and he was enabled to carry on his farm; and also to try to improve matters by doing a little in the way of weaving and spinning cotton. But in spite of all his endeavours matters continued to go wrong.

But his own troubles only served to make him think more about the sufferings of others. He asked himself what had become of all his thoughts about improving the lot of the poor. How was such work to be done? He had now obtained actual knowledge of the life and habits of the peasantry, and had made up his mind that reform and progress must come, first and foremost, from within an individual rather than from without, and from the young rather than from their elders. He resolved, therefore, to begin with the most destitute and degraded children; to educate them, in the first place, through their feelings, their ordinary work, and domestic life: and to aim at making them self-respecting and selfdependent. His wife entirely agreed with him.

At this period it was a common practice to hand over orphans or foundlings to the care of farmers and peasants, who, ignorant and selfish, cared for nothing except getting all the profit they could out of the arrangement. The children were made to work very hard; received no, or bad, education; and were often forced to become common beggars, for the advantage of their degraded guardians. Here was work meet for him; and he resolved to get together such waifs and castaways and give them an industrial, moral and intellectual education. The children were to do something towards earning their keep by working in his spinning-mill. His aim was "to call forth, and put into action, the power every human being possesses of satisfying his needs and doing his duty in his state of life". His ideas were

approved by, and he received every encouragement and help from, his friends Pastor Schinz (of Zurich), Lavater, Füssli, Iselin (registrar of Basle), and other influential

persons.

Of this purpose of theirs he says: "My wife had much to suffer because of our position; nevertheless nothing could shake, either in her or in me, the intention to consecrate our time, our strength, and the remainder of our fortune to the simplification of the instruction and the domestic education of the people" (Swan Song). So, during the winter of 1774-75 they began their work. Pestalozzi received at his house some children whom he gathered together from the neighbourhood: little mendicants whom he found in the villages and on the roads. He clothed and fed them, and cared for them with a father's affection. He had them always with him, and let them take part in all his work in the garden, on the farm, and in the house. In bad weather they were occupied in spinning cotton in a large room which formed one floor of his farmhouse. Only a very I short time was devoted to lessons, and often the instruction was given whilst the children were working with their hands. He did not make haste to teach them to read and to write, being persuaded that this talent was of no use until they knew how to talk. But he unceasingly occupied them in the exercise of language, concerning subjects which were furnished by their own life, and he made them repeat passages from the Bible until they knew them by heart.

He finally had about twenty children. These made great progress both in manual and mental work, and developed most satisfactorily in morals and in health. Many more were anxious to share in the advantages

which were offered; but Pestalozzi had already more than his means allowed, though eagerly anxious to take in others. The experiment attracted general attention, and was highly approved and admired. Subscriptions were offered him, and he was advised to make a public appeal for support.

So Pestalozzi drew up, in 1776, an "Appeal to the friends and benefactors of humanity who may be willing to support an institution designed to provide education and work for poor country children". After describing how he had already proved the practicability and success of reforming both the minds and morals of destitute and degraded children, he gives the following undertaking, provided that sufficient money is advanced to him: "The money will be paid back in ten years. . . . The number of children admitted shall be according to the financial support given to me. I promise to teach all the children to read, write and calculate. I promise to initiate all the boys, so far as my knowledge and position permit me, in all the practical processes of small farming. I understand the means of cultivation which will, from a small area of land, yield the most abundant products. I promise to teach them how to lay down artificial grass-land; to look after and develop the fattening of cattle; to know by extensive experiments the different grasses and the importance of their proper mixings; the nature and the use of marl; the effects, still disputed, of the repeated use of lime; the management of fruit trees, and, perhaps, of a few forest trees.

"All this will arise out of the position and needs of my estate, so that such efforts will always be work connected with the needs of the house, and not in the least a study which necessitates unproductive outlay.

It will also be the household needs which will furnish the young girls opportunity to learn gardening, domestic work and needle-work. The principal occupation in bad weather will be the spinning of fine cotton.

"I promise to give them religious instruction, considered as a matter of conscience, and to do all that in me lies to develop in them a pure and tender heart.”

He goes on to point out that the most gratifying success has attended his experiment with the twenty children he has already with him; and states that he will be personally responsible for all future charges connected with them. He undertakes to make an annual report of his work to the subscribers, and asks that the work shall be inspected, and no money given to him unless he carries out his promises. After mentioning the names of well-known men who are supporting him, he makes a final appeal for the confidence and support of all "friends of humanity".

The response to this appeal was, on the whole, satisfactory-the Council of Commerce of the Bern Republic promised to help-and Pestalozzi was enabled to go on with his work. In accordance with his promise to give his patrons a full account of his work Pestalozzi wrote letters to the Ephemerides. In these he sets forth his views as best way of reforming the working classes, through the education of their children in establishments which combine agriculture and manufacture for their training. He holds that such institutions will be self-supporting, because of the earnings of the children.

He says: "It is possible to improve their growth, strength and health by a very simple and economical diet; for their nourishment consists [at Neuhof] almost

entirely of vegetables, though their work is most constant and diligent. Nevertheless they are robust: the strongest go about in the open bareheaded and without shoes or stockings (Jacobli, the only son of the director, is not treated differently). It is possible, in a short time, to make them reasonably skilful in their work, and at the same time to lead them to acquire such school knowledge as is suitable to their position." Even the weakest and most feeble-minded may be redeemed, if the director be a true father in his relations to the children-but no other way will do the children be kept from the influence of their parents; and stay in the institution for five or six years. Pestalozzi found it necessary to have a written agreement with parents as to the conditions of admission, so grossly did they abuse the privileges of the institution.

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The Bern Agricultural Society appointed some wellknown and competent men to inspect the establishment, in 1778, and then issued a report in which they express their full confidence in Pestalozzi and his work. The report was issued as a pamphlet, which contained also an account by Pestalozzi himself, with a detailed description of the thirty-seven pupils. These descriptions give us some idea of the difficulties of the work; e.g., They [two sisters, aged nineteen and eleven] came to me three years ago, extremely neglected in body and mind; they had spent their lives in begging. We have had indescribable trouble to implant the beginnings of order, truthfulness and industry in them. The degree of brutishness and ignorance in the elder passes all belief, and her idleness is chronic. . . . Henri Vogt, of Mandach, eleven; has been here three years; can weave well has begun to write works well at French and