asture; a precaution
still practised with regard to oxen in the least cultivated parts of
this island. The salting of mutton is a miserable expedient, which has
every where been long disused. From this circumstance, however trivial
in appearance, may be drawn important inferences with regard to the
domestic economy and manner of life in those ages.

The disorders of the times, from foreign wars and intestine dissensions,
but above all, the cruel famine, which obliged the nobility to dismiss
many of their retainers, increased the number of robbers in the kingdom;
and no place was secure from their incursions.[*] They met in troops
like armies, and over-ran the country. Two cardinals themselves, the
pope's legates, notwithstanding the numerous train which attended
them, were robbed and despoiled of their goods and equipage, when they
travelled on the highway.[**]

Among the other wild fancies of the age, it was imagined, that the
persons affected with leprosy (a disease at that time very common,
probably from bad diet) had conspired with the Saracens to poison all
the springs and fountains; and men, being glad of any pretence to get
rid of those who were a burden to them, many of those unhappy people
were burnt alive on this chimerical imputation. Several Jews, also, were
punished in their persons, and their goods were confiscated on the same
account.[***]

* Ypod. Neust. p. 502. Walsing. p. 107.

** Ypod Neust. p. 503. T. de la More, p. 594. Trivet, Cont.
p, 22. Murimuth, p. 51.

*** Ypod. Neust. p. 504.

Stowe, in his Survey of London, gives us a curious instance of the
hospitality of the ancient nobility in this period; it is taken from
the accounts of the cofferer or steward of Thomas earl of Lancaster, and
contains the expenses of that earl during the year 1313, which was not
a year of famine. For the pantry, buttery, and kitchen, three thousand
four hundred and five pounds. For three hundred and sixty-nine pipes of
red wine, and two of white, one hundred and four pounds, etc. The whole,
seven thousand three hundred and nine pounds; that is, near twenty-two
thousand pounds of our present money; and making allowance for the
cheapness of commodities, near a hundred thousand pounds.

I have seen a French manuscript, containing accounts of some private
disbursements of this king. There is an article, among others, of a
crown paid to one for making the king laugh. To judge by the events of
the