The first of these institutions endowed by public funds had been founded by the Emperors Nerva and Trajan. They were multiplied and developed by Antoninus and still further by Marcus. On the death of the elder Faustina, Antoninus had founded an institution for orphan girls--called the _puellae Faustinianæ_ (the little maidens of Faustina); and on the death of the younger Faustina, Marcus, faithful in this as in all else to the example of Antoninus, founded a similar orphanage. These charitable works and many others he was enabled to carry out by the large fortune, amounting to twenty-two million pounds, which Antoninus had bequeathed to him. Yet all his financial policy was not so wise. His good nature and easy-going attitude towards money matters may have been good Stoicism, but it was bad statesmanship. On his accession he gave each of the soldiers of the Praetorian guard a largess of £160 and to the other soldiers a proportional sum. He frequently distributed free corn to the mob, and, towards the end of his reign, remitted large debts due to the Treasury; and ordered that in all cases of prosecution on behalf of the treasury, the benefit of the doubt was to be given in favour of the defendant. This was all very well while Antoninus’ legacy lasted; but the season of leanness soon came, and war and the plague left the public finances in so desperate a condition that he had to sell his own personal property and debase the coinage. The result of this generosity had been to make him the idol of the unthinking mob, though we have every reason to believe that this popularity was not sought for. Of the wise man he says: “As to what any man shall say or think about him or do against him, he never even thinks of it, being himself contented with these two things: with acting justly in what he now does, and being satisfied with what is now assigned to him; and he lays aside all distracting and busy pursuits, and desires nothing else than the straight course through the law, and, by accomplishing the straight course, to follow God.” He showed his indifference to the praise of the groundlings in a practical way in his legislation as regards the games. He put restrictions on the gladiatorial contests, and limited the rates of allowance to the stage performers.