AN ESSAY ON CHARITY- SCHOOLS. 15 in all the good qualities of the social life, and to guard against those vile and pernicious practices, against that sloth, that false- hood and lying, that thievery and drunkenness, rage and malice, which abound among the ignorant rabble of mankind, who never enjoyed the blessing of education, nor the benefit of a school, where their manners might' be formed to virtue and goodness? 7. Let it be considered in the last place, how wretchedly the poor will spend all their leisure time, when they are released at certain seasons from the drudgery oflife, if they are never taught to read. How do they stand prepared for every temptation, and for all manner of mischief, when they know not how to improve a few leisure moments ? Human nature rude and untaught is the more prone to wickedness. At best we can only suppose them to sit, whole families together, in the long winter evenings, and talk scandal of their neighbours, because their minds were never furnished with better subjects of conversation. They are tempted to fill up their empty hours of life with trifles or follies, or with wicked stories, because they were never taught to know letters. Howmuch happier would it befor the poor, iftheir sea- sons of leisure, could be employed in reading the holy scriptures, for their improvement in acquaintance with God,or in conversing with any useful books, that might furnish their minds with solid andprofitable knowledege ? This would refine their souls, and render them every way more useful in their stations as fathers, mothers, sons, daughters or servants. I have known such a poor family, where neither the grandmother, mother, father, nor any Childcould read And I have often pitied them in my heart, to think how impertinently or sinfully their long eveninghours must bespent after the work of the day is done : And they have gladly embraced the privilege of having their children taught to read in one ofour schoolsof charity, under a sense of theirown great unhappiness for want of this benefit in their youngeryears. Objection II. But some will say, if the poor have any manner of learning bestowed upon them, they grew proud and haughty ; they think they are immediately fit for better business, and they will not be content to do servile work, and especially the lowest offices, and the most laborious drudgery either of the house or the field : There is great want of plough- men and labourers in the country, and poor boys will never submit to this, if they once get acquaintance with books and knowledge. Answer 1. I would ask leave here, if it it were lawful to enquire, whether some of these very masters, who make this objection, would not keep the poor in profound ignorance, that they might turn their servants into perfect slaves ? But when some of the poorer sort of people have gained a little knowledge, perhaps, it has been found that, here and there, a morose rich
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