mber
complain of the increase of poverty, laying the cause upon God, as
though he were in fault for sending such increase of people, or want
of wars that should consume them, affirming that the land was never so
full, etc.; but few men do see the very root from whence it doth
proceed. Yet the Romans found it out, when they flourished, and
therefore prescribed limits to every man's tenure and occupying. Homer
commendeth Achilles for overthrowing of five-and-twenty cities: but in
mine opinion Ganges is much better preferred by Suidas for building of
three score in India, where he did plant himself. I could (if need
required) set down in this place the number of religious houses and
monasteries, with the names of their founders, that have been in this
island: but, sith it is a thing of small importance, I pass it over as
impertinent to my purpose. Yet herein I will commend sundry of the
monastical votaries, especially monks, for that they were authors of
many goodly borowes and endwares,[5] near unto their dwellings
although otherwise they pretended to be men separated from the world.
But alas! their covetous minds, one way in enlarging their revenues,
and carnal intent another, appeared herein too, too much. For, being
bold from time to time to visit their tenants, they wrought oft great
wickedness, and made those endwares little better than brothel-houses,
especially where nunneries were far off, or else no safe access unto
them. But what do I spend my time in the rehearsal of these
filthinesses? Would to God the memory of them might perish with the
malefactors! My purpose was also at the end of this chapter to have
set down a table of the parish churches and market towns throughout
all England and Wales; but, sith I cannot perform the same as I would,
I am forced to give over my purpose; yet by these few that ensue you
shall easily see what I would have used according to the shires, if I
might have brought it to pass.

[5] The first is a variant on a Keltic, the second on a Saxon
word, both relating to matters sufficiently indicated in the
text.--W.

Shires. Market Towns. Parishes.

Middlesex 3 73
London within the walls and without 120
Surrey 6 140
Sussex 18 312
Kent 17 398
Cambridge 4 163
Bedford