under a penalty of 10s. per month."

The 39th Elizabeth, cap. 2, was passed to enforce the observance of
these conditions. It provides:

"That all lands which had been in tillage shall be restored thereto
within three years, except in cases where they were worn out by too
much tillage, in which case they might be grazed with sheep; but in
order to prevent the deterioriation of the land, it was enacted
that the quantity of beeves or muttons sold off the land should not
exceed that which was consumed in the mansion-house."

In these various enactments of the Tudor monarchs we may trace the
anxious desire of these sovereigns to repair the mistake of Henry
VII., and to prevent the depopulation of England. A similar mistake
has been made in Ireland since 1846, under which the homes of the
peasantry have been prostrated, the land thrown out of tillage, and
the people driven from their native land. Mr. Froude has the
following remarks upon this legislation:

"Statesmen (temp. Elizabeth) did not care for the accumulation of
capital. They desired to see the physical well-being of all classes
of the commonwealth maintained in the highest degree which the
producing power of the country admitted. This was their object, and
they were supported in it by a powerful and efficient majority of
the nation. At one time Parliament interfered to protect employers
against laborers, but it was equally determined that employers
should not be allowed to abuse their opportunities; and this
directly appears from the 4th and 5th Elizabeth, by which, on the
most trifling appearance of a diminution of the currency, it was