Life of Count Rumford. 193 



to be composed of thirty orphans, or children of in- 

 ferior civil and military officers, from eleven to thir- 

 teen years of age, remaining, free of cost, for four 

 years. The second class was to include sixty sons of 

 the poorer nobility, from eleven to fifteen years of 

 age, at a small monthly charge. The third class re- 

 ceived ninety pupils, gratuitously, as able and prom- 

 ising children, showing uncommon abilities, from the 

 lowest ranks of society. The rules of admission and 

 discipline were rigid, and the administration was to be 

 economical. 



The second scheme had in view the improvement of 

 the breed of horses and horned cattle in Bavaria and 

 the Palatinate. This was in the interest of his military 

 and agricultural reforms. He imported some fine 

 stock to be gratuitously distributed over the country ; 

 but he tells us that the success of the enterprise did not 

 meet his expectations. 



The third scheme aimed to resist an enormous abuse, 

 by which poor functionaries, supernumerary clerks, and 

 others on small pay, which from their poverty they 

 had to anticipate, were subjected by Jewish usurers to 

 an exaction of five per cent per month as interest on 

 an advance. Thompson brought about an arrange- 

 ment at the Military Pay Office by which the advance 

 was made at five per cent a year. 



The fourth of these incidental schemes, which, as 

 subsidiary to one of his larger establishments, he was 

 obliged to advance only as such subordination would 

 allow, might of itself have been a leading enterprise with 

 him. In making his arrangements for a military cor- 

 don, extending over the country, as a measure essential 

 to his plan for seizing upon all vagabonds and mendi- 

 13 



