It was some fifty miles thence to Whiteness, which lay close
underneath the mountains, and was, as it were, the door of the passes
whereby men rode to Goldburg. The land which they passed through
was fair, both of tillage and pasture, with much cattle therein.
Everywhere they saw men and women working afield, but no houses
of worthy yeomen or vavassors, or cots of good husbandmen.
Here and there was a castle or strong-house, and here and there
long rows of ugly hovels, or whiles houses, big tall and long,
but exceeding foul and ill-favoured, such as Ralph had not yet seen
the like of. And when he asked of Clement concerning all this,
he said: "It is as I have told thee, that here be no freemen
who work afield, nay, nor villeins either. All those whom ye
have seen working have been bought and sold like to those whom
we saw standing on the Stone in the market of Cheaping Knowe,
or else were born of such cattle, and each one of them can be
bought and sold again, and they work not save under the whip.
And as for those hovels and the long and foul houses, they are
the stables wherein this kind of cattle is harboured."
Then Ralph's heart sank, and he said: "Master Clement,
I prithee tell me; were it possible that the damsel whom
I seek may be come to such a pass as one of these?"
"Nay," quoth Clement, "that is little like to be; such goodly
wares are kept for the adornment of great men's houses.
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