52 COBBETT'S [No. 



has these words : "These being THE FOOD OF 

 THE POORER SORT." This is conclusive. It 

 is an incidental mention of a fact. It is an Act of 

 Parliament. It must have been true; and, it is a fact 

 that we know well, that even the Judges have de- 

 clared from the Bench, that bread alone is now the 

 food of the poorer sort. What do we want more than 

 this to convince us, that the main body of the people 

 have been impoverished by the " Reformation ?" 

 But I will prove, by other Acts of Parliament, this 

 Act of Parliament to have spoken truth. These 

 Acts declare what the wages of workmen shall be. 

 There are several such Acts, but one or two may suf- 

 fice. The Act of 23d of EDW. III. fixes the wages, 

 without food, as follows. There are many other 

 things mentioned, but the following will be enough 

 for our purpose. 



s. d. 



A woman hay-making, or weeding corn, for the day 1 

 A man filling dung-cart -------- 03^ 



A reaper - - -t 04 



Mowing an acre of grass 06 



Thrashing a quarter of Wheat ------ 04 



The price of shoes, cloth, and of provisions, through- 

 out the time that this law continued in force, was as 

 follows : 



L. s. d. 



A pair of shoes ---004 



Russet broad-cloth the yard 01 1 



A stall-fed ox - - - 140 



A grass-fed ox 16 



A fat sheep unshorn 018 



A fat sheep shorn 012 



A fat hog 2 years old - -' 034 



A fat goose 2j 



Ale, the gallon, by proclamation -----001 



Wheat the quarter 034 



White wine the gallon ...006 



Red wine 004 



These prices are taken from the PRECIOSUM of BISHOP 

 FLEETWOOD, who took them from the accounts kept 



