nd and all that was on it, and the men that were on it worked for
them as their horses worked, and after they were fed and housed all was
the lords'; but in the time to come the lords shall see their men
thriving on the land and shall say once more, 'These men have more than
they need, why have we not the surplus since we are their lords?'
Moreover, in those days shall betide much chaffering for wares between
man and man, and country and country; and the lords shall note that if
there were less corn and less men on their lands there would be more
sheep, that is to say more wool for chaffer, and that thereof they
should have abundantly more than aforetime; since all the land they
own, and it pays them quit-rent or service, save here and there a croft
or a close of a yeoman; and all this might grow wool for them to sell
to the Easterlings. Then shall England see a new thing, for whereas
hitherto men have lived on the land and by it, the land shall no longer
need them, but many sheep and a few shepherds shall make wool grow to
be sold for money to the Easterlings, and that money shall the lords
pouch: for, look you, they shall set the lawyers a-work and the strong
hand moreover, and the land they shall take to themselves and their
sheep; and except for these lords of land few shall be the free men
that shall hold a rood of land whom the word of their lord may not turn
adrift straightway."

"How mean you?" said John Ball: "shall all men be villeins again?"

"Nay," said I, "there shall be no villeins in England."

"Surely then," said he, "it shall be worse, and all men save a few
shall be thralls to be bought and sold at the cross."

"Good friend," said I, "it shall not be so; all men shall be free even
as ye would have it; yet, as I say, few indeed shall have so much land
as they can stand upon save by buying such a grace of their masters."

"And now," said he, "I wot not what thou sayest. I know a thrall, and
he is his master's every hour, and never his own; and a villein I know,
and whiles he is his own and whiles his lord's; and I know a free man,
and he is his own always; but how shall he be his own if he have nought
whereby to make his livelihood? Or shall he be a thief and take from
others? Then is he an outlaw. Wonderful is this thou tellest of a free
man with nought whereby to live!"

"Yet so it shall be," said I, "and by such free men shall all wares be
made."

"Nay, that cannot be; thou art talking ridd