ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 259 



to be wholly untrustworthy, and to suggest that the Crown was begin- 

 ning to buy at traditional prices only, and so to abuse purveyance, as 

 it is known to have done generally under the early Stuart kings. It 

 always, however, buys or accounts for oats at market rates. 



Barley and malt exhibit considerable variations, but are by no 

 means as dear as wheat. The Cambridge average of malt is 6s. yd., 

 that of Sion, all the purchases in which are made during October and 

 November, the account being imperfect, is 6s. nd. Oats are dearer, 

 as is also meal. Rye is at a corresponding price to wheat, but is a 

 little cheaper than one might expect. Beans are at a moderate price 

 at Cambridge, dear at Lewes. Peas are at proportionate prices at 

 Cambridge. Vetches appear at Lewes (seed) and are dear. 



1536-7. The evidence is copious from the two Cambridge Colleges 

 and Sion. At King's Hall the average is los. 6f</., at King's College 

 IQS. 3\d., at Sion los. 2\d., the general average being los. *]\d. The 

 market prices begin with those of the previous year, these rates being 

 maintained, except with a slight decline in May, till September, when 

 it became evident that an abundant harvest was at hand, and the 

 price of wheat falls to the old average. Barley scarcely varies from 

 the price of the previous year. King's Hall buys all its malt at 4-r., 

 Sion nearly all at 6s., the price being 6s. Sd. for the first six weeks or 

 thereabouts, and being almost uniformly 6s. for the rest of the year, 

 during which 63 purchases are made. Oats are cheap at Sion and 

 rather dearer at Cambridge, a small purchase being made at a very 

 high rate in Oxford. Oatmeal is much cheaper, and I suspect that 

 the quality was good. Rye is found in one place only, where it 

 corresponds to the average price of wheat. Beans are cheap. Peas 

 and vetches are not found. 



1537-8. The evidence is comparatively scanty. The Cambridge 

 average (King's Hall) is low, 4$. nd., the Sion >js. oj</., the Ward- 

 robe ys. 4\d. Barley is found at Sion only at 5^., and the quality 

 must have been high, as the price is in excess of that of malt in the 

 same place. The Cambridge malt is all bought at 3,?., that of Sion 

 at 4s. io%d. ' Sprig/ probably the same as drage, is sold at Chesterton. 

 Oats and oatmeal are cheaper. Rye, found at Sion, corresponds to 

 wheat. Beans are cheap. Peas and vetches have not been found. 



1 538-9- The price of wheat is found in two localities only : Sion, 

 which appears for the last time in the accounts, where 334 quarters 

 are bought at 7^. o^d., and the Wardrobe account, where it is valued 

 at 6s. nd. Barley and malt are found at Sion only, the former 

 at 4s. 7^., the latter (462 quarters) at 5^. Oats and meal are at 



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