Whilst immersed in her village work, she was earnestly solicited to write a popular tract that might help to counteract the baneful influence of Jacobin and infidel publications, and infamous ballads, which were now scattered broadcast over England.  She declined the task, doubtful of her efficiency to produce a pamphlet equal to the occasion.  On second thoughts, however, she tried her powers in secret, and issued anonymously a lively dialogue called Village Politics, by “Will Chip.”  The success was phenomenal.  Friends ignorant of the authorship sent her copies by every post within three or four days of publication, begging her to distribute the pamphlet as widely as possible.  In a short time copies were to be found in all parts of the kingdom.  Hundreds of thousands were circulated in London.  Such was the enthusiasm that private persons printed large editions at their own expense, whilst the Government sent off quantities to Scotland and Ireland.  At last the secret came out; and the author was deluged with congratulations and thanks.  Some persons of sound judgment declared that Village Politic had essentially contributed, under Providence, to prevent a revolution, whilst others went so far as to allege that Miss More had “wielded at will the fierce democratie of England, and stemmed the tide of misguided opinion.”

A little later Miss More wrote another pamphlet, by way of reply to the atheistical speech of Dupont to the National Convention, and devoted the profits, amounting to L240, towards the relief of the French emigrant clergy.

In 1794, or early in 1795, she commenced the issue of tracts.  This was a form of literary work not much used in those days.  The founders of the Religious Tract Society, realising the value of this kind of work, but considering that Miss More’s tracts needed supplementing with some which should in every case contain the simple communication of the Gospel, began in 1799 to undertake the dissemination of religious knowledge.  Sunday schools, through the energy of Mr. Raikes, were rising in various parts of the country; the poorer classes were learning to read; and nothing in the shape of cheap literature was provided to meet their new craving, except mischievous broadsheets and worthless doggerel.  Hannah More set to work to supply something healthy to amuse, instruct, and edify the new order of readers.  She produced regularly every month for three years, three tracts—­simple, pithy, vivacious, consisting of stories, ballads, homilies, and prayers.  She was sometimes assisted by one of her sisters and two or three friends; but the burden of the work, including heavy correspondence with local committees in almost every district of England, fell upon her shoulders.  In order to issue the brochures at a cheap rate and to undersell pernicious publications, she found it necessary to raise a subscription.  Her appeal met with a liberal response; and very shortly the lively tracts, with