impracticable, of trying to cope with the evil by Poor Laws. A few charities and hospitals were refounded after the Reformation, but it is evident that this was done in self-defence, and because the swarm of destitute persons must be got rid of somehow. The citizens of London were persuaded to restore partially St Bartholomew's and St Thomas' hospitals, given them by Edward—the argument used was that "many commodities" (i.e. conveniencies) "would ensue to their city, if the poor of divers sorts were taken out of their streets, and bestowed in hospitals." It is appalling to see the diminution of charity coinciding with a great act of robbery. The obligation to relieve the poor was now infinitely greater than it had ever been—for the vast increase of poverty was the direct consequence of the policy which had enriched those who were already well off. The statutes themselves show that the vagrants were in most cases houseless because they had been evicted, and workless because their work had been taken away.
There is no more legislation till the 5 Elizabeth c. 4, and this Act contains nothing worse than whipping and imprisonment for asking more wages "than is limited" by the justices. The law was more cruel than those who lived under it, for there is a re-enactment of the fine on those who pay more. By this time there are constant references to the "decay of agriculture," and many devices are resorted to to restore land to tillage. The 31 Elizabeth enacts that no one may build a cottage without 4 acres of land to it—of his or her own freehold.
The "golden days of good Queen Bess" were anything but golden for the poor. It was only the word "slave" which had been taken out of the Statute Book—the thing remained. If a man is a slave when he is compelled, on pain of imprisonment, branding, and finally death, to labour for such wages as his masters choose to fix; if he must conciliate his master's good will to get the "testimonial" without which he must not leave the parish, nor may any other master employ him, then the English labourer of Elizabeth's day was a slave. For the most part, he worked by the year ; and if his master dismissed him before that time, or at the end of it, without giving him a quarter's notice, the master was fined 40s. But a master who paid more than the statute wage was fined £5. Anyone not
