Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 73.djvu/41

Rh horseman, a skillful swordsman, spoke French and German, thus possessing all the accomplishments of a veritable Admirable Crichton.

When crossing the Channel his fellow voyager was the historian Gibbon, who, in writing to Lord Sheffield, described his companion as "Secretary, Colonel, Admiral and Philosopher Thompson." On arriving at Strasburg he found a military review in progress, commanded by Prince Maximilian of Bavaria, then field-marshal in the service of France. Thompson had taken several blooded horses with him from England, and he appeared at the parade mounted on one of his English thoroughbreds in the full uniform of a colonel in the dragoons. He at once attracted the attention of the prince, who invited him to dine, and was so delighted with his company that he asked him to pass through Munich, giving him a letter to his uncle, the elector of Bavaria.

Although he spent but five days at Munich, he so captivated the elector that he was earnestly invited to enter his service; but still desiring to engage in military service, he continued his journey to Austria. At Vienna he was presented at court, mingled with the first society, and received the most nattering attention. While still at Vienna he received another pressing invitation from the elector of Bavaria to return to Munich.

Finding that the war with the Turks was at an end, and deciding to accept the elector's offer, he returned to England for the purpose of obtaining the king's permission to serve the elector. In granting his request, George III. conferred on him the title of knighthood.

This soldier of good fortune now entered Bavaria as Sir Benjamin Thompson, soon to be privy counselor of state to the elector. Only twelve years had elapsed since he had taught school in small New England towns, and only fifteen-years since he stood in the streets of Boston selling fire wood that he had cut with his own hands and hauled to town. On his arrival in Munich, his energy and enterprise were allowed full scope. He at once began reforms in the army by improving the arms, clothing and sleeping quarters of the troops. For the production of supplies he established military workshops, employing soldiers that had before been idle. The subject of idleness and pauperism engrossed his attention, and he addressed himself to the solution of their causes and the remedy. Schools were established in all the regiments for teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. The soldiers, their children and the peasants were taught gratuitously. As a result, ignorant, idle soldiers became intelligent laborers, proud of their work.

Thompson was the inventor of our modern system of charity organization. Bavaria was swarming with beggars. He proposed to make them industrious and self-supporting; to make them happy first and virtuous afterward. A large building called the House of