24 NATURAL HISTORY 



the Second, even so late in the Spring as 

 the third of May, It was from magazines 

 like these that the turbulent barons sup- 

 ported 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 needs eat salted flesh, unless he pre- 

 fers 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 cuta- 

 neous ails. At this very time woollen in- 

 stead of linen prevails among the poorer 

 Welch, who are subject to foul eruptions. 



The plenty of good wheaten bread that 



