4 OF THE HEAVENS AND THE AIR. 



ration not promoted to excefs by labour and exercife. Add to> 

 this, the hardy way of living of the poorer fort ; their bread 

 being made of barley and peas, and their chief fubfiftence milk 

 and cheefe, curds and whey, and potatoes, feldom eating but- 

 cher's meat, and but rarely having any malt-liquor in their fami- 

 lies ; their dwellings often confiding of two rooms with earthern 

 floors, and unfealed ; the one occupied by themfelves, and the 

 other, perhaps, by their cattle ; the air in blowing weather entering 

 in at the chinks and crevices, and making the faces of young chil- 

 dren, and even the aged, look as rofy as apples in autumn ; 

 the children going in the coldeft day in winter without flioes and 

 ftockings, often not from neceffity, but choice : all which 

 flrengthens their bodies, preferves their conftitutions found, and 

 gives them a floridnefs of countenance, to be feen only in fucli 

 as are ufed to fo good an air. 



Here is, generally, fuch a ferenity of air and fine weather in 

 autumn, that it is a kind of fecond fummer ; many flowers 

 blowing vigorous and flrong, with as much beauty as in the 

 fpring. 



For two or three years paft, indeed, the air has been of unequal 

 temperature throughout the feafons ; the fpring fharp and fevere ; 

 the fummer for a day or two exceffivehot, fucceeded on a fudden 

 by chilling colds, and mowers of hail ; the autumn as variable 

 as the fummer months. A few days followed by others tem- 

 peftuous and rainy, fcarce admitting the harveft to be got in, ef- 

 pecially near the dreary moors and waftes ; the winter frofty for 

 a night or two, and then unexpectedly followed by a thaw, and 

 often by heavy rains. This inconftancy of the weather, fudden 

 heats and fudden colds, has very bad effects on animal bodies, 

 checks the motion and elaflicity of the fluids, cafls the fanguine 

 into fevers, the weak and the feeble valetudinary into the hypo' r 



many 



