r the gauge of wines and measurement of cloths.
Edicts disallowed middlemen from raising prices against
consumers by such practices as forestalling [intercepting
goods before they reached the market and then reselling
them] or engrossing [buying a large supply of a commodity to
drive up the price] and price regulation was attempted. For
instance, prices were set for poultry and lamb, in a period
of plenty. Maximum prices were set for cattle, pigs, sheep,
poultry, and eggs in 1314, but these prices were hard to
enforce. In London examples of prices set are: best hen
3d.2q., best wild goose 4d., best hare 4d., best kid 10d.,
best lamb 4d., best fresh herrings 12 for 1d., best pickled
herrings 20 for 1d., best haddock 2d., best fresh salmon 3s.

Freemen may drive their swine through the King's demesne
Forest to feed in their own woods or elsewhere. No man shall
lose his life or limb for killing deer in the Forest, but
instead shall be grievously fined or imprisoned for a year.

The Forest Charter allowed a man to cut down and take wood
from his own woods in the King's forest to repair his house,
fences, and hedges. He may also enclose his woods in the
King's forest with fences and hedges to grow new trees and
keep cattle and beasts therefrom. After seven years growth
of these new trees, he may cut them down for sale with the
King's permission.

Each borough has its own civil and criminal ordinances and
police jurisdiction. Borough courts tended to deal with more
laws than other local courts because of the borough's denser
populations, which were composed of merchants,
manufacturers, and traders, as well as those engaged in
agriculture. Only borough courts have jurisdiction over
fairs. In some boroughs the villein who resides for a year
and a day becomes free. There are special ordinances
relating to apprentices. There are sometimes ordinances
against enticing away servants bound by agreement to serve
another. The wife who is a trader is regarded in many places
as a feme sole [single woman rather than a feme covert
[woman-covert], who was under the protection of a husband].
There may be special ordinances as to the liability of
masters for the acts of their apprentices and agents, or as
to brokers, debt, or earnest money binding a bargain. The
criminal and police jurisdiction in the borough was
organized upon the same model as in the country at large,
and was controlled by the King's courts upon similar
principles,