23 % ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



Winchester shows that the bad character of the harvest was early 

 discovered. The price of malt, though enhanced, is not so seriously 

 increased. The Cambridge average is 23^. S^d. The Eton average 

 is 3U. 5}</., while the College purchases at 31^. There is a long 

 series of prices between February and May of Lord Lovelace's 

 purchases, which are at an average of 31$. This nobleman had a 

 house near Oxford, but I cannot determine that these are Oxford 

 prices. The Oxford rents in malt are unchanged through the year, at 

 30^. Sd. New College purchases at 2Ss. 6d. The grants at Win- 

 chester College are at 2&r., the purchases at 29^. iod., the rents at 

 2 gs. g\d. Oats are not so dear as one might expect; 14^. at Cam- 

 bridge, 20,$-. at Eton, I'js. at Winchester; and oatmeal is cheaper 

 than last year. Beans are not very dear. Peas at Harting and Win- 

 chester are at very high prices. 



1694-5. Prices are lower. The Cambridge rents are at 31*. i\d., 

 the lowest price being at Lady Day, and the market rising rapidly 

 afterwards. The bakehouse purchases are at 29^. Sd. The Eton 

 average is 42 s. Sd. But the College buys at &is. The Oxford rents 

 are at 40^. The Winchester grants are at 46s. 8d., the purchases at 

 40^., the rents at 39^. 2^., the lowest prices here being at Midsummer. 

 Besides these corn rents and purchases, four other entries have been 

 discovered, two of which are dated in May and October, viz. Harting 

 and Portsmouth. In both these the price is 30.?. At Cuckfield and 

 Coombe it is 36^. As regards malt prices, the average rent at Cam- 

 bridge is 17.?. 6d., at Eton 24*. iof<, the price falling rapidly to 

 2is. 4d. at Lady Day, while the purchases are at 23^. 6\d. ; the Oxford 

 rents are at 24^. 6d. New College however does not buy till after the 

 high Michaelmas prices are past, and gets its stock at 19.$-. 4\d. 

 The Winchester grants are at 24^., the purchases at 2is. S%d., the 

 rents at 2 is. $\d. In both wheat and malt the average is enhanced 

 by the 'comparatively high prices which ruled from September till 

 November. Oats are cheap everywhere but at Eton; iu. at Cam- 

 bridge, ys. nd. at Harting, and 13^. iod. at Winchester. But the 

 price is highest as before in the late autumn. Meal is cheap. Beans 

 are rather dear. But a load of peas is sold at Harting at a cheap 

 rate. 



1695-6. Prices rise, especially as the year goes on, the general 

 average being lowered by purchases or sales at lower rates than the 

 maxima of the markets. Thus the Cambridge wheat rents give an 

 average of 50*. 4\d. But the bakehouse buys in July at 38^. Sd., the 

 lowest Cambridge price in the rents being at Lammas. At Eton the 



