260 ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



ordinary prices. Rye corresponds to wheat. Beans are dear. Peas 

 and vetches are not found. Prices are declining. 



1539-40. Wheat prices are found at King's Hall and in the Ward- 

 robe accounts. Prices have now fallen to the old averages. Barley 

 and malt are considerably dearer. Oats have not changed. Beans 

 are found at Oxford only. Rye, peas, and vetches are not found. 

 It is plain that on the whole the harvest was generally good. 



1540-1. Wheat is found at Cambridge and in the Wardrobe 

 account only. Prices are nearly the same as in the previous year. 

 Barley is found at Oxford only, and at the same price as in the 

 last year. Oats are at the average price, or a little dearer, large 

 quantities being purchased for the Queen's stable (Catherine Howard). 

 Beans are unchanged. 



1541-2. The accounts of King's Hall and King's College have 

 both been preserved, the purchases of the former averaging 8s. iod., 

 of the latter 9.$-. 2\d. Most of the King's College corn is purchased 

 in winter and spring. Barley is a little cheaper. King's Hall buys 

 its malt at 4$. 8d. Oats are a little cheaper. Rye and beans are not 

 found, nor is oatmeal. Peas are dear. 



15423. The King's Hall account gives an average of Ss. id. 

 against a general average of ys. n\d. Barley is dear in Oxford, malt 

 cheap at Hickling, and oats appear only in the Wardrobe account. 

 The entry gives a higher average than that of the past year, but is 

 less than the Wardrobe prices in 1541. Beans, found at Oxford, are 

 rather dear. Rye and peas are absent. 



1543-4. The King's Hall accounts cease with this year, in whi( 

 the average price of wheat is high, IQS. g^d. To judge from flour, 

 is cheap at Oxford. At Norwich, where large purchases are ma< 

 it stands at gs. 4\d. y the general average being 9^. 3%d. Malt 

 cheap at Oxford. Oats are unchanged. Rye, beans, and peas ha\ 

 not been discovered. 



1544-5. The King's College account has been preserved, and tl 

 average price of wheat is los. gd. } the rate rising with the summer, ii 

 anticipation of the next harvest. Neither barley, malt, rye, peas, 

 beans have been found. Oats are rather dearer. 



1 545-6. Wheat during the greater part of the year is at famine- 

 prices. The Cambridge account, which has been preserved, quotas 

 the highest price, January 1 2, at i is. $d. But the rate falls as the 

 year goes on, till on September 10 it stands at half the above, Ss. 8</. 

 At Oxford it was iSs. Sd. all through the year. At Bicester, wheat 

 and barley mixed were purchased at 20^-. Barley and malt are not 



