“Fourthly, If we go to the Lawyer, we find him to sit in the
     Conqueror’s Chair, though the King be removed, maintaining the
     King’s power to the height....

“Fifthly, Say they, if we look upon the Customs of the Law itself, it is the same it was in the King’s days, only the name is altered; as if the Commoners of England had paid their taxes, given free-quarter, and shed their blood, not to reform, but to baptize the Law with a new name, from Kingly Law to State Law....[168:1] And so as the Sword pulls down Kingly Power with one hand, the King’s Old Law builds up Monarchy again with the other.”

THE MAIN WORK OF REFORMATION.

     “AND INDEED THE MAIN WORK OF REFORMATION LIES IN THIS, TO REFORM
     THE CLERGY, LAWYERS AND LAW; FOR ALL THE COMPLAINTS OF THE LAND ARE
     WRAPPED UP WITHIN THEM THREE, NOT IN THE PERSON OF A KING.”

     “Sixthly, If we look into Parishes, the burthens there are many.”

AND OF LORDS OF MANORS.

“First, For the Power of Lords of Manors remains still over their Bretheren, requiring Fines and Heriots, beating them off the free use of the Common Land, unless their Bretheren will pay them Rent, exacting obedience as much as they did, and more, when the King was in power.

“Now saith the People, By what Power do these maintain their Title over us?  Formerly they held Title from the King, as he was the Conqueror’s successor.  But have not the Commoners cast out the King, and broken the band of that Conquest?  Therefore in equity they are free from the slavery of that Lordly Power.

“Secondly, In Parishes where Commons lie, the rich Norman Free-holders, or the new (more covetous) Gentry, overstock the Commons with sheep and cattle, so that the inferior Tenants and poor Labourers can hardly keep a cow, but half starve her.  So that the poor are kept poor still, and the Common Freedom of the Earth is kept from them, and the poor have no more relief than they had when the King (or Conqueror) was in power....

“Now saith the whisperings of the People, the inferior Tenants and Laborers bear all the burthens, in laboring the Earth, in paying Taxes and Free-quarter above their strength, and in furnishing the Armies with soldiers, who bear the greatest burden of the War; and yet the Gentry, who oppress them and live idle upon their labors, carry away all the comfortable livelihood of the Earth.

“For is not this a common speech among the People, We have parted with our estates, we have lost our friends in the wars, which we willingly gave up because Freedom was promised us; and now in the end we have new Task-masters, and our old burthens are increased.  And though all sorts of people have taken an engagement to cast out Kingly