orce of his learned persuasions, that a law was presently made there
for the restraint of superfluous diet; amongst other things, baked
meats (dishes never before this man's days seen in Scotland) were
generally so provided for by virtue of this Act that it was not lawful
for any to eat of the same under the degree of a gentleman, and those
only but on high and festival days. But, alas, it was soon forgotten!

In old time these north Britons did give themselves universally to
great abstinence, and in time of wars their soldiers would often feed
but once or twice at the most in two or three days (especially if they
held themselves in secret, or could have no issue out of their bogs
and marshes, through the presence of the enemy), and in this distress
they used to eat a certain kind of confection, whereof so much as a
bean would qualify their hunger above common expectation. In woods
moreover they lived with herbs and roots, or, if these shifts served
not through want of such provision at hand, then used they to creep
into the water or said moorish plots up unto the chins, and there
remain a long time, only to qualify the heats of their stomachs by
violence, which otherwise would have wrought and been ready to oppress
them for hunger and want of sustenance. In those days likewise it was
taken for a great offence over all to eat either goose, hare, or hen,
because of a certain superstitious opinion which they had conceived of
those three creatures; howbeit after that the Romans, I say, had once
found an entrance into this island it was not long ere open shipwreck
was made of this religious observation, so that in process of time so
well the north and south Britons as the Romans gave over to make such
difference in meats as they had done before.

From thenceforth also unto our days, and even in this season wherein
we live, there is no restraint of any meat either for religious sake
or public order in England, but it is lawful for every man to feed
upon whatsoever he is able to purchase, except it be upon those days
whereon eating of flesh is especially forbidden by the laws of the
realm, which order is taken only to the end our numbers of cattle may
be the better increased and that abundance of fish which the sea
yieldeth more generally received. Besides this, there is great
consideration had in making this law for the preservation of the navy
and maintenance of convenient numbers of seafaring men, both which
would otherwi