Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/362

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350 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE The statistics from Austria are much the same ; for instance, we find by the account books of Jacob Pamperl, who was manager of the Abbey of Kloster- nauberg from 1485 to 1509, that the wages of a day- labourer were ten farthings a day and his board, while the legal price of beef was two farthings per pound. The usual price of a pair of women's or men's shoes was sixteen farthings ; the making of a pair of trousers cost ten farthings, and a peasant's coat cost twenty-four. In many countries where labourers worked for pay and board there were laws regulating the exact quantity of food and drink they had a right to. In the laws made by the Archbishop of Mentz, Berthold von Henne- berg, in 1497, for the management of his possessions in the Ehine Provinces, we find : ' In the morning soup -and bread ; for lunch at midday a strong soup, good meat, vegetables, and half a jug of ordinary wine ; in the evening a strong soup, or meat and bread.' In 1483 the innkeeper Erasmus Erbach of Oden- wald ordered that all the labourers, men and women, who work in the fields shall receive twice in the day meat and half a jug of wine ; on Sundays they shall have fish or food equally nourishing. On feast days and Sundays those who have worked during the week shall be well treated, having, after mass and sermon, plenty of meat and bread with a large jug of wine. At weddings they shall have enough roast meat. Besides, they shall be given a large loaf of bread and as much meat as shall furnish lunches for two. According to the household regulations of the Bavarian Count Joachim von Gettingen in 1520, the domestics were to have every day at meals : ' In the morning soup and vegetables (milk was allowed to the