HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 235 



tillage they would not compel, for that was to strive 

 with nature and utility : but they took a course to 

 take away depopulating inclosures and depopulating 

 pasturage, and yet not by that name, or by any im 

 perious express prohibition, but by consequence. 

 The ordinance was, &quot; That all houses of husbandry, 

 &quot; that were used with twenty acres of ground and 

 &quot; upwards, should be maintained and kept up for 

 &quot; ever; together with a competent proportion of 

 &quot; land to be used and occupied with them ;&quot; and in no 

 wise to be severed from them, as by another statute, 

 made afterwards in his successor s time, was more 

 fully declared : this upon forfeiture to be taken, not 

 by way of popular action, but by seizure of the land 

 itself by the king and lords of the fee, as to half the 

 profits, till the houses and lands were restored. By 

 this means the houses being kept up, did of necessity 

 enforce a dweller ; and the proportion of land for 

 occupation being kept up, did of necessity enforce 

 that dweller not to be a beggar or cottager, 

 but a man of some substance, that might keep hinds 

 and servants, and set the plough on going. This 

 did wonderfully concern the might and mannerhood of 

 the kingdom, to have farms as it were of a standard, 

 sufficient to maintain an able body out of penury, 

 and did in effect amortise a great part of the lands 

 of the kingdom unto the hold and occupation of the 

 yeomanry or middle people, of a condition between 

 gentlemen and cottagers or peasants. Now, how 

 much this did advance the military power of the 

 kingdom is apparent by the true principles of war 

 and the examples of other kingdoms. For it hath 

 VOL. 3. o 



