essays-1- 第5部分

But　this　was　not　all。　　In　order　to　fix　the　confidence　of　the　public　upon　the　most　firm　and　immoveable　basis；　and　to　engage　their　good　will　and　cheerful　assistance　in　support　of　the　measures　adopted；　the　citizens　were　invited　to　take　an　active　and　honourable　part　in　the　execution　of　the　plan；　and　in　the　direction　of　its　most　interesting　details。

The　town　of　Munich；　which　contains　about　60；000　inhabitants；　had　been　formerly　divided　into　four　quarters。　　Each　of　these　was　now　subdivided　into　four　districts；　making　in　all　sixteen　districts；　and　all　the　dwelling…houses；　from　the　palace　of　the　sovereign　to　the　meanest　hovel；　were　regularly　numbered；　and　inscribed　in　printed　lists　provided　for　that　purpose。　For　the　inspection　of　the　poor　in　each　district；　a　respectable　citizen　was　chosen；　who　was　called　the　commissary　of　the　district；　（abtheilungs　commissaire；）　and　for　his　assistance；　a　priest；　a　physician；　a　surgeon；　and　an　apothecary；　all　of　whom；　including　the　commissary；　undertook　this　service　without　fee　or　reward；　from　mere　motives　of　humanity　and　true　patriotism。　The　apothecary　was　simply　reimbursed　the　original　cost　of　the　medicines　he　furnished。

To　give　more　weight　and　dignity　to　the　office　of　commissary　of　a　district；　one　of　these　commissaries；　in　rotation；　was　called　to　assist　at　the　meetings　of　the　supreme　committee；　and　all　applications　for　alms　were　submitted　to　the　commissaries　for　their　opinion；　or；　more　properly；　all　such　　applications　went　through　them　to　the　committee。　They　were　likewise　particularly　charged　with　the　inspection　and　police　of　the　poor　in　their　several　districts。

When　a　person　already　upon　the　poor　list；　or　any　other；　in　distress；　stood　in　need　of　assistance；　he　applied　to　the　commissary　of　his　district；　who；　after　visiting　him；　and　enquiring　into　such　the　circumstances　of　his　case；　afforded　him　such　immediate　assistance　as　was　absolutely　necessary；　or　otherwise；　if　the　case　was　such　as　to　admit　of　the　delay；　he　recommended　him　to　the　attention　of　the　committee；　and　waited　for　their　orders。　　If　the　poor　person　was　sick；　or　wounded；　he　was　carried　to　some　hospital；　or　the　physician；　or　surgeon　of　the　district　was　sent　for；　and　a　nurse　provided　to　take　care　of　him　in　his　lodgings；　If　he　grew　worse；　and　appeared　to　draw　near　his　end；　the　priest　was　sent　for；　to　afford　him　such　spiritual　assistance　as　he　might　require；　and　if　he　died；　he　was　decently　buried。　　After　his　death；　the　commissary　assisted　at　the　inventory　which　was　taken　of　his　effects；　a　copy　of　which　inventory　was　delivered　over　to　the　committee。　　These　effects　were　afterwards　sold；and　after　deducting　the　amount　of　the　different　sums　received　in　alms　from　the　institution　by　the　deceased　during　his　lifetime；　and　the　amount　of　the　expenses　of　his　illness　and　funeral；　the　remainder；　if　any；　was　delivered　over　to　his　lawful　heirs；　but　when　these　effects　were　insufficient　for　those　purposes；　or　when　no　effects　were　to　be　found；　the　surplus　in　the　one　case；　and　the　whole　of　these　expences　in　the　other；　was　borne　by　the　funds　of　the　institution。

These　funds　were　derived　from　the　following　sources；　viz。

First；　from　stated　monthly　allowances；　from　the　sovereign　out　of　his　private　purse；from　the　states；and　from　the　treasury；　or　chamber　of　finances。

Secondly；　and　principally；　from　the　voluntary　subscription　of　the　inhabitants。

Thirdly；　from　legacies　left　to　the　institution；　and

Fourthly；　from　several　small　revenues　arising　from　certain　tolls；　fines；　etc。　　which　were　appropriated　to　that　use＇6＇。

Several　other；　and　some　of　them　very　considerable　public　funds；　originally　designed　by　their　founders　for　the　relief　of　the　poor；　might　have　been　taken　and　appropriated　to　this　purpose；　but；　as　some　of　these　foundations　had　been　misapplied；　and　others　nearly　ruined　by　bad　management；　it　would　have　been　a　very　disagreeable　task　to　wrest　them　out　of　the　hands　of　those　who　had　the　administration　of　them；　and　I　therefore　judged　it　most　prudent　not　to　meddle　with　them；　avoiding；　by　that　means；　a　great　deal　of　opposition　to　the　execution　of　my　plan。


CHAPTER。　III。

　Preparations　made　for　giving　employment　to　the　poor。　　Difficulties　attending　that　undertaking。　　The　measures　adopted　completely　successful。　　The　poor　reclaimed　to　habits　of　useful　industry。　　Description　of　the　house　of　industry　at　Munich。

But　before　I　proceed　to　give　a　more　particular　account　of　the　funds　of　this　institution；　and　of　the　application　of　them；　it　will　be　necessary　to　mention　the　preparations　which　where　made　for　furnishing　employment　to　the　poor；　and　the　means　which　were　used　for　reclaiming　them　from　their　vicious　habits；　and　rendering　them　industrious　and　useful　subjects。　　And　this　was　certainly　the　most　difficult；　as　well　as　the　most　curious　and　interesting　part　of　the　undertaking。　　To　trust　raw　materials　in　the　hands　of　common　beggars；　certainly　required　great　caution　and　management；　but　to　produce　so　total　and　radical　a　change　　in　the　morals；　manners；　and　customs　of　this　debauched　and　abandoned　race；　as　was　necessary　to　render　them　orderly　and　useful　members　of　society；　will　naturally　be　considered　as　an　arduous；　if　not　impossible；　enterprize。　　In　this　I　succeeded；　for　the　proof　of　this　fact　I　appeal　to　the　flourishing　state　of　the　different　manufactories　in　which　these　poor　people　are　now　employed；to　their　orderly　and　peaceable　demeanourto　their　cheerfulnessto　their　industry；　to　the　desire　to　excel；　which　manifests　itself　among　them　upon　all　occasions；and　to　the　very　air　of　their　countenances。　Strangers；　who　go　to　see　this　institution；　（and　there　are　very　few　who　pass　through　Munich　who　do　not　take　that　trouble；）　cannot　sufficiently　express　their　surprise　at　the　air　of　happiness　and　contentment　which　reigns　throughout　every　part　of　this　extensive　establishment；　and　can　hardly　be　persuaded；　that　among　those　they　see　so　cheerfully　engaged　in　that　interesting　scene　of　industry；　by　far　the　greater　part　were；　five　years　ago；　the　most　miserable　and　most　worthless　of　beings；common　beggars　in　the　streets。

An　account　of　the　means　employed　in　bringing　about　this　change　cannot　fail　to　be　interesting　to　every　benevolent　mind；　and　this　is　what　has　encouraged　me　to　lay　these　details　before　the　public。

By　far　the　greater　number　of　the　poor　people　to　be　taken　care　of　were　not　only　common　beggars；　but　had　been　up　from　their　very　infancy　in　that　profession；　and　were　so　attached　to　their　indolent　and　dissolute　way　of　living；　as　to　prefer　it　to　all　other　situations。　　They　were　not　only　unacquainted　with　all　kinds　of　work；　but　had　the　most　insuperable　aversion　to　honest　labour；　and　had　been　so　long　familiarized　with　every　crime；　that　they　had　become　perfectly　callous　to　all　sense　of　shame　and　remorse。

With　persons　of　this　description；　it　is　easy　to　be　conceived　that　precepts；admonitions；and　punishments；　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？　　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　punishments；　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　provided　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　described。　　Would　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　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。

Having　taken　my　resolution　to　make　the　COMFORT　of　the　poor　people；　who　were　to　be　provided　for；　the　primary　object　of　my　attention；　I　considered　what　circumstance　in　life；　after　the　necessaries；　food　and　raiment；　contributes　most　to　comfort；　and　I　found　it　to　be　CLEANLINESS。　　And　so　very　extensive　is　the　influence　of　cleanliness；　that　it　reaches　even　to　the　brute　creation。

With　what　care　and　attention　do　the　feathered　race　wash　themselves　and　put　their　plumage　in　order；　and　how　perfectly　neat；　clean　and　elegant　do　they　ever　appear！　Among　the　beasts　of　the　field　we　find　that　those　which　are　the　most　cleanly　are　generally　the　most　gay　and　cheerful；　or　are　distinguished　by　a　certain　air　of　tranquillity　and　contentment；　and　singing　birds　are　always　remarkable　for　the　neatness　of　their　plumage。　　And　so　great　is　the　effect　of　cleanliness　upon　man；　that　it　extends　even　to　his　moral　character。　　Virtue　never　dwelt　long　with　filth　and　nastiness；　nor　do　I　believe　there　ever　was　a　person　SCRUPULOUSLY　ATTENTIVE　TO　CLEANLINESS　who　was　a　consummate　villain＇7＇。

Order　and　disorderpeace　and　warhealth　and　sickness；　cannot　exist　together；　but　COMFORT　and　CONTENTMENT　the　inseparable　companions　of　HAPPINESS　and　VIRTUE；　can　only　arise　from　order；　peace；　and　health。

Brute　animals　are　evidently　taught　cleanliness　by　instinct；　and　can　there　be　a　stronger　proof　of　its　being　essentially　necessary　to　their　well…being　and　happiness？But　if　cleanliness　is　necessary　to　the　happiness　of　brutes；　how　much　more　so　must　it　be　to　the　happiness　of　the　human　race？

The　good　effects　of　cleanliness；　or　rather　the　bad　effects　of　filth　and　nastiness；　may；　I　think；　be　very　satisfactorily　accounted　for。　　Our　bodies　are　continually　at　war　with　whatever　offends　them；　and　every　thing　offends　them　that　adheres　to　them；　and　irritates　th