Petition of Two Sisters, Title page – Table of contents
To the Kings moſt excellent Maiestie.
THE HVMBLE PETITION OF TWO SISTERS; THE CHVRCH AND Common-wealth: For the reſtoring of their ancient Commons and liberties, which late Incloſure with depopulation, vncharitably hath taken away: Containing ſeuen reaſons as euidences for the ſame.
PROV. 14. 28. In the multitude of the people is the honour of a King, and for the want of people, commeth the deſtruction of the Prince.
LONDINI, Impenſis GEORGII BISHOP. 1604.
TENEZ LE VRAY
Exlibris Bibliothecoe Domeſticoe RICHARDI TOWNELEY de Tonmeley In Agro Lancaſtrensi Armigeri Anno Aetatis. 73 Domin… 702
TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES, BY the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
THat ſaying of Queene Heſter to the most famous King Ahaſhueroſh, (most dread Soueraigne) doth, as it were, enforce me, to make this my humble Petition to your Highneſſe: If we were ſold to bee bondſlaues, or handmaides Heſt. 7. 4.(ſaith ſhee) I would hauehave held my tongue, although the aduerſary could neuer recompence the King this loſſe: But let my life Verſe. 3.be giuen me at my requeſt, and my peoples.
There is a mightie Thorne ſprung vp of late, in diuers places of this Realme, like to that cruell Haman; which doeth not onelyonly goe about to impoueriſh your Maieſties Subiects, but quite to roote them out: I meane Incloſure of Fields and Commons; whereas the Lords of Manours, and Freeholders will hauehave all their landes which hauehave heeretofore lien open, and in Common, (ſo that the poore might enter Common with them) now laid together in ſeuerall. And hereby the poore cannot enioy their ancient Commons and liberties. And this cankred Thorne alſo deuoureth Gods people, which is his inheritance, as the Pſalme teacheth vsus, Aske ofme, (ſaith God) & I will giuegive Pſal. 2. 8.thee the people for thine inheritance, &c. and the vttermoſt parts of the earth for thy poſſeſſion. Incloſers to maintaine their owne inheritances, doe make no conſcience to impaire this inheritance. Where God 2. Cor. 1. 11hath beene praiſed with many mouthes, there now ſhreeking Owles, and other vncleane birds make their neſtes.
It diſhonoreth alſo your Maieſty, and weakeneth your Highneſſe power. For, in the multitude of people is the Pro. 14. 28.honour of a King, ſaith Salomon, and for want of people commeth the deſtruction of the Prince. But this Incloſure where it commeth, diſpeoples Townes, as common experience lamentably teacheth. And whereas your Maieſtie might hauehave had great choice of Souldiers, and able men for ſeruice in warre (if neede required) now there is almoſt none to be had, but a Sheepheard and his dogge. This Incloſure alſo hurteth the commonwealth: For where no oxen are, there the cribbe is emptie, (ſaith Salomon) Prov. 14. 9.but much increaſe commeth by the ſtrength of the oxe. But incloſure decareth Tellage, and turneth good arable land to Paſture. Theſe Incloſers thinke that the gaine of their Paſtures, eaten with ſheepe, commeth more eaſily to them than being tilled; and therefore they will neither plowe nor ſowe themſelues, nor let their land to ſuch as would till it: and ſo by this meanes they bring a dearth upon this Land, which is one of Gods Eze. 14. 13.plagues. Yea, the Cities and Townes Corporate are maintained by the Countrey: For the plowe maintaines all trades, as Mercers, Grocers, Tanners, shooemakers, Glouers, Smiths, Taylors, Ioyners, Carpenters &c. But ſince Incloſure began, all theſe Artificers prooue by experience, that they cannot hauehave ſuch vtterance and returne for their wares as heretofore: becauſe that husbandmen were wont to maintaine many ſeruants, which did yeerely buy their wares of them; which multitude of ſeruants incloſure needes not. Oh Incloſure then, to be hated of all Gods children, which deuoureth their fathers inheritance! and to be detested of all your Maieſties faithfull ſubiects, which diſhonoureth your Highnes, by diminiſhing the people of your land, and procureth your Maiesties destruction (as ſaith Salomon) and to be abhorred of all true harted Engliſh men, which bringeth afamine, one of Gods plagues vponupon this our Common wealth. Nay, which goeth about to impoueriſh our Grand mothers and moſt famous Cities.
I knowe, Incloſers can vrge many plauſible reaſons for themſelues, but their reaſons are humane, and not grounded on the word of God. Theſe dangerous and deſperate effects ſo apparantly ſpreading both into the hart of Gods Church, and of the Common-wealth, inforceth me, humbly to preſent this my Petition to your moſt ſacred Maieſtie, with theſe reaſons against Incloſure. Leaſt by holding my peace, and ſuffering the Lords inheritance to I know where ther hath beene before Incloſure 320. communicāts: but now there be ſcant 160.be impaired, I ſhould be condemned at that day as an vniust Steward: and ſeeing your Maieſties power to be diminiſhed, and not giuing warning, I ſhould be reputed a faithleſſe ſubiect to your Highneſſe: and perceiuing the Common wealth hereby to be damnified and halfe beggered, I ſhould be eſteemed an vnnaturall childe, to this my moſt louing mother.
I am alſo incouraged with confidence of your Gracious acceptance of this my humble ſuite, with that (Maſhall) your Maieſties godly and golden ſaying, to your Princely ſonne, that hee ſhould bee the poore mans King. The cure of this canker, and the rooting out of this thorne, will make glad your poore ſubiects hearts. For as we reade, Salomons ſubiects were as many in number as the ſand of the 1. Kin. 4. 20Sea, eating drinking and making merrie; And at this marke ſhoulde Christian Kings aime, that their ſubiects ſhould doe the like. But incloſure diminiſheth the number of Gods people, killeth their hearts, and abridgeth both their mirth and maintenance: And your Maieſtie being a ſecond Salomon in this our Iſrael, I moſt humblie craue your gracious and tender care heereof, in your ſacred ſeſsion and high court of Parliament; for that all your afflicted ſubiects, are ready to crie with the Prophet. It is high time for Pſal. 119. 126.thee Lord to lay to thine hand, for they hauehave deſtroied thy law, which is christian charitie. The Lord Ieſus bleſſe your Maieſtie with a long and proſperous raigne, to the glorie of his name, encreaſe of his Church, and benefit of this Common-wealth, for his glorious names ſake.
Amen.
Your Maieſties moſt humble ſubiect, FRANCIS TRIGGE.
To the Reader.
GOod Chriſtian Reader, if any thing in this Treatiſe, ſeeme to thee ouer bitter or ſharpe, I humbly beſeech thee to conſider with thy ſelfe, that, that purgation which Galen the prince of Phyſitions commonly vſed, was called Hiera-picra, that is, holy-bitter; And ſuch alſo are Ieſus Chriſts medicines, which he applieth to our ſicke ſoules: and that this is a canker that I goe about to cure, & therfore as Chirurgerie teacheth, lenitiues will doe no good, but rather increaſe the venome thereof. Nay I beſeech thee conſider, that I deale with the root of all euill, couetouſneſſe; and with that noiſome peſtilence that raigneth now in our age, as it did in the daies of Ieremie: and therefore I had need of a ſharpe hatchet, to cut vp that root, and of ſome forcible Mithridate to preſerue frō that plague: of whoſe effects and infection and cure, Ieremy writes thus: I will giuegive their wiues Ier. 8. 10.to others, and their fields to heires; for eueryevery one of them, euen from the leaſt to the greateſt, is giuen to couetouſneſſe; and from the Prophet to the Prieſt, eueryevery one dealeth falſly. Here firſt are the effects of this noiſome plague of couetouſneſſe, that their wiues were giuen to others and their fields to heires: Here is alſo the infection or cauſe of theſe effects, becauſe they are all giuen to couetouſnes & they all deale falſely. It is reported that we hauehave taſted thoſe former fruits & effects, for there died of the late plague many moe men than women: and is it not likely that the ſame effects ſprong from the ſame roote? and if this be true, then let vsus all beware of couetouſneſſe and falſehoode in our dealing. But the true cure of this plague which followes in the Prophet, is taught vsus by the contrary. For they hauehave cured the hurt of the daughters of my people, (ſaith the Prophet) with Verſ. 11.ſweete words, ſaying peace peace when as there was no peace. Gods Miniſters muſt cure this plague not with oyle: but with ſharpe wine, they muſt not here ſpeake faire, if they meane to doe any good, but thunder. And therefore thoſe nice eares that cannot abide their thunder, ſhall die of this plague, and periſh in their ſinnes.
Laſtly, if through humaine frailtie, any faults hauehave eſcaped (as who is it that erres not?) remember that leſſon which nature teacheth; That of all liuing creatures man doth moſt often twinckle with his eyes, to teach him not to be a rigorous cenſurer of his brethren. Ponder wiſely, iudge charitable, pardon curteouſly, and if thou be ſicke of this diſeaſe, repent ſpeedily. For God ſhakes his rodde ouer thy head euen now, and the day of the Lord draweth nigh.
Thine in the Lord F. T.
A BRIEFE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE.
1 IT decaieth Tillage.
2 It diſpeopleth Townes.
3 It is againſt the Common-wealth of the Iewes.
4 It is againſt the ſtate of Chriſts Church.
5 It is againſt Chriſtian charitie.
6 It is againſt the Church and Common-wealth, and auncient liberties and cuſtomes of England.
7 Incloſure with depopulation is a ſinne whereof God ſhall make eſpeciall inquiry at the day of Iudgement.