dwelling place, is not a poor man. 9. If the labourer have his fair wages; There must be different ranks and if there be no false weights and meadegrees in every civil society, and, in-sures, whether of money or of goods, deed, so it is even amongst the savage by which he is defrauded; if the laws tribes. There must be different degrees be equal in their effect on all men; if of wealth; some must have more than he be called upon for no more than his others; and the richest must be a great due share of the expenses necessary to deal richer than the least rich. But, it support the Government and defend the is necessary to the very existence of a country, he has no reason to complain. people, that nine out of ten should live If the largeness of his family demand wholly by the sweat of their brow; and, extraordinary labour and care, these are is it not degrading to human nature, due from him to it. He is the cause of that all the nine-tenths should be called the existence of that family; and, therepoor; and, what is still worse, call fore, he is not, except in cases of accithemselves poor, and be contented in dental calamity, to throw upon others that degraded state? the burden of supporting it. Besides, 7. The laws, the economy, or ma-" little children are as arrows in the nagement of a state, may be such as to" hands of the giant, and blessed is the render it impossible for the labourer," man that hath his quiver full of however skilful and industrious, to main-" them." That is to say, children, if tain his family in health and decency; and, such has, for many years past, been the management of the affairs of this once truly great and happy land. A system of paper-money, the effect of which was to take from the labourer the half of his earnings, was what no industry and care could make head against. I do not pretend, that this system was adopted by design. But, no matter for the cause; such was the effect. they bring their cares, bring also their pleasures and solid advantages. They become, very soon, so many assistants and props to the parents, who, when old age comes on, are amply repaid for all the toils and all the cares that children have occasioned in ther infancy. To be without sure and safe friends in the world makes life not worth having; and whom can we make so sure of as of our children? Brothers and sisters are a mutual support. We see them, in almost every case, grow up into prosperity, when they act the part that the impulses of nature prescribe. When cordially united, a father and sons, or a family of brothers and sisters, may, in almost any state of life, set what is called misfortune at defiance. 8. Better times, however, are approaching. The labourer now appears likely to obtain that hire of which he is worthy; and, therefore, this appears to me to be the time to press upon him the duty of using his best exertions for the rearing of his family in a manner that must give him the best security for 10. These considerations are much happiness to himself, his wife and more than enough to sweeten the toils children, and to make him, in all re- and cares of parents, and to make them spects, what his forefathers were. The regard every additional child as an addipeople of England have been famed, in tional blessing. But, that children may all ages, for their good living; for the be a blessing and not a curse, care must abundance of their food and goodness of be taken of their education. This word their attire. The old sayings about has, of late years, been so perverted, so English roast beef and plum-pudding, corrupted, so abused, in its application, and about English hospitality, had not that I am almost afraid to use it here. their foundations in nothing. And, in Yet I must not suffer it to be usurped spite of all the refinements of sickly by cant and tyranny. I must use it; minds, it is abundant living amongst but not without clearly saying what I the people at large, which is the great mean. test of good government, and the surest basis of national greatness and security. 11. Education means breeding up, bringing up, or rearing up; and nothing more. This includes every thing with world, born to gain our livelihood by regard to the mind as well as the body the sweat of our brow. What reason of the child; but, of late years, it has have we, then, to presume, that our been so used as to have no sense ap- children are not to do the same? If plied to it but that of book-learning, they be, as now and then one will be, with which, nine times out of ten, it endued with extraordinary powers of has nothing at all to do. It is, indeed, mind, those powers may have an opporproper, and it is the duty of all parents, tunity of developing themselves; and, to teach, or cause to be taught, their if they never have that opportunity, the children as much as they can of books, harm is not very great to us or to them. after, and not before, all the measures Nor does it hence follow, that the deare safely taken for enabling them to scendants of labourers are always to be get their living by labour, or, for pro-labourers. The path upwards is steep viding them a living without labour, and and long, to be sure. Industry, care, that, too, out of the means obtained and skill, excellence, in the present parent, secured by the parents out of their own lays the foundation of a rise, under more income. The taste of the times is, unfavourable circumstances, for his chilhappily, to give to children something dren. The children of these take another of book learning, with a view of placing rise; and, by-and-by, the descendants them to live, in some way or other, of the present labourer become gentleupon the labour of other people. Very men. seldom, comparatively speaking, has 14. This is the natural progress. It this succeeded, even during the waste- is by attempting to reach the top at a ful public expenditure of the last thirty single leap that so much misery is proyears; and, in the times that are ap-duced in the world; and the propensity proaching, it cannot, I thank God, suc- to make such attempts has been checeed at all. When the project has rished and encouraged by the strange failed, what disappointment, mortifica-projects that we have witnessed of late tion and misery, to both parent and years for making the labourers virtuous child! The latter is spoiled as a la- and happy by giving them what is called bourer; his book-learning has only education. The education which I speak made him conceited; into some course of consists in bringing children up to of desperation he falls; and the end is labour with steadiness, with care, and but too often not only wretched, but with skill; to show them how to do as ignominious. many useful things as possible; to teach 12. Understand me clearly here, how-them to do them all in the best manner; ever; for, it is the duty of parents to to set them an example in industry, sogive, if they be able, book-learning to briety, cleanliness, and neatness: their children, having first taken care to make all these habitual to them, so make them capable of earning their that they never shall be liable to fall living by bodily labour. When that into the contrary; to let them always object has once been secured, the other see a good living proceeding from lamay, if the ability remain, be attended bour, and thus to remove from them the to. But, I am wholly against children temptation to get at the goods of others wasting their time in the idleness of by violent or fraudulent means, and to what is called education; and particu- keep far from their minds all the inlarly in schools over which the parents ducements to hypocrisy and deceit. have no control, and where nothing is taught but the rudiments of servility, pauperism and slavery. 13. The education that I have in view is, therefore, of a very different kind. You should bear constantly in mind, that nine-tenths of us are, from the very nature and necessities of the 15. And, bear in mind, that if the state of the labourer has its disadvantages when compared with other callings and conditions of life, it has also its advantages. It is free from the torments of ambition, and from a great part of the causes of ill-health, for which not all the riches in the world and all the cir cumstances of high rank are a compen- is in good health, who has a blooming sation. The able and prudent labourer and dutiful and cheerful and happy fais always safe, at the least, and that is mily about him, and who passes his day what few men are who are lifted above of rest amongst them, is not to be made him. They have losses and crosses to to believe, that he was born to be mifear, the very thought of which never serable, and that poverty, the natural enters his mind, if he act well his part and just reward of laziness, is to secure towards himself, his family, and his him a crown of glory. Far be it from neighbour. me to recommend a disregard of even 16. But, the basis of good to him, is, outward observances as to matters of steady and skilful labour. To assist religion; but, can it be religion to behim in the pursuit of this labour, and in lieve, that God has made us to be the turning of it to the best account, wretched and dejected? Can it be reliare the principal objects of the present gion to regard, as marks of his grace, little work. I propose to treat of brew- the poverty and misery that almost ining beer, making bread, keeping cows variably attend our neglect to use the and pigs, rearing poultry, and of other means of obtaining a competence in matters; and to show, that, while, worldly things? Can it be religion to from a very small piece of ground, a regard as blessings those things, those large part of the food of a considerable very things, which God expressly numfamily may be raised, the very act of bers amongst his curses? Poverty never raising it will be the best possible foun- finds a place amongst the blessings prodation of education of the children of mised by God. His blessings are of a the labourer; that it will teach them a directly opposite description; flocks, great number of useful things, add herds, corn, wine, and oil; a smiling greatly to their value when they go forth land; a rejoicing people; abundance from their father's home, make them for the body and gladness of the heart: start in life with all possible advan- these are the blessings which God protages, and give them the best chance mises to the industrious, the sober, the of leading happy lives. And, is it not careful, and the upright. Let no man, much more rational for parents to be then, believe, that, to be poor and employed in teaching their children how wretched is a mark of God's favour to cultivate a garden, to feed and rear and let no man remain in that state, if animals, to make bread, beer, bacon, he, by any honest means, can rescue butter, and cheese, and to be able to do himself from it. these things for themselves, or for 18. Poverty leads to all sorts of evil others, than to leave them to prowl consequences. Want, horrid want, is about the lanes and commons, or to the great parent of crime. To have a mope at the heels of some crafty, sleek- dutiful family, the father's principle of headed pretended saint, who, while he rule must be love not fear. His sway extracts the last penny from their pock- must be gentle, or he will have only an ets, bids them be contented with their unwilling and short-lived obedience. misery, and promises them, in exchange But, it is given to but few men to be for their pence, everlasting glory in the gentle and good humoured amidst the world to come? It is upon the hungry various torments attendant on pinching and the wretched that the fanatic works. poverty. A competence is, therefore, The dejected and forlorn are his prey. the first thing to be thought of; it is As an ailing carcass engenders vermin, the foundation of all good in the laboura pauperized community engenders er's dwelling; without it little but miteachers of fanaticism, the very founda- sery can be expected. Health, peace, tion of whose doctrines is, that we are and competence," one of the wisest of to care nothing about this world, and men regards as the only things needful that all our labours and exertions are to man: but the two former are scarcely in vain. to be had without the latter. Competence is the foundation of happiness and 17. The man who is doing well, who of exertion. Beset with wants, having | brewers, and in public-houses, of which a mind continually harassed with fears the common-brewers have become the of starvation, who can act with energy, owners, and have thus, by the aid of who can calmly think? To provide a paper-money, obtained a monopoly in good living, therefore, for himself and the supplying of the great body of the family, is the very first duty of every people with one of those things, which man. "Two things," says AGUR, to the hard-working man is almost a "have I asked; deny me them not be- necessary of life. "fore I die remove far from me vanity "and lies; give me neither poverty nor "riches; feed me with food convenient "for me: lest I be full and deny thee; or lest I be poor and steal." 66 19. A good living, therefore, a competence, is the first thing to be desired and to be sought after; and, if this little work should have the effect of aiding only a small portion of the labouring classes in securing that competence, it will afford great gratification to their friend, Kensington, 19 July, 1821. WM. COBBETT. BREWING BEER. The taken off, therefore, the consumption of barley and of hops would be exceedingly increased; for double the present quantity would be demanded, and the land is always ready to send it forth. 21. These things will be altered. They must be altered. The nation must be sunk into nothingness, or, a new system must be adopted; and the nation will not sink into nothingness. The malt now pays a tax of 2s. 7d. a bushel, and the barley costs only 3s. This brings the bushel of malt to 8s. including the maltster's charge for malting. If the tax were taken off the malt, malt would be sold, at the present price of barley, for about 3s. a bushel; because a bushel of barley makes more than a bushel of malt, and the tax, besides its amount, causes great expenses of various sorts to the maltster. hops pay a tax of 2d. a pound; and a 20. Before I proceed to give any bushel of malt requires, in general, a directions about brewing, let me men-pound of hops. If these two taxes were tion some of the inducements to do the thing. In former times, to set about to show to Englishmen that it was good for them to brew beer in their houses, would have been as impertinent as gravely to insist that they ought to 22. It appears impossible that the endeavour not to lose their breath; for, landlords should, much longer, submit in those times (only forty years ago), to to these intolerable burdens on their have a house and not to brew was a rare estates. In short, they must get off the thing indeed. Mr. ELLMAN, an old malt tax, or lose those estates. They man and a large farmer, in Sussex, has must do a great deal more, indeed; but recently given in evidence, before a that they must do at any rate. The committee of the House of Commons, paper-money is fast losing its destructhis fact that, forty years ago, there tive power; and things are, with regard was not a labourer in his parish that to the labourers, coming back to what did not brew his own beer; and that now, they were forty years ago, and, therethere is not one that does it, except by fore, we may prepare for the making of chance the malt be given him. The beer in our own houses, and take leave causes of this change have been, the of the poisonous stuff served out to us lowering of the wages of labour, com- by common-brewers. We may begin pared with the price of provisions, by immediately; for, even at present prices, the means of the paper-money, the enor-home-brewed beer is the cheapest drink mous tax upon the barley when made that a family can use, except milk, and into malt, and the increased tax upon milk can be applicable only in certain hops. These have quite changed the cus-cases. toms of the English people as to their 23. The drink, which has come to drink. They still drink beer, but, in ge- supply the place of beer, has, in general, neral, it is of the brewing of common- been tea. It is notorious, that tea has no useful strength in it; that it contains prime is gone; and any work that is to nothing nutritious; that it, besides be done afterwards lags heavily along. being good for nothing, has badness in If the mother have to go out to work, it; because it is well known to produce the tea affair must all first be over. want of sleep in many cases, and in all She comes into the field, in summer cases, to shake and weaken the nerves. time, when the sun has gone a third It is, in fact, a weaker kind of laudanum, part of his course. She has the heat of which enlivens for the moment and the day to encounter, instead of having deadens afterwards. At any rate, it her work done and being ready to return communicates no strength to the body; home at an early hour. Yet early she it does not, in any degree, assist in af- must go, too; for, there is the fire fording what labour demands. It is, again to be made, the clattering teathen, of no use. And now, as to its tackle again to come forward; and even cost, compared with that of beer. I in the longest day she must have candle shall make my comparison applicable light, which never ought to be seen in to a year, or three hundred and sixty-a cottage (except in case of illness) from five days. I shall suppose the tea to be March to September. only five shillings the pound; the sugar 24. Now, then, let us take the bare only sevenpence; the milk only two-cost of the use of tea. I suppose a pence a quart. The prices are at the pound of tea to last twenty days; which very lowest. I shall suppose a tea-pot is not nearly half an ounce every mornto cost a shilling, six cups and saucers ing and evening. I allow for each mess two shillings and sixpence, and six pew-half a pint of milk. And I allow three ter spoons eighteen-pence. How to es- pounds of the red dirty sugar to each timate the firing I hardly know; but pound of tea. The account of expendicertainly there must, in the course of the ture would then stand very high; but year, be two hundred fires made that to these must be added the amount of would not be made, were it not for tea-the tea-tackle, one set of which will, drinking. Then comes the great article upon an average, be demolished every of all, the time employed in this tea- year. To these outgoings must be making affair. It is impossible to make added the cost of beer at the publica fire, boil water, make the tea, drink house; for, some the man will have it, wash up the things, sweep up the after all, and the woman too, unless they fire-place, and put all to rights again in be upon the point of actual starvation. a less space of time, upon an average, Two pots a week is as little as will than two hours. However, let us allow serve in this way; and here is a deal one hour; and here we have a woman loss of ninepence a week, seeing that occupied no less than three hundred and two pots of beer, full as strong, and a sixty-five hours in the year, or, thirty great deal better, can be brewed at home whole days, at twelve hours in the day; for threepence. The account of the that is to say, one month out of the year's tea drinking will, then, stand twelve in the year, besides the waste of thus: the man's time in hanging about waiting for the tea! Needs there anything more to make us cease to wonder at seeing labourers' children with dirty linen and holes in the heels of their stockings? Observe, too, that the time thus spent, is, one half of it, the best time of the day. It is the top of the morning, which, in every calling of life, contains an hour worth two or three 25. I have here estimated every thing hours of the afternoon. By the time at its very lowest. The entertainment that the clattering tea tackle is out of which I have here provided is as poor, the way, the morning is spoiled; its as mean, as miserable as any thing short 181b. of Tea..... £ s. d. 4 10 0 6 1 1 10 0 050 0 16 8 015 O U 11 7 2 Loss by going to public-house 1 19 |