41 6 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND TOOLS. 



two at iod., two at is., three others at is. id., is. id., and 

 is. 4d. But a glass lantern is bought by Corpus Christi, Oxford, 

 for 6s., and another glass lantern for the cloister by Magdalen 

 for IDS. 



The ordinary lantern was no doubt a light iron frame filled 

 with pieces of horn, and neither material nor labour was likely 

 to be particularly costly. Some of the shilling lanterns were 

 bought as navy stores, just as those bought in 1378 for the 

 defences of Cherbourg were. 



There are three entries of sheep-bells; one in 1418, when 

 the article cost 3^.; two others in 1462 and 1529, when it 

 cost id. In 1536 two 'bells of St. Anthony' are bought for 

 calves at ^d. This, I presume, points to some local superstition, 

 unless it be a name given to the head-gear put on calves when 

 they are being weaned. 



ECONOMY OF THE STABLE AND BARN, WHEELS, CARTS, 

 AND FITTINGS. 1 have little to add to that which I stated in 

 my first volume about these articles. I was able to give at 

 that time consecutive and abundant evidence as to such parts 

 of the machinery of agriculture as were implied in the terms 

 used for the various parts of agricultural carriages. But the 

 evidence is so broken, and so difficult in the present period, 

 that it seems to me better to discuss the facts, as they occur 

 year by year, than it would be to leave the reader to draw his 

 inferences from averages. I hope to be able to show that if 

 averages are difficult in this particular, it may be possible to 

 follow prices. The evidence is interrupted, and besides, 

 accounts are kept with so much less precision than they were 

 in an earlier age, that it is almost necessary to analyse that 

 which the scribe left in confusion, and the writer of the present 

 day has to examine with caution. And if I may seem some- 

 times to deal too boldly with what appears insufficient evidence, 

 I may perhaps defend myself with the assertion that long 

 familiarity with such figures as are found in the rough in 

 these volumes enables me to see facts and inferences where 

 a more superficial experience could only produce confusion. 



