TIlE FOOD QUESTION FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO.
[COMMUNICATED.]
LAST week the present writer was idly turning over the pages of a, translation of Piers Plowman, done into beautiful modern prose by Miss Kate M. Warren (Edward Arnold, 2s. 13d.). *t is not a new book, but was first published in 1895, and, on the suggestion of Mr. J. W. Mackail, republished in 1913. As he read he came upon a chapter which struck him as having a remarkable' bearing upon the present crisis. The author' of this- fourteenth- century poetical tract was deeply interested in the feeding of the people—especially in times of dearth, or when such times threatened and hunger could bo seen in the offing. In a year of scarcity Piers Plowman is approached by a motley crowd who are- setting out in quest of Truth. It is useless, they find,, inquiring for Truth of friars and of.pilgrims. They do not even know Truth's name. Piers offers to be their guide—" Conscience and Mother-wit showed me his dwelling "—if first they will help him to finish a piece of ploughing by the highway. Men and women alike are anxious to be set on work. Indeed, the women are the foremost in offering their strength, and a fine lady is the first to speak. The Plowman does- not employ any women upon the land, however. Those of the ordinary sort are to " sew the sack to keep the wheat from spilling," and to " spin wool and flax " and " make cloth," teaching their daughters to do the same, and considering the needy in the matter of clothes and bedding. The Plowman will "give them livelihood unless- the land fail, flesh and bread both for rich and poor." " Lovely ladies," however, are let off rather more easily. They are to make splendid embroideries " to honour churches." All the men, from knights to labourers, and even to wasters," are ready at first. to " mink and sweat " under the Plowman's orders, though the knights confess that they know very little about their duties. " By Christ,' then said a knight, he teacheth us the best, but about that matter, truly, I was never taught. But teach me,' quoth the knight, and, by Christ, I will try ! ' " Piers thanks him for his graciousness, but will not let him work. He had much better hunt, he- says, and administer justice so as to keep down the " wasters" and " wicked men who spoil this world." Let him also look after his tenants, and " let Mercy be the taxer." The knight agrees, promising to uphold Piers in return as long as the world lasts. After wards they all fall to, and work full eagerly, each man in his own way." But when " at high prime [9 a.m.] Piers let the plough st and " he found some of thenzalready idle " sitting and singing at the ale." The Plowman is furious. He calls on the knight to make them work, and the knight courteously, as his nature was, warned Waster " ; but ho rebels and oven shows fight. It is no good telling him he could " ditch or delve or thresh the sheaves, or help to make mortar, or bear muck a-field," no good apostrophizing him as " wolfish waster." He would do nothing till Hunger overtook him. Hunger is depicted as a giant who seized Waster " by the maw " and buffeted " him " about the cheeks so that he looked like a lantern all his life after- wards." Many see this struggle and are afraid. " Lazy rogues, for fear thereof, flew into barns, and flapped on with flails from morning till even." -.A crowd of hermits also " went as workmen with spades and shovels, and digged and ditched," having cut their cloaks into " short coats " for better convenience. But Hunger is not to be so easily got rid of. While he remained in the land many a man was glad to eat " what was baked for a horse " (oatcake we suppose) with milk or weak ale. " Sloth " bethought him of the " broad and ale, butter, milk, and cheese, I have wasted carelessly lanky service, till it could serve no man." Even the thrifty have to content themselves with little. Piers says that he himself must make two green cheeses last till Lammastide, and besides that he has only "curds and cream," some oatcake, two loaves of beans and bran baked for the children, cabbages, and the milk of his cow. He hoped, however, to live better when the new corn came and Hunger was gone.
In good years, or during the best part of good years, it is plain that the English labourer lived well, at any rate in Langland's experience. No sooner is Hunger gone than Waster strikes work once more, and ." no beggar ate bread that.had beans in it," but demandedhread of wheaten flour only. Labourers that have no land to live on but their hands" would eat no green food unless perfectly fresh—not even of yesterday's growth. They despised " halfpenny ale " and drank the best-and the brownest." They despised even salt bacon, and would only eat " fresh flesh or fish," and these hot. can years, however, came often. Piers exhorts working men to save, for Hunger will visit them not less than once in five years, and indeed he seems to suggest that lean months may be looked for in every year.
One wonders whether " the brownest ale" was regarded as part of a workman's hire, for it seems to have been very dear to buy over the- counter. In another chapter the innkeeper tells us how his wife mixed "penny ale and pudding ale " for poorer customers, giving them wrong measure when she could; while " the best ale was kept in my room. or in . my bedchamber, and whose tasted of it bought it afterwards, a gallon for a groat, no-less, God wot." Food merchants come in for a good deal of abuse in these pages. The great use of " Mayors and officers " is, Piers thinks, to put in pillories " brewers and bakers, butchers and cooks ; for these are the men on earth that do most harm to the poor people who buy in small
portions." About these he is even rather spiteful. " Had they made their wealth in honesty they had not built such high houses nor bought tenements for themselves," he is sure.
A good many rules for health, all of which are concerned with abstinence, are here set down. " Dread delicious drink," is one of them. It was common, apparently, for working men to be absent for a week at a time owing to colic. Piers counsels them to eat less and never drink till they have " dined somewhat " ; also to avoid doctors, against whom ho has a tremendous prejudice. " Leave physic and learn to labour on the land," he says. " For many leeches are murderers—Lord, amend them !--they make men die through their drinks ere Destiny hath willed it."
His treatment of sturdy beggars is not altogether harsh. He defends them when the onslaughts of Hunger threaten their lives. lie also defends those who may encourage them by alms. " Let God take vengeance; though they do evil, let God be." As for their would-be employers, he advises them to keep all lazy men short of food. " Barley bread " and the brook " are all they are worth or that any man need give them. On any eign of repentance and returning energy, however, they should be allowed to " sup the
sweeter."
All these ideas still underlie the English Poor Law. Indeed, English society of to-day seems very closely related to society of the fourteenth century so far as we see it depicted in this section of the famous poem. The knights have privileges, partly for the sake of their good manners. The working man is still improvident, living well while he can and preferring alternate plenty and scarcity to moderation. The merchant has changed in position, and is no longer to be seen in the stocks ; but his fine house often casts suspicion on his honesty even in these days. The Waster is still with us—we still abuse and still assist him. The great lady still offers to do anything, and still does as she likes and nothing else. " Though she was fair I was afraid of her face," says the Plowman ; and though the lady to whom he alludes is a symbolic figure, ho is obviously describing an actual type. In their measure they all desire to seek Truth, and have given up asking learned ecclesiastics to show them the way. Just now they are asking the way of the practical man like Langland's pilgrims, and like them have received the only answer the practical man can ever give—i.e., that the quest must stand over.
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