illiam
Petre the year before his death, which shows how his mind had dwelt
silently on the events of his boyhood. "Should his successor like
himself, be a minor, his executors, unlike his father's, should meddle
with no wars unless the country was invaded." But of all the writings he
left, the most interesting and important is an unfinished fragment on
the condition of England. Although it was written three hundred years
ago by a boy of fifteen, some of it is such fine and wholesome reading
for us nowadays, that I must quote part of Mr. Froude's account of it.

"A king who at fifteen could sketch the work which was before him so
distinctly, would in a few years have demanded a sharp account of the
Stewardship of the Duke of Northumberland."

Looking at England, ... as England was, the young king saw
"all things out of order." "Farming gentlemen and clerking
knights" neglecting their duties as overseers of the
people, "were exercising the gain of living." ... Artificers
and clothiers no longer worked honestly; the necessaries of
life had risen in price, and the labourers had raised their
wages, "whereby to recompense the loss of things they
bought." The country swarmed with vagabonds; and those who
broke the laws escaped punishment by bribery or through
foolish pity. The lawyers and even the judges were corrupt.

Peace and order were violated by religious dissensions and
universal neglect of the law. Offices of trust were bought
and sold; benefices impropriated, tillage-ground turned to
pasture, "not considering the sustaining of men." The poor
were robbed by the enclosures; and extravagance in dress and
idle luxury of living were eating like ulcers into the
State. These were the vices of the age; nor were they
likely, as Edward thought, to yield in any way to the most
correct formula of justification. The "medicines to cure
these sores" were to be looked for in good education, good
laws, and "just execution of the laws without respect of
persons, in the example of rulers, the punishment of
misdoers, and the encouragement of the good." Corrupt
magistrates should be deposed, seeing that those who were
themselves guilty would not enforce the laws against their
own faults; and all gentlemen and noblemen should be
compelled to reside on their estates, and fulfil the duties
of their place.[47]

Boys and gir