SEEDS OF DECAY VISIBLE 29 



of the labours of a commission appointed by that monarch to 

 inquire into encroachments on royal lands and royal jurisdic- 

 tion, show clearly that there had been since the Domesday 

 Sur\'ey a very great growth in the rural population, a sure 

 sign that agriculture was flourishing ; and on some estates the 



I number of free tenants had increased largely, but the burdens 

 bf the villeins were not less onerous than they had been. 

 I It was in the thirteenth century that the practice of keeping 

 Itrict and minute accounts became general, and the accounts 

 of the bailiff of those days would be a revelation to the bailiff 

 of these. 



At the same time we must not forget that the earliest im- 

 provements in English agriculture were largely due to the 

 monks, who from their constant journeys abroad were able to 

 bring back new plants and seeds ; while it is well known that 

 many of the religious houses, the Cistercians especially, who 

 always settled in the remote country, were most energetic 

 farmers, their energy being materially assisted by their wealth. 

 It is said that the great Becket when he visited a monastery 

 did not disdain to labour in the field. 



Among other benefits that the landed interest gained at 

 this time was the more easy transference of land provided, 

 inter alia^ by the statute of Quia Emptores^ which led to many 

 tenants selling their lands, provided the rights of the lord 

 were preserved, and to a great increase consequently of free 

 tenants, many of whom had quite small holdings.^ The 

 amalgamation of holdings by the more industrious and skilful 

 has, as we should expect, been a well-marked tendency all 

 through the history of English agriculture, and began early. 

 For instance, according to the records of S. Paul's Cathedral, 

 John Durant, whose ancestor in 1 223 held only one virgate in 

 ' Cadendon ', had in 1 279 eight or ten at least. At ' Belchamp ', 

 Martin de Suthmere, one of the free tenants, held 245 acres by 

 himself and his tenants, twenty-two in number, who rendered 

 ^ Cunningham, Industry and Commerce^ i. 273. 



