ABSTRACT
EIGHTEENTHCENTURYCHARACTERISTICS.26l
OuRaccountoftheimportantseriesofmovementsforthe alleviationofdistress,whichbeganinthereignofCharlesII. andcontinuedthroughouttheeighteenthcentury,isnow complete,sofaratleastasthedetailsofparticularcharities isconcerned.Butsomegeneralobservationssuggestedby thenarrativeshavebeenleftoverbecausetheycanbemore convenientlyconsiderednow,aftertheparticularshavebeen sortedintotheirproperclasses.Sucharapidsurveyasis hereintendedwillserveincidentallytobringintoclearer prominencesomeofthelargefeaturescommontoseveral philanthropicgroupsortonumerousspecialformsofactivity. Inadditiontothis,weshallbeenabledtowatchtheworking ofthephilanthropicspiritinitsownprocessofreflectionon itsownproblems,andthisshouldyieldussomeinsightinto thestrengthandweaknessofphilanthropyasaninstrument ofsocialamelioration.
