vagrancy, or at the rate of 2000 per annum. The executions in the
reign of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth, had fallen to from 300 to
400 per annum.

32 Henry VIII., cap. 1, gave powers of bequest with regard to land;
as it explains the change it effected, I quote it:

"That all persons holding land in socage not having any lands
holden by knight service of the king in chief, be empowered to
devise and dispose of all such socage lands, and in like case,
persons holding socage lands of the king in chief, and also of
others, and not having the lands holden by knight service, saving
to the king, all his right, title, and interest for primer seizin,
reliefs, fines for alienations, etc. Persons holding lands of the
king by knight's service in chief were authorized to devise two
third parts thereof, saving to the king wardship, primer seizin, of
the third paid, and fines for alienation of the whole lands.
Persons holding lands by knight's service in chief, and also other
lands by knight's service, or otherwise may in like manner devise
two third part thereof, saving to the king wardship of the third,
and fines for alienation of the whole. Persons holding land of
others than the king by knight's service, and also holding socage
lands, may devise two third parts of the former and the whole of
the latter, saving to the lord his wardship of the third part.
Persons holding lands of the king by knight's service but not in
chief, or so holding of the king and others, and also holding
socage lands, may in like manner devise two thirds of the former
and the whole of the latter, saving to the king the wardship of the
third part, and also to the lords; and the king or the other lords
were empowered to seize the one third part in case of any