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ORPHAN HOUSKS.

universally approved. Let us view them in whatever situa-tion we may, they appear of so benevolent, so divine a com-plexion, that be the founder of ever so exceptionable acharacter, in other respects, his charitable disposition to theperfectly friendless, appears so amiable a trait in our eyes,that we cannot withhold the tribute of our admiration, butare constrained to pay a due reverence to his memory. With-out meaning to incur the charge of intrusion upon theoffices ot the sacred character, we may, we hope, he pardoned,if we observe that true indeed is the sentiment whichapprises us of the good effects of humanity here, to theindividual, and the blessings of a future state which awaitthe benevolent soul. It will be remembered that SaintPaul enforces the practice of charity, in his usual andenergetic manner, as the most supreme of all the virtues:and, in the present instance, it really appears to partake ofa nature so divinely exalted above common eminence, thatit precedes every other of the most virtuous affections ofthe rational creature. Can any claim of suffering humanityexceed that of the helpless, unoffending, and unprotected?Is there any appeal which can be made to human natureso strong as the one coming from the fatherless,—thefriendless,—the destitute ? The little innocent offspring ofeither virtuous or vicious parents, is itself guiltless; un-conscious of those passions which affect the more mature ofits fellow creatures; if it be the offspring of good parents,it requires protection from kindred virtue; if of the worth-less,—itself is no participator of its parents’ crimes : butalike unconscious of good and evil, its wants alone demandour care. These will plead strongly in the kindred heartof virtue, to attend to the voice of its distress. These im-perious appeals to our benevolence, appear to have beenstrongly felt by our species in the very earliest ages.

From the historical relation of iElian, we learn, that atBoeotian Thebes , for one instance, the state took care ofsuch objects, and also of all the children of poor parents.From the words of that author, it is understood that suchchildren were usually adopted by people w ho purchased themfor that purpose; and it may appear that the sale of thosechildren somewhat resembled a Dutch auction, where theywere sold to whoever offered the least for them; but it may be,that the historian meant to be understood they w r ere to beconsigned to whoever offered any thing for them, be it everso little. Our Grecian historian, Archbishop Potter says,“ The children of those who fell for the glory of the Athe-nian commonwealth were carefully educated, at the public