of famine. Agriculture must be practifed as a trade, before it can fupply fuperabundance. Certain it is*, that till the reign of Henry VIII. we had in England no carrots, turnips, cabbages, nor fallads; and few of the fruits, which at present ornament our gardens, and exhilarate our tables. The fpirit of improvement, however, which had taken deep root, before the acceffion of Henry VIII. continued to fend forth vigorous fhoots, during his reign. This we might infer from the frequent proclamations against the practice of inclofing, which was faid to create a decay of bufbandry. On the other hand, a statute was enacted to enforce the sowing of flax-feed and hemp. The nation is represented to have been over-run by foreign manufacturers, whofe fuperior diligence and economy occafioned popular tumults. While the kingdom was gradually filling with people, it was the yearly practice to grant money to repair towns, which were fuppofed to be falling into ruins. Yet, the numerous laws, that were enacted by the Parliaments of Henry VIII. for the paving of ftreets, in various cities and villages, proye how much induftry had gained ground of idleness; how much opulence began to prevail over penury; and how far a defire of comfort had fucceeded to the langours of floth. Thus much might indeed be dif covered, from the numerous laws, which were, during this period, passed, for giving a monopoly of * And. Chron. Com. v. i. p. 338, manufacture manufacture to different towns; and which prove, that a great activity prevailed, by the frequent defire of selfish enjoyment, contrary to the real intereft of the tradefmen themselves. The ftatute, however, which limited the interest of money to 10 per cent. demonftrates, that much ready money had not yet been brought into the coffers of lenders; while a great number of borrowers defired to augment their wealth, by employing the money of others in the operations of trade. The kings of England, both before and after this epoch, borrowed large fums in Genoa, and the Netherlands. A parliamentary debate of the year 1523 exhibits a lively picture of the opinions, that were at this time entertained, as to circulation, which, in modern times, has fo great an effect on the strength of nations. A fupply of eight hundred thousand pounds being asked by Cardinal Wolfey for the French war, Sir Thomas More, the Speaker of the Commons, endea-t voured to convince the House, That it was not much, on this occafion, to pay four shillings in the pound. But to this the Commons objected, That though true it was fome perfons were well monied, yet, in general, the fifth part of mens' goods was not in plate or money, but in ftock or cattle; and that to pay away all their coin would alter the whole intercourse of things, and there would be a stop in all traffick; and confequently the shipping of the kingdom would decay. To this grave objection, it was however gravely answered, That the money money ought not to be accounted as loft, or taken away, but only as transferred into other hands of their kindred or nation; fo that no more was about to be done than we fee ordinarily in markets, where, though the money change mafters, yet every one is accommodated. Nor need you fear this scarcenefs of money; the intercourfe of things being so established throughout the world, that there is a perpetual circulation of all that can be necessary to mankind. Thus your commodities willever find out money; while our own merchants will be as glad of your corn and cattle, as you can be of any thing they can bring you*. Such is the argument of Sir Thomas More; who has thus left a proof to pofterity of how much he knew, with regard to modern ceconomy, without the aid of modern experience. No one at prefent can more clearly explain the marvellous accommodation of money, when quickly paffed from hand to hand, or the great facility in raifing public fupplies, when every one can easily convert his property, either fixed or moveable, into the metals, which are the commodious measure of all things. And this is circulation, of which we fhall hear fo much in later times; and which creates fo momentous a ftrength, when it exifts in full vigour; yet leaves, when it disappears, fo great a debility. + Lord Herbert's Hiftory of Henry VIII. in Kennst, v. ii. P. 55. But But the fuppreffion of monafteries, and the reformation of religion, are the measures of Henry VIII.'s reign, which were attended with confequences the most happy and the most lafting. Fifty thousand perfons are faid to have been maintained in the convents of England and Wales, who were thus forced into the active employments of life. And a hundred and fifty thoufand perfons are equally fuppofed to have been reftrained from marriage, which can alone produce effective population. While the numbers of our people were thus. augmented from various fources, Edward VI. is faid to have brought over, in 1549, many thousands of foreign manufacturers, who greatly improved our own fabricks of various kinds. Yet, they were not invited into a country, where the lower orders were even then very free, or very happy. The act for the punishment of vagabonds and the relief of the poor, recites, " Forafmuch as idleness "and vagabondrie is the mother of all thefts and "other mifchiefs, and the multitude of people given thereto has been always here, within this kingdom, very great, and more in number than "in other regions, to the great impoverishment of "the realm.". This law therefore enacted, That if any perfon fhall bring before two juftices any runagate fervant, or any other which liveth idly and loiteringly by the space of three days, the fame justices fhall cause the said idle and loitering fervant or vagabond to be marked on the breaft with the mark of V by a hot iron, and shall adjudge him to be a flave to the person who brought him, and who may cause him to work, by beating, chaining, or otherwife. The unenlightened makers of this difgraceful act of legislation became foon fo ashamed, as to repeal the law, which they ought to have never made. And were it not, that it fhews the condition of the country, and the modes of thinking of the higher orders, in 1547, it might, without much lofs, be expunged from the ftatute book. But the legiflators of this reign were more happy in fome other of their laws. They restored the ftatute of treafons of Edward III.; they encou raged the fisheries to Iceland, to Newfoundland, and to Ireland. They inflicted penalties on the fellers of victuals, who were not content with reafonable profit, and on artificers and labourers, confpiring the time and manner of their work. As great inconveniencies, not meet to be rehearsed, had сс followed of compelled chastity," all pofitive laws against the marriage of priests were repealed. Manufactures were encouraged, partly by procuring the materials at the cheapest rate, but still more by preventing frauds. And agriculture was promoted by means of inclofing, which is faid to have given rife to Ket's rebellion in 1549. This event alone fufficiently proves, that the people had |