Chap. VII.]

DUTY OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

231

SECTION III.

ASSISTANCE GIVEN IN THE WAY OF JUDICIOUS PATRONAGEAND ENCOURAGEMENT.

Much good may be done in the way of patronage and encour-agement judiciously bestowed on worthy persons, either by giv-ing them business, introducing them to those who have businessto give, furnishing them with loans of money to be repaid aftersome time, with or without interest, giving them an education,or aiding them in obtaining one, &c. Many, in every age, whohave been eminently useful and successful in life, have testified,that they were indebted for all their success, and consequentlyfor their usefulness, to the timely assistance- given them by anindividual, or a few individuals, in the way of business intrustedto them. A mere introduction and recommendation to men en-gaged in extensive business, and having much occasion, there-fore, to employ others, has often led to the like result. On theother hand, thousands of meritorious young men, who mighthave been useful and valuable citizens, perhaps ornaments to theircountry, have sunk under depression, despondency, and despair,for want of the timely assistance and encouragement, which manyhad it in their power to bestow.

If it were necessary to do more than simply to advert to theseways of doing good, to show their importance, many interest-ing examples, illustrative of them, might be adduced. Instancesmust be within the recollection of every well-informed man, ofmany persons, who have been brought forward under the patronageof individuals, and by whose future career their country has beenimmensely advanced in the arts, in literature, in the sciences, inmanufactures, in commerce, and in every other branch of usefulor ornamental labor and enterprise. Many most useful inven-tions and discoveries have originated in similar patronage, be-stowed on men of genius and enterprise by private individuals.Even the discovery of this continent sprung from the privatepatronage and encouragement bestowed on the enterprise by thequeen of Spain. The records of history and biography arecrowded with examples of genius, talent, and enterprise, encour-