115 



without help. His shoes were then just an inch and 

 a half long. When he was six years of age, the 

 king of Poland gave him the name of Bebe, and kept 

 him in his palace. His height was then fifteen inches, 

 and he weighed thirteen pounds. He was in perfect 

 health, his person was agreeable and well-propor- 

 tioned ; but there wus little appearance of understand- 

 ing. He had no sense of religion, was incapable of 

 reasoning, and could learn neither music nor danc- 

 ing. Yet he was susceptible of passions in a high 

 degree, anger and jealousy in particular. When six- 

 teen years old, he was 29 inches high, being still 

 healthy and well proportioned, but from that time 

 his health declined ; yet he grew four inches in the 

 four succeeding years. At 21 he was shrunk and 

 decrepit ; and at 22 it was with difficulty he could 

 walk a hundred steps. In the 23d year he fell into 

 a kind of lethargy, and in a few days died, as if it 

 were of old age. 



17. The two most eminent instances of longevity 

 in England were Thomas Par re and Henry Jenkins, 

 Thomas Parre was a poor countryman of Shrop- 

 shire^ whence he was brought up to London, by 

 Thomas, Earl of Arundel. At the age of 120 he mar- 

 ^ried a \vidow 5 at 130 he could do any husbandry. work, 

 eveii threshing of corn, although soon after, his sight 

 began to fail ; nor had he the use of his memory, or 

 but in a small degree, for several years before he died: 

 but he retained his hearing and apprehension to the 

 last. He used to eat often, by day and by night, 

 of milk, old cheese, with coarse bread, whey and 

 small beer. He died at the age of a hundred and fifty- 

 two years and nine months. He might have lived much 

 longer, but coming out of a clear, thin, and free air 

 to London, and from a plain country diet, to that of 

 a splendid family, where he fed high, and drank the 

 best wines, the natural functions were overcharged^ 

 and death could not but soon ensue. 



44 Henry Jenkins calling at my house I asked how 



