498 
cognized by the few persons who ever wore 
a leather shoe, or you would have been 
hanged for bringing them into the town. 
“But the most serious and extensive 
evil of all is, that from the first starting 
of this idea of weaving a coat without a 
seam, it has become the interest of the 
priests who promulgated it to prove that 
such a thing is possible. Hence all the 
art and skill of the loom, which once 
maintained the town in opulence, are de- 
voted to this one unattainable object. 
Consecrated looms, blessed with various 
ceremonies, are established, as you see, 
in the cathedral as wellas in other places. 
All literature, all improvement, both in- 
tellectual and moral, are neglected and 
even forbidden, that the youth may apply 
their time solely to this new and strange 
kind of weaving. Those who produce the 
most shapeless and uncouth pieces of 
work, are supposed to be the most near 
perfection, and tobe blessed with a parti- 
cular inspiration, but the greater part make 
only shreds and tatters. In the devo- 
tional services, the worship of God and 
the Redeemer is, in a great measure, 
supplanted by the adoration of the ima- 
ginary and mystical loom, supposed to 
have woven the coat of Christ, and which 
is the grand object of emulation among 
all these weavers; who, provided they 
pursue it with apparent ardour, are al- 
lowed to lead whatever lives they please, 
and to abandon themselves to all kinds 
of profligacy. The tattered shirts, which 
you saw carried in procession, once be- 
longed to the first promulgators of this 
strange doctrine, and are firmly believed 
by the multitude to be as free from seams 
as the coat of Christ. The dirt with 
which they have been impregnated ever 
since they came from the backs of their 
owners, and the distance at which they 
are shewn to the faithful, make it impos- 
sible to detect their real structure. 
Other similar ones in great numbers have 
been cut up into square pieces, the seams 
being carefully omitted, and sold to great 
profit as relics. It 1s thought irreligious 
to be without one or more of these filthy 
rags about the person. ‘The itch or other 
disorders, which they abundantly propa- 
gate, are far less evils than the fanati- 
cism they excite. Such have been the 
progress and effeets of this fatal supersti- 
tion, which has reduced a flourishing and 
happy town to beggary and every spe- 
cies of misery.” My companion was yet 
speaking, when, turning my eyes, which 
had all along been nyetted to his counte- 
London Workhouse and Prideweil. 
[March 1, 
nance, I perceived issuing from a ne‘gh- 
bouring thicket a being compared with 
whose infernal aspect all those I had seen 
in the morning’s procession were tamé 
and amiable. He wielded an iron mace, 
which in an instaut laid my friend dead 
at my feet. All attempts to escape 
were in vain. He levelled his weapon 
at me, and as it was falling to crush me, 
I started with horror and awoke. 
Norwich, October 1807. 
Lame 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
T a time when new societies are 
forming in the metropolis, to re- 
lieve and restore to honest industry the 
distressed and criminal, it surely is to be 
lamented that old establishments for those 
purposes should be neglected, notwith- 
standing there are funds (or means of 
raising them) sufficient to maintain sucli 
Institutions. The establishments particu- 
larly under consideration are the Lon- 
don Workhouse, in Bishopsgate-street, and 
Bridewell. The present sherifis have 
shewn great zeal and activity in endea- 
vouring to reform what they see errone- 
ous, and to lessen the afflictions of our 
suffering fellow-creatures; their endea~ 
vours we earnestly hope may be crowned 
with success, and, that many abuses may 
be rectified. We sincerely wish they, 
and other city officers, would pay parti- 
cular attention. to these establishments, 
as it is imagined they might be rendered 
essentially useful, -Might they not be of 
great service in restoring to virtuous in- 
dustry a most iniserable class of females, 
who are nightly td: be seen in the streets 
of this city? A more pitiable set of human 
beings, perhaps, is not to be met with in 
this kingdom; many of them, probably, 
have been enticed away from their pa-. 
rent’s roof, by the wicked arts of pro- 
fligate men, under a solemn promise of 
marriage, and pretence of sincere affec- . 
tion; others by profligates of their own 
sex. Well may it beasked, why are not 
such people made examples of? Why 
are there such severe Jaws against very 
slight offences, compared to the ariful se- 
duction of innocence ? 
It appears by Stow’s Survey of Lon- 
don, by Strype, 1720, (speaking of the 
London Workhouse),” that the design ane 
intention of the said workhouse is to 
ploy all the poor children, beggars, ve 
grants, and other disorderly persons 
are or can be found within the ei 
London and the liberties thereof.” 
