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until the evening," (Psl. civ. 23.)

What then? here is no definitive time when to begin, or to end: a man may go forth to his labour from eight o'clock in the morning till six at night; or he may have one day out of six for his own pleasure and use, and all this may be fulfilled well enough: yes, by the sweat of his brow" in the sweat of his face shall he eat bread." A man or a woman may work from twelve to fifteen hours if they please, (and much good may they do with it,) but this is no rule nor standard for me; much less for the rulers and judges of the earth. "Right is the maxim of the old law, and as the late Grenville Sharp hath it, "not only right, but right right, i. e. perfectly right: or, as it is rendered in our common version, "that which is altogether just shalt thou follow. (Deut. xvi. 20.) Now it is not "altogether just," to compel a person to labour or work twelve, thirteen, fourteen or fifteen hours in a day! But I suspect this custom of working so many hours to the day, to be revived by "the advances" of (our) refinements and philosophy! The modern and polite philosopher has done his part to establish this "european slavery." And the late celebrated philosopher and politician, Benjamin Franklin, (however aforetime he might, by choice, be a slave to his own studies and pursuits,) has certainly done his part; whether designedly or not, to make slaves of the greater bulk of mankind. In his advice to "hunters of the tavern, and public houses," saith"keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee."— "Let not thy voice be heard in taverns (or public houses,) but let the sound of thy hammer be heard on thy anvil from SIX in the morning till NINE at night!"*

* This is worse than Stat. 5. Eliz. c. 4. which compelled

This observation seems to have lost nothing, if not as contagious as the plague; and applied to almost every situation in trade, and capacity in life; take them all in their different gradations and avocations, from the prime minister to the cobler in his stall! But surely, every man of common sense and common humanity, ought not to adopt a maxim for the sober and virtuous, which was, in all probability, designed only as a preventative (if not a cure) for the drunkards," those that indulge in the vices of the tavern!"-Fifteen hours' day labour! well, thought I to myself, this can never be : it must be an error of the press; for surely, "one of the most celebrated philosophers and politicians of the eighteenth century," never could devise such means to punish the evil doers; much less to check the immorality of the age! Whatever may have been the stated time of labour of the servants-slaves-(as alluded to by our Lord, when on earth, in the preceding pages) whether jews or gentiles; this, if I am informed right, exceeds all the manual labour (if not corporal pu nishment) of all the transports to Botany Bay, or all the convicts on board the hulks, or even the African slaves! Thus much for a " Doctor of Laws!" a fellow of the society called "royal!" I am aware of the objections against a short day's labour: but as the same objections may be brought against the

labourers to work from five in the morning to seven or eight at night, from the middle of the third month, called March, to the middle of the ninth month; allowing two hours for breakfast and dinner, and half an hour for sleeping, the three hot months; and all the rest of the year from twilight to twilight, except an hour and an half for breakfast and dinner, on pain of forfeiting 1d. for every hour absent !

advance of journeymen and mechanics' wages, which I shall notice presently, I shall reserve my reply till then, as the same remarks will serve for both.

I am aware that "ancient usage," (things long accustomed, too often) "becomes law." "becomes law." But I find "the great," (and I may say, in some measure,) "the good king Alfred,” did well to divide the day, twenty-four hours into three equal parts," one part devoted to the service of God, another to public affairs, and the third to refreshment." (Vide Encyc. Imp.) And I find there are some-a few-of the wise, the rich, and the great ones of this world, are rigid economists in regulating their time (for ease, pleasure, &c.) Among "the noble few," one lies now before me; no less than the celebrated politician, the famous linguist, and a judge of the supreme court at Calcutta, the late William Jones. "I rise," (says he, in a letter to a friend,) "before the sun, and bathe, after a gentle ride; my diet is light and sparing, and I go early to rest; yet the activity of mind is too strong for my constitution, though naturally not infirm, and I must be satisfied with a valetudinarian state of health."

"In another place," says a certain reviewer, "we find him thus correcting two well-known lines of that famous Judge, Edward Coke.

'Six hours in sleep, in law grave study six ;
Four spend in prayer, the rest on nature fix.'

Rather, says William Jones,

• Six hours to law, to soothing slumber seven ;
Ten to the world allot, and all to heav'n.'

Whether the attention to religion, in the days of Edward Coke "bordered perhaps on superstition," or not, (though there was quite enough of it in the days of James I, and well if he escaped the contagion,) sure I am, four hours for religious duty is none too much for every poor man: I perfectly concar with the Christian Observer, that the turn given in the end of the last line appears (to us) excellent:" yet truly there is great reason to fear an abuse of W. Jones' admirable distich: we mean that there is a danger that the time allotted to the world, should be too easily construed to be allotted to heaven.""Our infidel philosophers have been very instrumental in teaching this error;" not only "Gibbon, Dr. A. Smith," Hume, and others; in a word, I might add an host of political revolutionists, and parliamentary reformists, at home and abroad.

I must confess, I have no turn to versification, or poetical composition; I never was able to make one verse in my life: (whatever I may to prophesy :) feeling, however, a particular desire to make some emendation on the above, the following strains presented themselves

The day and night, from six to six (or otherwise) divided,
And equally all mankind, their wants may be provided;
Three hours at morn, three hours at eve, for family duties take;
Nine hours to labour---useful arts, one hour at noon for meat;

Vide Christion Observer, Review of the Life of W. Jones. p. 687---688. vol. III.

† Ibid.

Eight hours in soothing slumber take, if nature that doth call ;* Be all thy works in righteousness, and Christ ALL in ALL. GLORY to GOD in the HIGHEST and on EARTH all praise

be given;

GOOD WILL towards all men, a sweet repast of heaven.

If I may be allowed to paraphrase my own poetical effusion, I would state it thus:

At five, (or sooner,) if circumstances require, and health permit, rise: one hour take for reading the Bible, (or other pious book,) meditation, or retirement in silent waiting, for private or public worship of God. Take a walk, or garden husbandry, or any other domestic affairs. At eight pursue daily labour -whatever calling or occupation, with industry and integrity at noon, one hour to dinner; pursue

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* It is well observed by ths pious author of "the whole duty of man," in his third part of temperance," concerning sleep; that this also must be measured by the end of which sleep was ordained by God, which was only the refreshing and sup porting our frail bodies:" and although "a moderate degree serves best," yet that "it will be impossible to set down just how many hours is that moderate degree; because as in eating and drinking, so in sleep, some constitutions require more than others: every man's own experience must, in this, judge for him; but then let him judge uprightly, and not consult with his sloth in the case, for that will still, with Solomon's sluggard, cry, a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to sleep, Prov. xxii. 33. (p. 122.)

Another pious writer (in the Christian Observer, 1804. p. 111) in his admonition and reproof of the rich christian who does not rise "early to prayer;" assures such a one, that "he has no reason to think he has taken up his cross and is following Christ: and upbraids him with " the drudging part of the world who are content to rise to their labour !" Now it is pretty well known that" the drudging part of mankind, at least the greater part

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