Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/48

64 is a M. Haldimand, who, although confined to his easy chair by lameness, is said to be the most active and benevolent citizen of Lausanne. To-day I paid a visit to the universally-beloved philosopher, at his country-seat, between Lausanne and Ouchy, and found him, a handsome, elderly gentleman, with great power and freshness of mind, although an attack of paralysis deprived him, two years ago, of the use of his limbs. He was seated in a circular room, with glass doors opening into the grounds, amongst the trees of which fountains were playing, and the view opened to the Alps. Two gentlemen were present, and the conversation turned upon the importance and prudence of as little as possible helping the poor, and by that means obliging them as much as possible to help themselves. Many anecdotes were told to prove that the ready help of the rich encouraged laziness, improvidence, dishonesty, etc. They maintained the great difficulty of doing any good, of meeting with any actually deserving objects of charity, and so on. I said a few words for children, for the sick and the aged. M. Haldimand commended the principles of Malthus's Political Economy, which he seemed wholly to approve.

I afterwards expressed my surprise to two of my acquaintances in Lausanne, at hearing this assertion of the utter inability to do good by outward relief, from a man who employed the greatest part of his time and his wealth in public or private benevolence.

“Oh!” replied they, with a smile, “this is a subject which is often brought forward by M. Haldimand, and the doctrine which he commonly preaches.”