ON THE PRICE OF FISH. 423 



other kinds of fish. They generally occur in the household 

 books of private families, especially in those of Lords Spencer 

 and North, and for occasional feasts, such as the Star Chamber 

 banquets. 



Eels are either fresh or salt, the prices of both being very 

 various. In the few entries which have been found, the 

 average of the former is 5^., of the latter nearly 8f*/. There 

 are also two entries from Lord North's accounts of eels by the 

 cagg or scagg, which seems to be the same with the gag, vol. 

 iv. p. 532. The average is 6s. 5^/., and if the measure is one 

 by tale, and as before was of six eels, the fish was large and 

 probably of foreign origin, such as those described in vol. iv. 

 P- 533 as Holland eels, and there quoted at the highest 

 price. 



I find four entries of the price of soles by the pair, all for 

 Lord Spencer, the average being is. 8</.; two entries of 

 mackerel by the dozen, at 3^. in 1602, and at 7^. in 1698, the 

 latter being in London, and the quotation in July; three 

 entries of turbot, all in 1594, two being at Js., the other at Ss. 

 In 1604 Lord Spencer gives 7$. 6d. for three plaice, in 1614 

 Caryll at Harting pays ^\d. for the same fish, but Worm- 

 leighton is far from the sea, Harting near it. In 1602 Lord 

 Spencer gives 4^. 6d. for one conger and 6s. for another, and 

 is. %d. for a thornback. A skate in the same year is bought 

 in October for 71. 6d. and in 1604 for 5^., while in 1697 nine 

 of this fish are purchased in London at 6d. each. In 1601 the 

 same nobleman gives 9^. for haddock, and in 1602 lid. and 

 is. He pays $d. and 8d. for whiting in 1602, the fish costing 

 \\d. in London in 1697. Smelts are $s. +d. the hundred at 

 Wormleighton in 1604, 4^. 6d. at London in 1697, the latter 

 being designated as large. These particulars will indicate 

 that sea-fish was infrequently supplied and was dear at inland 

 places. 



As regards fresh-water fish, I have found trout three times, 

 early and late, at +d. t 4^., and 6d. ; tench early at +d. ; perch 

 at 9]</., also early ; and carp late at near $d. There arc also a 



