466 ON THE PRICE OF BUILDING MATERIALS, ETC. 



$s. iod. In 1574 tenon saws cost 6d. each. I cannot guess 

 what a ' scorpett ' is, two of which are bought at Sion in 1535 

 at i\d. each. 



A pair of smith's bellows are bought at Cambridge in 1472 

 for 3.9. 4<, and soldering irons in 1490 at 9^.; in 1512 (Sion) 

 at *]\d. ; others in 1515, the number not given, for 3^. 9^., but 

 probably four, and in 1517 for 6d. These are also bought for the 

 use of Sion. Spectacles are provided at Canterbury for stone 

 breakers in 1541 at id. the pain Lastly, two wimbles are bought 

 at Lincoln in 1425 at $d. each. 



In my former volumes (Vol. I, p. 258) I commented on some 

 of the particulars contained in the costs incurred for building 

 the Merton College bell-tower, which still exists at the west 

 end of the chapel of that college. The account is printed at 

 length in Vol. Ill, pp. 720-737, and the reader can examine, the 

 details of a structure which was built in the middle of the 

 fifteenth century. The plan was doubtlessly provided by some 

 Fellow of the college, probably Edwards, the Fellow whom the 

 college appointed to supervise the work and to render account 

 of receipts and expenditure. The principal mason is Robert 

 Janyns, who seems to have been at once builder and clerk of 

 the works under Edwards. The scaffolding is made of poles 

 and strong hurdles ; sieves for sand are bought at 3^., hods at 

 4j<, and a saw at qd. ; three iron wedges, weighing together 9! 

 Ibs., at id. the pound ; two others weighing 13 Ibs., and three more 

 weighing 80 Ibs., at the same rate. Three cranes are bought to 

 raise the stones, one weighing 160 Ibs., another 267 Ibs., and a 

 third also 267 Ibs., the price of the first two being id. the lb., 

 and of the third z\d. The ironwork for the windows of the 

 bell-tower is purchased at Chipping Norton from Thomas Smith, 

 and amounts to 1594 Ibs. at id. The wood employed for the 

 structure appears to have been in the main obtained from the 

 college estates, though sixteen elms are purchased, and certain 

 other trees at Headington. The main part of the timber came 

 from Horham Wood. During the course of the work, a hut, 

 'casa,' was built for the masons, which was thatched. These 



