[Footnote:
The presentments of the beer-sellers seem to point to the existence
of something like a licensing system among the lords of manors. I
know not how otherwise to explain the frequency of the fines laid
upon the whole class. Thus in a court-leet of the manor of Hockham,
held the 20th of October, 1377, no less than fourteen women were
fined in the aggregate 30s. 8d., who being _brassatores vendidere
servisiam_ (sic) _contra assisam_, one of these brewsters was
fined as much as four shillings.
The earliest attempt to introduce uniformity in the measures of ale,
&c., is the assize of Richard I., bearing date the 20th of November,
1197. It is to be found in "Walter of Coventry," vol. ii. p. 114
(Rolls Series). On the importance of this document see Stubbs'
"Const. Hist.," vol. i. pp. 509, 573. On the _tasters_ of bread
and ale cf. "Dep. Keeper's 43rd Report," p. 207.] It is quite certain
that they were very often in trouble, and of all the offences
punished by fine at the manor courts none is more common than that of
selling beer in false measures.
The method of cheating their customers by the beer-sellers was, we
are told, exactly the contrary plan followed by our modern publicans.
Now, when a man gets into a warm corner at the pot-house, they tell
me that John Barleycorn is apt to serve out more drink than is good
for him; but six hundred years ago the beer-seller made his profit,
or tried to make it, by giving his customer less than he asked for.
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