258 Public Establishment for 



ments would be of little or no avail. But, where 

 precepts fail, habits may sometimes be successful. 



To make vicious and abandoned people happy, it 

 has generally been supposed necessary, first, to make 

 them virtuous. But why not reverse this order ! Why 

 not make them first happy, and then virtuous 1 If 

 happiness and virtue be inseparable, the end will be as 

 certainly obtained by the one method as by the other ; 

 and it is most undoubtedly much easier to contribute 

 to the happiness and comfort of persons in a state of 

 poverty and misery than by admonitions and punish- 

 ments to reform their morals. 



Deeply struck with the importance of this truth, 

 all my measures were taken accordingly. Every thing 

 was done that could be devised to make the poor 

 people I had to deal with comfortable and happy in their 

 new situation ; and my hopes, that a habit of enjoying 

 the real comforts and conveniences which were pro- 

 vided for them would in time soften their hearts, open 

 their eyes, and render them grateful and docile, were 

 not disappointed. 



The pleasure I have had in the success of this 

 experiment is much easier to be conceived than de- 

 scribed. Would to God that my success might 

 encourage others to follow my example ! If it were 

 generally known how little trouble and how little 

 expense are required to do much good, the heart-felt 

 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 

 charity would be much more frequent, and the mass of 

 misery among mankind would consequently be much 

 lessened. 



