Ross was filled with poor who came to receive bread, which the Man of Ross distributed to them. He also supplied an alms-house (or house for taking care of the poor) with food and clothing. The house was neat but not fine, and on the benches at the door old men, and those who had been in want, sate with chearful countenances.

"Him portion'd maids, apprentic'd orphans blest,

The young who labour, and the old who rest."

Young women who were poor had mouey given to them by the Man of Ross, as marriage portions, or fortunes, to put it into their power to maintain a family-and orphans, children who had lost their fathers and

mothers, were put out apprentices to different trades by him.

An apprentice is so called from French and Latin words that mean to learn. Boys are put out apprentices when they are strong enough to learn trades; they are usually bound to their masters for seven years, sometimes only for five, during which time the master is required to feed and clothe the boy, and to teach him his trade the boy and the master are mutually bound in writing to perform their respective parts of the contract. If either of them act wrong, it is in the power of a justice of the peace to oblige them to fulfil their contract.

During the first years of the bargain the master suffers a loss in feeding

and clothing the young boy; but towards the end of the seven or five

years, the boy's work is not only sufficient to pay for his clothes and diet, but his work becomes profitable to the master. It is obvious that the time which an apprentice ought to serve should be different in different trades.

"Is any sick? The Man of Ross relieves, Attends, prescribes, the med'cine makes, and gives."

This requires no explanation.

"Is there a contest? enter but his door, Balk'd are the courts, and contest is no more. Despairing quacks, with curses, fled the place, And vile attornies, now an useless race."

Balk'd are the courts-The courts of law, or rather the lawyers belong

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ing to the courts of law, were balked, or disappointed; for those who were going to law were reconciled if they the once entered the doors of the Man of Ross.

Contest-quarrel, dispute.

Despairing quacks-Quacks are persons who pretend to be physicians without any extensive knowledge of the profession-they pretend to cure diseases by some particular secret medicine, which is frequently of no effect, but which sometimes is highly deleterious or poisonous. The Man of Ross by careful attention, and some skill and little medicine, cared so many people, that there was no business for quacks at Ross, and they therefore left the place, very angry with the Man of Ross.

Vile Attornies-This does not mean

that all attornies are vile; there are many attornies of perfect integrity and honour. Pope alluded to a low race of attornies, who have from their petty mean practices acquired the name of petty-foggers.

"Thrice happy man enabled to pursue
What all so wish, but want the power to do':
Oh say, what sums that gen'rous hand supply,
What mines, to swell that boundless charity?"

The poet says, this man must have been very happy, who had it in his power to do so much good, he says, ironically, that is saying contrary to what he really means, that he sup poses that every body desires to do as much good as the Man of Ross did, but that few are rich enough to gratify their benevolent wishes.

He asks, what mines of gold and

C