Life of Count Rumford. 179 



and stimulus for engaging common beggars seized in 

 the streets and highways in the pursuits of useful 

 industry, was a formidable task, next in order, to exer- 

 cise Sir Benjamin's resources. How could persons 

 bred up in lazy and dissolute habits, regardless of de- 

 cency, and callous to any sense of shame, be turned into 

 happy and thrifty workers ? Precepts and punishments 

 would be sure to fail, but they might be taught habits. 

 Thompson ventured to reverse the maxim that people 

 must be virtuous if they would be happy, and he 

 essayed to make his wretched beggars happy as a step 

 towards making them virtuous. He therefore devised 

 for them comforts and appliances to soften their hearts 

 and make them docile and grateful. His experience 

 led him to write down the ejaculation, " Would to God 

 that 'my success might encourage others to follow my 

 example ! If it were generally known how little trouble, 

 and how little expence, are required to do much good, 

 ( the heartfelt satisfaction ' which arises from relieving 

 the wants and promoting the happiness of our fellow- 

 creatures is so great that I am persuaded acts of the 

 most essential chanty would be much more frequent, 

 and the mass of misery among mankind would conse- 

 quently be much lessened." 



Thompson says he had learned from the brute crea- 

 tion, from beasts and birds, that cleanliness is the 

 first condition of comfort. He had noticed, also, that 

 all the great lawgivers and founders of religions had had 

 regard to the influence of cleanliness on the moral 

 nature of man, thinking the soul defiled and depraved 

 by everything unclean. He adds, " Virtue never 

 dwelt long with filth and nastiness ; nor do I believe 

 there ever was a person scrupulously attentive to 



