ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 175 



at Michaelmas, and increases up to May, after which a'sharp decline 

 takes place. This is illustrated by the two accounts from North-west 

 England. The Kirkby Stephen notes are taken from an account 

 book for thirteen months, preserved in the British Museum. The 

 Gawthorp are of course from the Shuttleworth accounts. It will 

 be seen that from the middle of March to the middle of May 

 the price of wheat rises continually, and thence falls till September. 

 So at Oxford there is a considerable rise between Michaelmas and 

 Lady Day, and a more marked rise between the first and second 

 of the All Souls entries. To judge from the facts, it would seem that 

 when the harvest was fairly housed, it was supposed to be better than 

 the experience of the spring proved, and that there was considerable 

 fear of a short supply, but that there was good promise of a plentiful 

 harvest in the summer months. The same facts are illustrated by 

 the prices of barley, chiefly seed, and malt, which stand in their 

 natural proportion to wheat. There are a few entries of oats, and 

 at their proportionate price ; as is also oatmeal. Rye is very dear 

 during September, 1586. The price of beans is heightened by an 

 entry from Gawthorp. Peas are at their natural price. The flour 

 bought by the city of Oxford is plainly purchased on the old system, 

 that of the two colleges on the new. 



1586-7. The price of wheat is greatly exalted, to a price indeed 

 far beyond any previous experience. It plainly rises towards the 

 latter end of spring ; and to judge from the market return of Barn- 

 staple, reached the enormous price of 64^. at this time of the year. 

 It is equally dear in Lancashire and the North, for it is purchased 

 at 72^. a quarter at Gawthorp. But the panic or fear of dearth does 

 not extend beyond the period quoted above. In Oxford market the 

 highest price is on May Day, at All Souls on the first of their 

 audit days; on the second of these audit days it has again become 

 quite cheap. The fact is, the promise of the coming harvest was 

 exceedingly favourable. This is further illustrated by the fact that the 

 last Cambridge purchase is little more than half that which precedes it. 

 Still for a considerable part of the year there must have been great dis- 

 tress and alarm. The entries of barley throw little light on this grain, as 

 they are trivial. But malt, though dearer than before, does not rise 

 so much. The average is heightened by the price paid at Worksop. 

 little information is found as to the price of oats and oatmeal, 

 though both seem to indii :ik- that this crop was not a short one. Rye 

 is very dear, the prices from Hardwick being given for five conse- 

 cutive months. Beans at Gawthorp are very dear, but at an ordinary 



