Since a great part of the population, and especially workers and employees, has now died in this pestilence many people, observing the needs of masters and the shortage of employees, are refusing to work unless they are paid an excessive salary. Others prefer to beg in idleness rather than work for their living. Mindful of the serious inconvenience likely to arise from this shortage, especially of agricultural labourers, we have discussed and considered the matter with our prelates and nobles and other learned men and, with their unanimous advice, we have ordained that every man or woman in our realm of England, whether free or unfree, who is physically fit and below the age of sixty, not living by trade or by exercising a particular craft, and not having private means or land of their own upon which they need to work, and not working for someone else, shall, if offered employment consonant with their status, be obliged to accept the employment offered, and they should be paid only the fees, liveries, payments, or salaries which were usually paid in the part of the country where they are working in the twentieth year of our reign [1346] or in some other appropriate year five or six years ago. Lords should have first claim on the services of their villeins or tenants, although they should retain only as many as they need and no more.

And if any man or woman, being required to enter employment in this manner, refuses, and the fact has been proved by two men of legal standing before the sheriff, bailiff or constable of the vill where the incident took place, then let the person be immediately arrested by them or one of them and sent to the nearest gaol, there to remain in close captivity until they offer security that they will accept employment under these conditions.

And no reaper, mower, or other worker or employee of whatever standing who is in the employment of another person shall leave before the end of the agreed period of employment without reasonable cause or permission, under pain of imprisonment, and no one else is to receive or employ him under the same pain of imprisonment.

Moreover, no one should pay or promise wages, liveries, payments, or salaries greater than those defined above under pain of paying twice whatever he paid or promised to anyone who feels himself harmed by it. And if no such person is willing to bring a prosecution, then the same to be paid to any member of the public who does so, and let the prosecution be brought in the court of the lord of the place where it happened. And if the lords of vills or manors presume to go against the present ordinance either in person or through their officials, then let them be prosecuted in our country, wapentake or trithing court, or in another of our courts, under penalty of triple the amount paid or promised by them or their officials.

And if it happens that someone, before the present ordinance was made, agreed to enter employment for a larger salary, the employer who made the agreement is not for that reason bound to pay any more than in the past, and should by no means presume to pay more under the abovesaid penalty.

Item, saddlers, skinners, tawyers, cobblers, tailors, smiths, carpenters, masons, tilers, shipwrights, carters, and all other artisans and labourers ought not to receive for their labour and craft more money than they could have expected to receive in the said twentieth year or other appropriate year, in the place where they happened to be working; and if anyone takes more, let him be committed to gaol in the manner set out above.

Item, butchers, fishmongers, innkeepers, brewers, bakers, poulterers, and all other dealers in foodstuffs should be bound to sell the food for a reasonable price, having regard to the price at which such food is sold in the neighborhood. The price should allow the seller a moderate, but not excessive, profit, taking reasonable account of the distance he has transported the goods. And if a victualler should make a sale contrary to the ordinance, and be convicted for it, then let him pay twice what he has received to the injured party, or, failing him, to the person who has been willing to bring the prosecution. And the mayor and bailiffs of cities, boroughs, market towns, and other towns shall have the power to question everyone to discover who has offended against the ordinance, and impose the penalty--which is to be paid to whoever brought the case against the guilty party. And if the mayor and bailiffs neglect to prosecute, and are found guilty before the justices appointed by us, then they should be compelled by the justices to pay damages of triple the value of the goods sold to the injured party or to the other person bringing the prosecution, and also to pay a heavy penalty to us.

And since many sturdy beggars--finding that they can make a living by begging for alms--are refusing to work, and are spending their time instead in idleness and depravity, and sometimes in robberies and other crimes; let no one presume, on pain of imprisonment, to give anything by way of charity or alms to those who are perfectly able to work, or to support them in their idleness, so that they will be forced to work for a living.