Wonderful is this thou
tellest of a free man with nought whereby to live!"
"Yet so it shall be," said I, "and by such free men shall all wares be
made."
"Nay, that cannot be; thou art talking riddles," said he; "for how
shall a woodwright make a chest without the wood and the tools?"
Said I, "He must needs buy leave to labour of them that own all things
except himself and such as himself."
"Yea, but wherewith shall he buy it?" said John Ball. "What hath he
except himself?"
"With himself then shall he buy it," quoth I, "with his body and the
power of labour that lieth therein; with the price of his labour shall
he buy leave to labour."
"Riddles again!" said he; "how can he sell his labour for aught else
but his daily bread? He must win by his labour meat and drink and
clothing and housing! Can he sell his labour twice over?"
"Not so," said I, "but this shall he do belike; he shall sell himself,
that is the labour that is in him, to the master that suffers him to
work, and that master shall give to him from out of the wares he
maketh enough to keep him alive, and to beget children and nourish
them till they be old enough to be sold like himself, and the residue
shall the rich man keep to himself.
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