ccustomable to be paid, the rest of the parishioners that remain must
answer and bear them out: for they plead more charge other ways, saying:
"I am charged already with a light horse; I am to answer in this sort, and
after that matter." And it is not yet altogether out of knowledge that,
where the king had seven pounds thirteen shillings at a task gathered of
fifty wealthy householders of a parish in England, now, a gentleman having
three parts of the town in his own hands, four households do bear all the
aforesaid payment, or else Leland is deceived in his _Commentaries_, lib.
13, lately come to my hands,[78] which thing he especially noted in his
travel over this isle. A common plague and enormity, both in the heart of
the land and likewise upon the coasts. Certes a great number complain of
the increase of poverty, laying the cause upon God, as though he were in
fault for sending such increase of people, or want of wars that should
consume them, affirming that the land was never so full, etc.; but few men
do see the very root from whence it doth proceed. Yet the Romans found it
out, when they flourished, and therefore prescribed limits to every man's
tenure and occupying. Homer commendeth Achilles for overthrowing of
five-and-twenty cities: but in mine opinion Ganges is much better
preferred by Suidas for building of three score in India, where he did
plant himself. I could (if need required) set down in this place the
number of religious houses and monasteries, with the names of their
founders, that have been in this island: but, sith it is a thing of small
importance, I pass it over as impertinent to my purpose. Yet herein I
will commend sundry of the monastical votaries, especially monks, for that
they were authors of many goodly borowes and endwares,[79] near unto their
dwellings, although otherwise they pretended to be men separated from the
world. But alas! their covetous minds, one way in enlarging their
revenues, and carnal intent another, appeared herein too, too much. For,
being bold from time to time to visit their tenants, they wrought oft
great wickedness, and made those endwares little better than
brothel-houses, especially where nunneries were far off, or else no safe
access unto them. But what do I spend my time in the rehearsal of these
filthinesses? Would to God the memory of them might perish with the
malefactors! My purpose was also at the end of this chapter to have set
down a table of the parish ch