Life of Count Rumford. 181 



of halls was fitted up for weavers in all the depart- 

 ments, and for clothiers, cloth-shearers, dyers, saddlers, 

 wool-sorters, carders, combers, knitters, seamstresses, 

 &c., as also dwelling-rooms, magazines, store-rooms for 

 all assorted materials and goods, and rooms for the offi- 

 cers. There was likewise a spacious drying-hall, where 

 eight pieces of cloth might be stretched at once. A run- 

 ning stream was availed of for a fulling-mill, a dyer's 

 shop, and a wash-house. The building, which was 

 square, enclosing a paved court, was carefully and even 

 elegantly painted, and arranged, without and within, to 

 make it attractive. Over the principal gate was an 

 inscription denoting the purpose of the establishment, 

 and over the passage into the court letters of gold on a 

 black ground proclaimed the warning, " No alms will 

 be received here." Over the doors of the various 

 apartments were inscribed their uses. 



The building being prepared with tools, materials, 

 and utensils for work, Sir Benjamin proceeds to tell 

 us how he got his inmates. New Year's Day had fro'm 

 time immemorial been the beggars' holiday in Bavaria. 

 They were out in full force to receive and to exact alms. 

 Their philanthropic patron and reformer chose that day 

 for inaugurating his own establishment. It was the ist 

 of January, 1790. We cannot but be very forcibly im- 

 pressed by the amount and kind of influence and 

 authority which Sir Benjamin had personally secured 

 to himself, when we reflect upon the resoluteness, the 

 almost arbitrary and autocratical character of his way of 

 proceeding in this matter, and consider, too, that every 

 one concerned, from the Sovereign down to the beggars 

 themselves, so far from thwarting him, appeared to fall 

 under his lead. Here was a foreign resident in a 



