x INTRODUCTION. 



wholly irregular, and I can only assume that they vary 

 owing to some cause of which no mention is made. 

 This is rendered more prohable by the fact that these 

 accounts are not the actual daily reckonings which 

 passed between the bailiff and the labourer or the 

 tradesman, but a fair copy made in a book for his 

 Lordship's examination. 



The last four tables consist of prices of certain stocks, 

 the South Sea Company, the Bank of England, the East 

 India Company, and the consolidated three per cents., 

 in continuation of the tables in Vol. VI. The first of 

 these relates only to the month of December, 1719, and 

 from January i to December 26, 1720, on which day 

 the books were shut. The stock stands at 1000 on 

 June 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, and on July 12, 14, and 16. 

 This is the highest price recorded. It never sank below 

 three figures, and not only did it stand as high as 162 

 on the last day the books were open, but it was actually 

 on that day higher than the day before. The prices of 

 Bank stock begin in 1703, and are continued till 1793. 

 In the case of East India stock, the quotations of the 

 old and the new company are given till March, 1709, 

 after which date the rival companies were united, and 

 the price of the united stock is given till 1 793. In the 

 latter part of the century, however, there appear to 

 have been very few dealings, and sometimes no quotation 

 is given for days together, or the same figure is repeated 

 in a way which suggests that the type was kept stand- 

 ing and only corrected occasionally. The three per 

 cents, are quoted from 1729 onwards, although the 

 consolidated stock properly so described only began in 

 1751. Certain small sums had, however, been borrowed 

 at three per cent,, quotations of which are therefore 



