SECT。IToamanofcommonsensibilitynothingcanbemoredistressing，thantohearthecomplaintsofwretchedness，whichhe
　　hathnopowertoredress，andtobedailyconversantwithmisery，whichhecanneitherflyfrom，norrelieve。Thisatpresent
　　isthesituationoftheclergy，who，invirtueoftheiroffice，areobligedtovisitthehabitationsofthepoor。Heretheysee
　　helplessinfancyanddecrepitage，thewidowandtheorphan，somerequiringfood，andothersphysic；allinsuchnumbers，
　　thatnoprivatefortunecansupplytheirwants。Suchscenesaremoredistressing，when，asitsometimeshappens，the
　　sufferingobjectshavebeendistinguishedforindustry，honesty，andsobriety。Thelawsindeedhavemadeprovisionfortheir
　　relief，andthecontributionsaremorethanliberal。whicharecollectedfortheirsupport；butthen，thelawsbeinginadequate
　　tothepurposesforwhichtheyweredesigned，andthemoneycollectedbeinguniversallymisapplied，theprovision，which
　　wasoriginallymadeforindustryindistress，doeslittlemorethangiveencouragementtoidlenessandvice。Thelaws
　　themselvesappearbeautifulonpaper，andwillbetheadmirationofsucceedingages，when，intherevolutionofempires，
　　thewholefabricofourgovernmentshallbedissolved，andournation，asaseparatekingdom，shallexistnomore。These
　　laws，sobeautifulintheory，promotetheevilstheymeantoremedy，andaggravatethedistresstheywereintendedto
　　relieve。TillthereignofQ。ElizabeththeywereunknowninEngland；andtothepresentmoment，theyhaveneverbeen
　　adoptedbyanyotherkingdomuponearth。Ithasbeenmostunfortunateforus，thattwoofthegreatestblessingshavebeen
　　productiveofthegreatestevils。TheRevolutiongavebirthtothatenormousloadofdebt，underwhichthisnationgroans；andtotheReformationweareindebtedforthelawswhichmultiplythepoor。Atthedissolutionofthemonasteries，thelazyandtheindigent，whoweredeprivedoftheiraccustomedfood，became
　　clamorous，and，havinglongsinceforgottowork，werenotonlyreadytojoinineveryschemeforthedisturbanceofthe
　　state，but，asvagrants，bytheirnumbers，bytheirimpostures，andbytheirthefts，theyrenderedthemselvesapublicand
　　mostintolerablenuisance。Tostoptheirmouths，andtomakethememploytheirhandsinhonestlabour，wastheintention
　　ofthatday。Butatthesametimethelawstookundertheirprotectionsomeobjectsofdistress，whoforneartwohundred
　　years，fromanoblekindofpride，refusedtheprofferedaid，orreceiveditwithreluctance；andwhoatthepresentmoment
　　wouldbemoreeffectuallyrelieved，ifnootherlawsexistedbutthefirstgreatlawsofhumannature，filialaffection，andthe
　　generalbenevolenceofmankind。Theworld，itmustbeconfessed，iswickedenough:Yetamidstalltheirwickednessmen
　　seldomwantcompassion，unlessthecircumstancesinwhichtheyfindthemselvesarepeculiarlydistressing。Shouldwe"in
　　thestraitnessofasiegebeholdmeneatingthefleshoftheirsonsandoftheirdaughters；shouldweseeamongthemaman
　　tenderanddelicate，whoseeyeshouldbeeviltowardshisbrotherandtowardsthewifeofhisbosom，andtowardsthe
　　remnantofhischildren，sothatheshouldnotgivetoanyofthemofthefleshofhischildrenwhomheshouldeat；"（1）we
　　mustnotfromsuchinstancesconcludethatallmen，orevenmostmen，aredestituteofmercyandcompassion，orthatman
　　ingeneralcanbekindandbeneficentonlybycompulsion。Nodoubtineverydistrictwillbefoundsome，whoarestrangers
　　tothefinerfeelingsofthehumanheart；butatthesametimeineverydistrictwillbefoundsome，whoareenduedwith
　　generosityofsoul；andothers，whoundertheinfluenceofpietywillrejoicetorelievethewantsanddistressesoftheir
　　fellowcreatures。Ineveryplacesomewillbedistinguishedforbenevolence，othersforbrutality；butingeneralmaniswhat
　　hissituationmakeshim。Ishehappyhimselfintheenjoymentofeaseandaffluence？Insuchcircumstances"hewillbeeyes
　　totheblindandfeettothelame；hewillbeafathertothepoor；theblessingofthosethatarereadytoperishwillcome
　　uponthisman:hewillcausethewidow'shearttoleapforjoy*。"（2）Letthesamemanbestraitenedinhiscircumstances，let
　　himbeburthenedwithtaxes，lethimbeharassedbytheclamoursanddistractedbytheincessantdemandsofthemost
　　improvidentandlazyofthesurroundingpoor；andhewillhavelittleinclinationtoseekforobjectsofdistress，ortovisit
　　thesequesteredcottageofthesilentsufferer。Itisgenerallyfound，thatmodestworthstandsatadistance，ordrawsnigh
　　withfalteringtongueandbrokenaccentstotellanartlesstale；whilstthemostworthlessarethemostunreasonableintheir
　　expectations，andthemostimportunateintheirsolicitationforrelief。Ifthelatter，fromanyimperfectionofourlaws，get
　　abundantlytoomuch，theformermustofnecessityobtaintoolittle。If，agreeabletothegeneralpracticeofthelabouring
　　poor，aman，previoustohismarriage，orwhilsthisfamilyissmall，hasmadenoprovisionforhisfuturewants；ifall，to
　　whomhemightnaturallylookforaid，areinthesamecircumstanceswithhimself；andifthecharityofthoseamonghis
　　neighbours，whoaredistinguishedforbenevolence，nayofallwhohavethecommonfeelingsofhumanity，isexhausted；if
　　theywhoaremostwillingareleastabletorelievehim；wemustexpecttoseedistressandpovertyevenamongthosewho
　　areworthyofcompassion。——ThisatpresentisthecaseinEngland。Thereneverwasgreaterdistressamongthepoor:there
　　neverwasmoremoneycollectedfortheirrelief。Butwhatismostperplexingis，thatpovertyandwretchednesshave
　　increasedinexactproportiontotheeffortswhichhavebeenmadeforthecomfortablesubsistenceofthepoor；andthat
　　wherevermostisexpendedfortheirsupport，thereobjectsofdistressaremostabundant；whilstinthosecountriesor
　　provincialdistrictswheretheleastprovisionhasbeenmadefortheirsupply，wehearthefewestgroans。Amongtheformerweseedrunkennessandidlenesscloathedinrags；amongthelatterwehearthechearfulsongsofindustryandvirtue。Iflawsalonecouldmakeanationhappy，ourswouldbethehappiestnationuponearth:idlenessandvicecouldnotexist；
　　povertywouldbeunknown；weshouldbelikeaprosperoushiveofbees；allwouldhaveenoughandnonetoomuch。The
　　reverseofthiswefindtobethecase:povertyandviceprevail，andthemostvicioushaveaccesstothecommonstock。Ifa
　　manhassquanderedtheinheritanceofhisfathers；ifbyhisimprovidence，byhisprodigality，byhisdrunkennessandvices，
　　hehasdissipatedallhissubstance；ifbyhisdebaucherieshehasruinedhisconstitution，andreducedhimselftosucha
　　deplorableconditionthathehathneitherinclinationnorabilitytowork；yetmusthebemaintainedbythesweatandlabour
　　ofthesoberandoftheindustriousfarmer，andeatthebreadwhichshouldbegivenonlytovirtueindistress。——Ifinall
　　cases，thisbread，soillbestowed，weresuperabundant；iftheindustriousfirmerwerehimselfineaseandaffluence；the
　　grievancewouldyetbetolerable。Butinthisdayitoftenhappensthattheindustriousfirmerisoprestwithpoverty。Herises
　　early，anditislatebeforehecanretiretohisrest；heworkshardandfareshard；yetwithallhislabourandhiscarehecan
　　scarceprovidesubsistenceforhisnumerousfamily。Hewouldfeedthembetter，buttheprodigalmustfirstbefed。He
　　wouldpurchasewarmercloathingforthem，butthechildrenoftheprostitutemustfirstbecloathed。Thelittlewhich
　　remainsaftertheprofligatehavebeencloathedandfed，isallthathecangivetothose，whoinnaturehavethefirstclaims
　　uponafather。Ifthisevilcouldbestemmed，whilstthepresentlawssubsist，hemightyethavehope:butwhenheconsiders，
　　thatalltheefforts，whichhavebeenmadeinhisownparishorinothers，havebeenvain，andthattheevilisconstantly
　　increasing，heisdriventodespairofhelp，andfearsthatheshallbehimselfreducedtoworkfordailyhire。