CHAPTER XVI 



FOTHERGILL AS PHILANTHROPIST AND SOCIAL REFORMER 



He who sees without loving is only straining his eyes in the darkness. 

 MAETERLINCK. 



Ideas have hands and feet. HEGEL. 



His mind was of that open, candid and enlarged class, which surveys 

 all the families of the earth and all orders of men with a liberal and 

 comprehensive view, as the children of one common Parent and equally 

 under the care of his Providence ; and he was instant at all times to 

 support what was truly good and virtuous in them, under all forms, 

 denominations and distinctions whatsoever. Dr W. HIRD on Dr. J. 

 Fothergill, 1781. 



All questions of social and moral reform find lodgement first with 

 enlightened souls who stamp them with their approval. In God's 

 own time they will be organized into law and thus woven into the 

 fabric of our institutions. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



IT is chiefly as a philanthropist that Fothergill is now 

 remembered. Modern philanthropy may be called a 

 product of his -century, for it came into vogue shortly 

 after his time, and was stimulated by his example. The 

 abysmal separation between classes, and the selfish tone 

 of religion, had kept men's sympathies narrowed, but 

 this gave way at last : traces of a coming insight into the 

 worth and dignity of " the poor " may be noted in Gray's 

 Elegy, published in 1751. Some of the new philanthropy 

 took an enthusiastic form the pursuit of airy projects, 

 leading rather to the neglect of ordinary duties ; much 

 talk of universal good, but little heed to particular ends. 

 This was the kind of benevolence satirised by Sydney 

 Smith ; as if, he said, the crew should have the general 

 welfare of the ship so much at heart that no sailor should 

 pull any particular rope or handle any individual sail. 1 



1 Essay on Dr. Samuel Parr. 

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