DREI VOLKS WIRTHSCHAFTL. DENKSCHRIFTEN A. D. ZEIT HEINRICHS VIII. 3 1 



polycy werkyth to receyve ther levyng by the robbyng and destroyng of 

 the hol! comonaltie. And all this myschieff of the pasturers is wiought 

 to encrese staple wolle to susteyn the inordinate nomber of Staplers, as 

 ther can be no thelFes withowt receyvours , so as in reformyng Staplers 

 shall reforme pasturers. 



An exemplum is to see, how some oon Stapler is tlie causer of the 

 distruction of a 4000 or 5000 comon peples levyng. Oon stapler in 

 London will occupie as moche wolle, as is encreasid owt of the distruc- 

 tion of 4 or 5 villages, wher a 1400 or 1500 peple hathe hadde labours 

 and levynge, and that wolle caried owt of the reame to the hyndryng of 

 as many, which elles shuld drape it and to help so many in other con- 

 treys. And all the money, that ryseth of the sales of the same wolle 

 beyend see, is ther bestowid upon artificiall thynges brought into England, 

 which distroyeth as many mens labours and levyng, which elles shuld 

 make it here the kyng and bis lords, no thyng consideryng that myschief, 

 which pore artificiall peple hathe ben therewith sorely grevid and ther- 

 upon hath compleynyd withowt remedy. Always whan handcrafty men 

 hath compleynyd upon Londoners, that are adventurers, which hath brought 

 all wares into England of the occupacions sleytly made for litle price, 

 wher with they have fillid füll the holl reame to pore hanydcrafts mens 

 distructions. Merchaunts alwey causith the kyng and his lords beleve, 

 they do it for the welth of the reame, reportyng, English men cannot 

 make it so goode chepe and will not werke , but gilf ther bodyes to 

 slouthe, etyng and drynkyng, and so blaspheme ther own naturall neigh- 

 bours, and theym seif beeng the causers, that all artificiall peple in Lon- 

 don and elles wher in England now cannot make artificialite so good chepe 

 as in old tyme, in as moch as they like as afore sayd hath distroyd ther 

 plenty of bodyly lyvyng and also they have usid to bryng so great abun- 

 daunce of all artificiall thyngs into England so sleytly made for so litle 

 money, distroyng all artificers, that no man can use exarcise or actyvite 

 of artificialite approvid. If any English man wold stody to devise and 

 invent any new artificiall thynges, Londoners incontynent is ever redy 

 to destroy it. Abowt a fourteen yers past was but a sleyt fantasy de- 



