OF SELBORNE 189 



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 enquire 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, aU the catde 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 the Second, even so late 

 in the spring as the third of May. It was from maga- 

 zines 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 comparatively modern ; but must prove 

 a great means of preventing cutaneous ails. At this very 

 time wooUen 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 



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

 muttons. 



