NATURAL HISTORY OF , SELBORNE. 155 



It must, therefore, in these days be to an humane and thinking 

 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 inquire 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* in the days of Edward II, even so 

 late in the spring as the 3rd 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 neatness com- 

 paratively modern ; but must prove a great means of preventing 

 cutaneous ails. At this very time woollen, instead of linen, prevails 

 among the poorer Welch, 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 b'eans, may contribute 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 obser- 

 vation 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 ; and common farmers provide plenty 

 of beans, peas, and greens, for their hinds to eat with their bacon ; and 

 those few that do not are despised for their sordid parsimony, and 

 looked upon as regardless of the welfare of their dependents. Potatoes 

 have prevailed in this little district by means of premiums within these 

 twenty years only ; and are much esteemed here now by the poor, who 

 would scarce have ventured to taste them in the last reign. 

 Our Saxon ancestors certainly had some sort of cabbage, because 



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



