her vigor, still remained as high and uncontrollable as
ever.

The active reign of Elizabeth had enabled many persons to distinguish
themselves in civil and military employments; and the queen, who was
not able from her revenue to give them any rewards proportioned to their
services, had made use of an expedient which had been employed by her
predecessors, but which had never been carried to such an extreme as
under her administration. She granted her servants and courtiers patents
for monopolies; and these patents they sold to others, who were thereby
enabled to raise commodities to what price they pleased, and who put
invincible restraints upon all commerce, industry, and emulation in the
arts. It is astonishing to consider the number and importance of those
commodities which were thus assigned over to patentees. Currants, salt,
iron, powder, cards, calf-skins, fells, pouldavies, ox-shin-bones, train
oil, lists of cloth, potashes, aniseseeds, vinegar, seacoals, steel,
aquavitae, brushes, pots, bottles, saltpetre, lead, accidences, oil,
calamine stone, oil of blubber, glasses, paper, starch, tin, sulphur,
new drapery, dried pilchards, transportation of iron ordnance, of beer,
of horn, of leather, importation of Spanish wool, of Irish yarn:
these are but a part of the commodities which had been appropriated to
monopolists.[**] When this list was read in the house, a member cried,
"Is not bread in the number?" "Bread," said every one with astonishment.
"Yes, I assure you," replied he, "if affairs go on at this rate, we
shall have bread reduced to a monopoly before next parliament." [***]
These monopolists were so exorbitant in their demands, that in some
places they raised the price of salt from sixteen pence a bushel, to
fourteen or fifteen shillings.[****]

* D'Ewes, p 629. Osborne, p. 604.

** D'Ewes, p 648, 650, 652.

*** D'Ewes, p. 648.

**** D'Ewes, p. 647.

Such high profits naturally begat intruders upon their commerce; and
in order to secure themselves against encroachments, the patentees were
armed with high and arbitrary powers from the council, by which they
were enabled to oppress the people at pleasure, and to exact money
from such as they thought proper to accuse of interfering with their
patent.[*] The patentees of saltpetre, having the power of entering
into every house, and of committing what havoc they pleased in stables,
cellars, or wherever they suspected saltpetre might b