GENERAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH. 83 



old, familiar, and all but universal, and substitute for it such 

 labour-rents as had been anciently rendered, and which, for 

 instance, are stated so precisely in the Cuxham and Ibstone 

 rentals ? The act, on the part of the landowners, would, no 

 doubt, be oppressive, and really revolutionary, amounting to 

 a dispossession of part of the tenant's estate, and the abro- 

 gation of a settled right ; but might have been defended on 

 the plea of law, as well as enforced in some cases with 

 harshness and severity. 



As I have said, the practice was to lease land to one per- 

 son, and entrust the duty of collecting rents to another. 

 What if at this time a general attempt had been made to 

 lease the rents with the lands, and leave the farming tenant 

 the right of making the best terms he could with the customary 

 occupiers ? Is it not very possible that the lessee of the lord 

 might have striven to compel labour-rents from the villains, 

 and have urged his legal right harshly, distraining the goods 

 of those who refused to accede to a requisition which was 

 now so novel, and in some cases, perhaps, evicting the vil- 

 lain from his holding? 



We are told that combinations were entered into, and con- 

 siderable sums of money subscribed for the defence and pro- 

 tection of the villains: in short, to compare modern with 

 ancient practices, that a sort of trades' union had been con- 

 cocted and sustained by the labourers. Such an organization 

 points to the facts that the grievances felt by the peasantry 

 were general, had been borne for some time with impatience, 

 and that communications passed freely and fully between the 

 various malcontents. The agents, in all likelihood, were 

 found among some of the priests, one of whom, Ball, attained 

 great influence among the peasantry, and had been thrown 

 into prison at Maidstone, before the outbreak, on the charge 

 of seditious practices. 



Every one is familiar with the story of Wat Tyler, of the 

 insult offered to his daughter by the Kentish tax-gatherer, of 



c H. 653-659. 



G 2, 



