1797 EDEN'S CLASSIC ON THE STATE OF THE POOR 074. EDEN, Sir Frederick Morton. The State of the Poor: or, an history of the Labouring Classes in England, from the Conquest to the present period; in which are particularly considered, their domestic economy, with respect to diet, dress, fuel, and habitation; and the various Plans which, from time to time, have been proposed, and adopted, for the Relief of the Poor; together with Parochial Reports relative to the Administration of Work-Houses, and Houses of Industry; the State of Friendly Societies; and other Public Institutions; in several Agricultural, Commercial, and Manufacturing, Districts. With a large Appendix; containing a comparative and chronological table of the prices of labour, or provisions, and other commodities; an account of the Poor in Scotland; and many original documents of National importance. In three volumes. London: Printed by J. Davis. 1797. COLLATION. Vol. I: [8],[xxxi],[1],632p. (Half title, title page, contents leaf omission in Vol. I, Preface, Text.) Vol. II. viii,444,443*/444*,445-692. (Half title, Title page, Contents, Text.) Vol. III: [5],vi-viii,693-744737*-744*,737+-744+,745- 904, [2],iii-viii, [2 - folding table], ix-cccxxx, [2]p. (Half title, Title page, Contents, Text, Appendix and Index) The final leaf "Directions to the binder indicates the way the author wished the book to be divided: "The First Volume terminates at p.632, and the Second Volume at p.692 of the sheets marked Vol. II. and ... the remainder of the Sheets marked Vol. II. begin the third Volume. The Appendix, with italic signatures, follows; and the Index concludes. " A fine set. GOLDSMITHS 17107. EINAUDI 1714. MAXWELL and MAXWELL. A Legal Bibliography. Sect IV Poor Law: p.14. Sir Frederick Morton Eden was a disciple of Adam Smith. As such he opposed intervention by government and any interference in the free market. He was an enemy in principle of "subsidised" workhouses which would compete on the open market with other methods of production. The old-fashioned schemes of setting the poor to work were therefore not for him. Like Burke he did not acknowledge the "Right to Relief". A legal provision for the poor weakened the "strongest tie of civil society, the desire of acquiring property; for it declares, that, whether a man is industrious or idle, his most pressing difficulties, the necessity of food, lodging, and cloathing, shall be provided for." In the debate concerning the adequacy of wages Eden aligned himself with Ruggles and Rumford against Davies and Howlett. The State of the Poor was a work of extraordinary diligence and its influence very considerable. Not only Malthus but Bentham was significantly effected by it. The most influential single idea was probably that only self help could bring assistance to the poor. He had planted the idea that the Poor Law was a rapidly growing menace to the structure of society and the prosperity of the country. In the 1798 edition of his Essay Malthus did not urge the abolition of the Poor Law altogether but by 1803 he had read Eden, and, in Eden, Defoe's attack . on publick employment. This experience had a great effect on Malthus's thinking and from it evolved his plan for the complete abolition of the Poor law. He began to see the Poor Law as the "first grand obstacle" to improvement, an evil far greater than the National Debt, and a "monstrous deformity in Society".