Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 3.djvu/422

408 The physical condition of the kingdom, therefore, during the reign of James, was evidently greatly improved, and almost justifies the glowing description of Clarendon, made to set off the mischiefs of resistance to royalty. "For twelve years before the meeting of the Long Parliament," he says, "the kingdom enjoyed the greatest calm, and the fullest measure of felicity that any people, in any age, for so long a time together, had been blessed with, to the wonder and envy of all other parts of Christendom." It was inevitable that much of this prosperity must be overthrown, or rather interrupted by a ten years' fierce contest, like that which arose betwixt the crown and the people. That not only were the people severely pressed by taxation to support this contest, but that they were harassed, plundered, and had their agricultural operations impeded, and their crops destroyed by the contending forces, is quite certain. Prince Rupert and his cavalry especially subsisted by marauding, and the rise of the clubmen in the vast bodies that we have described, show that the depredations on the rural population were extensive, and inflicted by both parties.



Consequently, during the great struggle, the price of country produce rose extremely. Wheat, which in the early part of Charles's reign was as low as 44s. a quarter, rose after 1640 to 73s.; 85s. in 1648; and in 1649 was 80s.; but no sooner was the commonwealth established, and peaceful operations renewed, than it fell as rapidly, being in 1650 76s. 8d., and falling so much that in 1654 it was down to 26s. This was the lowest, and it averaged during the remainder of the protectorate, 45s., as near as possible its price at the commencement of the struggle. Other articles of life rose and fell from the same causes in the same proportion; the prices of the following articles, except during the war, may be regarded as the average ones for this period:—A fat cygnet, about 8s.; pheasants, from 5s. to 6s.; turkeys, 3s. to 4s.; fat geese, 2s. each; ducks, 8d.; best fatted capons, 2s. 4d.; hens, 1s.; pullets, 1s. 6d.; rabbits, 7d.; a dozen pigeons, 6s.; eggs, three for 1d.; fresh butter, 6d. per pound. Vegetables, being so little cultivated, as we have stated, were very dear; cauliflowers. 1s. 6d. each; potatoes, 2s. per pound; onions, leeks, carrots, and potherbs, dear, but not so much so. Mutton and beef, about 3½d. per pound. The wages of servants hired by the year and kept, were for a farm servant man, from 20s. to 50s. a year, according to his qualifications; those obtaining more than 40s. were expected to be able to do all the skilled work, as mowing, thrashing, thatching, making ricks, hedging, and killing cattle and pigs for daily consumption. Women servants, who could bake, brew, dress meat, make malt, &c. obtained about 26s. a year, and other women servants, according to age and ability, from that sum down to 14s. a year. A bailiff obtained 52s. Labourers or artisans hired by the day, during harvest, had, a mower, 5d. a day and his food; a reaper, haymaker, hedger, or ditcher, 4d.; a woman reaper, 3d.; a woman haymaker, 2d.; if no food was given, these sums were doubled. At other times labourers received from Easter to Michaelmas, 3d. a day with food, or 7d. without; and from Michaelmas to Easter, 2d. with food, and 6d. without. Carpenters and bricklayers received 8d. a day with meat, or 1s. without; sawyers, 6d. with meat, or 1s. without; and other handicrafts nearly the same, through the year till Michaelmas, after that considerably less.

The great extension of foreign commerce, by the opening up of North and South America, the East and West Indies, the Mediterranean, and the North of Europe, the fisheries of Newfoundland, and the introduction of coffee, spices, cottons, and other new and tropical produce, must have greatly increased the comfort of domestic fife. Yet, with all this mutual prosperity, there still abounded much pauperism and vagabondism. The war naturally had this consequence—great numbers of the dispersed cavaliers and royal troopers taking to the highways, and to a loose and predatory life. There was an indisposition, too, on the part of many parishes, to burden themselves with the imposition of the poor laws, which had been strengthened by various enactments since the 43rd of Elizabeth, and they therefore drove out of their boundaries the unemployed to seek work elsewhere. This,