¶ Certain causes gathered together, wherein is showed the decay of England, only by the great multitude of sheep, to the utter decay of household keeping, maintenance of men, dearth of corn, and other notable discommodities approved by sire old proverbs.  prover. 20. A king that sitteth in judgement, and looketh well about him, driveth away all evil.  

To the Kings most honourable Counsel, and the Lords of the Parlayment house.  
THe first Article & point as we do think, is it great pity (so the will of God it were) that there is no corn enough within this Realm of England, at all times necessary to certify & suffice the Kings subjects for the space of one year two or three, if there were no corn sown in this Realm by the said space.  
We do say that the Kings Majesty mercifully hearing the petition of these his graces poor subjects may at all tymes remedy it, when it shall please his majesty, being for a common wealth for his grace's subjects, & to the great increase of this noble realm of England.  
We say as reason doth lead us, the sheep & shepemasters, doth cause skantyte of corn, which we do think, it may be well approved, by reason of six proverbs, for & if all our livings, and all our commodities, were divided in parts, by reason of the same six proverbs, we that be the Kings majesties poor subjects do lose six of our commodities, then have we three losses, which make nine, by reason of the same three losses we the Kings mayestyes subjects do lose the third part of our living, then have we the tenth part, which we call a remedy, beseeching your noble grace, to remedy when your majesty shall please.  

As touching the first proverb of the six we do think. 

The more sheep the dearer is the will.  
The more sheep the dearer is the motton.  
The more sheep the dearer is the beef.  
The more sheep the dearer is the corn.  
The more sheep the skanter is the whit meat.  
The more sheep the fewer eggs for a penny.    
In the first proverb, the more sheep the dearer is the will. Our complayntiss for Oxford shire, Buckyngham shire, & Northampton shire, and as for all other shires, we refer it to the playntyves.  
We shall desire you, and all other that read and see the true intents & meanings of this our doings to pardon our ignorance, yet not with standing we desire you somewhat to attender the premises, seeing it is dove, and put forth, for the commodity of the Kings Majesty's realm, and for the wealth of his graces poor subjects.  
In the said Oxford shire Buckyngham shire & Northhampton shire, there be many men of worship dwelling within the said three shires. And hath great laudes rolyve upon, the which we pray to God to give them joy of, and well to occupy its Many of these worshipful men, set no store, nor prise, upon the maintenance of tillage of their lands, as before time hath been used, neither breading nor feeding of cattle, but many of them doth keep the most substance of their lands, in their own hands. And where tillage was wont to be, now is it stored, with great umberment of sheep: & they that have great umberment of sheep, must needs have great store of will, and we cannot think who should make the prise of will, but those that have great plenty of sheep. And we do partly know that there be some dwelling within these three shires, rather than they will sell their will at a low prise, they will keep it a year or twain, and all to make it dear, and to keep it a dear prise. And by this means the first proverb to be true The more sheep the dearer is the will.  
In the second proverb as we do think: The more sheep, the dearer is the moton.  
As by reason, the most substance of our feeding was wont to be on beef, and now it is on motton, And so many mouths goeth to motton, which causeth motton to be dear.  
In the third proverb as we do think: The more sheep the dearer is the beef.  
As by reason that breeding and feeding, is not set by as it hath been in times past, and where as sheep is kept upon the pasture grounds where breading & feeding of beffes was wont to be kept: & where as sheep is kept upon the pasture grounds, where breeding and feeding was want to be kept: And now there is nothing kept there but motton.  
The fourth proverb: The more sheep, the dearer is the corn.  
By reason tillage is not used, occupied, and maintained as it hath been before time, but sheep kept upon the ground, where tillage was wont to be kept and maintained.  
The .v. proverb: The more sheep the skanter is the weyte meat.  
By reason tillage is not used, occupied and maintained neither maintenance of houses and hospitality, where as cattle was wont to be feed and breed, by reason of keeping of cattle should increase whit meat, and now there is nothing kept there but only sheep.  
The sixth proverb: The more sheep the fewer eggs for a penny.  
By reason cottages go down in the country, where as pultrye was wont to be bread and fed, now there is nothing kept there but sheep, which cause the eggs to be sold for four a penny. Thus be the six proverbs true, as we do think desiring you to give hearing unto them, and that it may be well amended, for the common wealth of the Kings poor subjects.   

Then have we three losses that maketh nine.  
The first loss as we do think, there is not so many ploughs used, occupied, and maintained within Oxfordshire, as was in King Henry the seventh time, and since his first coming there lacketh xl. ploughs, every plough was able to keep vi people down lying and uprising in his house, the which draweth to twelve score persons in Oxford shire. And where that the said twelve score persons were wont to have meat, drink, raiment and wages, paying skot and lot to God, & to our King, now there is nothing kept there but only sheep. Now these twelfscore persons had need to have living, whether shall they go, into Northhampton shire? and there is also the living of twelef score persons lost, whether shall then they go? forth from shire to shire, and to be scathered thus abroad, within the Kings majesties Realm, where it shall please almighty God, and for lack of masters, by compulsion driven some of them to beg, and some to steal.  
The second loss as we do think, that there is never a plough of the xl ploughs, but he is able to till and plough to certify six persons, and every plough to sell xxx quarters of grain by the year, or else he can full ill pay, six, seven, eight poundt by the year, xl. ploughs xxx quarters every plough, draweth to two hundredth quarters in Buckingham shire, two hundredth quarters in Oxford shire, & two .cc. quarters in Northampton shire, & so forth from shire to shire in certain shires within the Kings majesties Realm of England, what shall the twelve two hundredth quarters of corn do in Oxfordshire: we do think it will maintain the Kings markets, and sustain the Kings subjects, and likewise in Buckyngham shire, & also in Northampton shire, and so from shire to shire, in certain shires within the Kings Majesty's Realm. Furthermore it is to be considered what this twelve hundredth quarters of corn is able to do within Oxford shire, it is able to certify & suffice xv. score people by the year bread, and drink, & allow to every person two quarters of wheat, and two quarters of malt by the year, where as in the first the hole living of twelve score persons meat, & drink, and raiment, uprising & down lying, paying skot and lot to our God, and to our King. And the second loss bread and drink for. xv score persons by the year, which the hole number draweth to .v. hundredth and xl persons in Oxforth shire, so in Buckyngham shire, & so likewise in Northampton shire, and so forth from shire to shire within the Kings majesties Realm.  
And if it be as we do think that there be four score ploughs in every one of these shires les than there was, then is there the living lost of a thousand & iiij. score persons in every one of these foresaid shires: This is the second loss as we do think and call for remedy for it.  
The third loss, as we do think, we do lose in the said three shires keeping of household and hospitality & maintaining of tillage and household keeping, we do lack corn and also lose our cattle, for where any household is kept, there is kept kine and calves, and of our kine there cometh milk, butter and chease, and all this doth sustain the Kings Mayesties subjects, and for this we have nothing but sheep.  
And furthermore, where households be kept, there is hogs, pigs and bacon, capons, hens, ducks, Eggs, fruit and many other commodities, that is necessary & needful to be had for the maintenance and living of the Kings majesties poor subjects to live by, and for that we have nothing but sheep. This is the third loss.  
The ten is which we do call for remedy, and we desire of God and the Kings majesty, if it shall please his highness to be so good & gracious unto his poor subjects, that there might be in every shire & hundred as many ploughs used, occupied, and maintained as many households kept as was by king Henry the seventh time, first coming and then unfeigned as we do think we should have corn enough, cattle enough, and sheep enough, then will sheep and will be in more men's hands, we shall have also white meat enough, and all things necessary. And thus jesus preserve our dread soveraingne Lord and King.  
As we do think we have two losses more that we have not spoken: The first loss is for lack of household keeping & maintenance of tillage, it is great decay to artillery: for that do we reckon that shepherds be but ill artchers.  
And as we do further think it loseth the king's majesty in provision for his noble households, that is to say in wheat, malt, beeves, mottons, veles, hay and oats, and poultry, & all manner such provisions, that belongeth to his majesties household as we do think, v. thousand marks by the year with the lest. In a trial as we do think if it should please the Kings majesties officers to call in his graces purveyors, & examine them where they have had within their time for his grace's provisions of his wars, & for his majesties household: where as there is now nothing to be gotten, for they that keep the said lands, hath put the foresaid lands to pastures themselves buyeth all manner of grain & corn to keep their household with all.  
Furthermore, if it shall please the Kings highness, and his noble counsel for to have a further trial of this matter, and to assure it to be true: take all crafts men dwelling in cities & towns, day labourers that laboureth by water or by land, corrygers & other householders, refusing none, but only them that hath all this abundance, that is to say: sheep or will masters and enclosers, the lamentations of the kings majesties subjects will make any true hearted body to seek & call for remedy, which we beseech the Lord to amend. Amen.  
Furthermore, as we do think, this Realm doth decay by this means, it is to understand and known, that there is in England towns and villages to the number of fifty thousand & upward, & for every town and village take them one with an other throughout all, there is one plough decayed since the first year of the reign of king Henry the seventh. And in some towns and villages all the hole town decayed since that time, and if there be for every town and village one plough decayed, since the first year of the reign of king Henry the seventh: Then is there decayed l thousand ploughs and upward. The which l thousand ploughs, every plough were able to maintain vi persons. That is to say: the man, the wife and four other in his house less and more l thousand ploughs, six persons to every plough, draweth to the number of three hundred thousand persons were wont to have meat, drink and raiment, uprising and down lying, paying skot and lot to God, & to the King. And now they have nothing, but goeth about in England from door to door, and axe their almose for God's sake And because they will not beg, some of them doth steal, and then they be hanged, and thus the Realm doth decay, and by none other ways else, as we do think, beseeching your highness of your most noble grace and honourable lordships, the premises tenderly considered before you in examination upon the premises, th●● we may have a remedy in this behalf. And we shall daily pray for the conservation of your highness and for your full noble lordships.    
Finis.  

¶ Imprinted at London in Paul's church yard at the sign of saint Austen by Heugh Syngelton.