NAILS. 497 



which prevailed generally before the visitation. But it falls 

 considerably in the years 1371-1390, and is still lower 

 during the last ten years of the period. The rise effected, 

 however, on the average of the fifty years following the Plague 

 is a little more than 86 per cent, over the rate which prevailed 

 before that time, as derived from an average of ninety years, 

 and 100 per cent, over the rate which continued, provided 

 the year 1299 be corrected, up to the close of the thirteenth 

 century. 



In some localities sprigs are found. In the earlier part of 

 the period this name seems to be confined to Kent, and, as is 

 suggested above, sprigs are hardly distinguishable from lath- 

 nails. Up to the time of the Plague sprigs (as estimated from 

 sixteen entries, all from localities in Kent) are on an average 

 io*/. the thousand. In the latter half of the fourteenth century 

 the name is found in Sussex, Hants, Oxfordshire, Bucks, and 

 Essex. An average taken from nine entries after the Plague 

 gives is. $\d. as the value of the thousand. 



It has been observed above that shingles were employed 

 instead of slates or tiles in the period preceding the Plague, 

 but that afterwards they are rarely used. The same observa- 

 tion applies to shingle-nails. There are (excluding three 

 entries, one at Keleshall in 1278, another at Saham in 1303, 

 in both which cases the price, 3^. 4^. a thousand, is excessive, 

 and a third at Elham in 1319, in which %s. 6d. is given for the 

 same quantity) twenty-four entries before the Plague at an 

 average of is. i</., and two afterwards at an average of is. 6d. 

 The price of these articles is therefore considerably in excess 

 of that at which lath-nails are sold. 



It is, however, far from easy to interpret the value of spikes, 

 great nails, and board-nails, with other terms which seem to be 

 equivalent, as door-nails, floor and roof-nails, and occasionally 

 such dearer kinds as are called nails simply, without any 

 adjective qualifying their size or use. 



By taking all these kinds, however, together, and omitting 

 such as cannot be reckoned, either because they are con- 



Kk 



