ABSTRACT
THEclosingyearsoftheseventeenthcenturyareamong themostimportantinthehistoryofphilanthropy.Wehave arrivedatanewstartingpoint.Fromthetimeofthe dissolutionofthemonasteriesuntiltheoutbreakoftheCivil War,itispossibletodiscovertheworkingofasingleideathepoorlaw,andespeciallythatclausewhichprovidedfor settingthepooronwork,wasthekeystoneoftheedifice. Anattempthadbeenmadebythestatetobringintothe unityofasinglepolicy,thebusinessofprovidingforthe weakerclassesinthecommunity.Ithadencouragedthe spontaneousexpressionofpityandcareforthepoor,because involuntaryalmstherewasanimportantsourceofrevenue. Butthissourcewassubsidiary.Theproblemofphilanthropy wasrecognisedasbelongingultimatelytothedecisionof thestateitself.Thisprinciple,whichhadforsomeyears cometobealmostaconsciouslydirectedaimofthePrivy Council,wasforgottenintheyearsofstrifeandwasnot afterwardsresumed.Whenthecountryagainsettleddown intosomethinglikethetraditionalforms,theimpulseof philanthropywasfoundtobenotlessactivethanatan earlierperiod.Buttheworkingoftheimpulsewasafter quiteanothermanner.Thefirstconsiderableattemptwas nowmadetoapplytothereliefoftheneedyaprinciple whichpossessedunlimitedpossibilitieswhenappliedtothe productionofcommodities.
