LEPEOST. 229 



This scaly eruption usually broke out twice in the year, at 

 the spring and fall ; and by peeling away left the skin so 

 thin and tender that neither his hands nor his feet were able 

 to perform their functions ; so that the poor object was half 

 his time on crutches, incapable of employ, and languish- 

 ing in a tiresome state of indolence and inactivity. His 

 habit was lean, lank, and cadaverous. In this sad plight he 

 dragged on a miserable existence, a burden to himself and 

 his parish, which was obliged to support him, till he was 

 relieved by death, at more than thirty years of age. 



The good women, who love to account for every defect in 

 children by the doctrine of longing, said that his mother felt 

 a violent propensity for oysters, which she was unable to 

 gratify, and that the black rough scurf on his hands and 

 feet were the shells of that fish. "We knew his parents, 

 neither of whom were lepers ; his father, in particular, lived 

 to be far advanced in years. 



In all ages, the leprosy has made dreadful havoc among 

 mankind. The Israelites seem to have been greatly afflicted 

 with it from the most remote times, as appears from the 

 peculiar and repeated injunctions given them in the Levitical 

 law.* Nor was the rancour of this foul 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 prevailed all 

 over Europe ; and our forefathers were by no means exempt, 

 as appears by the large provision made for objects labouring 

 under this calamity. There was an 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. Moreover, some crowned 

 heads, and other wealthy and charitable personages, be- 

 queathed 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, more- 

 over, when engaged in such a train of thought, naturally 



* See Leviticus, chap. xiii. and xiv. 



