STUDY XIII. 201 



objeâiS that are interefting : there is no one more 

 interefling than the fight of the families of the 

 poor peafantry, diffufing fruitfulnefs over your 

 vaft and folitary domains, or fuperannuated fol- 

 diers, who have deferved well of their country, 

 feeking refuge under the fliadow of your wings. 

 Your compatriots are furely much better than tra- 

 gedy heroes, and more interefting than the fhep- 

 herds of the comic opera. 



The indigence of the commonalty is the firft 

 caufe of the phyfical and moral maladies of the 

 rich. It is the bufinefs of adminiftration to pro- 

 vide a remedy. As to the maladies of the foul rc- 

 fulting from indigence, I could wifli fome pallia- 

 tives, at leaft, might be found. For this purpofe, 

 I would have formed, at Paris, fome eftablifhment 

 fimilar to thofe which humane Phyficians and fage 

 Law5'^ers have there inftituted, for remedying the 

 ills of body and of fortune; I mean difpenfaries of 

 confolation, to which an unfortunate wretch, fe- 

 cure of fecrefy, nay, of remaining unknown, might 

 refort to difclofe the caufe of his diftrefs. We have, 

 I grant, confeffors and preachers, for whom the 

 fublime fundlion of comforting the miferablefeems 

 to be referved. But confeflbrs are not always of 

 the fame difpofition with their penitents, efpecially 

 when the penitent is poor, and not much known 

 to them. Nay, there are many confeffors who have 



neither 



