COUNT RUMFORD 



39 



Rumford Medal of the Royal Society. 



His humane and practical methods of suppressing beggary gave 

 him the title of " The Father of the Indigent." While he was danger- 

 ously ill, the poor of the city marched in procession to the cathedral 

 and offered up prayers for his recovery. " Imagine my feelings," said 

 he, " upon hearing the confused noise of the prayers, of a multitude of 

 people, passing in the streets, when told that it was the poor of Munich, 

 hundreds in number, who were going in procession to the church to 

 put up public prayers for me — for a private person — a stranger — a 

 protestant." 



Thompson's essays on heat and light had been published by the 

 Royal Society in their " Philosophical Transactions." He had been 

 made a member of the Berlin Academy, and of several scientific socie- 

 ties of Bavaria, and later a member of the Institute of France. The 

 elector advanced him to chamberlain, major general, head of war de- 

 partment, chancellor of state, and in 1791 conferred on him the title 

 of Count of the Holy Roman Empire. 



Concord, Xew Hampshire, was incorporated in 1734 under the 

 name of Bum ford, and in choosing his title, Thompson selected the 

 earlv name of the American town where he had lived. 



Rumford Medai. of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 



