234 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



in affirmance of the common law. The alteration 

 had been by a statute, commonly called the statute 

 of &quot; non-claim,&quot; made in the time of Edward the 

 Third. And surely this law was a kind of prognostic 

 of the good peace, which since his time hath, for the 

 most part, continued in this kingdom until this day : 

 for statutes of &quot; non-claim&quot; are fit for times of war, 

 when men s heads are troubled that they cannot intend 

 their estate ; but statutes that quiet possessions, are 

 fittest for times of peace, to extinguish suits and 

 contentions, which is one of the banes of peace. 



Another statute was made, of singular policy, for 

 the population, apparently, and, if it be thoroughly 

 considered, for the soldiery and military forces of 

 the realm. 



Inclosures at that time began to be more frequent, 

 whereby arable land, which could not be manured 

 without people and families, was turned into pasture, 

 which was easily rid by a few herdsmen ; and tenances 

 for years, lives, and at will, whereupon much of the 

 yeomanry lived, were turned into demesnes. This 

 bred a decay of people, and, by consequence, a decay 

 of towns, churches, tithes, and the like. The king 

 likewise knew full well, and in no wise forgot, that 

 there ensued withal upon this a decay and diminu 

 tion of subsidies and taxes ; for the more gentlemen, 

 ever the lower books of subsidies. In remedying of 

 this inconvenience the king s wisdom was admirable, 

 and the parliament s at that time. Inclosures they 

 would not forbid, for that had been to forbid the 

 improvement of the patrimony of the kingdom ; nor 



