In 1622 a pamphlet called "Grievous Grones of the Poore by a Well-wisher who wisheth that the Poor of England might be so provided for that none need go a-begging," complains that the statutes were not enforced. "Though the number of these poore do daily increase … many of these parishes turneth forth their poore, yea, and their lustie beggars that will not worke … to begge, filche, and steale for their maintenance, so that the country is pitifully pestered."
In 1646 there was published "Stanleyes Remedy, or How to Reform Wandering Beggars, etc.; wherein is showed that Sodomes Sin of Idleness is the Poverty and Misery of this Kingdom." This pamphlet is entitled "The Cantation and Conversion of Mr Stanley, formerly an Innes of Court gentleman; he afterwards by lewd company became a highway robber. Having his life pardoned, he loaths his wicked course of life, and writes to King James shewing a meanes and remedy by which the poore of this Kingdom may be greatly relieved by means of workhouses in all cities and parishes ; and how by this means wandering, beggary, idleness, and a certainly shameful end, will be prevented amongst manie."
In 1669 Sir Joseph Child published his "Discourse on Trade." He conceives that the "sad and wretched condition of the poor" is owing to a radical defect in the laws, and proposes to set up "Fathers of the poor after the manner of the Familiars of the Inquisition in Spain." A pamphlet of 1673 entitled "The Grand Concern of England Explained" estimates the poor rate at £840,000. This it says "is employed only to maintain idle persons. Doth great hurt rather than good. Makes a world of poor more than there would otherwise have been … men and women growing so proud and idle that they will not work but lie upon the parish
