The concern which Pestalozzi felt in regard
to the reputation of his establishment became
painfully apparent when foreigners, particularly
persons of distinction, visited Yverdun. Ram-
sauer, who was a teacher here as well as at
Burgdorf, gives the following graphic account



HIS ENTHUSIASM,



109



of the results of the old man's feeling in this
respect : —

* As many hundred times in the course of the
year, as foreigners visited the Pestalozzian Insti-
tution, so many hundred times did Pestalozzi allow
himself, in his enthusiasm, to be deceived by them.
On the arrival of every fresh visitor, he would go
to the teachers in whom he placed most conlfidence
and say to them, "This is an important personage,
who wants to become acquainted with all we are
doing. Take your best pupils and their analysis
books (copy-books in which the lessons were writ-
ten out), and show him what we can do, and what
we wish to do." Hundreds and hundreds of times
there came to the institution silly, curious, and
often totally uneducated persons, who came
because it was the " fashion." On their account,
we usually had to interrupt the class instruction,,
and hold a kind of examination. In 18 14, the
aged Prince Esterhazy came. Pestalozzi ran all
over the house, calling out, " Ramsauer, Ramsauer,
where are you } Come directly with your best
pupils to the Red House (the hotel at which the
Prince had alighted). He is a person of the
highest importance, and of infinite wealth ; he has
thousands of bond slaves in Hungary and Austria.
He is certain to build schools, and set free his
slaves, if he is made to take an interest in the



I lo HENRY PESTALOZZL

matter." I took about fifteen pupils to the hotel.
