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e　on　each　side　of　it；　and　between　them　the　poor　are　obliged　to　pass　singly　into　the　hall。

As　soon　as　a　company　have　taken　places　at　the　table；　（the　soup　being　always　served　out　and　placed　upon　the　tables　before　they　are　admitted；）　upon　a　signal　given　by　the　officer　who　presides　at　the　dinner；　they　all　repeat　a　short　prayer。　Perhaps　I　ought　to　ask　pardon　for　mentioning　so　old…fashioned　a　custom；　but　I　own　I　am　old…fashioned　enough　myself　to　like　such　things。

As　an　account　in　detail　will　be　given　in　another　place；　of　the　expence　of　feeding　these　poor　people；　I　shall　only　observe　here；　that　this　expense　was　considerably　lessened　by　the　voluntary　donations　of　bread；　and　offal　meat；　which　were　made　by　the　bakers　and　butchers　of　the　town　and　suburbs。　The　beggars；　not　satisfied　with　the　money　which　they　extorted　from　all　ranks　of　people　by　their　unceasing　importunity；　had　contrived　to　lay　certain　classes　of　the　inhabitants　under　regular　periodical　contributions　of　certain　commodities；　and　especially　eatables；　which　they　collected　in　kind。　　Of　this　nature　were　the　contributions　which　were　levied　by　them　upon　the　bakers；　butchers；　keepers　of　eating…houses；　ale…house　keepers；　brewers；　etc。　all　of　whom　were　obliged；　at　stated　periods；once　a…week　at　least；or　oftener；　to　deliver　to　such　of　the　beggars　as　presented　themselves　at　the　hour　appointed；　very　considerable　quantities　of　bread；　meat；　soup；　and　other　eatables；　and　to　such　a　length　were　these　shameful　impositions　carried；　that　a　considerable　traffic　was　actually　carried　on　with　the　articles　so　collected；　between　the　beggars；　and　a　number　of　petty　shop…keepers；　or　hucksters；　who　purchased　them　of　the　beggars；　and　made　a　business　of　selling　them　by　retail　to　the　indigent　and　industrious　inhabitants。　And　though　these　abuses　were　well　known　to　the　public；　yet　this　custom　had　so　long　existed；　and　so　formidable　were　the　beggars　became　to　the　inhabitants；　that　it　was　no　means　safe；　or　advisable；　to　refuse　their　demands。

Upon　the　town　being　cleared　of　beggars；　these　impositions　ceased　of　course；　and　the　worthy　citizens；　who　were　relieved　from　this　burthen；　felt　so　sensibly　the　service　that　was　rendered　them；　that；　to　show　their　gratitude；　and　their　desire　to　assist　in　supporting　so　useful　an　establishment；　they　voluntarily　offered；　in　addition　to　their　monthly　subscriptions　in　money；　to　contribute　every　day　a　certain　quantity　of　bread；　meat；　soup；　etc。　towards　feeding　the　poor　in　the　Military　Work…house。　　And　these　articles　were　collected　every　day　by　the　servants　of　the　establishment；　who　went　round　the　town　with　small　carts；　neatly　fitted　up；　and　elegantly　painted；　and　drawn　by　single　small　horses；　neatly　harnessed。

As　in　these；　as　well　as　in　all　other　collections　of　public　charity；　it　was　necessary　to　arrange　matters　so　that　the　public　might　safely　place　the　most　perfect　confidence　in　those　who　were　charged　with　these　details；　the　collections　were　made　in　a　manner　in　which　it　was　EVIDENTLY　IMPOSSIBLE　for　those　employed　in　making　them　to　defraud　the　poor　of　any　part　of　that　which　their　charitable　and　more　opulent　fellow…citizens　designed　for　their　relief。And　to　this　circumstance　principally　it　may；　I　believe；　be　attributed；　that　these　donations　have　for　such　a　length　of　time　（more　than　five　years；）　continued　to　be　so　considerable。

In　the　collection　of　the　soup；　and　the　offal　meat　at　the　butchers'　shops；　as　those　articles　were　not　very　valuable　and　not　easily　concealed　or　disposed　of；　no　particular　precautions　were　necessary；　other　than　sending　round　PUBLICLY　and　at　a　CERTAIN　HOUR　the　carts　destined　for　those　purposes。　　Upon　that　for　collecting　the　soup；　which　was　upon　four　wheels；　was　a　large　cask　neatly　painted　with　an　inscription　on　each　side　in　large　letters；　〃for　the　〃Poor。〃　That　for　the　meat　held　a　large　tub　with　a　cover；　painted　with　the　same　colours；　and　marked　on　both　sides　with　the　same　inscription。

Beside　this　tub；　other　smaller　tubs；　painted　in　like　manner；　and　bearing　the　same　inscription；　〃for　the　Poor；〃　were　provided　and　hung　up　in　conspicuous　situations　in　all　the　butchers'　shops　in　the　town。　　In　doing　this；　two　objects　were　had　in　view；　first　the　convenience　of　the　butchers；　that　in　cutting　up　their　meat　they　might　have　a　convenient　place　to　lay　by　that　which　they　should　destine　for　the　poor　till　it　should　be　called　for；　and　secondly；　to　give　an　opportunity　to　those　who　bought　meat　in　their　shops　to　throw　in　any　odd　scraps；　or　bones；　they　might　receive；　and　which　they　might　not　think　worth　the　trouble　of　carrying　home。

These　odd　pieces　are　more　frequently　to　be　met　with　in　the　lots　which　are　sold　in　the　butchers'　shops　in　Munich　than　in　almost　any　other　town；　for　the　price　of　meat　is　fixed　by　authority；　the　butchers　have　a　right　to　sell　the　whole　carcase；　the　bad　pieces　with　the　good；　so　that　with　each　good　lot　there　is　what　in　this　country　is　called　the　zugewicht；　that　is　to　say；　an　indifferent　scrap　of　offal　meat；　or　piece　of　bone；　to　make　up　the　weight；　and　these　refuse　pieces　were　very　often　thrown　into　the　poor's　tub；　and　after　being　properly　cleaned　and　boiled；　served　to　make　their　soup　much　more　savoury　and　nourishing。

In　the　collection　of　the　daily　donations　of　bread；　as　that　article　is　more　valuable；　and　more　easily　concealed　and　disposed　of；　more　precautions　were　used　to　prevent　frauds　on　the　parts　of　the　servants　who　were　sent　round　to　make　the　collection。

The　cart　which　was　employed　for　this　purpose　was　furnished　with　a　large　wooden　chest；　firmly　nailed　down　upon　it；　and　provided　with　a　good　lock　and　key；　and　this　chest；　which　was　neatly　painted；　and　embellished　with　a　inscription；　was　so　contrived；　by　means　of　an　opening　in　the　top　of　a　large　vertical　wooden　tube　fixed　in　its　lid；　and　made　in　the　form　of　a　mouse…trap；　that　when　it　was　locked；　（as　it　always　was　when　it　was　sent　round　for　the　donations　of　bread；）　a　loaf　of　bread；　or　any　thing　of　that　size；　could　be　put　into　it；　but　nothing　could　be　taken　out　of　it　by　the　same　opening。　　Upon　the　return　of　the　cart；　the　bread…chest　was　opened　by　the　steward；　who　keeps　the　key　of　it；　and　its　contents；　after　being　entered　in　a　register　kept　for　that　purpose；　were　delivered　over　to　the　care　of　the　store…keeper。

The　bread　collected　was　commonly　such　as　not　having　been　sold　in　time；　had　become　too　old；　hard；　and　stale　for　the　market；　but　which；　being　cut　fine；　a　handful　of　it　put　into　a　basin　of　good　pease…soup；　was　a　great　addition　to　it。

The　amount　of　these　charitable　donations　in　kind；　may　be　seen　in　the　transactions　of　the　original　returns；　which　are　annexed　in　the　Appendix；　No。　III。

The　collections　of　soup　were　not　long　continued；　it　being　found　to　be　in　general　of　much　too　inferior　a　quality　to　be　mixed　with　the　soup　made　in　the　kitchen　of　the　poor…house；　but　the　collections　of　bread；　and　of　meat；　continue　to　this　time；　and　are　still　very　productive。

But　the　greatest　resource　in　feeding　the　poor；　is　one　which　I　am　but　just　beginning　to　avail　myself　of；the　use　of　potatoes＇10＇。　Of　this　subject；　however；　I　shall　treat　more　largely　hereafter。

The　above…mentioned　precautions　used　in　making　collections　in　kind；　may　perhaps　appear　trifling；　and　superfluous；　they　were　nevertheless　ver