FOUNDLING HOSPITALS.

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of which called themselves hospitalarii, give spiritus: one ob-ject of their order was, generally to take care of tl>e poor, andfor such little exposed unfortunates to provide education andother necessaries. In a short time, this order spread itself intomany countries, their object being the same. Among otherplaces there was established a foundation in Rome ; afterconfirmation by Pope Innocent III . in 1198, an elegantmansion was obtained for their establishment.

The house of Brunswick built a similar establishment atEinbeck , began by Duke Albert, in 1274. Alms were col-lected for its support, and patents granted; but this housewas peculiar from others of the same kind, inasmuch as itprovided for poor foreigners, as well as indigent natives;and received orphans aud foundlings, for whom it providedtill they grew up. An hospital, dedicated to the Holy Ghost,was built at Nuremberg by a rich citizen, named ConradHeinz, sumamed der Orosse, completed in 1341, for thereception of poor pregnant women, and the maintenanceand education of their children. It was a rule in this housesI that the day of the birth or reception of each child, should berecorded ; so that, if it should ever have the ability to pay forthe expenses it had incurred, a standard might be afforded toestimate the general charge.

In the same manner, pregnant females, both married aswell as unmarried, were received in the Hospital of St.John, at Turin . A splendid hospital was founded in Flo-rence, in 1316, called Spedale degi Innocenti, by one Pollini.This is, it is presumed, the same establishment whichthe Camaldule monk, Ambrosius, often mentions under his •family name Traversari; and support was solicited fromthe Pope for its maintenance as early as the beginning ofthe lifteenth century.

L'Hospital du 8. Esprit, at Paris , was founded in 1362,and was supported by public voluntary contributions. Abrotherhood, called La Confrairie du 8. Esprit , was formedto conduct this institution; its charter and laws were con-firmed by Pope Urban V.

Paris had, however, more institutions of that kind in theyear 1638; a widow, whose name we regret the not beingable to insert, devoted her house to the purpose of a lying-in hospital, whence it was called La Maison de la Louche, aname still retained by the French Foundling Hospital at thechurch of Notre l)ame. It obtained new improvementsfrom the Chancellor Etienne cFAligre, aud his lady ElizabethLuillier; at present this house is known under the name of

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