OF A SALMON. 33 



was a reasonable price for a bushel of wheat, 

 and adds 



" Tenpence contained about half an ounce of silver, 

 town weight, and was nearly equal to half-a-crown of 

 our money. Four ounces of silver therefore, equal to 

 six shillings and eightpence of the money of those 

 times, and to near twenty shillings of that of the 

 present, must have been reckoned a moderate price of 

 the quarter of eight bushels."* 



As a g'uide to the estimation in which salmon 

 was held at a somewhat later date, we may, for 

 the early part of the 16th century recur to the 

 Houshold Book of Henry the 8th, for money 

 paid " in rewarde " to persons bringing presents 

 of fish, fruit, &c. Some of these rewards were 

 probably regulated in their amount by reference 

 to the persons sending as well as to the present 

 sent ; but it is observable that in the . case of 

 the salmon noticed, the reward is paid to persons 

 of no note. 



" It'm the x daye (December) paid to Master King- 

 ston's s'v'nt, in rewarde for bringing a present of bake 

 lampreys to the Kings grace, v. s. 



It'm the iij daye (March) paid to a s'v'nt of the 

 Abbot of Gloucd, in rewarde for bringing ij bake 

 lampreys, v. s. 



" It'm the same daye paid to men of Stanes, in 



* 'Smith's Wealth of Nations' Book 1st, chap. xi. It seems 

 that the quarter of 8 bushels was not accepted at Chester. 



