Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/361

AGRICULTURAL LIFE 349 in the middle of the sixteenth century when we consider that, while their wages were increased only six pennies, the price of rye rose from six to twenty-four groschen per bushel, the price of a sheep from four to eighteen groschen, and so on with the other necessaries. In Holstein a labourer of the fifteenth century could buy half a bushel of rye, three-quarters of a bushel of oats, or a bushel of turnips with one day's wages, a lamb fit to kill with three to four days' wages, while the earnings of twenty-two days would buy a fat cow. The wages were even higher in other localities. In Cleves, on the Lower Ehine, a labourer who was fed in the house of his employer could with six days' wages buy a quarter of a bushel of rye, ten pounds of" pork or twelve of veal, six large jugs of milk, two bundles of wood, and have a weekly surplus over that in from four to five weeks would enable him to purchase a blouse, six yards of cloth, and a pair of shoes. It is known that in Aix-la-Chapelle, at the close of the four- teenth century, the wages of six days' labour would buy a lamb, seven sheep, and eight pigs, while one day's earnings would purchase two geese. During the fifteenth century, at Augsburg, in average years, one could purchase from six to seven pounds of the best meat by one day's work ; in poor years one pound of meat or seven eggs, a quart of peas, a measure of wine, and what bread he needed, and still retain the half of his wages to pay for clothing, lodging, and other necessaries. In 1464 the labourers received eighteenpence per day in the principality of Beyreuth, while they could buy the best beef for twopence per pound and sausage for one.