178 WHITE 



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 think- 

 ing person a matter of equal wonder and satisfaction, when 

 he contemplates how nearly this pest is eradicated, and ob- 

 serves that a leper now is 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 smaller quan- 

 tity 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 in every family. Three or four centuries 

 ago, before there were any enclosures, sown-grasses, field- 

 turnips, or field-carrots, or hay, all the cattle which had grown 

 fat in summer, and were not killed for winter use, were turned 

 out soon after Michaelmas to shift as they could through the 

 dead months ; so that no fresh meat could be had in winter 

 or spring. Hence the marvellous account of the vast stores 

 of salted flesh found in the larder of the eldest Spencer 2 in 

 the days of Edward II., even so late in the spring as the 3rd 

 May. It was from magazines like these that the turbulent 

 barons supported in idleness their riotous swarms of retainers 

 ready for any disorder or mischief. But agriculture is now 

 arrived at such a pitch of perfection that our best and fattest 

 meats are killed in the winter ; and no man need eat salted 

 flesh unless he prefers it, that has money to buy fresh. 



One cause of this distemper might be, no doubt, the quan- 

 tity of wretched fresh and salt fish consumed by the common- 

 alty at all seasons as well as in Lent ; which our poor now 

 would hardly be persuaded to touch. 



The use of linen changes, shirts or shifts, in the room of 

 sordid and filthy woollen, long worn next the skin, is a matter 

 of neatness comparatively modern ; but must prove a great 

 means of preventing cutaneous ails. At this very time woollen, 

 instead of linen, prevails among the poorer Welsh, who are 

 subject to foul eruptions. 



The plenty of good wheaten bread that now is found among 



