From Restoration to Revolution. 351 



common soccage^ from the same date." By another Act of the 

 same parliament, purveyance and compositions for pre-emption 

 were removed, and these measures obliterated every incident 

 of feudalism, except heriots and other dues payable to mesne 

 lords or private persons. Now Charles, at the treaty of New- 

 port, had consented to give up these dues for a fixed revenue 

 of £100,000, and this clause of the treaty became the basis of 

 agreement between parliament and his son. The difficulty 

 that now presented itself was to find proper resources whence 

 this commutation grant should be derived, and two schemes 

 were promulgated for the consideration of the Commons. 

 Lands held in chivalry, as opposed to those held in soccage, 

 were alone liable for feudal burdens, and it was suggested that 

 these would be the fairest sources of taxation. The landed 

 gentry and courtiers opposed to this suggestion a scheme 

 taxing the whole community by an excise on beer and other 

 liquors. The king for his part preferred the possibility of 

 increased income which any growth of the national wealth 

 out of this latter source of taxation would afford, rather than 

 the stationary revenues from a fixed land tax.^ To a nation 

 intoxicated with loyalty, the wish of the Crown became the 

 law of the land; the latter scheme was adopted, and by the 

 statute 12 Car. II. c. 24 every feudal custom, except those 

 already mentioned as reserved, and the honorary services of 

 grand sergeantry, was for ever abolished. The whole landed 

 interest rejoiced, not only its gentry but its inferior classes also. 

 Church dignitaries, royalist nobles, and Cavalier squires who 

 had been traversing their restored estates in sorrowful con- 

 templation of their disafforested condition, or drinking to the 

 king's health out of the pewter substitutes for their melted 

 family plate, forgot the sacrifices they had made and forgave 

 the king his luxurious extravagances in the joy that this con- 

 cession brought them. The labouring classes romped on the 

 village green, toasted the king at its tavern, and omitted to 

 grumble at the increased price of their tipple in the thought 

 that the ro3^al purveyors would trouble them no more. 



' Hallam, Hist, of Eng.^ cli. xi. 



