152 Rents, VVages^ and Profits in Agriculture 



any grazier to have more than 2,000 sheep, 

 and in 1536 the king was to have the 

 moiety of the lands decayed, since the pass- 

 ing of the last statute, until the owners 

 rebuilt the houses of husbandry again. 



The dissolution of the monasteries and 

 the confiscation of the Church lands led to 

 a change of ownership of a large amount 

 of land, and the new owners were apt to 

 put in practice the new and profitable 

 methods regardless of the interests of the 

 resident cultivators and of their old 

 common rights. In many cases also they 

 were absentees, and in that way neglected 

 their local duties, and also drew the 

 proceeds of the rents for expenditure in 

 the towns, and especially in London. 

 Accordingly, we find special regulations 

 against absentees, which later on were 

 renewed by James I. 



All the efforts of the legislator, however. 



