all not be so; for
there shall ever be more workers than the masters may set to work, so
that men shall strive eagerly for leave to work; and when one says, I
will sell my hours at such and such a price, then another will say, and
I for so much less; so that never shall the lords lack slaves willing
to work, but often the slaves shall lack lords to buy them."

"Thou tellest marvels indeed," said he; "but how then? if all the
churls work not, shall there not be famine and lack of wares?"

"Famine enough," said I, "yet not from lack of wares; it shall be clean
contrary. What wilt thou say when I tell thee that in the latter days
there shall be such traffic and such speedy travel across the seas that
most wares shall be good cheap, and bread of all things the cheapest?"

Quoth he: "I should say that then there would be better livelihood for
men, for in times of plenty it is well; for then men eat that which
their own hands have harvested, and need not to spend of their
substance in buying of others. Truly, it is well for honest men, but
not so well for forestallers and regraters;[2] but who heeds what
befalls such foul swine, who filch the money from people's purses, and
do not one hair's turn of work to help them?"

"Yea, friend," I said, "but in those latter days all power shall be in
the hands of these foul swine, and they shall be the rulers of all;
therefore, hearken, for I tell thee that times of plenty shall in those
days be the times of famine, and all shall pray for the prices of wares
to rise, so that the forestallers and regraters may thrive, and that
some of their well-doing may overflow on to those on whom they live."

"I am weary of thy riddles," he said. "Yet at least I hope that there
may be fewer and fewer folk in the land; as may well be, if life is
then so foul and wretched."

"Alas, poor man!" I said; "nor mayst thou imagine how foul and wretched
it may be for many of the folk; and yet I tell thee that men shall
increase and multiply, till where there is one man in the land now,
there shall be twenty in those days--yea, in some places ten times
twenty."

"I have but little heart to ask thee more questions," said he; "and
when thou answerest, thy words are plain, but the things they tell of I
may scarce understand. But tell me this: in those days will men deem
that so it must be for ever, as great men even now tell us of our ills,
or will they think of some remedy?"

I looked about me. The