[72] Norden, The Surveyor’s Dialogue, Book I., pp. 4–5, to which the farmer answers: “Fie upon you. Will you bring us to be slaves? Neither lawe, nor reason, nor least of all religion, can allowe what you affirme.”
[73] Op. cit., Book III. Here is a bitter cry from the bailiff of a manor (Merton Documents, No. 4381). “Good sir let me entreat you yf the Colledge determyne to make survey this spring of the lands at Kibworth and Barkly to send Mr. Kay or me word a month or 3 weeks before your coming that we may have Beare and other necessaries, and I desire you to gather up all evidences that may be needful for the Lordshipp, for all testimony will be little enough, the Colledge land is so mingled with Mr. Pochin’s freehold and others in our towne. There ys an awarde for keepinge in of the old wol (?) close in our fields for (from ?) Mr. Pochin’s occupation, very needfulle for the ynhabitannts yf that awarde can be founde at the colledge where yt was loste.” (For the remainder of this letter see [Appendix I].) The Crown suffered especially, see Norden, Speculum Britanniae, Part I., pp. xl.-xliii. of introduction (Camden Society): “In many of his Majesty’s manors, free holders, their rents, services, tenures and landes ... become strange and unknown ... and when escheates happen the lande that should redound to his Majesty cannot be found.” In the common entry in manorial surveys under the heading of freeholders of “certain lands” we should probably take the word “certain” to mean “uncertain.”
[74] For the sources and defects of this table see [Appendix II.].
[75] See below, pp. [105–115].
[76] See e.g. Northumberland County History, vol. ix. p. 327, below, pp. [157–158], and Calendar of Proceedings in Chancery, temp. Eliz. B, b. 1, 58, Ll. 10, 62.
[77] Smith, De Republica Anglorum, Lib. I., c. 23: “These be for the most part fermors unto gentlemen.” Elizabethan England (Withington), p. 120. “Yeomen” frequently occur in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as lessees of the Merton Manors.
[78] See below, [pp. 105–115].
[79] Norden, The Surveyor’s Dialogue.
[80] Fuller, Holy and Profane State. The concluding paragraph is obviously copied from Bacon’s History of King Henry VII.
[81] Paston Letters, I. 12, II. 248. Plummer’s edition of Fortescue, On the Governance of England, Intro., p. 21.