"But they had committed other crimes."

"It may be so; we are very frail. But their history has been
written by their enemies; they were condemned without a
hearing; the people rose oftentimes in their behalf; and their
property was divided with those on whose reports it was
forfeited."

"At any rate, it was a forfeiture which gave life to the
community," said Egremont; "the lands are held by active men
and not by drones."

"A drone is one who does not labour," said the stranger;
"whether he wear a cowl or a coronet, 'tis the same to me.
Somebody I suppose must own the land; though I have heard say
that this individual tenure is not a necessity; but however
this may be, I am not one who would object to the lord,
provided he were a gentle one. All agree the Monastics were
easy landlords; their rents were low; they granted leases in
those days. Their tenants too might renew their term before
their tenure ran out: so they were men of spirit and property.
There were yeomen then, sir: the country was not divided into
two classes, masters and slaves; there was some resting-place
between luxury and misery. Comfort was an English habit then,
not merely an English word."

"And do you really think they were easier landlords than our
present ones?" said Egremont, inquiringly.

"Human nature would tell us that, even if history did not