MEAT, ETC. FUEL AND LIGHT. 



789 



products, and there was not indeed for nearly a century after 

 the maximum prices with which I am dealing were reached. 

 The other is the price of salt, which was visited with heavy 

 taxation during the last decade. 



The average rise during 1583-1642 is, on the five kinds of 

 grain taken above, from unity to 2-2203 ; on the nine kinds of 

 provisions during the same period, from unity to 1-8111. 

 Undoubtedly in both cases the rise is very serious, and we 

 shall have occasion to note the consequences, which have to 

 be inferred, when we come to discuss the bearing of these 

 prices on the real wages of labour. In the present part of my 

 enquiry I am concerned with general prices only. 



The next set of tables which I put before my reader is that 

 of the cost of artificial warmth and light. 



The sea-coal in this table is taken necessarily from those 

 parts of England which were of easy access by water to the 

 Newcastle pits, viz. the Eastern Counties, especially Cam- 

 bridge and the Lower Thames as far up the river as Eton. 

 The exaltation in the price of charcoal is in itself a surficu nt 

 1 Beef is the stone of 14 Ibs. ; batter and cheese the dozen Ibs. ; salt the quarter. 



