84 A. D, 1539. 



in the convents of England and Wales. Now, if they were then main- 

 tained at L7 each perfon, their annual expence would be L35o,ooo, 

 which probably was then near the yearly value of their lands ; and liv- 

 ing then being about five times cheaper than in our times, the total 

 yearly value of their lands in our money would be Li, 750, 000 ; and if 

 ©n an average thofe lands be worth 20 years purchafe (as being fince 

 greatly improved), then the total prefent value ot all the abbey-lands 

 may be about L35, 000,000 Sterling. That author farther obferves, 

 that as Camden in his Britannia makes all the pariflies of England 

 amount to 9284, thereto may be added 26 bilhops, 26 deans, 60 arch- 

 deacons, and 544 prebendaries ; thefe, joined to feveral rural deanries, 

 may make about 1000 more; though here our author feems to have 

 forgot that the deans and archdeacons, as well as the prebendaries, have, 

 almoft without exception, at lead one parifh living, in fome of which 

 they may perhaps officiate (though but few) without entertaining a cu- 

 rate. And there being then (/. e. at the dilTolution of the monafteriesj 

 in Oxford and Cambridge about 60,000 ftudents, who, in expeftation of 

 church preferments, either as regulars or as feculars, abflained from 

 jnarriage, there were then in all about 120,000 perfons reflrained by 

 their fun<fcion from increafing and multiplying ; as at prefent double 

 (he fliould at leafl; furely have faid treble) that number is in France ; 

 which confideration alone gives a confiderable advantage to proteftant 

 countri'es in point of commerce as well as populaiton. And reckoning 

 that every marriage, one with another, produces four children, thefe 

 would more than double their number in the fame age. This we doubt 

 is not flrictly true *. 



According to Camden [Britaimia, p. 117, ed. 1607], the number of 

 monafteries fuppreffed in England and Wales, firft and laft, was 645, be- 

 lldes 96 colleges, 2374 chantries and free chapels, and 110 hofpitals. It 

 is now too late to lament the demolition of all the monafteries, two or 

 three of which in every country (as being many of them fpacious and 

 (lately edifices) would excellently well have ferved for county hofpitals: 

 and worklioufes. Much more fhould the overthrow of the colieges be 

 lamented, iince even the two illuftrious univerficies of Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge were included in the diflolution ad ; and it was fome time after 

 that the king was, with fome difficulty, induced to continue them in 

 their former condition ; yet fo inconfiftent was he, almoft at the fame 

 time, as to found new and magnificent colleges in the fame univerfities. 

 And what fhall we likewife fay of the deftruftion of fuch as were real 

 hofpitals for the fick poor, the moft innocent and ufeful of any one kind 

 of charivv' whatever ? 



According to Herrera and other hiftorians, it was about this time 



* The incieafe of mankind in any country nuifl the great body of the people can procure the 

 ever be in proportion to the fucih'ty with which means of fiibfiftence. M. 



