OF SELBORNE. 239 



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 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 fat- 

 test meats are killed in the winter ; and no man needs 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 comparatively modern ; but must prove 

 a great means of preventing 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 contribute not a little to the sweetening 

 their blood and correcting their juices; for ,thc 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 per- 

 son 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 for- 

 tunes. 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 



1 Viz. 600 bacons, eighty carcases of beef, and GOO muttons. Cr. W. 



