NATIONAL TAXES 53 



in Europe. About sixty years after Bacon's 

 death, another celebrated man, Pepys of the 

 immortal Diary, recorded that he had got 

 ready 12 for the tax-collector, but as he 

 only demanded I2S., he did not think it 

 necessary to discover himself. 1 



In the Commonwealth subsidies were 

 collected monthly, and the plan was 

 adopted of taking a pound-rate from the 

 rental of land, and assuming that the capital 

 value of movables yielded an income of five 

 per cent. The value of merchandise and 

 stock - in - trade was, of course, included. 

 One feature of the method of collection is 

 noteworthy, namely, that in every case the 

 tax was collected from the occupiers of the 

 lands and houses, but they had the right 

 to deduct the part that was due from the 

 landlord for his income from the rent. The 

 payment of the tax was considered pro tanto 

 1 Dowell, vol. iii., p. 29. 



