Letter V. To Robert Dingley, Esq.; being a proposal for the relief and employment of friendless girls and repenting prostitutes / [Jonas Hanway].

  • Hanway, Jonas, 1712-1786.
Date:
1758
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letter V. To Robert Dingley, Esq.; being a proposal for the relief and employment of friendless girls and repenting prostitutes / [Jonas Hanway]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    / t 28 ] merits may be made to them, in order to our trying the experiment propofed, with all poflible advantage. Poverty and diflrefs will thus be fo far alleviated, as to pre¬ vent any necejfily of thefe girls becoming proftitutes : and however we may diftin* guifh afterwards, the fame plan will nearly anfwer both purpofes. f Men are naturally fond of their firjl thoughts, but we fee in almoft every public injlitution, that too much ingenuity cannot be employed in planning and adopting the moft conftitutional and practicable methods, to prevent abufes ; to avoid fruit- lels expences; to promote tht great cauje of humanity ^ and at length to open our minds, that we may be able to take in the greateft objects without difficulty. For this purpofe I hope an honorary reward will be given, for the bed plan for the eftabliffi- ment of a charity houfe, or charity houfes, for repenting profitutes. Manufactures and Trade tart intimatly concerned in the employment of a great number of people, and particularly of thofe who have been the moft idle and wicked. No other fociety but that for the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce, can give fuch honora¬ ry reward, and I hope they will countenance a propofal of this nature. Thus we may hope to fee the attention of the ingenious called forth, whilft the zeal of thofe who de¬ light to think, how the good of mankind may be promoted, is put in aftion : and we (hall probably make confiderable improvements on what has been already written on the fubjeCh The letter from the Auguft magazine in regard to harlots is as follows: “ I have lately read three letters in a paper called the CITIZEN, that have made a deep impreffion upon my mind. Religion, humanity, and pity for the moft miferable of all our diftrefied fellow-creatures, call upon the community in general, to confider the contents of thofe letters, with attention ; and I make no doubt but you will very readily lay the fubftance of them before your numerous and judicious readers. The defign of the writer is to excite a fpirit of charity towards repenting proftitutes, and a lau¬ dable refolution to provide an hofpital for their reformation. He fays, in his firjl letter, that coming home to his chambers, in the Temple, one night with a friend* from an evening walk in the park, they agreed to take the different Tides of the way* and to count the unfortunate girls who prefented themfelves to their view, but to