430 A. D. 1646. 



the year 1646, it was enaded, that from the 24th February 1645, old 

 ftile, the court of wards and liveries, and all wardfhips, liveries, premier- 

 feiiins, and ouflre-les-mains, be taken away ; and that all tenures by 

 homage, and all fines, licences, feizures, and pardons for alienation, be 

 likewife taken away : as alfo, that all tenures by knights-fervice either 

 of his majefty or of others, or by knights-fervice or foccage in capite 

 of his majefty, be turned into free and common foccage. Which ordi- 

 nance was amply confirmed by an ad of the protedor and his parlia- 

 ment in the year 1656. 



The removal of thefe antient Norman badges of fervitude, or fome- 

 thing too near akin to flavery, was thought fo reafonable, though now 

 ?naded by the lords and commons without the king, with whom they 

 were at war, that, upon the reftoration of Charles II, it was con- 

 firmed by an ad of the legiflature, as will be feen in its place. Ser- 

 vitude or vailalage is in its confequences ever obftrudive of commerce 

 and induftry, and therefor ought to be aboUfhed in all free and wife 

 governments. In a fawning letter from Sir Robert Cecil, Queen Eliza- 

 beth's fecretary, to King James of Scotland in the year i6ci, amongft 

 other points he exhorts him in the words following, ' to dilTolve the 

 ' court of wards,' (in England) on the fuppofition of his undoubtedly 

 fucceeding the queen, * being the ruin of all the noble and antient 

 ' fimilies of this realm, by bafe matches and evil education of child- 

 ' ren, by which no revenue of the crown will be defrayed.' {^Appen- 

 dix to Dr. Robert Jon'' s Hijlory of Scotland, V. ii, p. 117, ed. 1759-] ' 



By another printed ordinance of the lords and commons, we fee 

 fomewhat of the fl;ate of J;he commerce of the Englifli American plan- 

 tf'Uions, reciting, ' that whereas the feveral plantations of Virginia, Ber- 

 ' mudas, Barbados, and other places of An:ierica, have been much be- 

 ' neficial to this kingdom, by the increafe of navigation, and of the 

 ' cuftoms ariOng from the commodities of the growth of thofe planta- 



* tions imported into this kingdom ; and as goods and necellaries car- 

 ' ried thither from hence have not hitherto paid any cuftom, for the 

 ' better carrying on of the faid plantations, it is now ordained by the 

 ' lords and commons in parliament, that all merchandize, goods, and 

 ' neceifaries, for the fupportation, ufe, and expenfe of the faid planta- 

 ' tions, fhall pay no cuftom nor duty for the fame, the duty of excife 

 ' only excepted for three years to come, except to the plantations in 

 ' Newfoundland : fecurity being given here, and certificates from thence, 

 ' that the faid goods be really exported thither, and for the only ufe of 

 'the faid plantations : provided always, that none in any of the ports 

 ' of the faid plantations do fuffer any (hip or veflel to lade any goods of 

 ' the growth of the plantations, and carry them to foreign parts, ex- 

 ' cept in Englifti bottoms, under forfeiture of the before-named exemp- 



• ,tion from cuftoms.' Hereby the foundation was laid for the naviga- 



