Chap. VI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 285 



There is another difeafe of children called the meafles, which 

 came from the Eaft as well as the fmall-pox. Of this difeale hardly 

 any children died in my younger days, but now a confiderable 

 number. When, therefore, to thofe exotic difeafes, I add thofe of 

 our own growth, I am afraid I do not exaG;gerate, when I fay that 

 the people of England are the moft difeafed people, that are, or per- 

 haps ever were, on the face of the earth. 



Nor fhould we wonder at this, when we confider their diet and 

 manner of living. The Englifh, both rich and poor, eat a great deal 

 too much of animal food. Even at the tables of the great, one fel- 

 dom fees any vegetables, unlefs. perhaps, at the fide-board, from 

 whence they are very feldom called. Whereas in France, when I 

 was there about 30 years ago, they had a whole fervice of vegeta- 

 bles, which they called entremets. To dilute this fo grofs feeding, 

 the better fort drink wine and brandy ; I mean port, of which the 

 compofition is live parts wine and one part brandy, as I was informed 

 by a gentleman who had lived in Portugal feveral years, and dealt in 

 the commodity. And to be convinced of the mixture of fpirits in it, 

 we need only throw a glafs of it into the fire, and it will produce a 

 flame. Among the antients, the Scythians were reckoned barbarians, 

 becaufe they drank wine without water. But what fhall we fay of men 

 that drink wine and brandy without water, and fometimes three bottles 

 of it, each man, (as I have heard) at a fitting. — The drink of the lower 

 fort of the people of England is porter; for no common man in Eng- 

 land will drink either fmall-beer or water if he can afford porter : And 

 not only do labouring men in England drink this beer in great quanti- 

 ties, but even thofe who lead the moft fedentary lives, iuch as tay- 

 lors in London, who will drink, fitting crofs legged all the day 

 upon a board, fix or feven pints of porter ; and hence comes a 

 confumption of porter in London which is almoft incredible. And 

 when we join to this immoderate drinking of porter, their drinking 



