THE KING AND THE BONDMEN.

 "What, everybody ?" exclaimed Hubert; "surely
not bondmen and cottagers."
 "Yes, bondmen and cottagers, fifteen year old or
more, no matter how poor they be. Everybody must
pay, except beggars."
 More sorrow for the thralls," said Joan; "have
we not enough to bear already ?"
 "Let our masters pay it," cried Hubert, as he
started up and paced to and fro in the narrow room.
" Let our masters pay it. They call us their cattle, let
them pay it. We belong not to ourselves."
 They do not go free," said the packman, "1 for a
duke has to pay six pounds, and barons and knights
two pounds, and gentlemen and burgesses, according
to their means. Truly the council have soon forgotten
what the good Bishop of Rochester said when he
preached before them at the king's coronation, and
advised them not to burden the people with great
taxations. There be many who say trouble will come
of it."
 Let it come," rejoined Hubert, shall we pay
who are bondmen, and must serve our masters with
life and limb ? the nobles and the lawyers get all the
money, let them pay the tax," and he continued
pacing to and fro.
 Cicely rose, and leading her father back to his seat,
said in a soothing tone, "Do not chafe, father; it is
better to be patient; and, perhaps, the evil may be
not so great as it seems."
 "Patient, my child! who can be patient that must
obey another's will, work when that other pleases, and
pay a sore tax out of an empty pocket ?"
 "'Tis a grievous hardship, father; but what can
we do ? Besides, does not Jocelin tell us that better
days will come ?"