had confiderably increased, but had not yet applied fteadily to labour. While the abfurd practice continued, during the reign of Mary, of promoting manufactures by monopoly, instead of competition, one law alone appears to have been attended with effects, continual and falutary. It is the act* «for the mend ing of highways;" being now, fays the law, "both very noisome and tedious to travel in, and dangerous to paffengers and carriages." The first effort of English legislation, on a fubject fo much connected with the profperity of every people, is the act of Edward I. for enlarging the breadth of highways from one market town to another. This law, which was enacted in 1285, was however intended rather to prevent robbery, than to promote facility in travelling. The roads of particular districts were amended by several laws of Henry VIII. But this act of Philip and Mary is the first general law, which obliged every parish, by four days labour of its people, to repair its own roads. The reign of Charles II. merits the praise of having first established turnpikes; whereby thofe, who enjoy the benefits of eafy conveyance, contribute the neceffary expence. Yet, when Cowley retired from the bum of men to Chertsey, in 1665, he thence invited Sprat to enjoy the pleasures of St. Anne's Hill, by telling him, that he might fleep the first night at Hampton 2 & 3 Philip and Mary, ch, 8. Town & Town: A poet of the prefent day would invite his friend at London, by saying, that he might eafily Step into the coach, and come down to breakfast. Even in the fubfequent age, when Sir Francis Wronghead was chofen into Parliament, we hear of much preparation for his journey to town, and of many accidents by the way, owing to the badness of the roads: A parliament-man, at prefent, fends to the next ftage for poft-horfes, when there is a call of the house, and arrives in Westminster from any distance, at any hour. CHAP. С НА Р. III. The State of England at the Acceffion of Elizabeth.Her Laws.-The Numbers of People, during her Reign.-Her Strength.-The Policy and Power of the two fubfequent Reigns.--The State of England at the Refloration.-The Number of People at the Revolution.-Reflections. B' EFORE the commencement of the celebrated reign of Elizabeth, a confiderable change had doubtlefs taken place in our policy, and in the numbers of our people. Agriculture, manufactures, fisheries, commerce, diftant voyages, had all been begun, and made fome progrefs, from the spirit that had already been incited. Yet, fo little opulence had been hitherto accumulated by the people of England, that fhe was, on her acceffion, obliged to borrow feveral very small fums of money in Flanders, which had grown rich by its industry. From that epoch, however, England profpered greatly during the domeftic tranquillity of a steady government, through half a century, as well as afterwards, from the example of economy and prudence, of activity and vigour, which Elizabeth, on all occasions, set before her fubjects. The act of Elizabeth * containing orders for artificers, labourers, fervants of busbandry, and apprentices, merits confideration; because we may learn from it the ftate of the country. Villains, we fee, from this enumeration, had ceased, before 1562, to be objects of legiflation. And we may perceive from the recital, "That the wages and ❝ allowances, rated in former statutes, are in divers σε places too fmall, and not anfwerable to this time, refpecting the advancement of all things, belonging "to the faid fervants and labourers,"-a favourable change had taken place in the fortunes of this numerous clafs. This law, as far as it requires apprenticeships, ought to be repealed; because its tendency is to abridge the liberty of the fubject, and to prevent competition among workmen. The fame obfervation may be applied to the act against the erecting of cottages If we may credit the affertion of the legiflature, "great "multitudes of cottages were daily more and more "increafing, in many parts of this realm." This statement evinces an augmentation of people: yet, the execution of fuch regulations, as this law contains, by no means promotes the useful race of husbandry fervants. The principle of the poor laws, which may be faid to have originated in this reign, as far as it neceffarily confines the labourer to the place of his birth, is at once deftructive of freedom, and of the true interefts of a manufacturing community, that can alone be effectually promoted by competition; which hinders the rife of wages among workmen, and promotes at once the goodness and cheapness of the manufacture. A few falutary laws were doubtlefs made during the reign of Elizabeth. But her legiflation will be found not to merit generally much praise. Her acts for encouraging manufactures by monopoly; for promoting trade by prohibition; and for aiding husbandry, by preventing the export of corn, alone justify this remark. Her regulations, for punishing the frauds, which arise commonly in manufactures when they are encouraged by monopoly, merit commendation. Having thus fhewn the commencement of an increasing population, amidst famines and war, and traced a confiderable progrefs, during ages of healthfulness and quiet, it is now time to ascertain the precife numbers, which probably existed in England towards the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign. From the documents which ftill remain in the Museum, it is certainly known, that very accurate accounts were often taken of the people, by the intelligent minifters of that great princess. Harrifon, who has tranfmitted an elaborate defcription of England, gives us the refult of the musters of 1575, when the number of fighting men was found to be 1,172,674: Adding withal, that it was believed a full third had been omitted. Notwithstanding the greatness D 3 of |