Magdalenism : an inquiry into the extent, causes, and consequences of prostitution in Edinburgh / by William Tait.

  • Tait, William
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Magdalenism : an inquiry into the extent, causes, and consequences of prostitution in Edinburgh / by William Tait. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    51/292 (page 31)
    a considerable proportion of these one ])articular congregation. The greater part of those wlio have been regular in their attend- ance at the church alluded to, have belonged at one time to the class of sewers and bonnet-makers. ; Most, of thcfgenteel prosti- tutes profess to be Episcopalians, .and^many of them are still, in the habit of . attending the chapel'on the Sabbath. TheQiabits bf prostitutes]are necessarily such as are calculated to destroy every moral and religious impression Avhicli may have been produced upon their minds in their childhood;\and it may be thought wonderful that any of thera,\after having become hard- ened in vice,^\^should, as they sometimes do,\deem it proper to attend divine service^ It is difficult to conjecture the motives by which any of them are actuated in thus appearing in so sacred a place as the church; but there is too good reason to doubt if it is with the intention of deriving any benefit from the religious services. Indeed, (the characters of those who are^^n the habit of going to anyplace of public worship^fis suclj^)as<Jo lead to an opposite conclusion) ^hose^who |4iave enjoyed the privileges^ of gospel ordinance^ previous to going astraj,ynd who are stjll mosl' likely to experience religious feelings in their quiet an^d sober moments, are the last to think themselves worthy to appear in the house of Go^ ; It is generally the vain, the, ambitious, and the . most ignorant,, who have the audacity to do so. So far as the author''s knowledge extends, not one of those who have been in communion with the church have attended public worship any Avhere, after renouncing a virtuous life ; and those who pretend to have adhered to any Presbyterian congregation never afterwards returned to it; but if they continued to frequent any place of worship, they went to some of the English or Homan Catholic chapels, simply, it is presumed-, for the purpose of hearing the church music. .Duchatelct-andi^Dr Ryan ^have both(briefly treated of the good qualities of prostitutes ^(^utjhave^iffered consicli^rably in thCj-ac- count^ which they have given of them. The form.er has(i'eprc- sented them as kind-hearted and affectionate towards one another in distress,', Avhich fact will be adverted to in the following chap- ter ; and^he latter') on the authority of Mr Talbot, observes, that