called vnto him the Chauncellour, and Coise Barons of the Exchequer, and tooke a priuate hearing of the cause. It was there manifestly prooued before them, that besides this long continuance, and the Importance, (as that which touched the vndooing of more then a thousand persons) her Highnesse possessed no other lands, that yeelded her so large a benefit in Rents, Fines, Heriots, and other perquisites. These reasons found fauourable allowance, but could obtaine no thorough discharge, vntill the Gentlemen became suppliants to her Maiesties owne person, who, with her natiue & supernaturall bounty, vouchsafed vs gratious audience, testified her great dislike of the attempter, & gaue expresse order for stay of the attempt: since which time, this barking Dogge hath bene mufled. May it please God to award him an vtter choaking, that he neuer haue power to bite againe.
Herein we were beholden to Sir Walter Raleghs earnest writing, (who was then in the Countrey) to Sir Henry Killigrews sound aduice, and to Master William Killigrews painefull soliciting (being the most kinde patrone of all his Countrey and Countreymens affaires at Court.)
In times past, and that not long agoe, Holdings were so plentifull, and Holders so scarce, as well was the Landlord who could get one to bee his Tenant, and they vsed to take assurance for the rent by 2. pledges of the same Mannour. But now the case is altred: for a farme, or (as wee call it) a bargaine can no sooner fall in hand, then the Suruey Court shal be waited on with many Officers, vying & reuying each on other; nay thei are taken mostly at a ground-hop, before they fall, for feare of comming too late. And ouer and aboue the old yerely rent, they will giue a hundred or two hundred [38] yeeres purchace and vpward at that rate, for a fine, to haue an estate of three liues: which summe commonly amounteth to ten, or twelve yeeres iust value of the land. As for the old rent, it carrieth at the most, the proportion but of a tenth part, to that whereat the tenement may be presently improued, & somewhere much lesse: so as the Parson of the parish can in most places, dispend as much by his tithe, as the Lord of the Mannour by his rent. Yet is not this deare letting euerie where alike: for the westerne halfe of Cornewall, commeth far short of the Easterne, and the land about Townes, exceedeth that lying farther in the Countrey.
The reason of this enhaunsed price, may proue (as I gesse) partly, for that the late great trade into both the Indies, hath replenished these parts of the world with a larger store of the Coyne-currant mettals, then our ancestours enioyed: partly, because the banishment of single-liuing Votaries, yonger mariages then of olde, and our long freedome from any sore wasting warre, or plague, hath made our Countrey very populous: and partly, in that this populousnes hath inforced an industrie in them, and our blessed quietnes giuen scope, and meanes to this industrie. But howsoeuer I ayme right or wide at this, once certayne it is, that for these husbandry matters, the Cornish Inhabitants are in sundry points swayed by a diuerse opinion, from those of some other Shires. One, that they will rather take bargaines, at these excessiue fines, then a tolerable improued rent, being in no sort willing to ouer a penny: for they reckon that, but once smarting, and this, a continuall aking. Besides, though the price seeme very high, yet mostly, foure yeeres tillage, with the husbandmans payne and charge, goeth neere to defray it. Another, that they fal euery where from Commons to Inclosure, and partake not of some Easterne Tenants enuious dispositions, who will sooner preiudice their owne present thrift, by continuing this mingle-mangle, then aduance the Lords expectant benefit, after their terme expired.
The third, that they alwayes preferre liues before yeeres, as both presuming vpon the Countries healthfulnesse, and also accounting their family best prouided for, when the husband, wife, and childe, are sure of a liuing.