190 ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



241. id. at Cambridge, 27*. 4</. at Eton, 24*. at Oxford, these being 

 malt rents; at Cranfield's estate it is 23^. 8d., at Theydon Gernon, 

 entries being given for eight months between November and September, 

 it is 26s. 6%d. Oats are much dearer, 22.?. Sd. at Biggin, and i>js. io^d. 

 at Cambridge, but only I2S. id. at Theydon. The price of oatmeal 

 at Harling in Norfolk is high, and suggests a poor crop of this grain. 

 Rye is found on Cranfield's estate at a proportionate price. Beans, 

 found in two places, vary considerably in value ; and peas are a good 

 deal dearer than beans, being at 2$s. id. in Cambridge, 40^. at Har- 

 ling, and iSs. id. at Theydon. Looking at the general range of price 

 this year, I should conclude that the season was an over-dry one. 



1616-7. A considerable rise takes place in prices. The average 

 Cambridge price in wheat rents is 40^. 3\d., at Eton 45^., at Oxford 

 4is. 6$d., the rate stiffening as the year advances. The bakehouse 

 purchases amount to 285 qrs. 7 bshs., and cost 538 iSs. 6d., an 

 average of 37^. \d. The Theydon rate is high, 46.$-., the purchases 

 being effected late in the year, when the next harvest was being 

 anticipated. Barley and malt are by no means so dear, are indeed 

 lower, the latter considerably lower than in the foregoing year. At 

 Cambridge, malt is i8s. 8d., at Eton 24^., at Oxford 19^. ^d. At 

 Theydon Gernon (which also gives a copious return of the price of 

 barley-meal) the price is 2is. ^d., the rate being uniform from February 

 to September. Oats are very much cheaper, i2s. at Biggin, los. $\d 

 at Cambridge, i2,r. Sd. at Oxford, and 19^. at Theydon; where oat- 

 meal is also dear, though it is cheap in Lancashire. Beans are bought 

 abundantly, at Cambridge i6s. g\d., and Oxford i6s. &^d. Peas are 

 cheap at Biggin, excessively dear at Theydon, so dear as to be 

 suspicious. 



1617-8. There is no material difference between the rate of the 

 Cambridge rents this year as compared with the year before. The 

 price is 4OJ-. i \d., mainly owing to a fall at King's College in the later 

 part of the summer. Elsewhere however prices are higher : the Eton 

 rent is at 49^., the Oxford is at 43^. 6%d., the amount being lowered 

 by later entries. If we turn to other evidence than that of corn rents, 

 we see that the bakehouse purchases, in amount 267 qrs. 6 bshs., cost 

 469 4s. 4</., or 34^. >j%d. a quarter. The New College purchases are 

 at 44,?., those of Theydon Gernon at 39^. i id. But there is a purchase 

 at Bath in July at 53*. 4^., and another at Gawthorp at 48^. There 

 remains a series of monthly averages taken from the Oxford Uni- 

 versity archives, and representing the assise of bread during each 

 month of the year, the University having had the privilege of fixing 



