512 ON THE PRICE OF BUILDING MATERIALS. 



articles which were furnished with locks, than from the infer- 

 ence which they supply as to the money value of the defence 

 itself. It is clear that the lock must have varied in value, 

 according to its siz,e and to the intricacy of its workmanship. 



That the art of the locksmith had made considerable pro- 

 gress in the fourteenth century is clear from the elaborate 

 character of some articles manufactured at that time, and 

 which are still subsisting. Such, for instance, are the locks 

 which guard the iron doors to the several muniment-rooms of 

 New College. They are as old as the college, having, it 

 seems, been set up by Wykeham, and forming part of the 

 structure as built for the reception of the foundation. At 

 least, though I have examined the annual rolls of this society to 

 as late as the reign of Elizabeth, I have not found any notice 

 of the charges incurred in setting up these doors ; and the 

 constant tradition of the college, supported, I think, by this 

 negative testimony, affirms that they are part of the buildings 

 carried out under the eye and at the charges of the founder. 



These chambers, which were in ancient times the treasury 

 of the society, are fire-proof, nothing but stone and iron being 

 used in the construction of the building, except perhaps the roof 

 of the highest story, each room being vaulted, the vault forming 

 the floor of the story above, and the various rooms being paved 

 with tiles. Each of the doors has three bolts, which are partly 

 turned by three keys once kept in the possession of the three 

 bursars, while the warden's key completed the process of 

 opening the door. No entrance, therefore, could be made 

 into the tower, except all four officials were present. 



In point of fact, all wealthy persons and all rich societies 

 had their tower or strong room, which formed at once a place 

 for guarding those muniments on which so much store was set 

 as evidence of title, and for the treasure which had been accu- 

 mulated ; the supervision and watching of such a strong room 

 being generally committed to a number of officials acting 

 together. The money-chest was also secured by a plurality 

 of locks. Thus, though at a date much later than the time 



