CHAP. xii. LOW WAGES. 



thus it appears, that for thrashing fifty-four 

 bushels he would receive five shillings, or nearly 

 one penny and a farthing each bushel. 



If the thrasher was paid in kind, he was to 

 receive every twentieth bushel of what he 

 thrashed. We thence infer, that the average 

 work of a man was to thrash about six of our 

 bushels in a day. We thus see, that the rate of 

 wages for thrashing was to the price of the 

 wheat as six to twenty, and the former being 

 sevenpence halfpenny, the latter would be two 

 shillings and a penny. 



At that time, it is affirmed that the rate of 

 wages had been increased one-third on account 

 of the scarcity of workmen which the preceding 

 mortality had occasioned. 



There are many notices of prices of grain in 

 France in the intermediate periods between the 

 two decrees of Frankfort, as well as subsequent 

 to the last of them, but their authenticity may be 

 doubted; and besides, the measures were so dif- 

 ferent in the different provinces, that, added to 

 the changeable value of the money, no depend- 

 ence is to be placed on any calculations that can 

 now be made. These two ordonnances, to which 

 reference has been here made, will sufficiently 

 show that the high value of metallic money 

 which has been noticed in Germany, and will 

 be enlarged upon in Great Britain, was felt in 



VOL. i. Y 



