CHAP. XX.

INCREASED PRICES.

95

“ Albeit there be many things layde downe now“ vvhich before time were occasions of much ex-“ pences, as May-games, wakes, revels, wages at“ shootinge, wrestling, running, throwing the stone“ or barre, and, besides that, pardons, pilgrimages,“ offfings, and many such other thinges, yet I per-“ ceyve we be never the wealthyer, but rather the“ poorer: whereof it is long, I cannot well tell, for“ there is such a general dearth of all thinges as“ before twenty or thirty yeares hath not been the“ like—not onely of things growing within this“ realm, but also of all other marchaundize that we“ buy from beyond the sea, as sylkes, wynes, oyles,“ woode, madder, yron, steele, wax, flaxe, lynen-“ cloth, fustyans, worsteddes, coverlets, carpets,“ and all hearses and tapestry, spyces of all sortes,“ and all haberdasher ware, as paper, both white“ and browne, glasses, as well drinking and looking“ as for glassing of windowes, pinnes, needles,“ knives, daggers, hats, broaches, buttons, and‘ laces. I wot well all these doe cost nowe more' by the thyrd part than they did but few yearesa go. Than all vitayle is as deere or deerer agayne;and no cause of God ’s part thereof, as farre as Ican perceave, for I never sawe more plenty of' corne, grasse, and cattell of all sorte than we‘ have at this present, and have had (as yee know)all these twenty yeares passed continually, thanked' be our Lord God . If these inclosures were cause‘ thereof, or any other thinge els, it were a pitybut they might be removed.”