The act of helping or assisting someone, placing them in a favorable position, or providing support in their circumstance.
Present participle of 'bestead,' the ongoing action of providing assistance or beneficial positioning based on the 'stead' meaning (place of support).
Gerunds like 'besteading' are beautiful because they transform an action into a concept—'the besteading of the poor' becomes a formal concept of systematic help, which is how medieval and Renaissance writers discussed charity.
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