It may not stand with them in any prosperity; For whoso lacketh any of these, he suffereth adversity; Whiles this is sooth by your wits discern Of all the realms in the world this beareth the lantern. For of every of these three by God's ordinance, We have sufficiently unto our sustenance, And with the surplusage of one of these three things We might rule and govern all Christian kings. For the merchants come our wools for to buy Or else the cloth that is made thereof surely, Out of divers lands far beyond the sea, To have this merchandise into their country. Therefore let not our wool be sold for nought, Neither our cloth, for they must be sought; And in especial restrain straitly the wool, That the commons of this land may work at the full. And if any wool be sold of this land, Let it be of the worst both to free and bond, And none other in [no] manner wise, For many divers causes, as I can devise. If the wool be coarse, the cloth is mickle the worse, Yet into little they put out of purse As much for carding, spinning and weaving, Fulling, roving, dyeing and shearing; And yet when such cloth is all ywrought, To the maker it availeth little or nought, The price is simple, the cost is never the less, They that worketh such wool in wit be like an ass. For and ye knew the sorrow and heaviness Of the poor people living in distress, How they be oppressed in all manner of thing, In giving them too much weight into the spinning. For nine pounds, I ween, they shall take twelve, This is very truth, as I know myself; Their wages be bated, their weight is increased, Thus the spinners' and carders' avails be all ceased. 27. THE PERILS OF FOREIGN TRAVEL [_Court Roll, 178, 104, m. 3d._],[233] 1315.