A. D. 1278. 43 



f^ 



were called, religious foundations. Before they were carried to excefs 

 in number and opulence, fuch foundations were produdive of fomc ad- 

 vantages to fociety, independent of the religious purpofes of their infti- 

 tution : for, as the clergy were the only people who could read and 

 write, there were in all ages a few of the monks, whofe inclinations 

 prompted, and whofe talents (according to the Aandard of the age) 

 qualified, them to tranfmit to fucceeding ages fome knowlege of the 

 events of their own times, and others to whofe patient induftry in tranf- 

 cribing we are indebted for the prefervation of that portion of anrient 

 literature, which has come down to our times : in monafteries men were 

 prepared for thofe public employments which required fome degree of 

 education : and in them the dull flame of the lamp of fcience was pre- 

 ferved from utter extinftion. So far thofe inftitutions were beneficial 

 to mankind. But the quantity of land and other property, beflowed 

 upon focieties deftiiied to have a perpetual fuccelTion, wiio were conti- 

 nually acquiring, and never giving away, had become in the courfe of 

 ages fo enormoufly great, that the whole kingdom was in danger of be- 

 ing fwallowed up by the church, and being fubjed to, or at leafl: in the 

 difpofal of, the pope *. The poflfeflxDrs of thofe vaft domains became 

 lazy, ufelefs, and vicious ; and the prodigious wealth of their houfes 

 held out a large premium to idlenefs, and an equally-large difcourage- 

 ment to induftry and commerce. Even the military profeflion, though 

 cherifhed and applauded by the temper and opinions of the age, was af- 

 feded by it ; and many, who by their birth and tenures, according to 

 the feudal fyftem, belonged to the national militia, preferred the flum- 

 bers of the convent to the dangers of the field f. A part, at leaft, of 

 the evil was feen, and fome faint attempts were made to check the pro- 

 grefs of it, before this time. In the year 1225 the regents, during the 

 minority of Henry ill, inferted in a new edition of the Magna charta 

 an order againft giving lands to religious houfes. But it appears to 

 have been difregarded ; and fuch donations feem to have been even tol- 

 erated, provided they were made by the licence of the chief lord of the 

 land, who would have brought an odium, if not excommunication, upon 

 himfelf, if he had ventured to refufe his confent. So flender a reftraint 

 .was therefor by no means fufficient to prevent the continuance of the 

 abufe, or to counterad the ftrong belief thac admillion to the joys of 

 heaven was to be purchafed with lands or money. 



November 15"' — King Edward, by the advice of his prelates, earls, 

 and others of his council, now enaded thejiatute of mortmain, ftridly or- 



• We have alre^idy feen, tliat the inefficient and f It is true that the lands of bifhops, abbats, 



non-refident foreign clergymen, impofed upon Eng- priors, &c. who were barons as well as eccleCaf- 



land by the pope, drained it annually of more tics, weie fubjecled to military fervices by William 



money than the whole reveni;e of the kingdom the Conqueror : but they were performed by fub- 



amounted to. ftitiites, and of little arail. 



Vol. I. 3 I 



