210 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



perform their functions ; so that the poor object was half 

 his time on crutches, incapable of employ, and languishing 

 in a tiresome state of indolence and inactivity. His habit 

 was lean, lank, and cadaverous. In this sad plight he 

 dragged on a miserable existence, a burden to himself and 

 his parish, which was obliged to support him till he was 

 relieved by death at more than thirty years of age. 



The good women, who love to account for every defect in 

 children by the doctrine of longing, said that his mother 

 felt a great propensity for oysters, which she was unable to 

 gratify ; and that the black, rough scurf on his hands and 

 feet were the shells of that fish. We knew his parents, 

 neither of which were lepers ; his father in particular lived 

 to be far advanced in years. 



In all ages the leprosy has made dreadful havoc among 

 mankind. The Israelites seem to have been greatly 

 afflicted with it from the most remote times, as appears from 

 the peculiar and repeated injunctions given them in the 

 Levitical law.* Nor was the rancour of this foul disorder 

 much abated in the last period of their commonwealth, as 

 may be seen in many passages of the New Testament. 



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 Southwark ; 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. 



* See Lev. xiii., xiv. 



