essays-1-第20部分

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assistance；humanity　and　justice　require　that　peculiar　attention　should　be　paid　to　those　who　are　bashful　and　silent。To　those；　who；　in　addition　to　all　the　distresses　arising　from　poverty　and　want；　feel；　that　is　still　more　insupportable　to　their　unfortunate　and　hopeless　situation。

All　those　who　stood　in　need　of　assistance　were　invited　and　encouraged　to　make　known　their　wants　to　the　committee　placed　at　the　head　of　the　institution；　and　in　no　case　was　the　necessary　assistance　refused。That　this　relief　was　generously　bestowed；　will　not　be　doubted　by　those　who　are　informed　that　the　sums　distributed　in　alms；　IN　READY　MONEY　to　the　Poor　of　Munich　in　FIVE　YEARS；　exclusive　of　the　expences　incurred　in　feeding　and　clothing　them；　amounted　to　above　TWO　HUNDRED　THOUSAND　FLORINS＇13＇。

But　the　sums　of　money　distributed　among　the　Poor　in　alms　was　not　the　only；　and　perhaps　not　the　most　important　assistance　that　was　given　them。THEY　WERE　TAUGHT　AND　ENCOURAGED　TO　BE　INDUSTRIOUS；　and　they　probably　derived　more　essential　advantages　from　the　fruits　of　their　industry；　than　from　all　the　charitable　donations　they　received。

All　who　were　able　to　earn　any　thing　by　their　labour；　were　furnished　with　work；　and　effectual　measures　taken　to　excite　them　to　be　industrious。In　fixing　the　amount　of　the　sums　in　money；　which　they　receive　weekly　upon　stated　days；　care　was　always　taken　to　find　out　how　much　the　person　applying　for　relief　was　in　a　condition　to　earn；　and　only　just　so　much　was　granted；　as；　when　added　to　these　earnings；　would　be　sufficient　to　provide　the　necessaries　of　life；　or　such　of　them　as　were　not　otherwise　furnished　by　the　institution。　But　even　this　precaution　would　not　alone　have　been　sufficient　to　have　obliged　those　who　were　disposed　to　be　idle；　to　become　industrious；　for；　with　the　assistance　of　the　small　allowances　which　were　granted；　they　might　have　found　means；　by　stealing；　or　other　fraudulent　practices；　to　have　subsisted　without　working；　and　the　sums　allowed　them　would　have　only　served　as　an　encouragement　to　idleness。This　evil；　which　is　always　much　to　be　apprehended　in　establishments　for　the　Poor；　and　which　is　always　most　fatal　in　its　consequences；　is　effectually　prevented　at　Munich　by　the　following　simple　arrangement：A　long　and　narrow　slip　of　paper；　upon　which　is　printed；　between　parallel　lines；　in　two　or　more　columns；　all　the　weeks　in　the　year；　or　rather　the　month；　and　the　day　of　the　month；　when　each　week　begins；　is；　in　the　beginning　of　every　year；　given　to　each　poor　perform　entitled　to　receive　alms；　and　the　name　of　the　person；with　the　number　his　name　bears　in　the　general　list　of　the　Poor；the　weekly　sum　granted　to　him；and　the　sum　he　is　able　to　earn　weekly　by　labour；　are　entered　in　writing　at　the　head　of　this　list　of　the　weeks。This　paper；　which　must　always　be　produced　by　the　poor　person　as　often　as　he　applies　for　his　weekly　allowance　of　alms；　serves　to　show　whether　he　has；　or　has　not　fulfilled　the　conditions　upon　which　the　allowance　was　granted　him；　that　is　to　say；　whether　he　has　been　industrious；　and　has　earned　by　his　labour；　and　received；　the　sum　he　ought　to　earn　weekly。　This　fact　is　ascertained　in　the　following　manner：　when　the　poor　person　frequents　the　house　of　industry　regularly；　or　when　he　works　at　home；　and　delivers　regularly　at　the　end　of　every　week；　the　produce　of　the　labour　he　is　expected　to　perform；　when　he　has　thus　fulfilled　the　conditions　imposed　on　him；　the　column；　or　rather　parallel；　in　his　paper；　（which　may　be　called　his　certificate　of　industry；）　answering　to　the　week　in　question；　is　marked　with　a　stamp；　kept　for　that　purpose　at　the　Military　Work…house；　or；　if　he　should　be　prevented　by　illness；　or　any　other　accident；　from　fulfilling　those　conditions；　in　that　case；　instead　of　the　stamp；　the　week　must　be　marked　by　the　signature　of　the　commissary　of　the　district　to　which　the　poor　person　belongs。　But；　if　the　certificate　be　not　marked；　either　by　the　stamp　of　the　house　of　industry；　or　by　the　signature　of　the　commissary　of　the　district；　the　allowance　for　the　week　in　question　is　not　issued。

It　is　easy　to　be　imagined　how　effectually　this　arrangement　must　operate　as　a　check　to　idleness。　But；　not　satisfied　with　discouraging　and　punishing　idleness；　we　have　endeavoured；　by　all　the　means　in　our　power；　and　more　especially　by　rewards　and　honorable　distinctions　of　every　kind；　to　encourage　extraordinary　exertions　of　industry。　　Such　of　the　Poor　who　earn　more　in　the　week　than　the　sum　imposed　on　them；　are　rewarded　by　extraordinary　presents；　in　money；　or　in　some　useful　and　valuable　article　of　clothing；　or　they　are　particularly　remembered　at　the　next　public　distribution　of　money；　which　is　made　twice　a　year　to　the　Poor；　to　assist　them　in　paying　their　house…rent：　and　so　far　is　this　from　being　made　a　pretext　for　diminishing　their　weekly　allowance　of　alms；　that　it　is　rather　considered　as　a　reason　for　augmenting　them。

There　are　great　numbers　of　persons；　of　various　descriptions；　in　all　places；　and　particularly　in　great　towns；　who；　though　they　find　means　just　to　support　life；　and　have　too　much　feeling　ever　to　submit　to　the　disgrace　of　becoming　a　burthen　upon　the　public；　are　yet　very　unhappy；　and　consequently　objects　highly　deserving　of　the　commiseration　and　friendly　aid　of　the　humane　and　generous。　it　is　hardly　possible　to　imagine　a　situation　more　truly　deplorable　than　that　of　a　person　born　to　better　prospects；　reduced　by　unmerited　misfortunes　to　poverty；　and　doomed　to　pass　his　whole　life　in　one　continued　and　hopeless　struggle　with　want；　shame；　and　despair。

Any　relief　which　it　is　possible　to　afford　to　distress　that　appears　under　this　respectable　and　most　interesting　form；　ought　surely　never　to　be　withheld。But　the　greatest　care　and　precaution　are　necessary　in　giving　assistance　to　those　who　have　been　rendered　irritable　and　suspicious　by　misfortunes；　and　who　have　too　much　honest　pride　not　to　feel　themselves　degraded　by　accepting　an　obligation　they　never　can　hope　to　repay。

The　establishment　of　the　house　of　industry　at　Munich　has　been　a　means　of　affording　very　essential　relief　to　many　distressed　families；　and　single　persons　in　indigent　circumstances；　who；　otherwise；　most　probably　never　would　have　received　any　assistance。　Many　persons　of　distinguished　birth；　and　particularly　widows　and　unmarried　ladies　with　very　small　fortunes；　frequently　send　privately　to　this　house　for　raw　materials；flax　or　wool；　　which　they　spin；　and　return　in　yarn；linen　for　soldiers　shirts；　which　they　make　up；　etc。　and　receive　in　money；　（commonly　through　the　hands　of　a　maid…servant；　who　is　employed　as　a　messenger　upon　these　occasions；）　the　amount　of　the　wages　at　the　ordinary　price　paid　by　the　manufactory；　for　the　labour　performed。

Many　a　common　soldier　in　the　Elector's　service　wears　shirts　made　up　privately　by　the　delicate　hands　of　persons　who　were　never　seen　publicly　to　be　employed　in　such　coarse　work；and　many　a　comfortable　meal　has　been　made　in　the　town　of　Munich；　in　private；　by　persons　accustomed　to　more　sumptuous　fare；　upon　the　soup　destined　for　the　Poor；　and　furnished　gratis　from　the　public　kitchen　of　the　house　of　industry。　　Many　others　who　stand　in　need　of　assistance；　will；　in　time；　I　hope；　get　the　better　of　their　pride；　and　avail　　themselves　of　these　advantages。

To　render