6l6 ON THE PRICE OF FISH. 



pounds, the average of six entries of produce from this river 

 being ii^., the fish was worth about i\d. the pound. An 

 average derived from the thirteen entries which are given in 

 the accounts suggests a slightly lower rate, viz,, nearly 1 i</. On 

 one occasion (1392) seven tench are bought at Harlech at 

 7f*/. each. 



SEA-FISH. Besides herrings, which have already been com- 

 mented on, several kinds of sea-fish are quoted. Two entries 

 of mackerel are found. One of these is at Eastchurch- a 

 measure (the quarter) being given which I do not pretend to 

 interpret, as I cannot guess what quarter it can possibly 

 be. The other entry is by the hundred, and refers to a 

 purchase at Boxley. The price on this occasion seems to 

 be rather high, the fish being bought at a little over a farthing 

 each. 



But the most important kind of fish in the domestic economy 

 of our forefathers, after herrings, were the various sorts of hard, 

 salt, or stock-fish, purchased for the table against winter and 

 Lent. These were ordinarily the several varieties of cod, 

 but are known under several names, some appearing to be 

 synonymes, others describing the fish as cured. 



Thus mulvells, morucse, and ling, called also melyng and 

 grelyng, appear to be the same, or at any rate to be mere 

 varieties of cod. They are sometimes bought by the hundred, 

 sometimes singly, sometimes by the c quarter,' this word 

 meaning, it seems in this case, the quarter of the hundred. 

 Two entries of mulvells by the hundred, both in very early 

 times, are respectively i6s. and %. Two of morucae by the 

 quarter are valued in 1306 and 1324 at us. and lot. ; while in 

 1372 the same fish is sold, at an average of three entries, 

 at iof</. each, the number purchased being 175. In 1370, 

 140 haburdenne are bought at is. each, and are probably the 

 same kind of fish j 100 grelyng and ling being bought at the 

 same place and time at is. o\d. each- while 210 cropling are 

 valued at only i\d. each. Melyng are found in 1317 at %s. 8d. 

 the hundred. A barrel of salt haddock, the number contained 



