46 ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATUTES OF LABOURERS 



which he had actually sat. Except for the period of the 

 subsidy, the only information as to how this rate was 

 fixed comes from the date of the re-organization of the 

 office of the justice of the peace, just after the merging 

 of the two commissions into one ; the king apparently 

 bids the chancellor and the treasurer settle the rate.' 

 One may hazard the guess that this duty had, in the past 

 also, fallen mainly to these two officials. 



A brief summary of the normal rates is as follows : * 



25th year, by the day : either half a mark for a justice 

 and his clerk, i. e. 5s. for the justice and is. 8d. for the 

 clerk, or 5s. for the justice alone. 



26th year, by the day: some irregularity occurs during 

 the running of the subsidy, since in various instances 

 "reasonable wages" merely are mentioned in the writs. 

 When specified the rate proves to be as before, half a 

 mark for a justice or the same for a justice and his clerk ; 

 probably the clerk is assumed in the higher rate. 5s. for 

 a justice alone is frequent, and occasionally 6s. or 3s. 4d. 



There are no more enrollments of writs for salaries 

 until early in 1356,' the subsidy having ceased by the end 



' See p. 45, note 2. 



^ These figures are taken from the entries on the Close Rolls, referred 

 to p. 18, notes I and 2. It must be remembered that a mark is 13s. 4d. 



"I add the references to the Close Rolls: 30, m, 13, " De vadiis sol- 

 uendis iusticiariis ad inquirendum de operariis assignatis;" a long list 

 dated variously from 26 May to 12 Oct. Ibid., m. 22,, " Pro Radulfo de 

 Middelneye," 10 Feb. 31, m. 6, "Pro Waltero Paries, de vadiis sol- 

 uendis, ' ' 26 Nov. Ibid. , " De vadiis solvendis iusticiariis ad inquirendum 

 de operariis assignatis;" a short list dated 12 Nov. Ibid., m. 25, " De 

 vadiis iusticiariis de operariis et seruientibus soluendis;" a long list 

 dated variously from 6 Feb. to 12 Oct. Ibid., " ProThomade Sloghtre 

 et aliis," 16 May. 32, m. 6, " De vadiis iusticiariis ad inquirendum de 

 operariis soluendis;" a short list dated variously from 20 Oct. to 26 

 Nov. Ibid., m. 23, " De vadiis iusticiariis ad inquirendum de seruien- 

 tibus assignatis soluendis;" a long list dated variously from 8 Feb. to 



