Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/363

 AGRICULTURAL LIFE 351 labourers) ; at midday one kind of meat, one vegetable, a pepper soup, preserves or milk ; at night soup and meat, turnips, and preserve or pickle ; milk, chicken or eggs, with soup and two portions of bread, shall be given to the women who desire it ; if they have come over half a mile they shall have an additional plate of soup and a small jug of wine.' The meals allowed in Saxony to the servants and workpeople were still better. In the household laws published by the Dukes Ernst and Albert in the year 1482 it was expressly decreed : ' The domestics and labourers ought to be satisfied with what they receive. Besides their wages they shall have, twice a day, for dinner and supper, four dishes : soup, two kinds of meat, and one vegetable. On feast days five dishes : soup, two kinds of fish, and two vegetables.' As an evidence of how general was the use of animal food, we quote from the ' Soul's Guide ' in de- scribing extreme destitution. ' There are poor people who go a week or more without meat, or, at best, with very bad meat.' The times had begun to get bad in 1533, when the Bavarian States' authority decreed that two meals, and that the hotels serve good boils and roasts. In view of the general destitution all were advised to refrain from meat two or three days in the week, and innkeepers were admonished to give only fruit, bread and cheese outside of the regular meals.' The decrease in the use of animal food in the six- teenth century was one of the most striking proofs of the depression of general prosperity throughout Ger- many. The wages were only half what they had been
 * care be taken that the people eat meat each day, take