Establishments for the Poor. 345 



their being very unhappy. And nothing surely can 

 contribute more powerfully to soothe the minds of per- 

 sons in such unfortunate and hopeless circumstances 

 than to find themselves under the care and protec- 

 tion of persons of gentle manners, humane dispositions, 

 and known probity and integrity ; such as even they, 

 with all their suspicions about them, may venture to 

 love and respect. 



Whoever has taken the pains to investigate the 

 nature of the human mind, and examine attentively 

 those circumstances upon which human happiness de- 

 pends, must know how necessary it is to happiness that 

 the mind should have some object upon which to place 

 its more tender affections, something to love, to cher- 

 ish, to esteem, to respect, and to venerate ; and these 

 resources are never so necessary as in the hour of 

 adversity and discouragement, where no ray of hope 

 is left to cheer the prospect and stimulate to fresh 

 exertion. 



The lot of the poor, particularly of those who, from 

 easy circumstances and a reputable station in society, 

 are reduced by misfortunes or oppression to become a 

 burden on the public, is truly deplorable, after all that 

 can be done for them ; and, were we seriously to con- 

 sider their situation, I am sure we should think that 

 we could never do too much to alleviate their sufferings, 

 and soothe the anguish of wounds which can never be 

 healed. 



For the common misfortunes of life, hope is a sov- 

 ereign remedy. But what remedy can be applied to 

 evils which involve even the loss of hope itself ? and 

 what can those have to hope who are separated and 

 cut off from society, and for ever excluded from all share 



