Relief was also given to individuals who suffered loss from fire, sometimes by means of authorised collections and sometimes out of the public funds[488]. Thus in the North Riding £20 was paid to twelve persons of Thornton and Farmanby, on account of their losses caused by fire[489]. [488] Circular letters or briefs were often issued by the Council authorising collections for the sufferers. W. A. Bewes, _Church Briefs_, p. 97. [489] _North Riding Records_, Vol. IV. p. 27. Jan. 16, 1634/5. [Sidenote: 8. Characteristics of seventeenth century poor relief.] Thus in the first half of the seventeenth century relief in times of emergency forms a considerable part of the assistance given to people in distress. [Sidenote: _a._ Little distinction between paupers and non-paupers.] That provided in years of high priced corn was not distributed only to those who were usually paupers but to the whole of the labouring class; that afforded in times of fire or sickness affected all classes of the community. There was thus much less difference between paupers and the rest of the community than there is to-day. All classes were relieved because poor relief was originally part of a paternal system of government under which the rulers regarded the maintenance of the usual prosperity of every class as a part of their duties. There is a curious case of landlord and farmer relief during the season of plenty in 1619. It was then stated that of late years there had been so much corn that the farmers were impoverished. A letter was therefore sent to the justices of every county ordering them to confer concerning some fit place where a magazine might be provided for storing a quantity of corn. The reason for this is stated to be that it is the "care of the state to provyd as well to keepe the price of corne in tymes of plenty at such reasonable rates as may afford encouragemt and lively good to the farmer and husbandman as to moderate the rates thereof in time of scarcitie for the releefe of the poorer folke"[490]. Few regulations could make it clearer than this, that the paternal measures of the Government were not confined to one particular class, but affected the whole of the community. [490] _Privy Council Registers_, 19 Jan. 1619/20. [Sidenote: _b._ Little distinction between relief afforded by voluntary donations and that provided by poor rates.]