26 Rents, Wages, and Profits in Agriculture 



a full general account is given from the 

 seventeenth century. Before I finish, I shall 

 have to refer to this book in connection 

 with the nineteenth century and the present 

 day, but at present I use it as evidence 

 of the agricultural enterprise of the great 

 landlords in the seventeenth century. The 

 Earl of Bedford of that day, and his 

 associates, spent in three years over ^"100,000, 

 and after all failed. His enterprise was 

 also unpopular, because he employed a 

 famous Dutchman, Vermuyden (we still 

 have a big drain called by his name 

 in the fens), and this Dutchman brought 

 over foreign labour. The fen - men also 

 complained of the loss they incurred by 

 the drainage in destroying the natural 

 products of the fens in the shape of eels 

 and wild fowl. The works were made 

 over to the King, but after the fatal year 

 of 1649, the next Earl of Bedford became 



