a discourse of coin and coinage-第13章

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values　of　Moneys；　the　other　the　great　abundance　of　Gold　and
silver　coming　into　these　parts；　in　this　latter　age；　out　of　the
Indies：　And　although　the　hire　of　Labourers　did　continually　rise
（when　Money　was　raised）；　yet　it　did　rise　so　much　and　no　more；　as
its　value　was　raised；　but　after　the　Discoverie　of　the　Indies；　you
shall　finde　the　price　of　the　Labourers　wages　raised　in　Proportion
far　exceeding　the　raising　of　Moneys；　and　therefore；　for　my　part；
I　am　certainly　perswaded　that　as　long　as　the　values　of　Moneys　are
raised；　and　the　Indies　do　yield　that　abundance　of　Gold　and　Silver
which　they　do；　that　both　the　hire　of　Labourers；　and　generally　the
price　of　all　things；　especially　of　things　necessary　for　life；
will　rise；　although　for　a　year；　two　or　three；　through　uncertain
Accidents；　sundry　particulars　may　stand　at　a　stay　or　abate：　But
that　the　hire　of　Labourers　and　Servants　carrieth　with　it　a
resultance　of　the　prices　of　all　things　generally　necessary　for　a
mans　life：　Besides；　that　Reason　doth　convince　that　there　must　be
a　convenient　Proportion　between　their　Wages　and　their　Food　and
Raiment；　the　Wisdom　of　the　Statute　doth　confirm　it；　which　doth
always　direct　the　Rate　of　Labourers　and　Servants　to　be　made　with
a　regard　of　Prices　of　Victuals；　Apparel；　and　other　things
necessary　to　their　use。　In　the　25th　year　of　Edward　the　Third；　it
was　provided　that　in　time　of　Hay…making；　none　should　pay　above
our　penny　in　the　day；　that　for　threshing　of　one　quarter　of　Wheat
or　Rye；　none　should　pay　above　2　1/2　d。；　and　for　threshing　of　a
quarter　of　Oats；　Barly；　Beans　and　Pease；　above　one　penny　half
penny；　that　a　Master　Carpenter　shall　have　3　pence；　another
Carpenter　but　2d。　a　day；　a　Master　free…Mason　but　4　pence；　a　Tyler
3　pence；　but　either　of　their　servants；　a　penny　half　penny：　all
this　is　in　the　summer　time；　for　in　the　Winter　wages　lessened；　and
without　meat　or　drink；　or　any　other　courtesie；　and　that　in　the
Country；　where　Wheat　was　wont　to　be　given；　they　shall　take　for
the　Bushel　ten　pence；　or　Wheat　at　the　will　of　the　Giver。
　　　　In　the　Twelvth　year　of　Richard　the　Second　these　Rates　did
still　continue　（so　likewise　the　Money　did　still　continue　the　same
in　goodness）　but　there　was　further　added　like　wise　a　yearly　rate
for　Servants　wages；　and　there　was　allowed　by　the　year　for　a
Bailiff　13s。　4　pence；　with　a　Livery：　a　Master　Hind　was　rated　at
10s。　a　Carter　at　10s。　a　Shepheard　at　10s。　an　Ox…heard　or
Cow…heard　at　6s。　8d。　a　Driver　of　a　Plough　at　7s。　at　the　most：　and
all　these　but　the　Bailiff；　without　cloathing　or　other　courtesie。
In　the　Thirteenth　of　Richard　the　Second；　It　was　provided　that　the
Justices　of　the　Peace　might　rate　the　Day…labourers　according　to
the　dearth　of　Victuals；　which　seemed　to　have　growth　through　some
accidental　Dearth；　which　then　happened：　in　the　Thirteenth　of
Henry　the　Fourth　there　was　raising　of　Moneys　to　about　the　6th
part　more；　by　Advice　in　Parliament；　but　there　was　no　new　Rate　for
Servants　Wages；　until　the　sixth　of　Henry　the　Sixth；the　price　of
things　growing　higher　by　reason　of　the　raising　of　Moneys：　It　was
provided　by　Statute　that　the　Justices　of　the　Peace　might　rate　as
well　the　Hire　of　day　labourers　as　the　Wages　of　Servants；as　they
should　find　fit　in　the　Sessions；　notwithstanding　the　former
Statute　of　the　25th　of　Edward　the　Third；　and　12th　of　Richard　the
Second；　and　notwithstanding　the　Money　had　not　been　raised　above　a
sixth　part；　which　I　attribute　to　the　great　want　of　Servants　and
Labourers；　the　Kingdom　being　then　exceedingly　exhausted　by　the
long　continuance　of　the　Wars　in　France：　but　in　the　49th　of　Henry
the　Sixth　Money　was　exceedingly　raised；　so　as　a　pound　of　Sterling
Gold　made　22l。　10s。　and　a　pound　of　Sterling　Silver　together　was
half　as　much　more　as　they　were　valued；　in　the　25th　of　Edward　the
Third。
　　　　In　the　11th　of　Henry　the　Seventh　（c。　22）　there　was　a　new
Statute　for　the　rating　of　Servants　wages　and　the　hire　of
day…laborers；　which　in　a　manner　doth　agree　with　the　23rd　of　Henry
the　Sixth：　but　I　find　this　almost　only　difference　between　them；
that　by　the　23rd　of　Henry　the　Sixth；　the　Meat　and　Drink　of　the
Day…labourer　is　valued　but　three　halfpence；　but　by　the　11th　of
Henry　the　Sixth；　the　Pound　of　sterling　Gold　being　（then　brought
from　16l。　13s。　4d。　to　22　l。　10s。　0d。　and　the　silver　from　30s　to
37　s　6d。：　From　the　11th　of　Henry　the　Seventh　until　the　6th　of
Henry　the　Eight；　there　was　no　new　Rate　upon　hire　of　Labourers　or
Servants　wages：　but　that　year　there　was　a　new　Statute；　which
notwithstanding　was　little　or　nothing　different　in　the　Rates　from
the　former；　except　in　some　Particulars　which　are　not　pertinent　to
this　Inquiry。
　　　　So　likewise　hitherto　did　the　value　of　the　King's　Money　remain
the　same；　and　so　continued　until　the　18th　of　Henry　the　Eight；
when　the　Commission　was　given　for　the　Alteration　of　the　Coins　to
Cardinal　Wolsey；　which　brought　in　great　Confusions　among　the
values　of　Money；　which　together　with　the　excessive　quantities　of
Gold　and　Silver；　which　about　those　times　began　to　be　brought　into
Christendom　out　of　the　West　Indies；　were　the　occasion　that　the
Statutes　for　Labourers　and　Servants　were　no　further　observed
because　the　prices　of　all　things　being　much　inhansed；　Labourers
and　Servants　could　not　live　upon　their　Hire　and　Wages　ordained　by
the　Statute：　and　this　is　acknowledged　in　the　Preamble　of　the
Statute　of　the　5th　of　Q。　Elizabeth　（which　is　the　next　Statute　for
the　rating　of　Servants　and　Labourers　wages；　after　the　6th　of
Henry　the　Eighth）　by　which　Statute　all　former　Statutes　for
Labourers　and　Servants　are　repealed；　and　an　exact　Course　set　down
how　the　Rates　for　the　Wages　of　Servants；　and　Hire　of　Labourers
shall　hereafter　be　set　down　by　the　Justices　of　Peace；　in
Sessions；　having　regard　to　the　price　of　victuals；　and　other
things　for　maintenance：　so　having　thus　deduced　the　Rates　of
Servants　and　Labourers　from　time　to　time。　It　remaineth　now　only
that　I　examine　some　of　the　late　Rates　set　down　in　the　Counties
Adjacent；　and　compare　them　with　those　of　the　25th　of　Edward　the
Third；　and　12th　of　Richard　the　Second；　and　that　I　do　calculate
how　much　these　later　Rates　do　exceed　the　Ancient：　and　deducted
from　the　later　Rates　do　exceed　the　Ancient：　and　deducting　from
the　later　Rates　so　much　as　the　values　of　the　Moneys　of　Gold　and
Silver　hath　been　raised；　which　induceth　rather　a　nominal　than　a
real　Increase　of　the　price；　it　will　follow；　That　whatsoever
increase　hath　been　more　of　the　Rates；　that　it　hath　grown　from　the
great　quantities　of　Gold　and　Silver　brought　into　Spain　out　of　the
Indies；　within　these　Hundred　years。
　　　　In　the　Statute　of　25th　of　Edward　the　Third；　the　threshing　of
a　Quarter　of　Wheat　or　Rye；　is　rated　at　ijd。　ob。　By　the　Rate；　in
Middlesex；　of　the　17th　of　King　James；　which　is　the　last　Rate　made
there；　the　Threshing　of　a　quarter　of　Wheat　is　eighteen　pence；
which　is　above　seven　times　as　much　as　in　the　old　Statute；　the
stone；　either　of　Wheat　or　Rye　in　Essex　by　the　rate　now　in　force
is　16d　which　is　above　six　for　one；　wherein　it　is　to　be　observed
that　in　that　they　shall　give　more：　and　yet　we　know　that　the
Bushel；　and　consequently　the　Quarter　in　many　of　the　remoter
sheirs　containeth　half　as　much　more　as　in　these　Counties　near
unto　London。　The　threshing　of　a　quarter　of　Barley；　Oats；　Pease；
or　Beans；　by　the　Statute　of　25th　of　Edw。　the　Third；　is　rated　at　1
1/2　d。　ob；　but　by　the　said　Rate　in　Middlesex　the　quarter　of
Barley　is　rated　at　10d　and　Beans　and　Peas　at　nine　pence；　which；
by　a　medium　comes　to　be　between　six　and　seven　times　as　much。　And
by　the　said　rate　in　Essex　they　are　rated　at　ten　pence　and　eight
pence　which　by　a　medium；　comes　to　six　times　as　much；　and　in　this
likewise　the　aforesaid　Observation　of　the　difference　of　the
measure　doth　hold。
　　　　By　the　said　Statute　of　25th　Edward　III　it　is　provided　that　in
time　of　Hay　making　none　shall　pay　above　a　penny　for　hay　making；
but　by　the　said　rate　in　Middlesex；　the　hire　of　a　man　a　day　for
hay…making　is　10　pence；　for　a　woman　viii　pence；　and　by　the　same
rate　in　Essex；　the　hire　of　a　man　is　rated　at　xii　pence；　and　the
hire　of　a　woman　at　ix　pence；　which；　by　the　medium；　is　ten　times
as　much　as　the　old　rate。　By　the　said　Statute　of　25th　Edward　III
the　work　of　a　master　Carpenter