The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-06-12

nAm AHM SEo&sb bAS THEkuoF re"
monstrances with i'll disguised con-
tempt. = (Id).' And this raising Of
rent went on until, by the year 1879,
the rent Of agricultural land, which
had for three centuries prior to the
middle Of the sixteenth century re-
manned fixed at an average of from 9
pence to pence an acre, had risen to
average of more than ASS. an acre. -
3D., PIP. 179 and 293.
But the most striking and important
historical evidence on this point is to
be derived from the sermons of daunt-
less old Hugh Latimer. who was
burned at the stake at Oxford in 1866.
Of these sermons a writer in the
Encyclopedia Brittanica says: lit is
possible to learn from them more
regarding the social and political con-
dition of the period than perhaps from
any other source. " On March T..
1913, the year after the death Of
Henry VIII. Latimer preached in the
king 9 private garden at Westminster
before the young king and his court
iers the first of a series of seven
sermons, in which he says: "You
landlords, you rent hackers, may say
you shepherds, you unnatural lords, you
have for your possessions yearly too
much. For that heretofore went for 30 or
forty pound by year (which is an hon
est portion to be had gratis in one lord
ship, of another man s sweat and
labor) now is let for fifty or hundred
pound by year. Of this too much
cometh (that) this monstrous and
portentous dearth is made by man,
Notwithstanding God doth send us
plentifullY the fruits of the earth, mer-
cifully and contrary to our deserts.
Notwithstanding too much which these
rich men have causeth such dearth that
poor men (Which live of their labor)
can not with the sweat of their face
have living, all kind of yictuals is so
dear, pigs, geese, capons, chickens,
eggs. &c. will tell
you, my lords and masters, this
is not for the Kings honor.
Also, it is the King honor
that the commonwealth be advanced,
that the dearth of these aforesaid things
be provided for, and the commodities
of this realm so employed, as it may
be, to the setting his subjects on work
and keeping them from idleness.
Furthermore, if the Kings honor Gas
some men say standeth in the great
multitude of people, then these graziers,
inclosers and rent rearers are hinder
ers of the Kings honor. For where
as have been great many of house
holders and inhabitants, there is now
but shepherd and his dog. So they
hinder the Kings honor most of all.
know where is a great mar
ket town, with divers hamlets and in
habitants, and the vicar that
serveth (being so great cure) hath
but twelve or fourteen marks by year,
so that of this pension he is not able to
buy him books, nor give his neighbor
drink All the great gain goeth another
way. My father was a yeoman, and
had no lands of his own, only he had a
farm of three or four pound by year at
the uttermost, and hereupon he titled
so much as kept half dozen men. He
had walk for hundred sheep, and my
mother MIXED thirty kline. He was
able and did find the King a harness,
with himself and his horse, while he
came to the place that he should re-
ceive the King s wages. I can remem-
Der that buckled his harness when he
went unto Blackheath Field. He kept
me to school, or else had not been
able to have preached before the Kings
majesty now. He married my sisters
with five pound or twenty mobiles
apiece, so that he brought them up in
goodness and fear of God He kept
hospitality for his poor neighbors, and
some aims he gave to the poor. And
all this he did of the said farm.
Where he that now hath it payeth
sixteen pounds by year, and more,
and is not able to do, anything for his
prince, for himself, nor for his
children, or give a cup of drink to the
poor. Thus all the enhancing and
rearing goeth to your private COM
modify and wealth. So that where you
had a single too much, you have that !;
and since the same, ye have enhanced
the rent, and so have increased another
too much. So now ye have double too
much, which is too too much. But
let the preacher preach till his tongue