434 ON THE PRICE OF SALT. 



the fifth decade there is very little change in the Eastern 

 prices, but there is a further increase in the Oxford rates, the 

 rise in three decades being progressively a little more than two 

 shillings the quarter decennially. In the decade 1633-1642 

 in both districts the rise is 2s. nd. and $s. 6d., the five years 

 1636-1640 being the dearest in the East, and the five 

 1634-1638 being the highest at Oxford, occasional purchases 

 being made at unheard-of rates, at from 40^. to $os. the quarter. 



In the decade 1643-1652 the same facts are exhibited as 

 in the prices of other articles. There is only one year of 

 moderate cheapness, 1646, the dearest at Cambridge being 

 1643, and at Oxford 1644. During this part of the period 

 there is an entry from Eton, where the price is nearly the 

 same as at Cambridge. Now though England was at this 

 time convulsed by civil war, there were no foreign difficulties, 

 and no reason to believe that such an industry as salt-making 

 at home was disturbed or impeded. The rise during this 

 decade at Cambridge is 4s. 8d. the quarter, and in Oxford 

 4^. 4\d., and every year is represented at both these localities. 



During the next forty years, the price, falling considerably, 

 is for the first decade 3^. id. a quarter cheaper at Cambridge, 

 6s. n\d. per quarter at Oxford. In the next ten years there 

 is a further fall of is. i\d. at Cambridge, is. ^\d. at Oxford ; 

 in the next a fractional fall at Cambridge, and is. $\d. 

 at Oxford ; while in the next there is a slight rise at Cambridge 

 and one of is. 8|^. at Oxford. In the last decade of all the 

 price is nearly double that at Cambridge in the previous ten 

 years, and at Oxford more than double. But in 1694 and 



1698 Parliament had put special taxes on salt; in the former 

 year i6s. a quarter on foreign, Ss. on English produce, in the 

 latter 2is. ^d. a quarter on English salt up to December 24, 



1699 and 26s. 8d. afterwards, and 42s. 8d. and 53 s. ^d. on 

 foreign. This tax continued till 1732*. 



1 These duties were probably intended to be prohibitive of the foreign article. 

 Even if English produce alone was bought, the prices seem to show that the duty 

 was at least partially evaded. 



