uccessor in the next
period.

Another great grievance was Purveyance. By it the King's purveyors
had the right to seize provisions and means of transportation for the
King and his hundreds of attendants whenever they journeyed through
the country on a "royal progress." The price offered by the purveyors
was always much below the real value of what was taken, and frequently
even that was not paid. Purveyance, which had existed from the
earliest times, was not finally abolished until 1660.

II. Religion

320. Suppression of Heresy.

Under Henry IV the first act was passed by Lords and clergy,
apparently with the assent of the House of Commons, for punishing
heretics by burning at the stake, and the first martyr suffered in
that reign. Later, the Lollards, or followers of Wycliffe, who appear
in many cases to have been socialists as well as religious reformers,
were punished by imprisonment, and occasionally with death. The whole
number of martyrs, however, was small.

III. Military Affairs

321. Armor and Arms.

The armor of the period was made of steel plate, fitting and
completely covering the body. It was often inlaid with gold and
elegantly ornamented. Firearms had not yet superseded the old
weapons. Cannon were in use, to some degree, and also clumsy handguns
fired with a match.

The long bow continued to be the chief arm of the foot soldiers, and
was used with great dexterity and fatal effect. Targets were set up
by law in every parish, and the yeomen were required to practice
frequently at contests in archery. The principle wars were the civil
wars and those with France.

IV. Literature, Learning, and Art

322. Introduction of Printing; Books.

The art of printing was introduced into England about 1477 by Caxton,
a London merchant. Up to that time all books had been written on
either parchment or paper, at an average rate of about fifty cents per
page in modern money. The age was not favorable to literature, and
produced no great writers; but Caxton edited and published a large
number of works, many of which he translated from the French and
Latin.

The two books which throw most light on the history of the times are
the "Sir John Paston Letters" (1424-1506), and a work by Chief Justice
Fortescue on government, intended for the use of Prince Edward (slain
at Tewkesbury). The latter work is remarkable for its bold
declaration that the King "has the delegation of power from the
people,