OF SELBORNE. 247 
greatly afflicted with it from the most remote times, 
as appears from the peculiar and repeated injunc. 
tions given them in the Levitical law.* Nor was 
the rancour of this dreadful disorder much abated 
in the last period of their commonwealth, as may 
be seen in many passages of the New Testament. 
Some centuries ago, this horrible distemper pre- 
vailed all over Europe; and our forefathers were 
by no means exempt, as appears by the large pro- 
vision made for objects labouring under this calam- 
ity. There was a hospital for female lepers in 
the diocese of Lincoln, a noble one near Durham, 
three in London and Southwark, and perhaps many 
more in or near our great towns and cities., More- 
over, some crowned heads, and other wealthy and 
charitable personages, bequeathed large legacies to 
such poor people as languished under this hopeless 
infirmity. 
It must therefore, in these days, be, to a humane 
and thinking person, a matter of equal wonder and 
satisfaction, when he contemplates how nearly this. 
pest is eradicated, and observes that a leper is now 
a rare sight. He will, moreover, when engaged in 
such a train of thought, naturally inquire for the 
reason. This happy change, perhaps, may have 
originated and been continued from the much small- 
er quantity of salted meat and fish now eaten in 
these kingdoms; from the use of linen next the 
skin; from the plenty of better bread; and from 
the profusion of fruits, roots, legumes, and greens, 
so common inevery family. Three or four centu- 
ries ago, before there were any enclosures, sown- 
grasses, field-turnips, field-carrots, or hay, all the 
* See Leviticus, chap xiii. and xiv. 
