EO ANS ENQUERS® INTO

CHAP. TI. The praétice was not confined to the neighbourhood of the King's houfehold, it was fpread over the whole kingdom'; for when fuch powers are to be fold, purchafers would be

found every where.

If à farmer had an hazardous crop to take in, if he had-an appointment upon urgent bufnefs, if he had fixed a day for the marriage of a fon or daughter; it was then that his neighbour purveyor came, and laid hold of his horfes and

carriages for the fervice of the King, and detained them until

they were redeemed by a fine; and this fine would be pro- portionate to the anxiety, or the diftrefs of the farmer; for

ali fentiments of humanity or juftice were out of the queftion.

By this law, thofe letters-patent having been recalled, none fuch were afterwards iffued; but purveyance in other refpetts continued to.be executed in its ufual rigour.

In the 3oth of Elizabeth, the Commons pafled a bill for re- 3; P

gulating purveyance; butit was loft in the Houfe of Peers.

In the following feflion, they made a frefh attempt to re- move that grievance; but the Queen exprefsly prohibited them

to meddle with that branch of her prerogative.

The various modes of oppreflion by purveyance, fo late as the reign of James[. are pointed out by Bacon, in his fpeech

delivered in the firft parliament of that king#,

* Hume’s Hifi. vol. 4. p. 64.

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