48 COBBETT'S [No. 



between them and the laws of France, proceeds to 

 show the difference in their effects, by a description 

 of the state of the French people, and then by a de- 

 scription of the state of the English. His words, 

 words that, as I transcribe them, make my cheeks 

 burn with shame, are as follows : " Besides all this, 

 the inhabitants of France give every year to their 

 King the fourth part of all their wines, the growth of 

 that year, every vintner gives the fourth penny of 

 what he makes of his wine by sale. And all the 

 towns and boroughs pay to the King yearly great 

 sums of money, which are assessed upon them, for 

 the expenses of his men at arms. So that the King's 

 troops, which are always considerable, are substituted 

 and paid yearly by those common people, who live in 

 the villages, boroughs, and cities. Another grievance 

 is, every village constantly finds and maintains two 

 cross-bow-men, at the least; some find more, well 

 arrayed in all their accoutrements, to serve the King 

 in his wars, as often as he pleaseth to call them out, 

 which is frequently done. Without any considera- 

 tion had of these things, other very heavy taxes are 

 assessed yearly upon every village within the king- 

 dom, for the King's service ; neither is there ever any 

 intermission or abatement of taxes. Exposed to these 

 and other calamities, the peasants live in great hard- 

 ship and misery. Their constant drink is water, 

 neither do they taste, throughout the year, any other 

 liquor, unless upon some extraordinary times, or fes- 

 tival days. Their clothing consists of frocks, or little 

 short jerkins, made of canvass, no better than com- 

 mon sackcloth ; they do not wear any woollens, ex- 

 cept of the coarsest sort; and that only in the gar- 

 ment under their frocks ; nor do they wear any trowse, 

 but from the knees upwards ; their legs being exposed 

 and naked. The women go barefoot, except on holi- 

 days. They do' not eat Jiesh, except it be the fat of 

 bacon, and that in very small quantities, with which 

 they make a soup. Of other sorts, either boiled or 

 roasted, they do not so much as taste, unless it be of 

 the inwards and offals of sheep and bullocks, and the 



