82

ADVANCE OF PRICES

CHAP. XIX.

“ gaynegoeth an other way.” He farther adds—“In“ this realm are a great many folkes, and, amongst“ many, I know but one of tender zeale, at the“ motion of his poore tenants, hath let downe his“ landes to the old rentes for their relife. For“ God ’s'love let not him be a phenix, let him not“ be alone, let him not be an heremite closed in a“ wall: some good man follow him, and doe as he“ giveth example.”

An act passed at the end of the reign of Henrythe eighth, in the year 1545, which gives someidea of the expense of subsistence in that age, andshows it to have increased, though it is nearly asindefinite as the passages before extracted fromthe sermons of Bishop Latimer. By that act itis provided, that when the church of any parishwhose benefice does not exceed six pounds a yearis within a mile of another church, the small parishmay be annexed to the other church; but if theparishioners of the small parish shall raise theirbenefice to eight pounds a year, the annexationmay be dissolved. This shows that eight poundsa year was deemed a sufficient remuneration forthe services of a parish priest, and enough tomaintain him, though it might not enable him tobuy books or exercise hospitality, which is thesubject of Latimer’s complaint.

Whatever may be the rate of advance on the pricesof commodities in the period between the firstdiscovery of America and the accession of Edward