A. D. 1349. Anno vicdimo tertio Edwardi III. C. 8. Reg. MS. ligeretur ad opus Regis, in alleviatione fingularum Villarum unde dicti artifices Servitores & operarii fuerint et in auxilium folutionis fummarum ad quas eedem Ville feu homines earum ad decimam & quintodeci- mam tunc adhuc currentes fuerint affeffi. Ita femper quod finitis decima & quintodecima tota ilia pecunia pretia & liherationes five valores liberationum earundem que ultra ut premittitur ex tunc perciperent & reci- perent ab eis et eorum fingulis ad opus Regis, in fubventionem & fubportationem omnis Kegni Anglie, per illos quos ad hoc duceret Rex affignandos levarentur & colligerentur : et illi qui forfan propter hoc renuerint defervire, vel fummas per eos fie ultra receptas & fuper eos afTefTas folvere & artificia fua & opera fua exercere, ftatim per taxatores & collecftores decime & quintodecime prediclarum, vel eorum aliqutm, feu alios per illos vel eorum aliquem in fingulis Villis ad premiiTa exequenda deputandos, vel per Ballivos locorum feu Conftabularios Villarum, cum de hoc conftare contigerit, areftati carceri committentur, in eo- dem detinendi, quoufque ad ferviendum fecuritatem preftiterint, & folverint hoc quod fie ultra reciperint juxta eafdem ordinationes, vel donee Rex aliud inde duxerit demandandum. Et femper intentionis extitit Regis & confilii fui, quod fecundum dictam primam ordinationem Iiceret & liceat cuilibet contra excedentes eandem vel ei non parentes profequi, et applicare fuo ufui quod per ipfam conceditur profequenti. Et idea mandat Dominus Rex Archiepifcopis et Epifcopis, quod prerniffa in fingulis locis fubdioeefanis, quod parocbianosfuos 'fanos Jiipendiarios diile fue diocefis, cantur, ad ferviendum pro confueto , fscut Nos ct communem utilitatetn mandantes recloribus et aliis ter injv.ngant ; acetiam capeh diocefuim fuarutn quibnfcur.que faciant publicari : ad laborandum juxta temporis neceffitatein foleri qui jam diu exceffive capiuni, et nolunt ut dicitur pro falario competenti compefcantur, ad ferviendum pro confueto Jhlario prout expedit fub pena fufpenfionis et interdicli compellentes. Et hoc, Regni nojlri diligitis, nulfatenus omittatis, T. &c. die et anno fupradiclis. 2 5I Statuta in Parliament© tento apud Weflm' mOdabisPurihcationis beate Marie Virginis Anno Regni Domini Edwardi Regis Anglie & Francie Anglie videlicet vicefimo quinto Regni vero fui Francie duodecimo. A Statute of Labourers, made Anno 25 Edw. III. Stat. 1. and K. D. 1350. Ex Rot. in Turr. Lond. m. 18. COME nadgairs contre la malice de fervantz queux furent pareiffoufes et nient voillantz lervir apres la peltilence fanz trop outrage- oufes lowers prendre feut ordine par noftre Seignur le Roi et par affent des Prelatz Nobles et autres de fon confeil qe tieux maners de fervantz fibien hommes come femmes fuffent tenuz de fervir-re- ceyvantz falaries et gages accuftumez es lieus ou ils deveront fervir Ian du regne le dit noftre Seignur le Roi vintifrne ou cynk ou fis annz devant et qe mefmes les fervantz refufantz fervir par autiele ma- nere fuiffent punys par emprifonement de lour corps llcome en mefme lordenance eft contenuz plus au playn fur quoi commiflions furent faites as diverfes gentz en chefcun counte denquere et punir touz ceux qi veniffent au contraire. Et ja par tant qe done eft entendre a noftre dit Seignur le Roi en ceft prefent parlement par la petition de la com- mune qe les ditz fervantz nient eiantz regard a la dite ordenance mes a lour efes et fmguleres cove- tifes fe retreent de fervir as grantz ou as autres fils neyent liverefons et lowers au duble ou treble de ■ceo qi!s foloient prendre le dit an vintifrne et devant a grant damage des grantz et empoverifement des touz ceux de la dite communalte dont il eftoit prie par mefme la communalte de remedie par quoi en mefme le parlement par affent des Prelatz Countes Barons et autres grantz et de la dite communalte-, illoqes aflemblez pur refreyndre la malice des ditz fervaiKz font ordenes et eftables les chofes fuze- fcriptz ceft affavoir. HERE AS late againft the Malice of Ser- vants, which were idle, and not willing to ferve after the Peftilence, without taking exceffive Wages, it was ordained by our Lord the King, and by Affent of the Prelates, Earls, Barons, and other of his Council, That fuch Manner of Ser- vants, as well Men as Women, fhould be bound to ferve, receiving Salary and Wages, accuftomed in Places where they ought to ferve in the Twentieth Year of the Reign of the King that now is, or five or fix Years before ; and that the fame Servants re- fufmg to ferve in fuch Manner fhould be puniihed by Imprifonment of their Bodies, as in the faid Sta- tute is more plainly contained ; (z) whereupon Commiflions were made to divers People in every County to enquire and punifti all them which offend againft the fame. (3) And now forafmuch as it is given the King to underftand in this'prefent Parlia- ment, by the Petition of the Commonalty, that the faid Servants having no Regard to the faid Ordi- nance, but to their Eafe and fingular Covetife, do withdraw themfelves to ferve Great Men and other, unlcfs they have Livery and Wages to the double or treble of that they were wont to take the faid Twentieth Year, and before, to the great Damage of the Great Men, and impovevifhing of all the faid Commonalty, whereof the faid Commonalty prayeth Remedy: (4) Wherefore in the fame Par- liament, by the Affent of the faid Prelates, Earls, Barons, and other Great Men of the fame Com- monalty there affembled, to refrain the Malice of the faid Servants, be ordained and eftabliftied the Things under-written." Ik C
