66 proclamation of Edward 11. Jail. IT, 



of legislation in that age, I send you the follow- 

 ing proclamation of Edward II. It may afford 

 matter for serious reflection to some of your read- 

 ers ; I see no evidence that any other authority 

 "was required to sanction this decree, but the will 

 of the king alone. Let us compare those times 

 with the present. F. J. 



Proclamation of Edivard, anno 1315. 

 i^DWARD,by the grace of Godking of England, Ij'c. 

 tOj all flier ifFs, mayors, bailiffs of Franchises greet- 

 ing. For as much as we have heard and under- 

 standed the greivious complaints of archbifliops, 

 bifhops, prelates, and barons, touching great dearth 

 of victuals in our realm. We ordain, from hence 

 forward, that no ox stalled or corn-fed, be sold for 

 more than 23 s. no other grafs-fed ox for more 

 than 16 s. a fat stalled cow at 12s. another cow, lefs 

 "Worth, 10 s. a fat mutton, corn-fed, or whose wool 

 is well grown, twentypence, another fat mutton, 

 'fliorn, fourteenpence, a fat hog of two years old, 

 3 s. 4 d. a fat goose twopence, in the city three- 

 pence, a fat capon twopence, a fat hen one penny, 

 two chickens one penny, four pigeons one penny, 

 three in the city for one penny, twenty-four eggs a 

 penny, twenty in the city a penny. 



We ordain to all our flieriffs and our other mi- 

 nisters whatsoever they be, that if any person buy 

 or sell, any of the things above named, contrary to 

 our ordinance aforesaid, that the ware be forfeited, 

 and due penalty set upon them for their desert. 



Given at Westminster under our great seal, the 

 i4th day of March, in the 8th year of our reign. 



