LANTERNS. BUCKETS. BROOMS. 743 



thorns, buckets, pails, brooms, and after them the residue, for 

 in any attempt to reconstruct or to enable others to recon- 

 struct the past life of the English people, nothing should be 

 neglected, because everything fits into the building, if it be in 

 competent hands. Perhaps even the price at which our 

 ancestors obtained the conveniences of life is not less signi- 

 ficant than the fact that they obtained them. 



Some lanthorns have been already commented on, those I 

 mean the object of whose purchase is expressed with the 

 article. There are however a numerous residual class, between 

 1585 and 1684, used probably in chambers and passages, 

 which require notice. They are of all prices, from 6d. to 

 4s. 6d., but the general rate is from is. 6d. to 2s. There are 

 in point of fact only three in the whole list above 3^. In 

 1634 one is bought by Corpus Christi College at 4s. 6d., 

 another in 1672 by Eton College at 4^., when it is called 

 great, and a third in 1680 at 4*. bought by New College. The 

 average price from forty-four entries is is. iod. 



Ordinary wooden buckets, under which are to be included 

 entries of situla, are found from 1583 to 1692. Once the 

 price is 4s. 6d. in the last year in which a situla occurs, where 

 it is probably a well-bucket. With this exception the price is 

 between 6d. and 2s. 6d. The average of fifty entries, including 

 the situlae, is i s. 4\d. nearly. There is a distinct rise in price 

 from 1620, the price before this date being rarely below is. 6d. 



Pails are not perhaps distinguishable from buckets, except 

 that probably they were entirely made of wood. The lowest 

 price is 4d. t the highest is. id. They are entered from 1586 

 to 1689. The average of fifteen entries is y^d. 



Brooms or besoms, constantly sold by the dozen, are at all 

 prices from $%d. to is. 6d. The average of eighteen entries is 

 is. $%d. the dozen. After the beginning of the seventeenth 

 century they become decidedly dearer. 



Leather buckets, to be at hand in case of fire, arc occasion- 

 ally purchased by the dozen. The price is from 275. to 6os. 

 y are at the first price in 1603. In 1606, 1608, and 1624 



