Upon my bringing to his Notice that this System would permit the whole Earth to accommodate but two Landed Proprietors, "Zounds!" quoth the good Knight, "and a most just and equitable Arrangement surely, save that the other Proprietor might not be found so worthy as myself to own so large a Parcel of Land. And herein," said he, reflectively, "I confess to you that I perceive a possible Difficulty."
"A title."
"Yonder Field," continued my friend, "is held by a pestilent Baggage of a Fellow who must forsooth refuse to yield it up to me (and that in despite of it bordering upon a Field of mine) for the pitiful Excuse that he hath a Title to it which is hardly to be upset; and this for all I have repeatedly striven to drive him away by this and that underhand Means."
At this sorrowful Recollection my old Friend let fall so bitter a Tear that I was myself hardly put to it but I should weep in Concert; but at this Moment Sir Ogre continued:—
"But you must know that I am the most grievously put about by a set of knavish low Fellows that are called 'Commoners' and 'The Public,' that will ever be trying to hinder me appropriating such Parcels of unenclosed Land as I may have a Fancy for; and this under the lame Pretext that these Parcels are theirs by Law!
"As if, forsooth, the Law had been designed to protect the rights of Fellows that have no Money to spend on Lawsuits!" And at this the worthy Knight was moved to so severe a Taking-on that I feared he was like to be seized with an Apoplexy: but he presently continued:—
"Riot and violence."
"I am myself a Man of a most Peaceable Disposition (having indeed been selected as a Justice of the Peace on that account), and have no Desire but to live quietly in Harmony with my Neighbours, appropriating such of their Land as I may desire, from Time to Time, to possess myself of; yet—so pestilent a Perverseness is there in the Nature of others—my Neighbours will in no Wise be favouring this Plan; but must be for ever striving to resist me, and that with open Violence and Destruction! As it is my earnest Desire to compass the Enclosure of their Lands after a quiet Fashion, to the avoiding of all unseemly Riot and Violence, so they of their part may by no means be persuaded to a like Temperateness of Demeanour, but will be destroying the Fences I have put up; and this with a most unseemly noise of Breaking of Timber, which is to me of all Noises the most abhorrent."
At this Discourse of the good old Man I
