Search York

courts, and the clarks and ministers of the same courts, and

every of them, that upon your our said commissioners, or
40 two of your letters to them directed, they from time to time

do make out in writing, and deliver unto you with al expe-

dition, the copies of al and singular such our records, as ye

or two of you shal think meet and requisite for the better

execution of this our commission.
And further, we give unto you six, five, four, three, or

two of you, ful power and authority to commit to ward al

and singular persons, whom ye shal find rebellious, dis-

obedient, stubborn, obstinate, hindring, or letting by any

means, the execution of this our commission ; there to re-

main without bail or mainprize til our plesure be further

known. And what ye shal do in tlie premisses, we wol that

OF ORIGINALS. 851

ye certify us in our Court of Chancery indelayedly, toge-

ther with this our commission: in witnes wherof we have

caused these our letters to be made patents. Witnes our

self at Westminster, the first day of June in the second year

of our reign.

Q.
The cliarge of Mr. John Hales, one of the commissioners,

at their assembly for the execution of the commission for

redress of enclosures.

LIKEWISE as when a man is very sore sick, and in INISS. penes

daunger of his life, if he send for a physician who studieth '""^'

and taketh great pains for his health, and prepareth whol-

some and healthful medicins; yet if he do not receive them,

they can do him no good; even so, good brethren, when

any inconveniences, mischieves, and hurts happen in the

commonwealth, if the Kings Majesty, his Council, and the

Parlament with their great study, toyl, and labour, prepare

and make never so good laws to resist and put them away ;

yet if they be not received, obeyed, nor put in execution,

they do not profit. Experience declareth the same to be

most true. There have been many good laws made for the

maintenaunce of houses, and husbandry, and tillage, as in

the 4th year of the reign of K. Henry VII. and the 7th

year of the reign of the Kings Majesties father, and in the

25th year of his reign : that no man should keep upon his

own lands or farms, or upon his farms only, above the number

of two thousand sheep. And in the same year, that no man

should have and occupy any more than two houses of hus-

bandry in one town, parish, or hamlet. And in the 27th

year of his Graces reign, that those that should have the

scltes of any of the monasteries that were suppressed by

act of Parlament, being under the yearly value of three

hundred marks, should keep honest and continual house

and household upon the same, and occupy as much of the

demeasnes in tillage, as was occupied by any means with

352 A REPOSITORY

tillage within twenty years before the same act. Yet be-

cause the same laws were not reverently obeyed, and obedi-

50 ently observed, we se they do little or no good. Towns, vil-

lages, and parishes do daily decay in great numbers ; houses

of husbandry and poor mens habitations be utterly de-

stroyed every where, and in no smal number ; husbandry

and tillage, which is the very paunch of the commonwealth,

that is, that that nourisheth the whole body of the realm,

greatly abated ; and finally, the Kings subjects wonderfully

diminished ; as those can wel declare that confer the new

books of the musters with the old, or with the chronicles.
And al this groweth through the great dropsy and the

insatiable desire of riches of some men, that be so much

given to their own private profit, that they pas nothing on

the commonwealth : they love themselves so much, that

they forget their neighbours and Christen brethren : they

remember not that we be members of one body, and that if

eveiy member should pul and snatch from the other as

much as he could, al the whole body must needs perish.

Surely, good people, if the medicins that be prepared al-

ready, to resist, remove, and heal this most hurtful disease

of the commonwealth, privat profit, I cal it, that is to sa}-,

the laws, be not justly and truly put in execution ; it is to

be feared, yea, it is most certain, that within short time we

shal have no commonwealth, but rather, for lack of people

to defend us against our enemies, we shal be a prey for them.

Is it not a pitiful hearing, good people, that man, which was

ordeined of God to be a comfort for man, and as it were a

god, (as the proverb is,) that is to say, ordained to do good,

is now clean changed, and is become a wolf, a devourer and

consumer of men ; one that cannot be contented that his

neighbours should live with him and by him ?
Verily, good people, if men would consider by natural

reason what hurt followcth therby, not only to others, but

what at length shal chance to themselves, it is to be thought

that they would not so much give themselves to self love

and their own jTi'ofit. What shal it profit the rich man to

have his chests ful of gold and silver, if he lack meat and

OF ORIGINALS. 353

drink? This the poor husbandman doth provide. What

can his riches avail, if his enemies go about to assault or

invade him ? He must have other to help, or els he cannot

resist : which in this realm hath always, til of late, been the

commons of the realm. And by reason they be now greatly

decayed and diminished, a great occasion wherof hath been

the destruction of their houses and habitations, and the

great dearth and prices of victual without any just cause,

both the Kings Majesty that dead is, and the Kings Majesty

that now is, was and is forced to send for and hire strangers,

Almains, Italians, and Spanyards. This thing also caused

the King that dead is to make so many castles and bulwarks

by the sea side as he did. And his charges by these means

and occasions waxing daily greater and greater, he was of

necessity driven to ask and take so great subsidies and taxes

of his subjects as he did : which I doubt not but ye do

and wil consider. And whensoever the Kings Majesty

shal have need of your aid and help, either with your per-

sons or with your goods, ye wil gladly, like most faithful

and loving subjects, declare the same. But what availethSl

the rich man to have his felicity and heaven in this world,

and to have infelicity and hel in the world to come ?

The parable that is recited in the gospel of the rich man

and the poor lazar, if we did wel consider of it, would make

al men tremble, that be so given to the inordinate desire of

riches. But it is to be feared, that a great many think not

that there is any other world. If they did, they would do

otherwise than they do. Or else they think, as we were

made to believe in time past, that if we live never so leudly,

do never so much evil, they shal with masses and other

mens prayers after their death purchase heaven : which per-

suasion and do'ctrin, as it was most ungodly, and contrary to

Gods word, so it was most hurtful, and the destruction of

every commonwealth. It is even the right way to let in al

vices, and to put out al vertue : for vices be more agreable

with our corrupt nature than vertue. And surely, if men

mark wel the course of the world, they shal easily perceive,

that this great greedines is plagued here in this world of

VOL. II. PART II. A a

354 A REPOSITORY

God. We se a great many given to this filthy desire of

gathering together goods, and yet God wil not suffer them

to enjoy the fruits therof, and to use it to their commodity.

Some he sick, and wil scarce spend one peny to recover their

healths. Some scarce once a week wil refresh their bodies

with a good morsel of meat, if they shal pay for it them-

selves. And others spare, to thintent they would leave

great possessions to their children, and make their family

noble. But we se, how man purposeth and God disposeth,

as the old saying is. Many times such men have children,

that, before their fathers be scarce laid in the grave, con-

sume and wast away on harlots, unthrifty games, and lewd

company, that the father got before in long time and with

great penury. Evil gotten, worse spent. It is no strange

thing. Such evil heirs be no black swans or white crows,

but almost as common as white swans or black crows. The

just plague of those that pas not how their children be

brought up, so they may leave them goods and lands enough.

For Gods sake, good people, let us take heed ; let us not

provoke the ire and plague of God on us ; but having re-

ceived the knowledg of his word, let us live accordingly.

Let our good living and works appear to the world. Let

our love and charity be abundant to our poor neighbours;

that other men may speak wel of us, and say no longer,

that we be talkers of Gods word, and no followers. If we

do not, no doubt but he wil take that his most holy word

from us, and give it to a people that shal bring forth the true

fruit of it. And then wil he plague us with sword, famine,

and pestilence, as he hath promised those that do not esteem,

but contemne his word. Let us begin, good people, to

strive who may do most good ; and let us no longer study

how to do our neighbours and our country harm. Let us

have this godly opinion with us, that nothing can be profit-

able that is not godly and honest ; nor nothing godly and

honest, wherby our neighbours and Christen brethren, or

the comnionwealth of our country is hurted or harmed.

Let us endeavour and give our selves to the obedience and

observation of good laws, and no longer to the imagination

OF ORIGINALS. m§

and practice, how to subvert and break good laws. Let it 5 2

appear, that we desire and follow that that is good, for the

love that we bear to good, and not for fear of the laws or

punishment.

Howbeit, as we hear, there be a great many that now fal

in disputation, whether these statuts be necessary or profit-

able for the commonwealth, and so to make controversy:

but it becometh no honest subject so to do; when laws be

made, we may not disobey them. If we should, and per-

mit to every mans judgment what is good, what is evil, we

should never be in certeinty. But because there be some,

that neither have the fear of God before their eyes, nor yet

of the laws, they be so drowned in covetousnes, and this

insatiable desire of the vile muck of this transitory world ;

not passing how they come by it, so they may have it : the

Kings Majesty being the life, heart, and head of this realm,

and of us his subjects, the Lord Protectors Grace, and the

Lords of the Council, considering that his Majesty is the

minister of God here in earth, and hath the sword, that is,

authority given him of God to punish those that wil not do

willingly that that is good and godly, minding the preserva-

tion and wealth of this his realm, and that his poor subjects

should not be oppressed by the rich, and intending to set

such an order and stay in the commonwealth, as the poor

with the rich, and one of us with another, may live together

every man in his degree and vocation ; hath sent us here

among you, and layd upon us a very great burthen, to se

his commission diligently and earnestly executed, even as

we wil answer to God, his Highnes, and the commonwealth

of his realm.

And by thauctority therof we have sent for to appear

before us, and have sworn you, not by al saints, but as ye

trust to be saved by the merits of Christs passion, to make

diligent enquiry and true presentment of such things as we

shal charge you with. Wherunto we require you al, spe-

cially you that be sworn, to give diligent and attentive ear,

that ye may the better do your office and duty.

356 A REPOSITORY

[Then was read the commission and proclamation. And

then Mr. Hales proceeded, as follows :]

Good people, by this commission and proclamation ye

may perceive the zele and love that the Kings Majestic,

the L. Protectors Grace, and the rest of his most honorable

Council have to the commonwealth of this his realm and

us his subjects. By the same also ye may perceive gene-

rally the cause of our coming, and your assemble here.

And albeit it extendeth to five principal points, that is, for

the decay of towns, villages, houses of husbandry, convert-

ing arable ground into pasture, the multitude of sheep, the

heaping together of farmes, the not keeping hospitality and

household on the scites of the monasteries and religious

houses that were dissolved by statute made in the xxviith

year of the reign of the Kings Majesty that dead is, and

occupying of tillage on the demeans of the same monas-

teries: yet doth al together shoot but at one mark, and

prick but at one prick ; that is, to remove the self love that

53 is in many men, to take away the inordinate desire of riches

wherewith many be cumbred, to expel and quench the insa-

tiable thirst of ungodly greedines, wherewith they be dis-

eased, and to plant brotherly love among us, to encrease

love and godly charity among us, to make us know and re-

member that we al, poor and rich, noble and ignoble, gen-

tlemen and husbandmen, and al other, of whatsoever state

they be, be but members of one body mystical of our Sa,-

viour Christ, and of the body of the realm.
For as by natural experience we find it to be true, that if

any one part of a mans body be grieved, or the bloud by

any maner of means be let, that it caimot come to it, it is a

great pain to al the whole body ; nor is it lusty and able to

do his office : so ought we to consider and remember in the

state of the body of the realm ; if the poorest sort of the

people, which be members of the same body as wel as the

rich, be not provided and cherished in their degree, it can-

not be but a great trouble of the body, and a decay of the

strength of the realm. Surely, good people, methinketh

OF ORIGINALS. 357

that If men would know how much this vmgodly desire of

Avorldly things, and tlie unleful getting and heaping toge-

ther of riches, were hated of God, how hurtful and dan-

gerous for the commonwealth of the realm it is, and what a

vertue the mean in al things is ; these laws, nor a great

many more that be, needed not. Gods word is ful of threats

and curses against these kind of greedines. " Woe be unto

" you," saith he, " that cannot be contented that other men

" should live with you and by you ; but put men from their

" livings, join house to house, and couple field to field ;

" what do you mean .'' Think ye to live alone in the midst

" of the earth ? No, no, the people be mine. I have a care

" and respect to them, I wil not suffer them to be devoured

" at your hands. It is not your policy, it is not your craft,

" it is not your riches, that is able to defend you against me.

" I have the cure of the poor people; I am their defender;

" I am their ayder; and I wil not suffer them to perish.

" If ye be not good to the poor, I wil not be good to you.

" If ye labour never so much, and have not my help, your

" labour is but in vain. When ye look for plenty, I wil

" send scarcity. For it is not your labour, but it is my

" blessing, which falleth on them that do my conmiandments

" and wil, that maketh plenty of al things."
One of the causes why God plagued and burned the great

city of Sodom was, the greedines of the rich men, and the

little mercy, pity, and compassion they had to their poor

neighbours : they thought al too little for themselves. Ther-

fore, good people, let us consider and remember it. Let us

not willingly go about to provoke the ire and plague of God

on us. Let us remember, that our time in this world is but

short. Let us use this short time to Gods honor and glory.

It hath pleased him to send among us the light of his gos-

pel, which doth teach us how we should love, honor, and

trust in him ; how we should and ought to love our neigh-

bours as our selves. Let us not go about to gather things

together with the hurt of any other : for it is prohibited

both by Gods laws, the law of nature, and mans law. Let

it not appear that we have received the grace of God, and

358 A REPOSITORY

54 the knowledg of his word in vain ; but let our doingS be so

charitable, that al the world may se and perceive that as

Gods word doth teach us to be al one, so we be al one :

wherby we may provoke those that now hate Gods word,

to love and embrace the same, and to glorify God with us.
Thus have ye heard, good people, how much God ab-

horreth this greediness, and liow he hath in time past, and

hereafter intendeth to punish the same. Now wil I tel you

partly how hurtful it is to the commonwealth. Likewise, as

it hath pleased God to make the body of divers parts and

members, and every part and member hath his distinct and

proper office, as to the ey to se, the nose to smel, the ear to

hear, the tongue to speak, the hand to feel, and the feet to

go ; so hath it pleased God also to ordeine in the common-

wealth divers degrees of people ; some to be governours,

rulers, and defenders of it, as the Kings Majesty, his Coun-

cil, and nobility and gentlemen, and others, to be his victual-

lers and purveyors of things necessary for the use and sus-

tinence of man, as craftsmen and husbandmen. And as if

my hand, or any other member of the body, could by his

craft or policy, as they cal it, find the means to get the

bloud of al the rest of the members to it, it should be an

occasion that al the whole body, should shortly perish ; so

likewise, when men in a commonwealth go about to gather

as much as they can, and to get it they care not how, not

considering whether by their gain any hurt should come to

their neighbours or to the commonwealth ; not only others,

but they themselves should shortly perish. What availeth a

man to have his house ful of gold, and be not able to keep it

with his force against his enemies ? So what siial al our goods

avail us, if we be not able to defend us from our enemies .''

The force and puissance of the realm consisteth not only

in riches, but chiefly in the multitude of people. But it

appeareth, good people, that the people of this realm, our

native country, is greatly decayed through the greedines of

a few men in comparison, and by this imgodly means of

gathering together goods, by pulling down of towns and

houses, which we ought al to lament ; where there were in

OF ORIGINALS. 359

few years ten or twelve thousand people, there be now scarce

four thousand; where there were a thousand, now scarce ^

three hundred ; and in many places, where there were very

many able to defend our country from landing of our ene-

mies, now almost none. Sheep and cattle that were or-

deined to be eaten of men, hath eaten up the men ; not of

their own nature, but by the help of men. Is it not a pi-

tiful case, that there should be so little charity among men.?

Is it not a sorrowful hearing, that one Englishman should

be set to destroy his countryman ? The places where poor

men dwelt, clearly destroyed : lands emproved to so great

rents, or so excessive fines taken, that the poor husbandmen

cannot live. Al things at this present, saving corn, (which

by reason that is in poor mens hands who cannot keep it, is

good cheap,) be so dear as never they were : victual and al

other things that be necessary for mans use. And yet, as

it is said, there was never more cattle, specially sheep, than

there is at this present. But the cause of the dearth is, that 55

those have it that may chuse whether they wil sel it or no ;

and wil not sel it but at their own prizes. Al corn would

be likewise, if it were in their hands, and might be wel

kept.
Therfore the Kings Majesty, by th'advice of my Lord

Protectors Grace, and the rest of the Council, thinking

that if these laws might be put in execution many things

amiss in the commonwealth should be reformed, hath sent

his commissioners into these parties: wherupon we have

caused you to appear before us, and have sworn you, re-

quiring to give good ear to your charge.

Instructions given hy the Kings Majesty to his commis-

sioners^ appointed for the execution of certain statutes

made in the fourth year of the reign of K. Henry VIL

and the seventh, the twenty-Jfth, and the tioenty-seventh

years of the reign of K. Henry VIII. to be inquired

of in the shires and places in the commission hereunto

annexed, expressed.
First, Ye shal enquire what towns, villages, and hamlets

A a 4

360 A REPOSITORY
have been decayed and laid down by inclosures into pas-

tures, within the shire contained in your instructions, sith

the fourth year of the reign of K. Henry VII.
Item^ What lands were then in tillage at the time of the

said inclosure, and what then in pasture.

Item, How many plows, by reason of the said inclosure,

be laid down.

Item, How many meases, cottages, and dwelling houses

be fallen in decay, and the inhabitants of the same departed

from their habitation there, by reason of the same inclosure :

and how much land belonged unto the said tenants.

Item, By whom the said inclosures were made, and how

long agone ; and if they were made within the same time ;

and of what yearly rent and profit they be.
Item, Who hath now the state of inheritance, and the

profits of the same inclosure ; and of whom the lands be

holden.
Item, How many new parks be now made sith the said

time.
Item, What arable land, at the time of the making the

said parks, were imparked within the same.