ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 191 



the price of bread and beer according to the price of wheat and malt. 

 This gives an average of 41*., and is of all the corn bought and sold in 

 the market. I have been constrained to omit from my averages the 

 Halifax load ; an unknown quantity. The price of wheat-flour is given 

 at New College, Oxford. Barley is found at Cambridge, Oxford, and 

 Theydon, the second of these being an average taken every two 

 months. At the last two it is 171. 5$</., and 2os. id. The price is 

 low relatively, as is also that of malt, which is iSs. 5^. at Cambridge, 

 2OJ. at Eton, 19^. 4^. at Oxford. The Oxford averages of the market 

 give iSs. 7</., and the Theydon entries 2 is. o\d. Oats are everywhere 

 cheap, los. iof</. at Cambridge, i2s. 2\d. at Oxford, and nj. +d. at 

 Theydon. Oatmeal at Oxford and Theydon is exactly at the same 

 price, and the oat crop must have been abundant and of good quality. 

 Peas and beans are both cheap, and must have been a good crop. 

 The comparative dearness of wheat must I think have been due to 

 damage done in winter and early spring to the autumn sowings. 



1618-9. Wheat falls steadily hi price from Michaelmas to Mid- 

 summer in all localities. At Cambridge the average wheat rent is 

 29.?. 6J</., in Eton 40^., in Oxford 35^. 8</. The bakehouse pur- 

 chases, in amount 317 qrs. 6 bshs., in cost 402 is. 6\d. y are at 

 2 5 J - 34^- a quarter; those at Theydon are at $2s. nd., while the 

 market averages at Oxford are at 32*. 6\d., these entries illustrating 

 clearly how the maximum prices are to be contrasted with the ordinary 

 cost of the article. Barley is at i6s. \d. at Oxford, i6s. 2\d. at They- 

 don. The malt rent at Cambridge is i6.r. 3^., at Eton 19^. 8</., at 

 Oxford 19-$*. 4</., the assise average being 19*. Q\d. y while at Theydon 

 it is i gs. 4<t. Oats are rather dearer, not notably at Cambridge, but 

 at Reading and Theydon. Beans and peas are cheap, the former at 

 15^. 2 \d., the latter at 14*. i id., the price at Cambridge being i+s. 2 J</., 

 at Theydon 15*. *\\d. Oatmeal is at a proportionate price. 



1619-20. This and the following are the cheapest years since 1601, 

 and prices are never so low again in this century, except in a doubt- 

 ful case to which I shall refer in due course. The King's College 

 prices are wanting, this being the only year in the whole 120 for 

 which the account is lost. But prices are everywhere low except in 



ashire. The corn rent at Cambridge is 2 is. 11 J</., that at Eton 

 is 32j., at Oxford 34 s. $\d. on an average. The S. John's purchases 

 amount to 374 qrs. 6 bshs., and cost 365 31. io</., or at 19*. sj< 

 the quarter. The New College purchases are at 311. The 



rd monthly averages give a result of 261. 5f</., and Theydon 

 Gernon a price of 201. The Gawthorp accounts give a high 



