ON THE PRICE OF BUILDING MATERIALS, ETC. 451 



what the Purbeck paving stone of 1575 can be. The reader 

 will best be able to discover the particulars of medieval archi- 

 tecture by reference to the building of Merton College bell- 

 tower given at length in the third volume, and commented on by 

 anticipation, Vol. I, p. 258, and at the conclusion of this chapter. 



GLASS. Very few entries of the price of glass were found 

 in the earlier period. The information is much more copious 

 now (Vol. Ill, p. 465 sqq.), and the article is declining in price. 

 It is an error to imagine that it was scarce and dear. It is 

 not however common in the accounts till after the Tudor 

 period, when it is found frequently. 



In the later period glass is nearly always sold by the foot. 

 In York however it is bought most frequently by the wawe and 

 the wisp, the former containing sixty of the latter. It is pur- 

 chased also in the same place by the seam and the pair, the 

 former containing twenty-four of the latter; by the tabula, 

 which is also found at Sion in 1521 ; by the case at Sion in 

 1514, 1518, 1529, 1534; and at Oxford in 1519 and 1542 (when 

 we are told that the case contained 37 bunches at is. qd. the 

 bunch, and 6 c. at los. g\d. the hundred, though it is not clear 

 what this hundred is, certainly not the hundred square feet) ; 

 and again in 1548; by the cradle at York in 1537; by the 

 Theca, probably the chest or case, at Oxford in 1520, a similar 

 measure being given at York in 1537, when it is described as 

 a chest of wisp. The wisp of York occurs as late as 1567 

 and 1577. The wawe is also found at Hickling 1517; the 

 sheaf at Durham in 1532, and the shaff at Finchale in 1482. 

 It is highly probable that it was purchased at a far cheaper rate 

 when taken in large quantities. At a later date it is bought 

 by the quarrel, and it seems that six or seven quarrels went to 

 the foot. 



We read of English glass as early as 1470 and 1478, and of 

 Sussex glass in 1514, the former being bought by the table, the 

 latter by the load. But it seems likely that most of the glass 

 was foreign. The accounts give Normandy, Rhenish, Brymmys, 

 and Burgundy glass. Henry the Eighth, whose purchases were 



G g 2 



