ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. .221 



kinds of grain is found. The lowest, y. 4^., occurs in a year 

 (1393) of singular cheapness. 



Oatmeal was used scantily, but generally for thickening soup. 

 As at present, it was more frequently employed for food in the 

 north of England ; indeed, the most consecutive information as 

 to its price is derived from Cumberland. 



I have also attempted to reduce the average prices of malt 

 for each year/ifoi; decennial periods, and for the whole number 

 of years. 



Malt is of two qualities, capitalis and cursalis, and derived 

 from two sources in particular, barley and drage or bere. 

 Wheat is sometimes malted, oats more frequently, but no 

 entries from either of these are included in the averages a . 



In the general table of annual averages it will be seen that 

 these two qualities are given whenever they can be distin- 

 guished. This- distinction, however, is not always made in 

 the originals, and I have been constrained to interpret that 

 entry as best malt which is most closely allied to the average 

 price of barley, that as inferior which goes with the price of 

 drage. But though the evidence is too uncertain to make any 

 specific comment on the rise and fall in this commodity of 

 any interest or value, the decennial averages will be seen to 

 correspond very fully with those of the other kinds of grain, 

 and the inference gathered from the whole evidence to suggest 

 the natural rise in the money value of the manufactured article 

 as contrasted with the material from which it was made. The 

 charge for making malt is generally set at about 4^. the quarter, 

 but this perhaps includes the toll of the miller. I shall have 

 occasion hereafter to advert to the price of the drying cloth 

 used in the manufacture. 



It remains to make some comment on the other entries of 

 grain of rarer or peculiar kind, the names and prices of which 

 are contained in vol. ii. pp. 173-177, and p. 594. 



Pilcorn and polscorn. These are, I believe, seed which has 



a See in particular the malt sales at Clare Castle, 1361, where the four kinds of malt 

 are given, and sold at extraordinarily high prices. 



