The Origin of Oven Dues—the Bear and the Bread

[Arnold went to England where the king made him a present of a huge bear]. [The bear], when he was being shown and led before the people,

Amused the crowd much and pleased them. . . they were not able to [see him] on account of those who guarded him for the lord, if he did not receive a loaf for feeding the beast from each one who saw the spectacle; . . . so the foolish people, churchmen as well as nobles, voluntarily promised the lord of Ardre to give to the guards of the bear for each batch of bread to be baked in the town oven a loaf of bread for the support of the bear so that they might be entertained by its appearance on feast days and take pleasure to see it fight. .. . [Even after the bear died, the people had to pay a bread tax.] Without pleasure which the miserable bear might give the people the bread for the bear is claimed by the lord, and customarily collected by the law... as a relic of ancient dues and customs.

Source: Lambert, cure of Ardre. The Chronicle of Guines and of Ardre. Ch. CXXVIII, pp. 103-4.

A City Is Forced to Feed the Army

... It was determined to open a treaty with the inhabitants of Rheims [Reims, France], in order to induce them to supply the army with provisions; but they refused to enter into any negotiation, and in reply said that the English must make the best of their own case. This answer was so galling, that in one week the English light troops burnt upwards of sixty villages dependent upon Rheims; moreover, having heard that 6,000 sheep had been secured in the ditches of that town, the vanguard advanced thither and drove them off, without anyone daring to come out from the town to prevent them; for the archers who were posted on the banks of the ditch shot so sharply that the bulwarks were quite cleared. Having gained this success, the English sent to inform the townsmen that they would burn all the standing corn [grain] unless they ransomed it by sending bread and wine. At this they were so much alarmed, that they immediately sent off from ten to sixteen carts of provisions.

Source: Jean Froissart. The Chronicles of England, France, and Spain. P. 178.