were called contemptuously profeucha, poσsuxas, mumping corners. They were characterised by the mat on which they lay, the staff, the dog, and the bag for offals. Juvenal, praying for exemption from the beggar's lot, fays, Sit tuta fenectus-a tegete et baculo. S. ix. 140. And Martial, laughing at cynick philofophers affecting the mendicant appearance Ne mendica ferat barbati prandia nudi. 1. 14. Ep. 81. The very bag's, ashamed to bear Euftathius, in a note on Odyfs. P. fays, that fome were called, in Greek, Αγύρται οι Μητραγύρται, because they went about collecting charity in the name of the holy mother Rhea. Erafmus, on the proverbial term, mithragyrtes, obferves, that beggars were fo called, who went about pretending to Egyptian mysteries, and impofing on the vulgar. Apuleius, indeed, fays Stuckius, in his "Convivial "Antiquities," to which work I am obliged for many curious references, fhews that these vagabonds resembled those of later times, who carried about relics of faints, for petty gain, and impudent pretence to piety. C. v. 146. The ancients were not without even their mendicant friars. "In the old descriptions of lazy mendicant priests, cc among the heathens, who used to travel from house neceffitas inferatur, ut eorum quidem quos tenet conditio fervilis proditor ftudiofus et diligens dominium confequatur: eorum vero quos natalium fola libertas perfequitur colonatu perpetuo fulciatur quifquis hujusmodi lenitudinem prodiderit ac probaverit falvâ dominis in eos actione, qui vel latebram forte fugitivis vel mendicitatis fubeundæ confilium præftiterunt. "to house with facks on their backs, and from an opinion of their fanctity, raise large contributions "of money, bread, wine, and all kinds of victuals, "for the fupport of their fraternity, we see the very picture of the begging friars, who are always about "the street on the fame errand. Stipes æreas "immo vero, et argenteas multis certatim offeren"tibus finu recepere patulo, necnon et vini cadum et lactis, et cafeos avidis animis corradentes, "et in facculos huic quæftui de induftriâ præparatos "farcientes." Apul. Metam. 1. 8. "Cicero, in his "book of Laws, reftrains this practice of begging "or gathering alms to one particular order of priests, " and that only on certain days; because, as he says, "it propagates fuperftition, and impoverishes families. Stipem fuftulimus, nifi eam quam ad paucos dies "propriam, Ideæ matris excepimus. Implet, enim, "fuperftitione animos exhaurit domos." Cic. de leg. 1. ii. 9-16. From Middleton's Letter from Rome. In Juftinian's Novella Conftitutiones, Auth. Coll. vi. Tit. 9, Novell. lxxx. c. v. 162,* "it is enacted, that perfons able in body, belonging to other Pope Sixtus V. had once determined to expel every one from Rome, who had not a Ifortune, or could not get a livelihood by their labour. But thinking this would be a cruel measure, he undertook the building of great edifices, to employ all idle hands. The more effectually to prevent the city from being filled with beggars, he would not fuffer foreigners to come and live there, except they brought a certificate that they were able, by fome trade or profeffion, to maintain a family: ftrictly forbidding the clergy to marry any one that had not a proper licence and teftimonial to that effect from the magiftrate; and the laity, on pain of being fent to the gallies, to promife marriage before they had prefented themfelves to fuch magiftrates as were appointed to examine their circumstances; who, if they found them in danger of falling into poverty, or not able to maintain children, were not only to prohibit their marrying, but in cafe they perfifted in their design, to banish them out of the city. And when it was told Sixtus, that many thousands had been already banished upon that account, he said, "It was better to depopulate a city, than have it inhabited by "beggars." places, but lingering in Rome without vifible "means of support, fhall be fent back, if of fervile "condition, to their masters, if free, to their provin σε ces. Chapter 5, on mendicants, decrees, "But if they are natives or citizens, and found in body, but without adequate means of support, "they must not be permitted to become a burthen "to the land, but must be delivered without delay "to the furveyors of the public works, that they "may be provided with employment; to the over"feers of the ovens, to gardeners, or to men of "different occupations; in fome of which they may "be able to engage and earn a maintenance; changing a life of idlenefs for one of usefulness. But "if any shall refufe to work at the feveral trades "or occupations to which they shall be so appointed, "let them be banished from our royal city. This "we decree in our mercy, left, driven by idleness to "crime, they become liable to heavier penalties, "and the feverities of our courts of juftice. But "those who are debilitated by cafual injury, by fick"nefs, or by age, if they be citizens, we permit 46 to remain without molestation in our city, and to "be placed on the lift of the penfioners of the pious ;" [probably of the chriftians; or failing in this refpect, we may fuppofe, to avail themfelves of the Sportula, frumentationes, &c.] "But we command "that enquiry be made refpecting others fo maimed "and infirm, as to the occafion of their coming to "this place, that they may not fit idle in our streets; "and that if it fhall appear right and fit, they may "be conveyed back to their proper provinces." The dead poor, whofe friends could not afford the expense of a funeral, were carried to their graves, by men called vespa or vespillones. Qui "Sexto Pompeio auctore fic dicebantur, quod vef F 66 σε pertino tempore eos efferrent qui funebri pompâ "duci propter inopiam nequibant." Rofini Ant. Rom. 1. v. c. 39. The ancients, Romans as well as Greeks, had numerous clubs and affociations many, no doubt, for mere purposes of feafting, but even from these diftributions were made to their poorer neighbours; but several appear to have been founded on the principle of promoting charity. They were called collegia and fodalitates. "Sodales, Auguftinus vult, "dictos quafi fimul edales." Stuckius. A fraternity of a religious kind is faid to have been inftituted by Romulus, in honour of his union with Tatius the Sabine king. Numa inftituted colleges or companies of the different trades, mafons, goldfmiths, &c. appointing peculiar solemnities of ceremony for their meetings and facred rites, to cherish peace and love amongst the citizens. Plutarch, Life of Numa. It was afterwards found, that the different focieties promoted faction, rather than peace; and laws were paffed, at different times, to regulate them and to fupprefs them. Tarquinius Superbus fuppreffed them. After his expulfion, they were revived. A great number were fuppreffed by decree of the fenate, in the confulfhip of Q. Cæcilius and Q. Martius. There were then above five hundred different clubs in Rome. Nine years after, P. Clodius reftored them, and added many new ones, collegia (fays Cicero)" ex omni fæce urbis et fervitio concitata." Cæfar, when dictator, fuppreffed, Auguftus restored, many. Pliny writes to the Emperor Trajan, "The free "and confederate city of Amifus" [a colony of Athenians, in the province of Pontica,]" enjoys, by your "indulgence, the privilege of being governed by its "own laws. A memorial having been there pre "fented to me, concerning a charitable institution, "I have fubjoined it to this letter, that you may "confider, sir, whether, and how far, this fociety "ought to be licensed or prohibited." Letter 9'3. Letter 94. Trajan to Pliny. "If the prayer of "the petition of the Amifeni, which you have "transmitted to me, concerning the establishment of "a charitable fociety, be agreeable to their own "laws, which, by the articles of alliance, it is fti"pulated, they fhall enjoy; I fhall not oppose it; "especially if these contributions are employed, not " for the purposes of riot and faction, but for the support of the indigent. In other cities, however, "which are fubject to our laws, I would have all "affemblies of this nature prohibited."* From this flight view of ancient charity and policy, it is fufficiently apparent, that the principle of benevolence was not wanting among the Greeks and Romans; that the regulation of the poor has been attended with confiderable difficulty at all times; that confiderable funds were conftantly applied to the relief of the infirm and indigent; and that in proportion as great wealth has been accumulated in few hands, and luxurious habits have widened the diftinction between the higher and lower claffes; want, beggary, and idlenefs, have extensively encreased; and the demands for a permanent fupply been proportionately urgent. *The learned Cafaubon, in his obfervations upon Theophraftus, informs us, that there were at Athens, and other cities of Greece, certain fraternities which paid into a common cheft a monthly contribution toward the fupport of fuch of their members who had fallen into misfortunes; upon condition, that if ever they arrived at more profperous circumftances, they fhould pay into the general fund the money fo advanced. Melmoth's translation. |