54 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



received the same, and 4 servants at Bladon had 36 bushels 

 each. In 1274 at Bosham, and in 1288 at Stoughton in 

 Sussex, the allowance was the same. 1 The writer of the 

 anonymous Treatise on Husbandry says that in his time, 

 the thirteenth century, the average annual allowance of corn 

 to a labourer was 36 bushels. 2 Fish, too, seem to have 

 formed a large portion of his diet ; all classes ate enormous 

 quantities of fish, before the Reformation, in Lent and on fast 

 days, and the labourer was constantly given salt herrings as 

 part of his pay. In 1359, at Hawsted, the villeins when 

 working were allowed 2 herrings a day, some milk, a loaf, and 

 some drink. 3 Eden 4 says his food consisted of a few fish, 

 principally herrings, a loaf of bread, and some beer ; but we 

 must certainly add pork, which was his stand-by then as now. 5 

 In the fourteenth century, at all events, there were three kinds 

 of bread in use white bread, ration bread, and black bread ; 

 and it was no doubt the latter that the peasant ate. 6 Clothing 

 was dear and cloth coarse, the most valuable personal property 

 consisting of clothing and metal vessels. Shirts were the 

 subject of charitable gifts. 7 By 37 Edw. Ill, c. 14, labourers 

 were not to wear any manner of cloth but ' blanket and russet 

 wool of \idl and girdles of linen. If they wore anything more 

 extravagant it was forfeited to the king. 



To the labourer of modern times the life of his forefathers 

 would have seemed unutterably dull. No books, no news- 

 papers, no change of scene by cheap excursions, no village 

 school, no politics. The very cultivation of the soil by the old 

 three-course system was monotonous. But there were bright 

 spots in his existence : the village church not only afforded 

 him the consolations of religion but also entertainments and 



1 Ballard, Domesday ', Antiquary Series, p. 209. 



2 Walter of Henley, Royal Historical Society, p. 75. 

 s Cullum, Hawsted, 1784 ed., p. 182. 



4 State of the Poor, i. 1 5. 



5 Thorold Rogers, History of Agriculture and Prices, \. 32. 



9 See Knights Hospitallers in England, Camden Society, Introduction. 

 7 Thorold Rogers, op. cit. i. 66. 



