d such
other apish toys as by laying twelve corns upon the hot hearth for the
twelve months, etc., whereby they shew themselves to be scant good
Christians; but what care they, so that they come by money? Hereupon
also will they thresh out three parts of the old corn, towards the
latter end of the summer, when new cometh apace to hand, and cast the
same in the fourth unthreshed, where it shall lie until the next
spring, or peradventure till it must and putrify. Certes it is not
dainty to see musty corn in many of our great markets of England which
these great occupiers bring forth when they can keep it no longer. But
as they are enforced oftentimes upon this one occasion somewhat to
abate the price, so a plague is not seldom engendered thereby among
the poorer sort that of necessity must buy the same, whereby many
thousands of all degrees are consumed, of whose death (in mine
opinion) these farmers are not unguilty. But to proceed. If they lay
not up their grain or wheat in this manner, they have yet another
policy, whereby they will seem to have but small store left in their
barns: for else they will gird their sheaves by the band, and stack it
up anew in less room, to the end it may not only seem less in
quantity, but also give place to the corn that is yet to come into the
barn or growing in the field. If there happen to be such plenty in the
market on any market day that they cannot sell at their own price,
then will they set it up in some friend's house, against another on
the third day, and not bring it forth till they like of the sale. If
they sell any at home, beside harder measure, it shall be dearer to
the poor man that buyeth it by twopence or a groat in a bushel than
they may sell it in the market. But, as these things are worthy
redress, so I wish that God would once open their eyes that deal thus
to see their own errors: for as yet some of them little care how many
poor men suffer extremity, so that they fill their purses and carry
away the gain.

It is a world also to see how most places of the realm are pestered
with purveyors, who take up eggs, butter, cheese, pigs, capons, hens,
chickens, hogs, bacon, etc., in one market under pretence of their
commissions, and suffer their wives to sell the same in another, or to
poulterers of London. If these chapmen be absent but two or three
market days then we may perfectly see these wares to be more
reasonably sold, and thereunto the crosses sufficiently furnish