Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BOOK II. SOCIAL HISTORY. 1. [Stanza from a poem written early in Edward Ill's reign. " Political Poems," Wright, Oamden Society. The poem, which is of considerable length, professes to describe "the evil times of Edward II" ; but it illustrates the feeling prevalent among the poorer classes throughout the century. The spelling has been slightly altered.] And were the King well advised, and wolde work by skill Little need sholde he have such poor men to pile Thurfste him not seek treason so far, he might finde near And justices, and sheriffs, cheitors,1 and chancellor, and at les, Such might finde him enough, and let poor men have peace. For whoso is in such office, came he never so poor He fareth in a while as though he had silver ore They buy londs and ledes,2 ne may him none astoude, What should poor men be i-piled, when such men beth in lond. . . . And schrewedliche, for sooth, they don the Kinges best When every man hath his part, the King hath the lest When every man is about to fill his owen purse; 1 Escheatort. ' Possessions. And the King hath the least part, and he hath all the curse, with wrong God send truth into this lond, for tricherie dureth too long. . . . [The following details of travelling expenses are taken from a long and interesting account kindly supplied by Mr. Stamp, of H.M. Record Office, to whom the Editor is also indebted for the translation. The extract illustrates merely a small part of the travelling and labour involved in connection with the matter in question— the Bishop proved most elusive, and had to be "followed at a distance" through various parts of his diocese. P.B.O. Exch. Aocts., 348/10.] Expenses incurred in the appropriation of the churches of Filmersham and Grendon. (1365-6.) In primis, for the expen...