A. D. 1066. 287 



fucceeding ages than in the paft ; and the labour of the writer will not, 

 as in the preceding part of this work, confift chiefly in fearching for 

 materials, but in feleding thofe which are moll worthy of being laid 

 before the reader. 



Before proceeding to what may comparatively be called the modern 

 hiftory of commerce, it will be proper to introduce fome notices con- 

 cerning the trade of the Anglo-Saxons, which could not conveniently 

 be referred to any particular dates. 



Before the eftabhfliment of the feudal fyflem in this country, which 

 the bed antiquaries feem agreed in afcribing to the Norman kings, 

 [See Spclman^ Glojf. vo. Feodum] landed property was more abfolutely at 

 the difpofal of the proprietors, than when all eftates were held by feudal 

 tenures. From the hiftories of churches and abbays, (of which many 

 are extant in manufcript, and alfo feverals publifhed) we have numerous 

 accounts of fales of eftates *. We find five hides of land at Holland, on 

 the coafl; of EfTex, fold for twenty pounds of filver ; [H't/l. Ellens, ap. Gale, 

 p. 48 1] and it appears, that the price fcarcely ever exceeded five pounds 

 of filver for a hide of land, even of the befl: quality f. So low a price 

 of land affords the clearefl: demonfiration, that the country was very 

 thinly peopled, and that few of the people were in opulent circum- 

 fi:ances. 



Agriculture, which was in fuch a flourifhing fiate in Britain when 

 under the Roman government, was much negledled during the long 

 wars between the Britons and the Saxons, Angles, &c. and it never re- 

 covered its former degree of perfection during the whole period of the 

 Anglo-Saxon government. There is not, I believe, any authority to fay, 

 that one cargo of corn was ever fhipped from England in all that long 

 fucceffion of ages. It is unneceflliry to add, that a bad harvefl: brought 

 on univerfal diftrefs %. 



* See efpecially the Hiilories of Ramfey and ing. In the reign of Edward the ConfefTor 



Ely, ap. Gait, Scriptorcs, V. i, 1691. The later Lieofftaii, abbat of St. Albans, cut down the trees 



in particular is full of fuch purchafes, many of adjoining to the great road called Watling-llreet, 



which, even by the account of a monk of the beginning at the Chiltern, and proceeding almoft 



abbay, appear to have been fiauduleiit. to London, that travelers might be lefs expofed 



\ There is great diiFcrence of opinion concern- to the depredations of robbers, who haunted the 



ing the quantity of land contained in a hide, which wood, which was alfo occupied by wolves, boars, 



appears to h.ive varied from 96 to 160 acres, wild bulls, and deer. And he gave a grant of the 



The average price of an acre of good land may, manor of Flamllead to Thurnoth, on condition 



therefvjr, be Hated at about half an ounce of filver. that he fliould clear the wood of noxious animals 



In the reign of Cnut two niilis were purchafed and robbers, and make good the lofs fullained by 



for two marks of gold ; but I know not it it was any perfon robbed within his dillrift. The wood, 



a fair price, for tlie eftate to which they belonged however, was not fufliciently cleared, or thinned, 



was acquired by a fwindlJng tiick. [f/y?. Ramf. between St. Alban's and London ; for we find, 



p. 442.3 tluit Frederic, the next abbat, gave the manor of 



J The languid condition of agriculture is evi* Aldcnham on the fame terms to the abbat of 



dent from a great part of the country having re- Wcllminfter. After tiie conqueil many of the 



verted to the natural ftate of an uncultivated foreft, Englilh fled from the oppieffion of the Normans 



which was only ufeful for feeding hogs and wild to the woods, where they fupported themfelves 



animals, and furnilhing fuel and timber for build- by plunder. \_M, Paris Vit. abbatum,pp. 45, 46.] ' 



Whru . 



