Then shall England see a
new thing, for whereas hitherto men have lived on the land and by it,
the land shall no longer need them, but many sheep and a few shepherds
shall make wool grow to be sold for money to the Easterlings, and that
money shall the lords pouch: for, look you, they shall set the lawyers
a-work and the strong hand moreover, and the land they shall take to
themselves and their sheep; and except for these lords of land few
shall be the free men that shall hold a rood of land whom the word of
their lord may not turn adrift straightway."
"How mean you?" said John Ball: "shall all men be villeins again?"
"Nay," said I, "there shall be no villeins in England."
"Surely then," said he, "it shall be worse, and all men save a few
shall be thralls to be bought and sold at the cross."
"Good friend," said I, "it shall not be so; all men shall be free even
as ye would have it; yet, as I say, few indeed shall have so much land
as they can stand upon save by buying such a grace of their masters."
"And now," said he, "I wot not what thou sayest. I know a thrall, and
he is his master's every hour, and never his own; and a villein I
know, and whiles he is his own and whiles his lord's; and I know a
free man, and he is his own always; but how shall he be his own if he
have nought whereby to make his livelihood? Or shall he be a thief
and take from others? Then is he an outlaw.
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