Storia do Mogor 255.1.2

255.1.2

It is for this reason that many of them, when the royal officials try to increase the demand, reply that they can pay no more than they agreed to before signing the papers. But this way, too, they find themselves equally ruined, for the officials then remain present during the harvest, and inspect the cutting of all the crops, the cultivator also being present. When all is ready, they first place on one side the cultivator's share ; next they compel him, then and there, to buy the king's share. When in the country-side one measure is selling for six sols, they force the peasants to give them nine. In this way, whatever be the method employed, the poor cultivator finds himself ruined. Nothing is left to him to maintain his family, seeing that they are obliged to enter every year into new engagements in order to get a subsistence for their family and obtain fresh supplies. Nor is it particularly easy to take to flight, for wherever they go they find the same tyrannies. It may be said of them what Martial sang of Phauno : ' Et mortem fugeret se Phaunius ipse peremit. Die mihi non furor este ne memoriam mori.'