68 SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS, AND THE 



freely exercised. It was very onerous on the owners of larger 

 estates, for otherwise we should not meet with so many instances 

 of bribes freely tendered, abundantly received, and confidentially 

 recorded in the accounts. It seldom happens, however, though 

 the king, his family, and sometimes his officers, (as for in- 

 stance, the Despensers in the reign of Edward the Second,) 

 exercised this rigjht of purveyance, that the treasury failed to 

 pay the demand. They bought at less prices, and in a larger 

 measure ; and in the general lowness of the rate of production, 

 the very fact of purveyance was a serious evil ; yet they seldom 

 made bad debts. We shall see hereafter, that the grievance 

 became far more irritating in later times. In the period before 

 me there were two remedies, the ordinary remedies of oppres- 

 sion and fear ; secrecy when the danger was imminent, bribery 

 when it was at hand. 



The freeholder had to pay taxes. That he contributed to 

 the fifteenth and similar subsidies is clear. He certainly paid 

 his property-tax valuation towards the charge for the knights 

 of the shire. But he saw very clearly, that his small contri- 

 bution to the expenses of government worked its fruit. He 

 witnessed the successful opposition to the court and its minions. 

 He noticed the increasing boldness of the House of Commons. 

 He had his sympathies, as time went on, for men like Montfort, 

 and Bigod, and the elder Lancaster, and Gloucester, and the 

 younger Lancaster, and he fortified himself by the teachings 

 of Wiklif. There must have been much political gossip in 

 the fourteenth century. 



In the two rentals which are printed in the second volume, 

 those namely of Cuxham and Ibstone, the free tenants are few 

 in the former, numerous in the latter manor. The free tenants 

 at Cuxham are only four, besides two occupiers in free alms. 

 Quarterman's and Pageham's tenancies, each the fourth part of 

 a knight's fee, are estimated on scutage at the customary rate 

 of forty shillings. Green holds a small amount of land in 

 frank-marriage, and another portion in fee. The Rector of 

 the parish holds a small piece of land. In Ibstone there are 



