( 65 ) 



threw down many houses and did much other hurt both 

 by land and water (Holinshed). 



The kingdom of England was afflicted with a grievous 

 famine during several years about this time. Perpetual 

 rains and cold weather not only destroyed the harvest, 

 but bred a mortality among the cattle, and raised every 

 kind of food to an enormous price. Wheat was some- 

 times sold at 90J-. a quarter. Walsingham says it rose to 

 six pounds, and usually for three pounds (Hume). 

 1317 The crop, though far better than that which had been 

 gathered for the past two years, was plainly deficient. 

 In the course of the following summer the rate falls very 

 considerably, which must be ascribed as much to the 

 prospects of the coming harvest as to the existence of any 

 real plenty in the harvest of the year before us. Wheat, 

 8s. $\d. ; barley, 5^. 7 *d. ; oats, 3^. ^\d. ; beans, 5^. io|^/. ; 

 peas, 5*. M. (Rogers}. 



Wheat, 39-y. 6d. average ; highest, Sos. : lowest, 6s. 8</. 

 per qr. (Smith). 



Wool, 8s. yd. per tod ; fleeces, 2 Ib at Gamlingay 

 (Rogers'). 



Victuals were so scant and dear, and wheat and other 

 grain brought to so high a price, that the poor people 

 were constrained to eat the flesh of horses, dogs, and 

 other vile beasts ; and yet for default there died a multi- 

 tude of people in divers places of the land. Fourpence 

 in bread of the coarser sort would not suffice one man a 

 day. Wheat was sold at London for four marks the 

 quarter and above. Then after this dearth ensued a great 

 death and mortality of people (Holinshed). 



A great dearth in Ireland. A measure of wheat in 

 Ireland, called a chronecke, was sold at 24^. ; oats, i6s. ; 

 and all other victuals according to the same rate. A 

 number of people perished through famine (Holin- 

 shed). 



A cow will produce $\d. worth of cheese and one-third 



F 



