670 ON THE PRICE OF FOREIGN PRODUCE. 



i.e. according to the piece of 83163., to take the medium, at 

 15,?. 4\d. the piece. The average of the piece in the four years 

 from 1555 to 1578 is 19^-. i\d.> i.e. on the above hypothesis is 

 about is. yd. the dozen. 



They are bought by the 'tope ' in 1531 at iis. The entry is 

 from Durham, and is, apparently, identical with the piece at 

 the same place. Now in 1531 the dozen of raisins is is. *]\d.\ 

 in 1533, is. At\d. ; in 1534, is. 6d., the price by the dozen in the 

 second year being taken from an average ranging from 3^. to 

 is. The other two prices are fairly relevant. I have copied 

 from the Durham household book the entry that the piece was 

 50 Ibs. If we take it as from 82 to 84 Ibs., the amount at 

 which it is elsewhere stated, the price by the seven dozen 

 in 1531 would be 13^. o\d., and in 1534, los. 6d., prices which 

 do not suggest any marked discrepancy with other facts, if we 

 take into account the difference between purchases by retail and 

 in bulk. Towards the end of the period, there is a distinction 

 drawn between ' raisins ' and c raisins of the sun.' The latter, 

 probably Malaga fruit, are rather dearer. ' Elegantes' (1579), at 

 17^. 9f<^. the cwt., are perhaps Alicant fruit. 



FIGS. The price of figs by the pound is more broken than 

 that of any other foreign fruit, the consumption of which was 

 regular. Still, I think that is. i{d. the dozen will be found to 

 fairly represent prices in the early period. The last 42 years 

 are very inadequately represented, though I believe that the 

 last twelve are, when all foreign fruits are at the highest. The 

 true price, were evidence discovered hereafter of the last 

 period, would, I believe, be a little under 2s. 



Besides being sold by the frail and piece, which are 

 apparently in early times identical, five entries by the ' caput ' 

 are found at Pershore, sixteen by the toppet, tope, or topnet 

 between 1516 and 1582, and three by the barrel, 1576, 7, 9. 

 In the last year we are told that the barrel contained a hundred- 

 weight. 



If the frail or piece of figs, during the period in which 

 entries of this quantity are found, and the term is used in- 



