About a mile beyond this place of death, they espied a large placard affixed to a post by the wayside, written in a stiff, official hand—for printing was still a century away in the unknown future.
Harcourt (who, like other gentlemen of his time, could neither read nor write, and was rather proud of it than otherwise) sent one of his esquires—a young prodigy who could actually read his own language—to decipher the notice, which was so thoroughly characteristic of that age as to be worth quoting in full—
“Bee it knowen unto alle menne hereby, that it hath beene ordayned by our lorde the kynge, of hys grete goodnesse and mercie, that alle sturdie, myghtie, and valliaunt beggars, whych doe goe to and fro in thys realme, cravinge alms for theyr idlesse; the fyrst tyme they bee founde soe offendynge, they shall bee soundly scourged for a publicke ensample; the second tyme, theyr eares shall bee cutte off; and atte the thirde, theye shall incontinently bee hanged.”
The reading of this fourteenth-century poor law was hardly ended, when by came a group of peasants, gaunt, haggard, tattered, half-starved, who, as they unwillingly made way for the knight and his train, scowled at him askance, and muttered between their teeth words of ominous sound.
“These be the fine folk,” growled one, “who make us eat bread mingled with chopped straw, that they may have their cates and their spices.”
“And send us to face rain and wind and cold in the field,” said a second, “while they sit at ease in their fine houses!”
“And ere we put hand to our own crop,” added a third, “we must plough their worships’ fields, and reap and garner their grain; yea, and thrash and winnow it too; and all for nought—not one silver penny of fee!”
“Thou say’st sooth, Hob; slugs and caterpillars are they every one, who devour our labour, and do nought for themselves.”
“Marry, thou art right, Will; the old saying is ever true—
“‘When Adam delved and Eve span,