30 REINHOLD PAULI, 



wolle are now as moche more as in tlie old tyme. Tlierfor, if the pas- 

 turers may have a tvvo or tliree flesis of the woU and the feiles, they 

 force not of the bodyes , but whan the rott comyth , in as short a tyme 

 as they can seil theym to brochers for little more, than the feiles are 

 wurthe , rather so to ridd theym in such wise , as the great nomber 

 of rottyn shepe hathe ben eten in England, vvhich in old tyme was wont 

 to ete on ther own bredyng and lyvid in helth ther füll age, brought 

 thorowt the reame by faires and markets to seil for 1 6 a weder, that 

 now is worthe 4 Shilling, and than twenty shepe for oon now, and than 

 more sweter muttons which on heyry leyrs are swetter. than on fyne 

 leyrs. Thus the idulnes of the erth and the ranke gresse hathe bothe 

 distroyd the fynes of the wolls and rottid the shepe, that some oon pas- 

 turer losith a 1 2000 or 16000 shepe in oon yere and alwey storith his 

 pastures agayn with owtward breding. So as some yere a 1000 shepe 

 is rottid in England, that was wont to be eten for the vittallyng of all 

 comon peple in the reame, that no marvell is of scarsite of vitall. And 

 in so moche as beff and mutton is made scarse , all other vitalle must 

 nedes be scarse^). 



What a myschief dothe every oon of such pasturers werke in the 

 reame in oon village to distroy the labours and levyng ofa 400 or 500 

 of comen peple, and all the bredyng and encresyng of corn and catalls 

 therin and in distroyng so many shepe, as from ther own grownds are 

 brought to all such grownds , wher no man is fedd of the gresse , that 

 Godd yerly gyvith theim, and all the gresse, wher all suche shepe shuld 

 ete on ther own grownds, wher they wer bredd, yerly rottith on the 

 grownds ther , wher no catall is, like as was in old tyme to ete it. So 

 is almost the half of the sustynaunce of the hoU reame distroyd, which 

 Godd givith is not receyvid of his gift, but byers and sellers by such 



1) Wherfor, when they are closyd in ranke pasturys and butfiil ground, they 

 are sone touchyd wyth the skabe and the rotte; and so, though we nurysch over 

 many by inclosure, yet over few of them (as experyence schowyth) corae to the pro- 

 fyte and use of man. Lupset in Starkey's Dialogue p. 98. 



