A divine herbal together with a forrest of thorns In five sermons. ... By…A divine herball together with a forrest of thornes In five sermons. ... By…

2. Plinies next sort of Briers are Tribuli agrestes, Field-briers; which are (saith he) shrewd enemies to tillage, and the fruits of the earth. This Island of ours, within these late days, hath bred a great number of these field-briars: which unnaturally turn their mother into barrenness. Oppressors, Enclosers, Depopulators, Deportators, Depravators; that run the land to ruin for a private benefit: and work out a particular gain from a public and general loss.

2. Plinies next sort of Bryers are Tribuli agrestes, Field-bryers; which are (sayth he) shrewd enemies to tillage, and the fruits of the earth. This Iland of ours, within these late dayes, hath bred a great number of these field-bryars: which vnnaturally turne their mother into barrennesse. Oppressors, Inclosers, Depopulators, Deportators, Deprauators; that runne the land to ruine for a priuate benefite: and work out a particular gaine from a publicke and generall losse.

Gain said I? Where is it? Did you ever know Enclosers prosper? I will speak boldly. I never knew great man grow greater by his depopulations: and I hope no man will say, he hath grown ⟨p. 129⟩better by them. Corn-fields are turned to sheepwalks; once-inhabited towns feed Oxen; and Churches are made Shepherds Cottages: and yet the doers of all this never the richer. They keep less Hospitality; for a few rooms in London serve their turns: they extort sorer rents, and yet they have never the more money. It cannot be denied, but the main end of these courses was profit, and enhancing their estates: and lo, in this very end GOD crosseth-them. Speak what you will of their pride, of turning the alms they should give to the poor into feasts for the rich, of their infrugal courses: I say confidently, hic digitus Dei: here is the very hand of God striking them. Man, though he hath authority, will not look to these Field-briars; but let them waste and forage, and play the Abimelechs; but God will. But if we do not look to it, let me say to you, as Jotham to the Shechemites of that aspiring Bramble, Judg. 9