course of which, he gives us his idea of "a light, nourishing, and comfortable breakfast." "I know none better," says he, " than a couple of potched egges, seasoned with a little salt, and a few cornes of pepper also, with a drop or two of vinegar, if the stomache be weake, and supped oft warme, eating there with all a little bread and butter, and drinking after a good draught of pure Claret wine." He gives cautions as to the use of milk, and recommends him that drinks it "to wash his mouth presently after, with wine or strong beere, and also to rub the teeth and gums with a dry cloth, for the cleansing away the sliminesse of the milke, and for strengthening the gums and teeth." He allows "Frumentie," and "Junckets," if well prepared, but only to them "that have good stomaches," and he adds that "greate is the error of eating Custards in the middle, or at the end, of meales." These with other "whitemeats of like nature must be alwayes at meales first eaten."

Forbearing to notice section 6, "on Sauces and Spices," we find in the following one (section 7) a discourse "of fruits, roots, and herbes that serve for meat, and are usually eaten." Among the fruits he commends grapes, especially when "boyled in butter, and sops of bread added thereto, and sugar also, if they be somewhat sour," making he says, " a very pleasant meat, and agreeable for every age and constitution." He condemns mushrooms, which "many phantasticall people doe greatly delight to eat," but he fully appreciates the value of the subsequently popular vegetable-the potatoe, then but recently introduced, of which he quaintly says.

"Potato roots are of a temperate qualitie, and of strong nourishing parts: the nutriment which they yield is, though somewhat windie, very substantial, good, and restorative, surpassing the nourishment of all other roots and fruits. They are diversly dressed and prepared, according to every man's taste and liking: some used to eat them, being rosted in the embers, sopped in wine, which way is specially good: but in what manner soever they be dressed, they are very pleasant to the taste, and doe wonderfully comfort, nourish, and strengthen the bodie."

Gerarde, in his 'Herbal' (1633) follows Venner in this particular, assuring us that the flatulent effects of potatoes may be suitably corrected by eating the roots "sopped in wine."

The 8th and last section of this volume is on "The Manner and Custome of Diet." And there are, he says, three sorts of Diet, "Accurate, or precise,-Vulgar, or common,-and Sub-vulgar. An accurate diet is that when a man taketh his meales in a certain

measure, order, and number, and at fixed times, &c." A vulgar diet, "is plaine, rude, of no respect or consideration." A subvulgar, is a medium kind of diet, not so rude and plaine as the vulgar, nor so precise and exact as the accurate." The sub-vulgar he regards as fit for healthy men,-"a vulgar diet is only fit for agusticke bodies, for whom," he adds, "I write not these things."

But if Venner does not write for the vulgar, he certainly has some sympathy with students. "Conserve of roses," he pronounces to be "passing good to be used of students, especially at there going to bed." Greene ginger, as helpful for the memory, is "for olde men, and students, most profitable." A conserve of rosemary and sage, he wishes "to be often used by students, especially mornings fasting," because it "doth greatly delight the brain." And he will not allow them a later hour for supper than 6," which order is very well observed in our Universities." As to the general frequency and hour of meals, it may be observed, he is of opinion, that two meals a-day is best for most persons between the ages of twenty-five and sixty; that three meals may be occasionally allowed; but that dinner at eleven o'clock, and supper about six, should be the most substantial of daily repasts; and breakfast, above other meals, is the one that should be eschewed. But old people and children he would not have "precisely tyed unto such fixed meales."

In conclusion, it has frequently struck us that the satirist who, in his highly imaginative 'Visions,' saw a vast multitude (above all other multitudes) which had "dyed of the Doctor," was more witty than correct. It is certain that to the medical profession in all ages we have been indebted for a profusion of good advice, voluntarily given. What a catalogue of authors might we furnish, of men who have written-some sensibly, others, perhaps, the reverse -on the preservation of health, from Herodicus, the preceptor of Hippocrates, down to Alexander Combe. And the instructions thus given, from time to time, however unequal in merit, may, at the least, be accepted as evidence that those who practise the curative art have a right view of, and are honestly endeavouring to carry out, the high purpose of their important mission. We may even go further; we may, without fear of contradiction, affirm that this portion of the profession have exhibited much of disinterestedness in the matter. They have not concealed the truth, but have striven to diffuse it, and in so doing have enforced the very things that make against the gainful practice of physic,

insisting on pure air, temperance, exercise, and the due regulation of the passions, as indispensably necessary to the man who would enjoy health. All this, and much more, may be said in commendation of a class of writers who, however they may be undervalued by the unthinking, derided by the selfish, or lampooned by the would-be witling, are yet to be remembered as the benefactors of mankind. And many of them may say, as Sir Thomas Ellyot does, in reference to his 'Castell of Health,'-"I have not written for glory, reward, or promotion, God is my judge!"

Besides the book before us, Venner was the author of a treatise on 'The Baths of Bathe,' 4to, 1628, and some smaller publications of later dates. In the work just named he protests strongly against "ignorant sottish empirickes," and censures those "who greatly wrong their judgments and understanding, in taking physicke of the unlearned." He desired to be useful to the community, but would be no traitor to the profession of which he was a very respectable member.

Anecdota Literaria.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF JOHN RICHARDS, ESQ.
Of Warmwell, in Dorsetshire; from March 1697, to March 1702.

(CONCLUDED FROM NO. II.)

PRICES.

[As Mr. Richards's Diary includes memoranda of his farm business, it gives the prices of most kinds of agricultural produce.]

Wednesday, the 14 ditto (Ap. 1697).—I agreed wth Doct" Read of Morton, at his own house, for his reek of hay at £5, being 2 acres of Mr Frampton's best meadow yt cost him 325 per acre.

The same evening I agreed wth Thomas Tuck, of Sutton, for of his hay reek, wch Hunibun and I saw, at £5, to abate me thereof if at fetching away. I thought it not worth so much.

The 30 ditto (April 1697).-This day in Dorch" sold Rob Lock* 12 barren beasts for £46, to pay me for ym as much as I had occasion by the 20th of next mo. to pay [halfe?] in old money, and the rest afterwards.

The 26th Sept. 1697, Sunday.-I promised to take 16 bushels of wheat, ground, of Mr. Jno. Williams, for my roan horse. Sold him for £4. 7s. 6d. The 9th Oct. 1697.-This evening at the King's Arms, in Dorchester. I agreed wth Mr. Tho. Skinner, of Dewlish, for 20 bushells of his pease, being choice early pease for seed, to be delived me in spring for seed, at bushell.

3.

6d. per

This Saturday night, the 13th Oct. 1697, I agreed wth Capt. Sydenham,

* A butcher in Dorchester, where there is still a butcher of the same name.

at the Antelope, in Dorchester, for 100 great bushells of his choice oats at 6. 8. per sack, to be deliva in a month after Candlemas next, in Dorchester, as Mr. William Hull then agreed with him for 100 more for himself.

Saturday, the 3 Sept. 1698.-This day at Dorchester, in presence of my bro. James Richards, I sold 50 old yews [ewes], to James Gould of yt place, butcher, at 11s p. yew, or £27. 10. to take ym away within these 3 weeks, and to pay me for them presently after next Weyhill fair, and to give me security in ye mean time.

Reed of him 5s earnest money in part of paym*.

Munday the 31st of October, 1698.-This morning Rob. Lock offerd me 14s. p. sheep for 5 fat weathers, or 15s. p. sheep for y" if he might have an old yew, yt was worth nothing as he sayth.

Friday the 9th ditto (June 1699).—I took Wm. Hunibun wth me to Gorwell, to see Tho. Symes his sheep, where I proposed 300 of his 333 couples, at 19s. p. couple, giving in 15 rams.

74 chilver hogs, and 60 or 61 barren yews, at 12s. each.

Tuesday the 11th ditto (July 1699),—Mr. Meadman, innkeeper of the Antelope In, Dorch, came to see me this morning, twixt 9 and 10 of ye clock, when I sold him 15 or 20 great sacks oats, either one quantity or other as I could spare, at 11s. p. sack.

Saturday the 2 ditto (Sept. 1699). This day in Dorch', I sold farmer James Gould, of Shelvington, my 70 old yews, at £11. each, to take yTM away a week before Michaelmas next, and to pay me for them immediately after Weyhill fair, ensuing the date hereof. Mr. Geo. Gould, of Dorch', obliging in the mean time for his punctuall complyance.

Saturday the 22 ditto (Feb. 1700).-I agreed wth Farmer Light for 250 bushells of Mr. Brown's hop clover grass seed, at 12a p. bushell, to be bro me home by the middle of next moneth.

The 20th ditto (Aug. 1700).—This morning I agreed wth Wm. Hellier of Chittern, skin puller for my sheep and lamb's skins, both of Warmwell and Lewell, at 18 p. skin for ye sheep till next sheer time, and 9d p. skin for ye lambs from next Candlemas to sheer time, to pay for ym quarterly if I demand it.

1699

Saturday, the 23 March, 1988.-This day, in Dorch, I agreed wth Jn°. Eyre, of Osmington, for 6 of his best cows and calves, and 2 heifers, wth their calves, at £4. each, £16. and £32. for all, to be delivd me the 3rd of May next, and their calves to be disposed of as I shall order in ye meane time.

Friday, the 11th Aprill, 1701.-This morning Edwd Webber, of Corfe, was here, and agreed to furnish me wth 200 foot of his best pavier for 24 the square wch he is to lay in my dairy kitchen, for said price, only my plows are to fetch it.

The 1o March (1701).—Sold Edw. Gill 20 cwt of my household cheese, at 14s. per cwt. and 28 barrells of my salt butter at 4s. 4d. p. doz. of 16 oz. to ye lb. Recd 10s. earnest.

Edwd Tho. Voss to pay for 81 bushells of hop clover seed wh Christ'. Howard has bot for me, £7. 10.

£2. 16. of my own.

£3. 14. reed of Alce of ye corn money.

£1. 0. borrowed of her own money.

£7. 10.

1.-4

28

Horses were put out at grass at 18d p* week till after Michaelmas, and 12d p week afterwards.

[We think that these prices of farm produce-grass, cows, and calves, sheep, sheep and lamb-skins, wheat, oats, pease, clover-seed, butter and cheese— would now be found, on the whole, as reckoned in shillings, about three times as high; so that an ounce of Mr. Richards's silver was worth as much against goods as three ounces of ours, and therefore we shall be right in rating the wages he gave as three times the silver or gold he names.]

WAGES.

th

Munday, the 27 January, 1700.-This evening in my parlour I agreed w Richard Sansom, of Ower, in presence of John Eyre, to serve me at Lewell, in ye quality of working bayly, and to take care of all my concerns there, as well of sheep, black cattle, and tillage, as of haymaking, &c.; also to buy or sell for me at Warmwell, and in fine to do me his utmost services in what I order him, for £18. p. ann. wages, to find himself meat, drink, and lodging, in my house at Lewell.

Tuesday, the 28 Xber, 1697.—I agreed with my man, Wm Eyre, to serve me another yeare at £5. p. ann. wages, and with that consideration have p'sented him with his capitation money, wch I pd for him.

Thursday, the 27th ditto (Oct. 1698).-Elizabeth Lucras came to live wth me at 40s. p. ann. wages.

Wednsday, the 10th of January, 1699.-This morning I agreed wth Jn° Battercombe, my under carter, to live with me another year for £4. 10s. p. ann. wages.

This evening I agreed wth Geo. Tomes to goe to plow for me at 4s. 6d. p. week wages.

Tuesday, the 7 ditto (Feb. 1698).-I agreed wth Jn° Battercombe, of Week, to serve me as under carter for the yeare ensuing at £4. p. ann. wages, to come next Munday, the 13th inst. Gave him 12 covenant money. This afternoon (26 Ap. 1700).—Margaret, Madam Trenchd serv, came hither to offer her service for a dairymaid. Agreed wth her as such for £3. p. ann. wages. Pd her 12d earnest.

Friday the 26 Ditto (Ap. 1700).—This day I agreed wth Mary Rose, of Sutton, to serve me as under dairymaid at Lewell for 40s. p. ann. and diet, in case I keep ye dairy in my hands.

Munday the 25 March 1700.-This day Richard Carly whome I agreed wth some time since in presence and by the recommendation of Mr. Jno Williams, of Herringston, to serve me in ye capacity of a working bayly at Lewell, &c. for £16 p. ann. wages, he to diet and wash himself, came thither wth his bedding, &c.

Thursday the 23d of May 1700.-Agreed wth Jaspar Dennis, native of Portisham, but at present living wth Farmer Vie, of Winfrith, to serve me as head hine at Lewell, for £13 p. ann. bord wages, to come fortnight before Midsum. Given him 12d covenant money.

Martha Grant, Daughter of Edwd Grant, came to live with me Wednsday morning the 17th Aprill 1700, at 35s. p. ann. wages.