emphatically called the blessings of human life!"

I am fenfible that in our great and flourishing empire thefe remarks are hardly neceffary; but when you have become acquainted with the nature and object of the inftitution which I have feen, and am about to describe, I am perfuaded you will not be a little furprifed, that a fimilar idea has never entered the minds of any of thofe charitable individuals, who, fo much to their honour, devote their time, labour, and fortunes, towards bettering the condition of their fellow creatures. François de Neufchateau, when Minifter of the Interior, caused a very useful work to be digefted, upon the different charitable establishments in England and Germany, in order to point out to the government and people of France, how much remains to be done in the bufinefs of political economy. This work extends to fix octavo volumes, but it does not include the later inftitutions, which the neceffity of their circumftances have induced the French to adopt. I fhall, therefore, enter into a detail of the establishment at Chaillot, which is equally praifeworthy for its benevolent views and its ingenuity.

I happened, lately, to fall into company with a ci-devant nobleman of the name of Duchailla; who, during the times of terror, loft all his fortune, and was compelled to fhelter himself at Berlin. I foon found that he poffeffed a found and inquifitive mind, and was thoroughly converfant in every branch of domeftic economy. In the course of our converfation, he inquired whether we had in Great Britain or Ireland any inftitutions which offered a retreat for old age. I anfwered immediately, that they were numberless; and proceeded to enumerate many of our establishments

Sir John Sinclair.

(of which, perhaps, there are more in Britain than in all Europe collectively) for the fupport of the aged poor. This anfwer evidently did not fatisfy him, and, therefore, he placed his question on a different footing. "Have you," faid he, "any inftitution, wholly independent of charitable purposes, in which male und female perfons, after they have reached feventy years of age, or fooner if infirm, can, BY RIGHT, and without asking the favour of any individual, place themselves, in order to pass the remainder of their days in comfort and repofe?" As I could not recollect any establishment of the kind in England, he immediately faid, "Come and dine at my houfe to-morrow, and I will fhow you one." On the next day, I waited upon him, and I fhall now relate what I faw.

The houfe of M. Duchailla is moft beautifully fituated at Chaillot, in the Champs Elysées, about two miles from Paris, commanding a most extentive view of the city, the Seine, and the Champ de Mars. In front, there is a very large and elegant parterre, terminating in an extenfive kitchen garden; behind, there is another large houfe, formerly the monaftery of St. Perine, which also belongs to this eftablishment; and a field, of about four acres, bordered by a well-cultivated garden.

In this establishment I found nearly one hundred aged perfons, male and female, whofe manners and appearance evidently befpoke that they had figured in the genteeler walks of life, and whofe countenances indicated the most perfect happinefs and contentment. "This," faid he, "is the retreat I have established for old age."

You must now follow me, fstep by step, with M. Duchailla, into the diftribution of all the apartments, and the general arrangement of his domeftic economy.

C 2

The chambers occupied by the female part of the fociety compofe the right wing of the houfe. Each female has a bed-chamber to herfelf exclufively; and there is one fitting room or parlour appropriated to two females. Their clothing, if required, is found them.

The left wing of the houfe is occupied by the males, who are diftributed in the fame manner as the females, each perfon having a bedroom to himself, and a common parlour being allotted to two perfons, in which they receive the vifits of their relatives and friends, without the inconvenience of being obtruded upon by strangers. A hufband and wife have a room alfo to themselves.

Their diet corresponds in every refpect with the neatnefs and fimplicity of their apartments. At one o'clock, a plentiful dinner is ferved up in the hall for the whole fociety, and at feven they again affemble to fupper. Befides a fufficient quantity of meat and vegetables, each perfon is allowed a pound and an half of bread; the men a bottle of wine, and the women half a bottle daily.

In cafe of ficknefs, they are removed to a particular part of the houfe, which is ufed as an infirma ry, where they are provided with every medical affiftance, and experience every poffible attention; and in cafe of their decease, they are decently interred in the neighbouring church, at the expence of the fociety; or elsewhere, at the expence of their friends.

Their time is entirely at their own difpofal. They may even employ themfelves in any lucrative occupation, provided it does not interfere with the quiet and general rules of the houfe, I obferved that feveral females were very profitably engaged in needle-work for their friends and families. What little pecuniary emoluments they may acquire by their induftry,

fupply them with pocket-money. The men ufually pafs their time in reading, walking in the neighbouring fields, or, occafionally, working in the garden. In general, I obferved, they are lefs active and induftrious than the women, but much more devout. There is among them an old Abbé, whofe whole time is spent in reading his miffal and other religious books; and his library was compofed of about two hundred volumes, confisting wholly of the lives of faints. Another, about feventy-four years of age, prefented a striking contrast with the former. He had seen much of the world, his manners were prepoffeffing, and his converfation proved him to be a man who had lived not fo much for himself as for others. He was pious with out aufterity, cheerful without diffipation, and polite without frivolity. It appeared he had feen better days, and been one of those sufferers whom the revolution had plundered and profcribed, on account of his attachment to religion. He never spoke, however, with the leaft afperity of what had happened; he only fhrugged his fhoulders, and gave a smile of contempt at the miferable efforts of his countrymen to establish liberty and equality. He was well read in French literature, and was fond of aftronomy; but his whole library confifted only of a Bible, and a Spanish edition of Don Quixotte, an author to whom he feemed extremely partial.

Before we fat down to dinner, one of the old gentlemen entered, and with great vivacity acquainted M. Duchailla he was going to the play! This furprised me. But, on enquiry, I found he had been an amateur of mufic; and that at feventy-two years of age his taste for it was fo predominant, that nothing could keep him from going to the opera buffa, to fee the fecond reprefentation of the beautiful

piece of the Zingari in Fiera, by Paefiello.

I have entered into thefe details merely to fhew that there is no unreasonable restriction on their amufements, and that they are entirely their own mafters. Upon the whole, I obferved that they were all, more or lefs, engaged in religious exercises. There was a charm in this retreat, which imagination only can picture to the mind. At that period of life, when both mind and body require repofe, when it is neceffary old age should abstract itself from the busy hum of men, and “walk penfive on the filent, folemn fhore of that vaft ocean it must fail fo foon," what can be more confolatory than the confcioufnefs of having a retreat where our wants are supplied by the exertions of our former induftry, and where our infirmities are alleviated without reluctance or repining!

It has been alledged, and rafhly alledged, against moft of the governments of Europe, that there is nothing feen but youth going to the gallows, and old age to the workhoufe. A government can no more be refponfible for the misfortunes than for the crimes of its fubjects; both of these most commonly refult from vicious courfes, or habits of inattention in early life: all, therefore, that can be expected from government, is, to give a proper direction to charitable provifions, and to guard them with the facred fanction of the law. There are fome inftances, in which, perhaps, its foftering care may be ufefully exerted to rear infant inftitutions; but, in general, it will be found a true maxim of public economy, that thefe fhould fpring from the natural fympathy of mankind: nothing is needful for government, but a vigilant providence, to fee that they are adminiftered with honefty, and according to their original principles.

}

This fact has been illuftrated in Britain, in which, as I before ftated, there exifts more useful monuments of piety and benevolence, than in all the other countries of Europe put together.

If thefe principles be just, and if the inftitution of which I have given an account be of that utility and importance to fociety which it appears to be, furely it merits the confideration of our charitable gentry and public-fpirited countrymen, whether fimilar inftitutions might not be established in England.

In the courfe of my vifits to Chaillot, M. Duchailla has often expreiled a wish that a fimilar establifhment fhould be attempted in England. At first, it appeared to me liable to fome objections, but thefe he fatisfactorily emoved. I objected to it, as ftriking at the root of one of the best principles of moral obligation. Refpect for our aged parents is not only a principle of morality ftrongly inculcated in our religious homilies, but is alfo a quality inherent in the character of Britons. Such an inftitution might have a tendency to give a fhock to thofe filial affections, and to deftroy or to weaken in the human foul one of its nobleft feelings; befides, it would look as if we meant to canonize ingratitude, and to place old age in the light of a burthenfome load on the community. Barbarous nations, from a mistaken fense of affection, united, perhaps, with ftrong feelings of felfprefervation, are accustomed to deftroy the old, in order that the young may live. It arifes from the feverity of their mode of living, the difficulty in procuring fuftenance, and the want of economy in hoarding it when obtained. But in civilized countries, where agriculture, arts, and commerce, not only flourish, but enable one country to exchange its furplus for the native commodities of another; and where

This argument, therefore, cannot apply to polished life; and farther, it fhould be confidered, that thofe who were the authors of our exiftence have alfo moft commonly been the authors of our profperity. Hence, they have a two-fold claim to our gratitude, which would be entirely defeated, if they were thus to be transferred from the cottage which had been reared by their induftry; and neglected in their ut moft need, to be buried alive, with out one friend to close their eyes.

This is the language of fentiment; an admirable bafis for poeti cal fuperftructure, but not always the most useful monitor in the practice of life. That this is the fact, is evident from the unanfwerable reasons which mature reflection opposes to thefe objections. In the first place, the objections are mifapplied, because it is not the object of this inftitution to deftroy, but to give efficacy to domef tic attachments. For any perfon who enters into it may at all times experience the attentions of kindred, by receiving their vifits, or by visiting them in his turn.

Secondly. It is not intended for the rich and fortunate, but for thofe only who cannot otherwife provide for themselves, or be provided for by their friends.

Thirdly. More comforts and enjoyments, more attentions, can be

Fourthly. It is not neceffary that every one who becomes a member of this fociety fhould be either a father or a mother. There are a multitude of unmarried perfons, of both fexes, to whom fuch an establishment offers an happy afylum, befides married perfons who have no children, or whose children may be dead.

Fifthly. Many fathers and mothers of families would prefer the fociety of perfons of their own age and circumstances.

Sixthly. It is better than the workhoufe; becaufe, though moderate exercise be neceffary to old age, labour is hurtful. It is the right of the perfons who become members of it; they have always had it in contemplation, they have always paid their quota towards it, and they have had frequent opportunities of feeing the happinefs and comforts which it has conferred.

Seventhly. If they fhould be difcontented with the inftitution, they may leave it.

On these confiderations, and af. ter having witneffed the happy effects of the inftitution at Chaillot, Į am perfuaded fimilar establishments would be thankfully received by every rational man in our country, who at all reflects on the uncertain chances of profperity in this life.

How many industrious perfons are there, who, in the midst of their toil and honeft pursuits, contemplate the approach of old age with horror! How many, who have lived refpectably, are met by misfortune in the decline of life! Can there be no refuge between death and the workhoufe? Can there be no encouragement held out for fecuring a retreat against misfortune, and the inevitable ills at