LEPROSY. 245 



magazines like these that the turbulent barons 

 supported in idleness their riotous swarms of 

 retainers ready for any disorder or mischief. 

 But agriculture has now arrived at such a pitch 

 of perfection, that our best and fattest meats are 

 killed in the winter ; and no man needs eat salted 

 flesh, unless he prefer 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 or filthy woollen, long worn 

 next the skin, is a matter of neatness comparatively 

 modern, but must prove a great means of pre- 

 venting 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 all ranks of people in the south, 

 instead of that miserable sort which used in old 

 days to be made of barley or beans, may contri- 

 bute not a little to the sweetening their blood 

 and correcting their juices; for the inhabitants 

 of mountainous districts, to this day, are still 

 liable to the itch and other cutaneous disorders, 

 from a wretchedness and poverty of diet. 



As to the produce of a garden, every middle- 

 aged person of observation may perceive, within 

 his own memory, both in town and country, how 

 vastly the consumption of vegetables is increased. 

 Green- stalls in cities now support multitudes in 

 a comfortable state, while gardeners get fortunes. 

 Every decent labourer, also, has his garden, 

 which is half his support, as well as his delight; 



