234 OM THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



Cambridge is 57^. ^\d. ; the bakehouse purchases, made in June, being 

 at 54 s. 2d. Eton gets its rents at an average of 67^., and makes its 

 purchases at 66s. $d. The Oxford rate, uncharged through the year, is 

 at 65*. 4</. The Portsmouth assise, taken in October and May, is at an 

 average of 6is. In general the price rises slightly as the year goes on. 

 At Winchester, the grants are at 58^., the purchases at 62$. 8*/., the 

 rents at 63 s. 6d. The Cambridge malt rents are at 22s. 7j</., those of 

 Eton are at 30,?. 3</., the purchases being at 30^. 4^. The Oxford malt 

 rents are at 28^. 8d. New College buys its very considerable purchases 

 at an average of 28-$-. nd. The Winchester grants are at 33-$-. 6d., its 

 purchases at 30^. 2\d., while its rents are at 29^. n^d. Oats at Cam- 

 bridge give an average of 1 1 s. 6d., at Harting of 1 1 s. %d., at Winchester 

 of i4s. 4d., the oat rents at this locality being i2s. 6d. But the Eton 

 price is very high, 22J-. Oatmeal at Winchester is however cheap. 

 Beans are at moderate prices, and peas are at nearly the same rate. 

 The entry of ' boiling peas ' at Harting is of garden produce. The 

 year was one of general scarcity. 



1698-9. Prices are a little lower, declining generally as the year 

 goes on, this being the last year of very high prices. The average of 

 the Cambridge corn rents is 523-. 7}^., the bakehouse buying, as usual 

 in summer, at 45^. \d. Cuckfield gives a price at 52^.; Eton an 

 average of 68s. 4^., with purchases at 6is. ^d. The sales at Harting 

 are at an average of 52*. ^\d. The Oxford average is 66 s. 8d., and 

 the assise at Portsmouth, taken in May only, when prices are falling, 

 is 5oj. The Winchester grants are at 64^., the purchases at 6os. 6d., 

 the rents being at 63*. id. Malt is a good deal dearer. The Cam- 

 bridge rent average is 29*., that of Eton is 37^. 9%d. } the purchases for 

 the College being made at 37^. The Winchester grants are at 34-$-., 

 the purchases at 35^. $d., the rents at 35^. *jd. The Oxford average 

 is 34*. 8d. } and New College makes its purchases at 33*. 5f</. Only 

 four years during the whole period, 1636 and the three famine years 

 1647-9, give higher prices than this. Oats are dear everywhere; 

 i6s. 4d. at Cambridge, 23^. 8d. at Eton, 17^. 8J</. in London, 18^. 8d. 

 at Winchester, where the Michaelmas oat rent, the cheapest time of 

 the year, is at i6j. Meal however is not very dear. Peas have not 

 been found, and beans at Cambridge are at moderate and uniform 

 prices. 



1699-1700. There is a substantial fall in prices this year. The 

 Cambridge wheat rent is at an average of 37^. o\d. ; the bakehouse 

 purchases, this year made in August, give 32^. The Eton average is 

 49*., the purchases being effected at 44*. 6\d. The Oxford average 



