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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

aged and cherished by private patronage. If there were no otherinstances, those of Arkwright and Fulton might suffice to recom-mend this way of being useful.

Again, in respect to the utility of loans, the celebrated Dr.Franklin ascribes all his success and usefulness in life to hisbeing aided in this way. He says, in his Will, “ I was assistedto set up my business in Philadelphia by kind loans of moneyfrom two friends there, which was the foundation of my fortune,and of all the utility in life that may be ascribed to me ; and Iwish to be useful, even after my death, if possible, in formingand advancing other young men that may be serviceable to theircountry.” To this end, he bequeathed £2000 sterling to beloaned to young artisans in perpetual succession, and on a planwhich is a just subject of curious interest.*

But of all the methods, by which men may make themselvesuseful in their day and generation, no one is so fruitful in itsreturns of good, as gratuitous education, bestowed on those whomust otherwise be without this blessing. All who have thecommand of money, may make themselves useful in this way.It is, also, in the line of the profession of clergymen, of thepresidents and professors of our colleges, and masters of acade-mies and schools, to benefit the community in the same way ;and well have they used this talent intrusted to their guardianship.The number gratuitously educated by them has been very great.We have been accustomed, of late years, to hear many com-plaints ; in regard to the abuse of bequests made to encourageeducation, and it is not to be denied, that there has been toomuch foundation for complaints of this kind. Any abuse of thisclass of trusts is injurious in a tenfold degree, as it tends toprevent the appropriation of private wealth to advance education,when, at the approach of death, it can no longer be enjoyed byits proprietors.

But flagrant abuses of this kind have been comparatively infre-quent, much less have they been general; and, as a set-off againstsuch abuses, there must be multitudes of instances, of an oppositecharacter, scattered through the country, of which my limits

Franklin’s Works, Vol. I. p. 515.