Too Much of a Good Thing

I love to read and oftentimes I run across I come across things that truly fascinate me. These things tend to fall into a style of having, at first reading, a humorous nature but upon further consideration have an underlying substance of great importance. Such is the nature of the following item, which by the way is true.


First and importantly, let me point out that this concerns someone who became vegetarian BUT I relate it to you NOT in condemnation of vegetarianism. I believe that being vegetarian is an extremely healthy lifestyle and actually tried it myself for a period of about six months. In fact, I might give it another “go.” I’ve never been comfortable in knowing that some “critter” has had to die in order to fill my gut. But, I digress.



Robert Crabb had always displayed some rather unorthodox behavior in his life in general and in his religious practices in particular. Some of his contemporaries attributed these things to the fact that his skull was cracked open by a battle axe during the English Civil War.



In 1641 he felt “led” to embark on a diet of vegetables, water and celibacy. All of the foregoing were typical means of penance recognized by the Catholic Church at the time, but he was not Catholic.



He moved to Uxbridge and became a hermit. He supported himself by selling herbal remedies to visitors who came in a steady stream. He made his own clothes and also starting increasing his income by making and selling hats. He rather fancied himself a prophet and pursued the avocation with such zeal that he was accused of being a witch.



He then came to the conclusion that he must sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor. He did but it did not enhance his reputation of being a “nut” or help the poor all that much.



Next he felt that he was being led to give up the worldly extravagance of having potatoes and carrots in his diet. He ended up on bran soup, turnips and bean pudding. He still did not feel as if he had forsaken enough worldly indulgences and spent the rest of his life on a diet of leaves and grass, and an income of one penny every four months.


Side note: Robert had one convert to this lifestyle, a Captain Northwood from Philadelphia. The captain died shortly thereafter from malnutrition.



As I see it there is a triple moral to the story:

1. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a vegan.

2. Even something good can be carried to a ridiculous and harmful extreme.

3. I had way too much time on my hands today.