meat, bread, and foup, 
which, when properly managed in the 
cooking, made very favory and wholefome 
-Mmeffes. There certainly exifted exclu(ive 
reafons there why {uch a praétice could 
not but be attended with material benefit = 
.and though the colle&tion of foup was not 
continued, owing to the circumftance of 
the ‘offerings of fome being of a quality 
much more flender than the motives which 
called them forth, I am not deterred, Sir, 
from recommending this praétice as worthy 
the imitation of all the great towns in 
Britain where foup-houfes are eftablithed. 
Every miftrels of an opulent family 
who condefcends to pay occafional vifits to 
the pantry, efpecially avben her prefence is 
not expected, will have ample opportuni- 
ties of being convinced, how large a por- 
tion of the provifions brought into the 
houfe are confumed out of it, and how 
large a quantity of what would cheer the 
finking hearts of the induftrious, is either 
Propofal for feeding the Poor—Beauchateaus 
35 
thrown away, given to tippling mendi- 
cants, or fold to fome vender cf country 
pork (who perhaps feeds his pigs with 
it in a cellar), juft as the lufty queen of 
the kitchen happens to be difpofed. What 
excellent, what nutritious, what palatable 
food might be prepared from thefe over- 
flowings of luxury! How eafily might 
the hungry be fed if thofe whofe duty it is 
to attend to their welfare would give them- 
felves only a very little trouble! 
‘Perhaps, Sir, the obfervations with 
which I fet out, will be thought to furnifh 
an objection to any plan of this fort, and 
that the honeft pride of ineffectual induf- 
try will difdain the ** crumbs from the 
great man’s table.’ I admit that there 
would be danger of {uch a prejudice being 
excited for a while; but I am convinced, 
that if the fcheme were conducted with 
the fame regard to appearances that dif- 
tinguifhed the meafures of Count Rum- 
ford, and efpecially if the food, fo pre- 
pared were to be fold to them at a price 
equal to the avhole expence attending it, 
fo as to take away all appearance of obli- 
gation on the part of the buyers, the cook- 
ery would be heartily relifhed by thoufands, 
At this inclement feafon, when the poor 
ftand moft in need of affiftance; when 
meat is, notwithftanding the removal of 
fome ferious impediments, double the 
ufual price, and bread dear.in proportion, 
you will not probably think thefe obferya. 
tions unneceflary. I heartily with they 
were fo; but as I apprehend a praétice, . 
that in another country has been fo fuccef- 
ful, cannot but be applicable in fome ca- 
fual inftance or other in this, I am in- 
duced to afk a place for thele hints in your 
ufeful mifcellany, I am Sir, 
Hammer{mith, Yours, &c. 
Dee. 180) 180% We, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
MONG the many foreigners added 
A in Mr. Bromley’s ufeful Catalogue . 
to the Series of Englifh Portraits, fre- 
quently on fuch flight grounds as the hav- 
ing been attracted either by. bufinels or 
curiofity to make a fhort refidence in this 
ifland, I fee no notice taken of a bene- 
ficed clergyman, the outlines of whole li- 
terary liie are fomewhat finguiar. 
A quarto volume of French Poems 
now lies before me, entitled ‘‘ La Lyredu 
jeune Apollon; Paris 1657; the portrait 
of its author ‘Le petit de Beauchateau 
agé de 11 Ans” is prefixed ; the dedica- 
tion has no other fignature: but from one 
of the numerous commendatory epigrams 
F 2 prefixed, 
