h; but, I am not to stop with it.
WHITE, the late Rector of SELBOURNE, in Hampshire, gives, in his History
of that once-famous village, an extract from a record, stating that for
disorderly conduct, men were _punished_ by being "compelled to _fast_ a
fortnight on _bread and beer_!" This was about the year 1380, in the reign
of RICHARD II. Oh! miserable "_dark ages_!" This fact _must be true_.
WHITE had no purpose to answer. His mention of the fact, or rather his
transcript from the record, is purely _incidental_; and trifling as the
fact is, it is conclusive as to the general mode of living in those happy
days. Go, tell the harnessed gravel-drawers, in Hampshire, to cry "_No
Popery_;" for, that, if the Pope be not put down, he may, in time, compel
them to _fast_ on _bread and beer_, instead of suffering them to continue
to regale themselves on nice potatoes and pure water.--But, let us come to
_Acts of Parliament_, and, first, to the Act above mentioned of KING
EDWARD III. That Act fixes the _price of meat_. After naming the four
sorts of meat, _beef_, _pork_, _mutton_, and _veal_, the preamble has
these words: "These being THE FOOD OF THE POORER SORT." This is
conclusive. It is an _incidental_ mention of a fact. It is an Act of
Parliament. It _must have been true_; and, it is a fact that we know well,
that even the Judges have declared from the Bench, that _bread alone_ is
_now the food of the poorer sort_. What do we want more than this to
convince us, that the main body of the people have been _impoverished_ by
the "Reformation?"--But I will _prove_, by other Acts of Parliament, this
Act of Parliament to have spoken truth. These Acts declare what the
_wages_ of workmen shall be. There are several such Acts, but one or two
may suffice. The Act of 23d of EDW. III. fixes the wages, without food, as
follows. There are many other things mentioned, but the following will be
enough for our purpose.

_s._ _d._

A woman hay-making, or weeding corn, for the day 0 1
A man filling dung-cart 0 3-1/2
A reaper 0 4
Mowing an acre of grass 0 6
Thrashing a quarter of Wheat 0 4

The price of _shoes_, _cloth_, and of _provisions_, throughout the time
that this law continued in force, was as follows:--

_L.