572 ON THE PRICE OF TEXTILE FABRICS. 



The cloth was sometimes purchased as it came from the 

 weaver and dyed afterwards, the charge (as in 1602) being 

 noted. If it were already dyed, it was frequently undressed, 

 that is, it required to be shrunk and sheared. Sometimes it 

 is described as undressed, sometimes as dressed and finished. 

 The cost of dressing four cloths and 57 yards for the Eton 

 boys in 1613 is given at 40^., that is at about $d. a yard. In 

 1611, the servants' azure is undressed and costs 205^. In 

 1612 it is dressed and costs 22Oj. This would give a little 

 over 6\d. the yard, if the price is unchanged. In 1615 

 dressed cloth for the boys is at 6s. 8^., and 6s. $\d. the yard. 

 But I have been obliged, in the absence of accurate information 

 on the subject, to treat all entries of the three principal kinds 

 of cloth as of the same character. 



I have also noted entries of the best cloth of the year. It 

 greatly varies in value, generally according to its origin, some- 

 times according to its avowed quality. It would appear too, 

 from the few accounts of rich persons which I have met with, 

 that when they were in the dress of ordinary life, the materials 

 which they used for their own wear were not much superior 

 to those of the liveries which they bought for their servants, 

 their expenditure on their gala dress only being sumptuous. 

 Thus in 1593 Lord Pembroke buys broad-cloth at 13^. and 

 green cloth at us. for himself, frieze at is. 6d. probably for 

 his own clothing, and pays at the rate of los. for his servants' 

 state livery. 



The first entry I have found of local produce is Devonshire 

 cursey (I retain the original spelling) in 1596. The next is 

 Peniston purple in the following year, Peniston being near 

 Sheffield, and once a famous place for ordinary cloth, giving a 

 name to a special produce. I find Spanish medley in 1621 at 

 i$s. 6d., green Peniston in 1627 at 5^- 4^-, Spanish cloth at 

 i8j. in 1631, and Venice camlet in the same year at I2J. 

 Spanish cloth at i 'js. 6d. and 24^., and fine Segovia at 28^., are 

 found in 1633. In 1646 Master buys Spanish cloth at 23^., 

 and in 1648 right French scarlet at 45^. In 1649 Bering 



