under the latter emperors this place was entirely suppressed.*

At present, orphan houses have been abolished since it has been shown, by many years' experience, that the children cannot be educated in them healthy and at a sufficiently cheap rate. The children are placed out to be boarded and educated by individuals, under the inspection of those who manage every thing relating to the poor.

INFIRMARIES.

HOSPITALS FOR INVA

LIDS. FIELD LAZARETTOS.

By the preceding article I am induced to give some information in regard to the history of infirmaries. To offer any thing complete on this subject, it would be necessary to enter also into the history of inns established for the use of pilgrims and strangers, which in general were combined with them, and likewise into that of the different orders instituted for the like purpose, and of taverns which arose at a later period.

It is certain that ancient Rome, though a magnificent city, had no houses into which sick persons

* Codimus, who lived in the 15th century, says: Opparotρopos n μεν φροντίζων και επιμελούμενος παλαι των ορφανών, νυν δε ουδαμως κεκτηται τινα nga. Orphanotrophus quidem olim curabat et observabat orphanos, nunc vero nullum prorsus ejus officium est.

were admitted in order to be taken care of and cured. Diseased people, however, were carried to the temple of Esculapius, but for a very different purpose. They waited there for a cure, as some Christian believers still do in churches which contain wonder-working images; but no preparations were made there for their accommodation. Those numerous benevolent institutions for the accommodation of travellers, the indigent, and the sick, which do so much honour to modern times, were first introduced by Christianity..

Bodin, who could not deny this service, endeavoured to lessen it, by asserting that, on the introduction of Christianity, freedom was given to many slaves, who possessed nothing else; and who, having learned no trade or handicraft by which they could gain a living, became so burdensome to the state, that the clergy were obliged to devise some means to remove from the public view, and to provide with the necessary support, these unfortunate beings, abandoned by all mankind, whose increasing number was asserted by unbelievers to be an effect of the Christian religion.

In this representation, however, there is some truth. It indeed cannot be denied that our religion, as it requires humanity and compassion, though the intolerance it occasions converts the severest. cruelties into good works, procures to beggars

* J. Bodini de republica libri vi. lib. 1, cap. 5, according to the Franckfort edition 1594, 8vo. p. 61.

more indulgence and respect than they in general deserve, and thereby causes a continual increase of their number. But it is to be observed that Bodin, notwithstanding his acuteness and great learning, often suffers himself to be led away by the effects of his innate Jewish hatred to the Christians; and he readily embraces every opportunity of exalting his paternal religion, the Jewish, and depreciating the Christian, by which he obtained riches and honour.

The enemies of Christianity, however, during the first years of our æra, could not but observe the numerous means for alleviating human misfortunes which were introduced by the new religion. It was galling to the emperor Julian to acknowledge this superiority; and in order to banish it, he caused his priests to provide for the poor, and to establish for them inns (Xenodochia), into which they could be received; and he assigned to them the funds necessary for that purpose. Into these were admitted not only persons of his own religion but of every other, in imitation of the Christians, who, besides supporting their own poor, maintained those of the pagans also. How much he interested himself to weaken this mean, by which the impious Galilæans* procured respect, love, and attachment, may be seen by an oration wherein he inculcated the Christian mo

* Οι δυσσεβεις Γαλιλαίοι,

rality as his own.* This imitation of the new religion, which contributed more perhaps to recommend it than to bring it into discredit, is ridiculed by Gregory Nazianzenus in his third

oration.

The care of providing the necessary assistance to those sick persons who can expect no help and attention from individuals, belongs to the police; and because this forms a part of government, rulers and sovereigns ought, at all times, to have made the establishments requisite for that purpose. But in the oldest periods, as appears, they had too much to do in administering justice, and securing the state against hostile attacks, to be able to attend to the necessary police establishments.

On the other hand, the clergy, whose first duty was to maintain good order, discipline, and virtue, however much they might often in private offend against them themselves, endeavoured to supply this want; and, on that account, among the decrees of various councils, we find a great many regulations which have not yet been sufficiently employed to illustrate the history of police. The establishment of the first houses for the reception of the sick, is among the services rendered by the

* The imperial order has been preserved by Sozomenus in his Ecclesiastical History, v. 16, edit. Valesii, Amstelod. 1695, fol. p. 619, where more information on this subject, worthy of attention, has been collected. See Juliani Opera, edit. Spanhemii, Lipsiæ 1696, fol. p. 430, and Julian's Oration, p. 305.

clergy; and to mention all the places of this kind, either founded by them or at their instigation, would form a very long list. The first, or at least one of the first houses for the reception of indigent sick was that built at Rome by Fabiola, a Roman lady, the friend of St. Jerome, consequently in the fifth century.*

When pilgrimages to holy places, as they were called, and often from very distant countries, came to be considered as a part of religion, the number of these houses was much increased. Taverns, in which pilgrims could procure proper care and attention for payment, were not then to be found; and most people travelled without money, in the full confidence of meeting with gratuitous assistance. When the clergy wished to maintain and increase the number of pilgrims, which their own advantage induced them to do, it was necessary that they should afford them every facility of travelling, and consequently provide for the wants of indigent pilgrims; and it was impossible that among these there should not be some sick, especially as the inconvenience, fatigue, and dangers of the journey were much increased by many things injurious to the health.

But as the principal and most dangerous pilgrimages were made to Palestine, which is situ

* Primo omnium nosocomium, id est languentium villam instituit, in quo aegrotantes colligeret de plateis, et consumta languoribus atque inedia miserorum membra foveret. Hieron. ep. 39.