ANIMALS. 209 



by luxury, and diminished the consumption of provisions, so that 3 

 part might come to the poor. It should be the business of the legis- 

 lature, therefore, to enforce this divine precept ; and thus, by restrain- 

 ing one part of mankind in the use of their superfluities, to consult for 

 the benefit of those who want the necessaries of life. The injunc- 

 *ions for abstinence are strict over the whole continent ; and were 

 rigorously observed, even among ourselves, for a long time after the 

 Reformation. Queen Elizabeth, by giving her commands upon this 

 head the air of a political injunction, lessened, in a great measure, 

 and, in my opinion, very unwisely, the religious force of the obliga- 

 tion. She enjoined that her subjects should fast from flesh on Fridays 

 and Saturdays, but at the same time declared, that this was not com- 

 manded from motives of religion, as if there were any differences in 

 meals, but merely to favour the consumption of fish, and thus to mul- 

 tiply the number of mariners, and also to spare the stock of sheep, 

 which might be more benef rial in another way. In this manner the 

 injunction defeated its own force ; and this most salutary law became 

 no longer binding, when it was supposed to come purely from man. 

 How far it may be enjoined in the scriptures, I will not take upon me 

 to say ; but this may be asserted, that if the utmost benefit to the in- 

 dividual, and the most extensive advantage to society, serve to mark 

 any institution as of Heaven, this o r abstinence may be reckoned 

 among the foremost. 



Were we to give a history of the various be'nefits that have arisen 

 from this command, and how conducive it has been to long life, the 

 instances would fatigue with their multiplicity. Tt is surprising to what 

 a great age the primitive Christians of the East, who retired from per- 

 secution in the deserts of Arabia, continued to 'ive in all the bloom 

 of health, and yet all the rigours of abstemious discipline. Their com- 

 mon allowance, as we are told, for four and twenty hours, was twelve 

 ounces of bread, and nothing but water. On this simple beverage 

 St. Anthony is said to have Jived a hundred and five years ; James the 

 hermit, a hundred and four ; Arsenius, tutor to the emperor Arca- 

 dius, a hundred and twenty ; St. Epiphanius, a hundred and fifteen ; 

 Simeon, a hundred and twelve ; and Rombald, a hundred and twenty. 

 In this manner did tb*ise holy, temperate men live to an extreme old 

 ago, kept cheerful by strong hopes, and healthful by moderate labour. 



Abstinence which is thus voluntary, may be much more easily sup- 

 ported than constrained hunger. Man is said to live without food for 

 seven days, which is the usual limit assigned him ; and perhaps in a 

 slate of constraint, ihis is ihe longest time he can survive the want ol 

 it. But in cases of voluntary abstinence, of sickness, or sleeping, he 

 has been known to live much longer. 



In the records of the Tower, ihere is an account of a Scotchman, 

 imprisoned for felony, who, for the space of six weeks, took not the 

 leasl sustenance, being exactly walched during ihe whole time ; and 

 for this he received ihe king's pardon. 



When the American Indians undertake long journies, and when, 

 consequently, a stock of provisions sufficient to support them ihe 

 whole way, would be more lhan they could carry, in order to ooviat* 

 this incoc''enience, inslead of carrying ihe necessary quantity, me. 



VOL. O 



