icer and labourer cannot make his provision in the markets, sith
they will hardly nowadays sell by the bushel, nor break their measure;
and so much the rather for that the buyer will look (as they say) for
so much over measure in the bushel as the bodger will do in a quarter.
Nay, the poor man cannot oft get any of the farmer at home, because he
provideth altogether to serve the bodger, or hath an hope, grounded
upon a greedy and insatiable desire of gain, that the sale will be
better in the market, so that he must give twopence or a groat more in
the bushel at his house than the last market craved, or else go
without it, and sleep with a hungry belly. Of the common carriage of
corn over unto the parts beyond the seas I speak not; or at the
leastwise, if I should, I could not touch it alone, but needs must
join other provision withal, whereby not only our friends abroad, but
also many of our adversaries and countrymen, the papists, are
abundantly relieved (as the report goeth); but sith I see it not, I
will not so trust mine ears as to write it for a truth. But to return
to our markets again.

[3] Horse-loads.

[4] Loft.

By this time the poor occupier hath sold all his crop for need of
money, being ready peradventure to buy again ere long. And now is the
whole sale of corn in the great occupiers' hands, who hitherto have
threshed little or none of their own, but bought up of other men as
much as they could come by. Henceforth also they begin to sell, not by
the quarter or load at the first (for marring the market) but by the
bushel or two, or a horseload at the most, thereby to be seen to keep
the cross, either for a show, or to make men eager to buy, and so, as
they may have it for money, not to regard what they pay. And thus corn
waxeth dear; but it will be dearer the next market day. It is possible
also that they mislike the price in the beginning for the whole year
ensuing, as men supposing that corn will be little worth for this and
of better price the next year. For they have certain superstitious
observations whereby they will give a guess at the sale of corn for
the year following. And our countrymen do use commonly for barley,
where I dwell, to judge after the price at Baldock upon St. Matthew's
day; and for wheat, as it is sold in seed time. They take in like sort
experiment by sight of the first flocks of cranes that flee southward
in winter, the age of the moon in the beginning of January, an