of young lads and maidens,not exceeding fourteen years of age,nor under twelve;so great a number of both sexes in every country being now ready to starve for want of work and service:And these to be disposed of by their parents if alive,or otherwise by their nearest relations.But with due deference to so excellent a friend,and so deserving a patriot,I cannot be altogether in his sentiments;for as to the males,my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience,that their flesh was generally tough and lean,like that of our school-boys,by continual exercise,and their taste disagreeable,and to fatten them would not answer the charge.Then as to the females,it would,I think,with humble submission,be a loss to the public,because they soon would become breeders themselves:And besides,it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice,(although indeed very unjustly)as a little bordering upon cruelty,which,I confess,hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project,how well soever intended. 18 But in order to justify my friend,he confessed,that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanazar',a native of the island Formosa,who came from thence to London,above twenty years ago,and in conversation told my friend,that in his country,when any young person happened to be put to death,the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality,as a prime dainty;and that,in his time,the body of a plump girl of fifteen,who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor,was sold to his imperial majesty's prime minister of state,and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the gibbet,at four hundred crowns.Neither indeed can I deny,that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town,who without one single groat2 to their fortunes,cannot stir abroad without a chair,and appear at a play-house and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never will pay for,the kingdom would not be the worse. 19 Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people,who are aged,diseased,or maimed;and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken,to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance.But I am not in the least pain upon that matter,because it is very well known,that they are every day dying,and rotting,by cold and famine,and filth,and 1 George Psalmanazar(c.1679-1763),a Frenchman who claimed to be from Formosa(now Taiwan);he wrote An Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa(1704).The hoax was exposed soon after publication. 2 Groat:a silver coin used in Britain.of young lads and maidens, not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of both sexes in every country being now ready to starve for want of work and service: And these to be disposed of by their parents if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our school-boys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the public, because they soon would become breeders themselves: And besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, how well soever intended. 18 But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this expedient was put into his head by the famous Psalmanazar 1 , a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London, above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that in his country, when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty's prime minister of state, and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can I deny, that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who without one single groat2 to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without a chair, and appear at a play-house and assemblies in foreign fineries which they never will pay for; the kingdom would not be the worse. 19 Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and 1 George Psalmanazar (c. 1679–1763), a Frenchman who claimed to be from Formosa (now Taiwan); he wrote An Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa (1704). The hoax was exposed soon after publication. 2 Groat: a silver coin used in Britain