A rage for legislation.
- augurated, other classes besides the ship-owners
claimed its presumed advantages.[1] Thus, immediately afterwards, Richard issued a general proclamation, prohibiting the exportation of corn or malt to any foreign country, except to the king's territories in Gascony, Bayonne, Calais, Brest, Cherburg, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and other forts held for his majesty.[2] Nor was this all; frivolous pretensions led to frivolous laws: thus, the fishmongers of London were prohibited from buying any fresh fish to sell again, except eels or pikes.[3] No cloths could be exposed to sale except of a manufacture sanctioned by law;[4] dealers in provisions of all kinds were placed under the control of the mayor and aldermen of London;[5] no one was permitted to carry corn and malt, or food, or refreshments of any kind to Scotland;[6] while laws were passed with the idle object of maintaining the relative positions of the different classes of society, as though their rulers were hopeless of talent, industry, or honesty reaping their natural reward. Parliament actually enacted that no servant should remove from one hundred to another, unless travelling upon his master's business; the wages for agricultural labour were fixed by law; children employed in husbandry up to twelve years of age were to be confined to that description of employment for life; farm servants were prohibited from carrying
- ↑ Among other persons, the Pope succeeded in carrying from the town of Bristol, in 1382, a prodigious quantity of goods (the list is given in full in Rymer's Fœd. v. pp. 356-7, 577-90) without paying any duty.
- ↑ Rymer's Fœd., vol. vii. p. 369.
- ↑ Stat. 1-6, Rich. II. c. 11.
- ↑ 7 Rich. II. c. 9.
- ↑ 7 Rich. II. c. 11.
- ↑ Ibid. c. 14.
