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horse　had　dropped　down　dead　near　Chatham；　in　Kent。　　That　this　had

reduced　him　to　the　unpleasant　necessity　of　getting　into　the　shafts

himself；　and　drawing　the　cart　of　crockery　to　London　…　a　somewhat

exhausting　pull　of　thirty　miles。　　That　he　did　not　venture　to　ask

again　for　money；　but　that　if　I　would　have　the　goodness　TO　LEAVE　HIM

OUT　A　DONKEY；　he　would　call　for　the　animal　before　breakfast！



At　another　time　my　friend　（I　am　describing　actual　experiences）

introduced　himself　as　a　literary　gentleman　in　the　last　extremity　of

distress。　　He　had　had　a　play　accepted　at　a　certain　Theatre　…　which

was　really　open；　its　representation　was　delayed　by　the

indisposition　of　a　leading　actor　…　who　was　really　ill；　and　he　and

his　were　in　a　state　of　absolute　starvation。　　If　he　made　his

necessities　known　to　the　Manager　of　the　Theatre；　he　put　it　to　me　to

say　what　kind　of　treatment　he　might　expect？　　Well！　we　got　over　that

difficulty　to　our　mutual　satisfaction。　　A　little　while　afterwards

he　was　in　some　other　strait。　　I　think　Mrs。　Southcote；　his　wife；　was

in　extremity　…　and　we　adjusted　that　point　too。　　A　little　while

afterwards　he　had　taken　a　new　house；　and　was　going　headlong　to　ruin

for　want　of　a　water…butt。　　I　had　my　misgivings　about　the　water…

butt；　and　did　not　reply　to　that　epistle。　　But　a　little　while

afterwards；　I　had　reason　to　feel　penitent　for　my　neglect。　　He　wrote

me　a　few　broken…hearted　lines；　informing　me　that　the　dear　partner

of　his　sorrows　died　in　his　arms　last　night　at　nine　o'clock！



I　despatched　a　trusty　messenger　to　comfort　the　bereaved　mourner　and

his　poor　children；　but　the　messenger　went　so　soon；　that　the　play

was　not　ready　to　be　played　out；　my　friend　was　not　at　home；　and　his

wife　was　in　a　most　delightful　state　of　health。　　He　was　taken　up　by

the　Mendicity　Society　（informally　it　afterwards　appeared）；　and　I

presented　myself　at　a　London　Police…Office　with　my　testimony

against　him。　　The　Magistrate　was　wonderfully　struck　by　his

educational　acquirements；　deeply　impressed　by　the　excellence　of　his

letters；　exceedingly　sorry　to　see　a　man　of　his　attainments　there；

complimented　him　highly　on　his　powers　of　composition；　and　was　quite

charmed　to　have　the　agreeable　duty　of　discharging　him。　　A

collection　was　made　for　the　'poor　fellow；'　as　he　was　called　in　the

reports；　and　I　left　the　court　with　a　comfortable　sense　of　being

universally　regarded　as　a　sort　of　monster。　　Next　day　comes　to　me　a

friend　of　mine；　the　governor　of　a　large　prison。　　'Why　did　you　ever

go　to　the　Police…Office　against　that　man；'　says　he；　'without　coming

to　me　first？　　I　know　all　about　him　and　his　frauds。　　He　lodged　in

the　house　of　one　of　my　warders；　at　the　very　time　when　he　first

wrote　to　you；　and　then　he　was　eating　spring…lamb　at　eighteen…pence

a　pound；　and　early　asparagus　at　I　don't　know　how　much　a　bundle！'

On　that　very　same　day；　and　in　that　very　same　hour；　my　injured

gentleman　wrote　a　solemn　address　to　me；　demanding　to　know　what

compensation　I　proposed　to　make　him　for　his　having　passed　the　night

in　a　'loathsome　dungeon。'　　And　next　morning　an　Irish　gentleman；　a

member　of　the　same　fraternity；　who　had　read　the　case；　and　was　very

well　persuaded　I　should　be　chary　of　going　to　that　Police…Office

again；　positively　refused　to　leave　my　door　for　less　than　a

sovereign；　and；　resolved　to　besiege　me　into　compliance；　literally

'sat　down'　before　it　for　ten　mortal　hours。　　The　garrison　being　well

provisioned；　I　remained　within　the　walls；　and　he　raised　the　siege

at　midnight　with　a　prodigious　alarum　on　the　bell。



The　Begging…Letter　Writer　often　has　an　extensive　circle　of

acquaintance。　　Whole　pages　of　the　'Court　Guide'　are　ready　to　be

references　for　him。　　Noblemen　and　gentlemen　write　to　say　there

never　was　such　a　man　for　probity　and　virtue。　　They　have　known　him

time　out　of　mind；　and　there　is　nothing　they　wouldn't　do　for　him。

Somehow；　they　don't　give　him　that　one　pound　ten　he　stands　in　need

of；　but　perhaps　it　is　not　enough　…　they　want　to　do　more；　and　his

modesty　will　not　allow　it。　　It　is　to　be　remarked　of　his　trade　that

it　is　a　very　fascinating　one。　　He　never　leaves　it；　and　those　who

are　near　to　him　become　smitten　with　a　love　of　it；　too；　and　sooner

or　later　set　up　for　themselves。　　He　employs　a　messenger　…　man；

woman；　or　child。　　That　messenger　is　certain　ultimately　to　become　an

independent　Begging…Letter　Writer。　　His　sons　and　daughters　succeed

to　his　calling；　and　write　begging…letters　when　he　is　no　more。　　He

throws　off　the　infection　of　begging…letter　writing；　like　the

contagion　of　disease。　　What　Sydney　Smith　so　happily　called　'the

dangerous　luxury　of　dishonesty'　is　more　tempting；　and　more

catching；　it　would　seem；　in　this　instance　than　in　any　other。



He　always　belongs　to　a　Corresponding…Society　of　Begging…Letter

Writers。　　Any　one　who　will；　may　ascertain　this　fact。　　Give　money

to…day　in　recognition　of　a　begging…letter；　…　no　matter　how　unlike　a

common　begging…letter；　…　and　for　the　next　fortnight　you　will　have　a

rush　of　such　communications。　　Steadily　refuse　to　give；　and　the

begging…letters　become　Angels'　visits；　until　the　Society　is　from

some　cause　or　other　in　a　dull　way　of　business；　and　may　as　well　try

you　as　anybody　else。　　It　is　of　little　use　inquiring　into　the

Begging…Letter　Writer's　circumstances。　　He　may　be　sometimes

accidentally　found　out；　as　in　the　case　already　mentioned　（though

that　was　not　the　first　inquiry　made）；　but　apparent　misery　is　always

a　part　of　his　trade；　and　real　misery　very　often　is；　in　the

intervals　of　spring…lamb　and　early　asparagus。　　It　is　naturally　an

incident　of　his　dissipated　and　dishonest　life。



That　the　calling　is　a　successful　one；　and　that　large　sums　of　money

are　gained　by　it；　must　be　evident　to　anybody　who　reads　the　Police

Reports　of　such　cases。　　But；　prosecutions　are　of　rare　occurrence；

relatively　to　the　extent　to　which　the　trade　is　carried　on。　　The

cause　of　this　is　to　be　found　（as　no　one　knows　better　than　the

Begging…Letter　Writer；　for　it　is　a　part　of　his　speculation）　in　the

aversion　people　feel　to　exhibit　themselves　as　having　been　imposed

upon；　or　as　having　weakly　gratified　their　consciences　with　a　lazy；

flimsy　substitute　for　the　noblest　of　all　virtues。　　There　is　a　man

at　large；　at　the　moment　when　this　paper　is　preparing　for　the　press

（on　the　29th　of　April；　1850）；　and　never　once　taken　up　yet；　who；

within　these　twelvemonths；　has　been　probably　the　most　audacious　and

the　most　successful　swindler　that　even　this　trade　has　ever　known。

There　has　been　something　singularly　base　in　this　fellow's

proceedings；　it　has　been　his　business　to　write　to　all　sorts　and

conditions　of　people；　in　the　names　of　persons　of　high　reputation

and　unblemished　honour；　professing　to　be　in　distress　…　the　general

admiration　and　respect　for　whom　has　ensured　a　ready　and　generous

reply。



Now；　in　the　hope　that　the　results　of　the　real　experience　of　a　real

person　may　do　something　more　to　induce　reflection　on　this　subject

than　any　abstract　treatise　…　and　with　a　personal　knowledge　of　the

extent　to　which　the　Begging…Letter　Trade　has　been　carried　on　for

some　time；　and　has　been　for　some　time　constantly　increasing　…　the

writer　of　this　paper　entreats　the　attention　of　his　readers　to　a　few

concluding　words。　　His　experience　is　a　type　of　the　experience　of

many；　some　on　a　smaller；　some　on　an　infinitely　larger　scale。　　All

may　judge　of　the　soundness　or　unsoundness　of　his　conclusions　from

it。



Long　doubtful　of　the　efficacy　of　such　assistance　in　any　case

whatever；　and　able　to　recall　but　one；　within　his　whole　individual


knowledge；　in　which　he　had　the　least　after…reason　to　suppose　that

any　good　was　done　by　it；　he　was　led；　last　autumn；　into　some　serious

considerations。　　The　begging…letters　flying　about　by　every　post；

made　it　perfectly　manifest　that　a　set　of　lazy　vagabonds　were

interposed　between　the　general　desire　to　do　something　to　relieve

the　sickness　and　misery　under　which　the　poor　were　suffering；　and

the　suffering　poor　themselves。　　That　many　who　sought　to　do　some

little　to　repair　the　social　wrongs；　inflicted　in　the　way　of

preventible　sickness　and　death　upon　the　poor；　were　strengthening

those　wrongs；　however　innocently；　by　wasting　money　on　pestilent

knaves　cumbering　society。　　That　imagination；　…　soberly　following

one　of　these　knaves　into　his　life　of　punishment　in　jail；　and

comparing　it　with　the　life　of　one　of　these　poor　in　a　cholera…

stricken　alley；　or　one　of　the　children　of　one　of　these　poor；

soothed　in　its　dying　hour　by　the　late　lamented　Mr。　Drouet；　…

contemplated　a　grim　farce；　impossible　to　be　presented　very　much

longer　before　God　or　man。　　That　the　crowning　miracle　of　all　the

miracles　summed　up　in　the　New　Testament；　after　the　miracle　of　the

blind　seeing；　and　the　lame　walking；　and　the　restoration　of　the　dead

to　life；　was　the　miracle　that　the　poor　had　the　Gospel　preached　to

them。　　That　while　the　poor　were　unnaturally　and　unnecessarily　cut

off　by　the　thousand；　in　the　prematurity　of　their　age；　or　in　the

rottenness　of　their　youth　…　for　of　flower　or　blossom　such　youth　has

none　…　the　Gospel　was　NOT　preached　to　them；　saving　in　hollow　and

unmeaning　voices。　　That　of　all　wrongs；　this　was　the　first　mighty

wrong　the　Pestilence　warned　us　to　set　right。　　And　that　no　Post…

Office　Order　to　any　amount；　given　to　a　Begging…Letter　Writer　for

the　quieting　of　an　uneasy　breast；　would　be　presentable　on　the　Last

Great　Day　as　anything　towards　it。



The　poor　never　write　these　letters。　　Nothing　could　be　more　unlike

their　habits。　　The　writers　are　public　robbers；　and　we　who　support

them　are　parties　to　their　depredations。　　They　trade　upon　every

circumstance　within　their　knowledge　that　affects　us；　public　or

private；　joyful　or　sorrowful；　they　pervert　the　lessons　of　our

lives；　they　change　what　ought　to　be　our　strength　and　virtue　into

weakness；　and　encouragement　of　vice。　　There　is　a　plain　remedy；　and

it　is　in　our　own　hands。　　We　must　resolve；　at　any　sacrifice　of

feeling；　to　be　deaf　to　such　appeals；　and　crush