48 



not making the most of his. own ; but to this he answered, that he 

 thought it his duty to relieve the distress of the poor. The result 

 proved the rectitude of his conduct, for the next year, having 

 sown a ten acre piece, the blades came up very thick, and 

 presently several ears upon each strand, on some seven, on some 

 eight and on some thirteen. Every stalk, one with another, was 

 reckoned to produce an average of ten ears apiece. There was 

 as much wheat in that ten acres as upon ten times the quantity 

 elsewhere. Tliis story was published in a little pamphlet, and 

 some of the ears Avere to be " seen in coffee houses in London, 

 lest scofiers may render the story a lie," for, continues the writer, 

 " some be more like Jews than Christians," and will believe 

 nothing " but what their eyes do see." * 



With a most troublesome persistence the prices of all provisions 

 continued to rise faster than the money wages, so that in 1794 

 the labourers were still " brooding over their miseries in sulky 

 silence." They were now accused of " luxurious excess in 

 drinking tea," and being over nice in the use of potatoes."t At 

 this time the wages in Somerset, at Holwell, were 5s. in winter 

 and 6s. a week in summer, the house rent being paid by the 

 parish. Fuel was got from cow dung, or by breaking their 

 neighbours' hedges. In addition there was the labour of the 

 woman and children, but altogether not sufficient for bare 

 necessities. 



Innumerable were the pamphlets published about and just after 

 this time on this subject, suggesting all sorts of remedies ; many 

 as of old blaming the dealers. Locally, besides others, there were 

 the single sheets of Miss Hannah More, such as The Eiot ; or, 

 Half a loaf is better than no bread. In a dialogue between 

 Jack Anvil and Tom Hod, to the tune of " The Cobbler there 

 was," &c. Says Tom — 



* The Charitable Farmer of Somersetshire. 

 + The case of the labourers ia husbandry stated, &c., by D. Davies, 4to. 

 Bath, 1795. 



