CHAP. XX.

INCREASED PRICES.

91

the prises of vittayles and other necessaries doeryse, and so cannot we so much ; for though itbee true, that of such landes as come to handesey ther by purchase or by determination and endingof such termes of yeares that I or my ancestorshad graunted them in time past, I do receyve abetter fine than of old was used, or enhaunce therent thereof, being forced thereto for the chargeof my household, that is so encreased over that itwas; yet in all my lyfetyme I look not that thethyrd parte of my land shall come to my disposition,that I may enhaunce the rent of the same, but itshall be in men’s holding either by leases or bycopy graunted before my tyme, and still con-tinuing, and yet lyke to continue in the same statefor the most part during my lyfe, and percase mysonnes: so as we cannot rayse all our wares asyou may do yours, and as me thinketh it werereason we did; and, by reason that we cannot, somany of us as (yee know) that have departed outof the country of late have bene driven to giveover our households, and to keepe eyther a cham-ber in London , or to wayte on the court uncalled,with a man and lackey after him where he wasWonte to keepe halfe a score of cleane men in hishouse, and t,wenty or twenty-four other personsbesides every day in the weeke, and such of us asdoeabyde in the country still cannot withtwo hun-dredth a yeare keepe that we might have done withtwo hundred markes sixteen yeares ago.”—“ We