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[Page 18]
No 2. Shirt
we must Continue ignorant uncertain of the nature of this & of all other under garments as nothing concerning them can be gatherd from Pictures, it is however reasonable to conjecture that the Shirt of those days was in all essentials similar to the Shirt now worn
When the use of Linnen next to the Body was adopted, we do not know, but we must admit that the cleanlyness which results from a frequent change of it, is among our Principal Comforts, we have no occasion for the frequent Baths of the Romans or for the Strigile to Rasp off from our Skins the coat of indurate perspiration that continualy requird violence to Remove it, we can scarce beleive our [sences?] when we read in ancient authors that the Greeks as well as the Romans wore woolen garments next to their bodies, at the times when their Civilisation was the most Refind, & their Luxury the most extravagant, & that these woolen Garments were Costly & Lasted in their melting climate many years
in the Earliest periods of our history we find that Leprosy abounded in this Country there were in Truth many in many parts of England hospitals for the Reception & seclusion of Persons afflicted with that Cruel disease in Early times, however this disease is no longer has gradualy disappeard & is now no longer heard of, may we not attribute some part of this exemption which is not at this time Compleat to the use of Linnen & consider the prevalence of the desease among our ancestors as owing to the want of Baths in a Climate which renderd it necessary to keep the human body continualy wrapped up in its Coverings artificial Covering
Shirts of mail we read of in all times when armor was usd they were made of mail or armor steel wyer interwoven in Links or nets are made we [err?] when we Call Solid Steel armor