The Warden · Chapter
Hiram's Bedesmen explained
The bedesmen of Hiram's Hospital are divided over a petition, instigated by attorney Finney, to demand a larger share of the charity's income.
What happens
The bedesmen of Hiram's Hospital are divided over a petition, instigated by attorney Finney, to demand a larger share of the charity's income. Abel Handy leads a faction of six men who sign the petition, while the loyal Bunce and two others resist. Through pressure and manipulation, Handy secures the marks of three wavering men—Skulpit, Crumple, and Gazy—bringing the total to nine signatures. Bunce confronts them, arguing that the warden has been a true friend and that legal action will only harm them, but the petition is carried away.
Themes in this chapter
Charity and Class
The bedesmen's discontent highlights the gap between the warden's comfortable income and their own modest allowance, raising questions about the proper distribution of charitable funds.
Public Opinion and the Press
The plan to send the petition and its reply to London papers shows how public opinion and media attention are being leveraged to pressure the hospital authorities.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Harding
The warden, though not physically present, is discussed as the benefactor who gave the bedesmen twopence a day and is defended by Bunce.
- John Bold
Mentioned as the instigator of the reform campaign, who justifies his actions with the motto 'Fiat justitia, ruat coelum' and has taken the bedesmen under his protection.
- Abel Handy
The leader of the faction seeking higher payments; he aggressively pressures the wavering bedesmen to sign the petition and mocks Bunce.
- Mr. Bunce
The loyal bedesman who refuses to sign the petition, defends the warden, and confronts Handy, arguing that the men are being misled.
- Job Skulpit
A bedesman who hesitates to sign but is ultimately persuaded by Handy to make his mark, feeling ashamed when confronted by Bunce.
- Mr. Finney
The attorney who whispered promises of a hundred pounds a year to the bedesmen and orchestrated the petition campaign.
Key passages
“Poor old men: whoever may be righted or wronged by this inquiry, they at any rate will assuredly be only injured: to them it can only be an unmixed evil.”
The narrator observes that the bedesmen will inevitably suffer harm from the investigation, regardless of who is proven right or wrong.
This reflects the theme that the poor are often the victims of well-intentioned reforms.
“What is unjust must be wrong; what is wrong should be righted; and if he declined the task, who else would do it?”
John Bold justifies his campaign by reasoning that injustice must be corrected, and if he does not act, no one else will.
This illustrates Bold's moral conviction and his role as a reformer.
“Law! Did ye ever know a poor man yet was the better for law, or for a lawyer?”
Bunce scoffs at the idea that legal action will benefit the bedesmen, arguing that the poor never gain from lawyers or the law.
This captures Bunce's skepticism and his loyalty to the warden's personal care over abstract legal rights.