For this Land is the price of
their blood. It is their birthright to them and to their posterity,
and ought not to be converted into particular hands again by the
Laws of a Free Commonwealth. In particular, this Land is all Abbey
Lands, formerly recovered out of the Pope's Power by the blood of
the Commoners of England, though the Kings withheld their rights
therein from them. So likewise all Crown Lands, Bishops' Lands,
with all Parks, Forests, Chases, now of late recovered out of the
hand of the Kingly Tyrants, who have set Lords of Manors and
Taskmasters over the Commoners, to withhold the free use of the
land from them. So likewise all the Commons and Waste Lands, which
are called Commons because the Poor was to have part therein. But
this is withheld from the Commoners, either by Lords of Manors
requiring quit-rents, and overseeing the poor so narrowly that none
dares build him a house upon this Common Land, or plant thereupon,
without his leave, but must pay him rents, fines, and heriots, and
homage as unto a Conqueror. Or else the benefit of this Common Land
is taken away from the Younger Bretheren by the rich Land Lords and
Freeholders, who overstock the Commons with sheep and cattle, so
that the Poor in many places are not able to keep a Cow unless they
steal grass for her.
"And this is the bondage the Poor complain of, that they are kept
poor in a Land where there is so much plenty for everyone, if
Covetousness and Pride did not rule as King in one Brother over
another: and Kingly Government occasions all this.
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