ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 205 



entries are, taken all together, very numerous. New College makes its 

 ordinary household purchases at an average of 40*. Sd. But the 

 College notes that on March 21 the price is 50*. 8d., on September 

 26, 52J. It buys also, in * view of the siege/ at 45*. 4</. The special 

 entries at New College therefore give an average of 445. 4\d. ; the 

 corn rents and assise are at an average of 42*. n\d. ; the market 

 averages, which cease with this year, are at 415. 4\d. There are two 

 entries from Raglan and Winchester, both at 32^. Barley is at 

 i8j. 7</. in the market averages at Oxford, i6s. in August at Win- 

 chester. Malt is dearer. The Cambridge rents are at 20^-. if</. ; the 

 Eton purchases at 30^. 3^., the Oxford rents at 22^., the price being 

 raised by the second All Souls purchase. At Raglan, malt is as 

 dear as wheat, at Winchester it is 221. Sd. Oats are rather cheap. 

 Meal is at a proportionate price. Beans at Cambridge are cheap. 

 Peas are dearer. 



1645-6. It is noteworthy that war was raging between King and 

 Parliament during the preceding years, but was now virtually over, the 

 battle of Naseby having been fought on June 14, 1645. During this, 

 the last of the cheap years, prices continue low. The Cambridge 

 corn rents are rather higher than they were the year before, at 

 33^. $\d. The bakehouse buys 155 qrs. 6bshs. for 255 8s. $J</., i.e. at 

 32J. 9</. the quarter. The rents and purchases of Eton, the latter 

 extending over the whole year, give an average of 39,$-. id. But the 

 Oxford prices remain high. New College both buys and sells at a 

 general average of 5u. $d. The wheat rents are at 471. ^d. Oriel 

 College buys against the siege at 415. It should be noted that at 

 Oxford the price of wheat is high during nine months of the year. 

 But on the other hand, a series of prices at Stamford market exhibits 

 a low average, 27*. $\d. ; while another set at Wormleighton is at 

 27*. 7</. Barley is found in one locality at an average of iSs. 6d. 

 Malt is 191. $\d. in the Cambridge rents, 25^. 6d. at Eton, where 

 purchases are made, 27*. $d. at Oxford, 2is. 4d. at Winchester, 

 2os. id. at Castor, Northants. Oats are cheap everywhere but at 

 Eton and Winchester, being i2s. io\d. at Cambridge, 131. \d. at 

 Biggin, and i2s. at Wormleighton. At Eton and Winchester they 

 are over 1 6s. Beans and peas are at prices proportionate to those of 

 other grain. 



1646-7. We have now reached a period of six bad harvests, the 



,ige price of wheat being 581. 7Jj</., while the average of the three 

 years 1647-9 * s 6$s. 3\d. The Cambridge corn rents in the present 



, the general average being 51*. io\d. t is 48*. 4</. ; the bakehouse 



