caps at such an outrageous price, that when an hat standeth not them in 16d. they will sell it for 3s. or 40d. and also a cap that standeth not them in 16d. they will sell it for 48. or 5s. And because they know well that every man must occupy them, they will sell them at none other price, to the great charge and damages of the king's subjects, and against all good reason and conscience! No hat therefore to be charged more than 20d. the best, and no cap more than 2s. 8d. the best at the most."-Ibid. 534.

Increase of crimes through the neglect of the Justices of the peace. Decay of husbandry in consequence.-Ibid, 537.

Benefit of Clergy restricted. "Persons having been the more bold to commit murder, rape, robbery, theft, and all other mischievous deeds, because they had been admitted to that benefit as often as they had offended."-Ibid. 2, 538.

Great care of the sewers (i. e. drains in the marsh lands) — and of the Thames fishery, and others.-Ibid. 539-544.

Depopulation of the Isle of Wight.-Ibid.

540.

Forging of foreign coin.—Ibid, 540.
Collusive actions.-Ibid. 543,

People destroyed the fish at unlawful seasons to feed their pigs, and manure the ground with them.-Ibid. 544.

This sum is called abatements and deductions and is said to be abated and allowed.-Ibid. 644.

No member of Parliament was to be Collector of a fifteenth,—but this was an exemption from an onerous service.— Ibid. 2, 556.

Persons taking money for forbearing to make any one a collector to be committed to ward, and fined in ten times the amount of the bribe.-Ibid.

Excessive taking of wages contrary to the statutes of labourers and artificers.Ibid. 570.

Because jurors could not be found who would " present the truth," Justices of Assize and of the Peace were empowered to try and punish offences upon information without indictment—in all cases not extending to life or limb.-Ibid. 570.

A Statute of 7 Henry IV. c. 17, forbids any person to apprentice son or daughter within any city or town, unless the parents had lands or rents to the value of 20s. at | least by the year. See it, its causes, and provisions, vol. 2, p. 157. Repealed in favour of the worsted weavers and clothiers

at Norwich.-Ibid. 577, 636. The repeal confirmed.—Ibid. 662.

Frauds practised upon the embroiderers -in the importation of Venice, Florence, and Genoa gold.—Ibid, 545.

Malmsey came from Candy, and the price not to exceed £4 per butt. The Venetians have laid a tax of four.

Something in the nature of a poor rate occurs here, 7 Henry VII. two 15ths and 10ths being granted. £6000 was deducted from each in relief, comfort, and discharge of the poor towns, cities, and burghs of this realm, wasted, desolate, and destroyed, or over greatly impoverished, or else to such 15th and 10th over greatly charged-to be divided according to a former example. Ibid. 555, 642.

their non-appearance.-Ibid. 579.

Fustians the most profitable cloth for wear,-roguery in preparing them by burning instead of shearing.—Ibid, 591.

The Londoners sought to monopolize all trade to themselves. Merchant adventurers, wherever they dwelt, used to have free passage, resort, course, and recourse with their wares to foreign parts, Spain, Portugal, Bretagne, Ireland, Normandy, France, Civile, (Seville? or Sicile ?) Venice, Danske, Estland, and Friseland, and others divers and many places, and also to the coasts of Flanders, Holland, Zealand, and Brabant and other places thereto nigh adjoining under the obeisance of the Archduke of Burgoyn, in which places the universal marts

be commonly holden four times in the year, to which marts all Englishmen and divers other nations in times past used to resort, there to sell and utter the commodities of their countries, and freely to buy again such things as seemed to them most neeessary and expedient for their profit and the weal of the country and parts they be come from. But now the fellowship of the mercers, and other merchants and adventurers dwelling and being free within the City of London, by confederacy made among themself of their uncharitable and inordinate covetise, for their singular profit and lucre, contrary to every Englishman's liberty, and to the liberty of the said mart, have made an ordinance that no Englishman shall buy or sell there without paying to them a fine of £20.

This fine began by colour of a fraternity of St. Thomas of Canterbury, and was originally only half an old noble sterling: by colour of such feigned holiness it was suffered, and increased to 100 shillings Flemish, and was now thus raised. This had the effect from excluding all who were not of the said Fellowship from the marts, and procuring for the Londoners the cloths which the country dealers used to carry abroad, but had now no vent for except in London, where they must take what the Londoners pleased to give. On the other hand, they had to purchase foreign commodities in London also, at so dear and exceeding high price that the buyer could not live upon the profit, and thus all the cities, towns, and burghs of this realm were fallen into great poverty, ruin, and decay. A fine of ten marks was now ordered to be paid. Statute, 2, 638.

Benefit of Clergy taken from lay persons murdering their lord, master, or sovereign immediate.-Ibid. 639.

Restraint on Corporations and Companies.-Ibid. 652.

All prisons, except such as were held by right of inheritance or succession, put under the Sheriff's keeping, to prevent collusive escapes, which had hitherto been pun

ished only by fines so small as to be inefficient.—Ibid. 654.

Attempt made at Worcester, Gloucester, other places, and by men in the Forest of Dean, to levy a toll upon the navigation of the Severn, put an end to-Ibid. 662—unless proof of such right could be made.

ERASMUS calls him "regum longe cordatissimus."—Ep. p. 73.

EFFECTS of this policy traced by HARRINGTON, who says that by weakening the nobles he "first began to open those sluices that have since overwhelmed not the king only, but the throne."—Oceana, p. 64.

“HENRY, then Richmond, on his march from Milford, lodged one night with his friend Davydd Llwyd at Matha-farn. Dafuture, and Richmond, whether in supervydd had the reputation of seeing into the stition or compliment, privately enquired of him what would be the issue of his adventure. Such a question, he was told, was too important to be immediately answered; but in the morning a reply should be made. The wife of Davydd saw that her husband was unusually grave during the evening; and having learnt the cause, she said, How can you have any difficulty about your answer? Tell him he will succeed gloriously, If he does, you will receive honours and rewards;—but if it fails depend upon it he will never come here to reproach you. Hence it is said a Welsh proverb, 'A wife's advice without asking it."- Cambro Briton, vol. 1, p. 310.

BACON. Folio ed. 1622.

8. He made his entry into London in a close chariot, "not being on horseback, or in any open chair or throne."

13. His respect to the laws.

16. Unkindness to his queen though she was beautiful, gentle, and fruitful." Jealousy of her title.-19.

62. Elizabeth Woodville.

60. Encouragement of commerce, and lawful and royal trading. " Overtrading of the foreigner thought an injury to the nation."

64. Chancery and Star Chamber. Bacon praises the latter as "compounded of good elements."

65. Law against carrying away women, -yet the offence not made capital in cases of female wards and bond-women.

65. Hitherto the indictment for murder could not take place till a year and day had been allowed for the parties to proceed by way of appeal. This then was the first step towards giving public justice preference over private.

67. In the northern countries "the memory of K. Richard was so strong, that it lay like lees in the bottom of men's hearts, and if the vessel was but stirred, it would come up."

69. In the case of Scotland. England and France thought it to be the common cause of all kings, if subjects should be suffered to give laws unto their sovereigns.

71. Cardinal Adrian de Castello deceived by a prophecy concerning the Popedom.

71. He may justly be celebrated for the best lawgiver to this nation after Edward I. "For his laws (whoso marks them well) are deep, and not vulgar; not made upon the spur of a particular occasion for the present, but out of providence of the future, to make the estate of his people still more and more happy, after the manner of the legislators in ancient and heroical times."

73. How is this concerning inclosures which when they now began to be more frequent, had the effect of turning arable land into pasture? See the passage. Bacon highly commends the remedy, which required all houses of husbandry that were used with twenty acres of ground and upward to be kept up for ever, with a compe

tent proportion of land to be occupied with them. The effect was to "amortize a great part of the land unto the hold and occupation of the yeomanry," for want of which class the French and Italians, he says, had no good forces of foot, and therefore with much people had few soldiers.- Statutes, 2, 542. See the passage also, 540, Isle of Wight.

75. Wines and Woads from Gascony and Languedoc, to be brought only in English bottoms.

101. Statute for the severe punishing of mort-payes, and keeping back of soldiers' wages in captains.

For dispersing the standard of the Exchequer throughout England, thereby to size weights and measures.

105. Capture of Granada announced with great solemnity in England. These are very fine circumstances.

133. Sir Wm. Stanley, when executed, was the richest subject for value in the kingdom; there being found in his castle of Holt 40,000 marks in ready money and plate; besides jewels, household stuff, stocks upon his grounds, and other personal estate, exceeding great. And for his revenue in land and fee, it was £3000 a year of old rent, great matter in those times. The great spoils of Bosworth field came almost wholly to this man's hands, to his infinite enriching.

137. Swarms and volleys of libels-could these be printed? I rather think not.

142. He was ever ready to grace and countenance the professors of the Law, having a little of that, that as he governed his subjects by his laws, so he governed his laws by his lawyers."

145. That good law which gave the attaint upon a false verdict between party and party. Which good law ought to be enforced now if it exists, or re-enacted if it has been repealed. It did not extend to causes capital.

164. Flammock and the Cornish rebels. Theirs was a Radical intention, which they ayowed-to put on harness and take weapons in their hands, yet to do no creature

hurt, but go and deliver the king a strong petition for the laying down of those grievous payments, and for the punishment of those that had given him that counsel, to make others beware how they did the like in time to come.

171. Most of them shot with arrows which were reported to be of the length of a Taylor's yard; so strong and mighty a bow the Cornish men were said to draw. 181. Exeter defended by fire - this is like what happened at the siege of Dico.

184. Perkin's wife. "The name of the White Rose, which had been given to her husband's false title, was continued in common speech to her true beauty."

Henry gave his sword to the Mayor of Exeter, and commanded it should be ever after carried before him.

187. He built "that fine pile of Richmond," which in Bacon's time was standing. 188. Columbus. Bacon, I see, allows less to Columbus than is usually granted, and I perfectly agree with him.

196. Poor Katharine said of her troubles, "that she had not offended; but it was a judgement of God, for that her former marriage was made in blood,"-meaning that of the Earl of Warwick.

199. The King cared not for subterfuges, but would stand envy, and appear in any thing that was to his mind; which made envy still grow upon him more universal but less daring.

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202. Proceedings against heretics were rare in this reign, and rather by penances than by fire. The King had, though he were no good schoolman, the honour to convert one of them by dispute at Canterbury."

208. When it was objected to Henry, that if his two sons should die without issue, the kingdom of England would fall to the king of Scotland by right of the Lady Margaret, he replied that "if that should be, Scotland would be but an accession to England, and not England to Scotland, for that the greater would draw the less."

215. A Statute "prohibiting the bring

ing in of manufactures of silk wrought by itself, or mixt with any other thread. But it was not of stuffs of whole piece (for that the realm had of them no manufacture in use at that time), but of knit-silk, or texture of silk, as ribbands, laces, caules, points and girdles, &c. which the people of England could then well skill to make. This law pointed at a true principle, 'that where foreign materials are but superfluities, foreign manufactures should be prohibited ;' for that will either banish the superfluity, or gain the manufacture."

216. Recoinage of groats and half-groats, now twelve pences and sixpence.

223. The Earl of Arundel visits King Philip at Weymouth "in great magnificence, with a brave troop of 300 horse, and for more state came by torch light."

229. Henry heard "the bitter cries of his people against the oppressions of Dudley and Empson, and their complices, partly by devout persons about him, and partly by public sermons, the preachers doing their duty therein."

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231. Probable troubles from his son if he had lived longer, young Henry being “a bold prince and liberal, and that gained upon the people by his very aspect and presence."

237. Magnificent in his buildings.

238. "He had nothing in him of vain-glory, but yet kept state and majesty to the height; being sensible that majesty maketh the people bow, but vain-glory boweth to them."

243. A monkey tore his principal notebook.

244. The rumour that the Duke of York was alive, was "at first of his own nourishing, because he would have more reason not to reign in the right of his wife."

246. "Louis XI., Ferdinando, and Henry may be esteemed for the 'Tres Magi' of kings of those ages."

"His countenance was reverend, and a little like a churchman."

63. A laudable custom, especially in the better sort, to send their children to France to learn the language and guise of that country.

79. Henry VIII. dined with him at Chelsea, and after dinner, in a fair garden, walked with him by the space of an hour, holding his arm about his neck.

165. His household. He kept a fool, barge and watermen.

217. An Algorisme stone.1

ISAIAH THOMAS refers to Ryder's Hist. of England, for move in Convocation by the Interlocutor, against allowing Cranmer's Bible to be printed. "If," said he, "we give them the scriptures in their vernacular tongue, what ploughman who has read that 'No man having set his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven,' will make a straight fur

row ?"

GARDINER's declaring that Cranmer ought to be inviolable,—and his argument from

him the diversities, works, motions, and operations of the stars and planets."

81. Livery day-feast and ferie. 96. He dispatched more causes in shorter space than were wont to be in many years before or since. For once he sate when there was no man or matter to be heard. This he caused to be enrolled in public acts of that court. It is strange to them that know there have been causes there depending some dozen years. And there be so many things there heard, that it will be a rare thing to hear the like again.

97. A New Year's day present of forty pounds in angels in a pair of gloves, presented by Mrs. Crocker, who had gained a cause by his decree. He kept the gloves and returned the money.

112. Simon Fish, author of the Supplication of Beggars, afterwards recanted his errors, and died a good man.

126. Lap-dogs in fashion.

132. It is the manner of those that have

been of the King's Counsel, or be Judges of the realm, to have their beards cut short and notted. See the story.

136. Gives his daughter a billement of peas instead of pearls.

146. His wife pains in dress.

624.

A.D. 1512. THERE is a strange forgetfulness of former statutes sometimes observable in our laws. One passed this year 4 Hen. VIII. (Statutes, 3.51) supposes the law imposing a fine upon those who give unlawful wages still to exist, and therefore repeals it. And from the language of the statute it seems (though actually repealed long before) to have been at that time enforced, as if it were still a law.

1514. 6 Hen. VIII. (vol. 3, p. 125.) Maximum again. Sleeping time allowed

for labourers during the summer.

1515. Labourers and artificers in Lon

don exempted from the fixed rate of wages. Statutes, vol. 3, p. 328. Law for licensing beggars, &c.

330. Begging scholars.

331. Acquitted felons licensed to beg for fees.

558. The Statute 27 Hen. VIII. c. 25, says that in the former law it was not provided how the inhabitants of every hundred should be charged for the relief of the poor. The

1 Called otherwise "Algrim" or "Augrim." The article "AL" shows its Arabic derivation. It means 66 a calculating stone."-J. W. W.