er device,
together with all spindles, shuttles, bobbins, and all
other accessories or appurtenances thereunto belonging,
shall forthwith be rendered up to the officers of the
King's most excellent Majesty appointed to receive
them. AND BE IT FURTHER DECREED
That if any person or persons fail to observe or obey
this edict or ordinance by unlawfully retaining any
instrument of spinning or accessory thereunto, such
persons shall be dealt with according to the full rigour
of the law, and shall suffer the penalty of death.

Given under our royal hand and seal.]

The issue of this proclamation caused a great deal of interest and
excitement throughout the kingdom. All the people came out of their
houses to gaze at it, for they had never seen its like before, and
though very few of them knew how to read they realised that it must mean
something very important. So they sent for clerks and scholars to read
it to them, paying a penny apiece for the service, which pennies, the
clerks and scholars, being usually extraordinarily needy persons, were
very glad to earn. It usually took about three hours to read the
proclamation and to explain it; and one must admit that it might have
been expressed in fewer words. To do so, however, would not have been
dignified, for this proclamation was what is called a legal instrument.

The very next day into each town and village of the kingdom the King's
officers came riding. Before them went a trumpeter who stopped at the
head of each street and blew a loud call. Having thus commanded
attention he marched past the houses calling in a loud voice:

"Bring out your spinning-wheels. Bring out your spinning-wheels!"

So the people brought them out, not without grumbling, for a
spinning-wheel is a very useful thing to have in a house, and in those
days people spun and wove their own cloth to make their clothes. But
they were afraid to disobey the King's order.

And the spinning-wheels were of all shapes and sizes, some of them new
and some of them hundreds of years old, and there was hardly a house
that did not possess one of some kind or another. They were all
collected together and loaded into waggons and taken to the capital,
where they were piled up into an immense heap in the public square.

Then the King and Queen and all the court came out and watched while the
big heap was set on fire. The people came out to watch too in thei