176 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



Some centuries ago this horrible distemper prevailed all Europe 

 over ; 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 South- 

 rvark, and perhaps many more in or near our great towns and 

 cities. Moreover, some crowned heads, 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 an humane and think- 

 ing person, a matter of equal wonder and satisfaction, when he 

 contemplates how nearly this pest is eradicated, and observes 

 that a leper now is a rare sight. He will, moreover, when 

 engaged in such a train of thought, naturally enquire for the 

 reason. This happy change perhaps may have originated and 

 been continued from the much smaller quantity 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 1 in the days of Edward the Second, even so 

 late in the spring as the third of 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 quantity 

 of wretched fresh and salt fish consumed by the commonalty 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 neat- 



1 Viz. six hundred bacons, eighty carcasses of beef, and six hundred muttons. 



