86 ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATUTES OF LABOURERS 



is apparently allowed to serve as pledge for another 

 offender in a similar plight ; ' one is led to suspect that 

 the whole matter of security has become an empty form ; 

 possibly the lack of sufficient prisons to hold the con- 

 victed made it necessary to adopt almost any device to 

 meet the emergency. 



As far as my examination has gone, the amounts of the 

 penalties are normally within fairly well-defined limits, 

 ranging from several shillings to several pennies, sums be- 

 tween 5s. and 3d. being most usual, but occasionally rising 

 as high as half a mark, 8s. or los.* There is at least one 

 instance where an offender was amerced £10 before the 

 justices for refusal to swear obedience to the statute. It 

 seems possible that the amount of this amercement was 

 considered unwarrantable, for three writs were issued by 

 king and council, two to the sheriffs and one to the 

 barons of the exchequer,* ordering the proceedings for 

 the levying of the fio to be suspended; what the final 

 outcome was I cannot say. In regard to the normal 

 money penalties, it is worthy of note that in the punish- 

 ment for the receipt of illegal wages, if a fine appears as 

 the penalty instead of the " excess," the amount of the 

 fine is apt to be exactly equal to the sum that had been 



'App., 207, and 210; also the estreat roll for London summarized in 

 the Calendar of Letter-Book G., 115-118. 



^This statement is based not merely on the sessional records but also 

 on various exchequer documents many of which appear in the app.; see 

 pt. I, ch. iii. 



^Claus., 31, m. 10 d, 30 July, "Pro Thoma Gobyon de Leyndon;" 

 "pro eo quod in quadam inquisicione coram ipsis iusticiariis (Thoma 

 Tirel et sociis suis) nuper capienda iurare recusauit." Ibid., 32, m. 

 17 d, 30 May, "Pro Thoma Gobyoun de Leyndon." The county is 

 Essex. 



*Mem. K. R., 35, Mich., Breu. Baron., rot. 11; " Pro Thoma Gob- 

 yon," dated 26 Nov., 34th year. 



