1^3] INTRODUCTION 1 7 



needed when statutes, proclamations, and books of hus- \ 

 bandry describe the exhausted condition of the common 

 fields. The fact that the enclosure movement continued 

 vigorously in the seventeenth century is conclusively estab- 

 lished, and when this fact is known the impossibility of 

 estimating the comparative rate of progress of the movement 

 in the preceding century is of no importance. Upon one 

 point at least, the evidence is almost all that could be desired. 

 The material for a comparison of the prices of wheat and 

 wool throughout the most critical portion of the period has 

 been made accessible by Thorold Rogers.^ It is to this ma- 

 terial that the defenders of the theory that enclosures are 

 explained by the price of wool should turn, for they will 

 find a fall of price where they assume that a rise took place. 

 Instead of an increase in the supply of wool due to a rise in 

 its price, there is indicated a fall in the price of wool due 

 to an increase in the supply. The cause of the increase of 

 the supply of wool must be sought outside of the price 

 conditions. 



Acknowledgment should here be made of my indebtedness 

 to Dr. V. G. Simkhovitch of Columbia University, with- 

 out whose generous help this study would not have been 

 planned, and whose criticism and advice have been invalu- 

 able in bringing it to completion. Professor Seager also has 

 given helpful criticism. Professor Seligman has allowed 

 me the use of books from his library which I should other- 

 wise have been unable to obtain. For material which could 

 not be found in American libraries I am indebted to my 

 mother and father, who obtained it for me in England. 



1 Cf. infra, p. 26. 



