Life of Count Rumford. 171 



and statesmen have done since, and never with more 

 perplexity and baffled wisdom are doing now, the terri- 

 ble problems presented by pauperism in every state, 

 however otherwise flourishing. In 'his time he might 

 well say that the subject had not been investigated with 

 any just degree of interest or success. To him belongs 

 the high honor of a leader in gaining a direct and most 

 practical mastery of its painful and often revolting de- 

 tails, and in devising as efficient a system for preven- 

 tion, abatement, and remedy of its evils as has ever 

 been proposed and put on trial. The prevalence of 

 indolence, misery, and beggary in almost all the coun- 

 tries of Europe at that time was painfully realized and 

 mourned over by all who gave the subject but a super- 

 ficial consideration. Yet there was no harmony of 

 opinion, and very little co-operation in effort for the 

 removal of these evils, even among those who most 

 lamented them. Within a short time after Sir Benja- 

 min had left England for Munich, a society was formed 

 in London for bettering the condition of the poor. 

 One, if not more, of his most intimate friends, Thomas 

 Bernard, Esq., was the leading spirit of this enterprise. 

 He corresponded with Thompson while he was in Ba- 

 varia, and, as we shall afterwards have occasion to note, 

 this friendly intercourse in one good cause guided and 

 facilitated another and most signal undertaking of 

 Thompson's in England. 



He was able to say that what he had to offer on the 

 subject of pauperism was not speculation, but the genu- 

 ine result of actual experiments made on a very large 

 scale, and under peculiarly interesting circumstances. 

 He thinks that the account which he offers will furnish 

 amusement, as well as useful information. Not for- 



