Thoughts on the plan for a Magdalen-House for repentant prostitutes / [Anon].

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

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thoughts on the plan for a Magdalen-House for repentant prostitutes / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    56/68 (page 52)
    [ 5* ] the cafe of many proff.tutes, who are ; the daughters of poor tradefmen, or of clergymen of poor livings in the country. If, by means of your inftitution, fuch perfons learn to work, though they begin late in life, they may provide tbemfelves a comfortable fupport.. A woman who is miftrefs of a trade, is a fortune to a hufband, and in cafe of his death may, provide for her children, as many widows do, who have had the happi- nefs to be educated in an induftrious manner, and in the w'ay which na¬ ture feems to have appointed for both fexes, equally the fame, though the objedt for employment is different. It has been often obferved, that there are many trades, now in the hands of men, in which women might do as well, and fome which their natural ingenuity would enable them to carry on much better. ' j t . i r ;v.,:i ; . . , . ‘ ^ ' ■ , V , •, V - The remedy of thefe evils has long engaged our thoughts, but war miift teach us to be ftridlly circumfpedt. The fkilful and the afhve mud help to lighten the burthen of the rich, as well as of the poor, and, by Javing money, affift in the fupport of the war, that, when it is happily finished, we may be the better enabled to cultivate the arts of peace.' Thus we may render our charities equally fubfervient to the honor of God, the fervice of the fate, and the temporal and eternal welfare of our fellowrfubjedts. , j . ... • ;»'*•* ” . ;> v. ' ' r • ef i - ai ' i i;.*v With regard to fuch as are only in danger of being corrupted, it mufl be confefled, that in fome cafes it is more eafy to prevent than to cut;e a difeafe, yet it does not follow, that fuch cure is to be negledted. When the propo- iition was fir ft made for an efiabtifoment of charity-hcufes for frtendlefs. girls and repenting proflitutes, they were juftly diftinguithed as two very different objedts : and for as much as the denomination cf friendlefs girls might take in vaft crowds, from every part of the kingdom, the fupport of which no private