MEDIAEVAL SPICES, GROCERIES AND WAX. 479 



Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's and from the Archives of the 1875. 

 city of Exeter. Medieval 



The accounts mentioned are replete with interesting particulars records, 

 throwing light on the style of life of wealthy ecclesiastics at the 

 close of the thirteenth and commencement of the fourteenth 

 century ; and that relating to the Bishop of Exeter, includes some 

 curious information relative to the consumption of spices,groceries, 

 and wax in a mediaeval household. At the period in question, the 

 duty of executor under the will of a defunct person, comprised not 

 only a valuation of his property, but in addition, the production of 

 an account of the money that the property had actually realized. 



Thomas Button, Bishop of Exeter, died in the year 1307, and The Garde- 

 the account filed by his executors in 1310, specifies the items 

 contained in the G-arderoba or wardrobe of the deceased prelate. 

 I will give it in the first place as it stands in the original and 

 afterwards offer some remarks in explanation of the several 

 entries. The term wardrobe, it may be well to state, had a wider 

 significance in the middle ages than at present ; it was the name 

 of the apartment in which was laid up, not only apparel but 

 valuables of almost every kind. That of Eichard, the Bishop of 

 London, contained a considerable collection of books, while that of 

 Thomas, of Exeter, was filled by a profusion of spices and grocery. 



[The following shows what was in the Garderoba, and how 

 much money the several articles fetched when sold : ] 



s d. 



1 229 Ib. Cere , 7 13 3 



423 Ib. liberatis ad expens. funera . . 14 6 5 



58 Ib. operate 191 



3 f Ib. liberatis ad expensas familie com- 



morantis post obitum Domini .... 0110 



2 Dj quarterns et 20 Ib. Ammigdalarum venditis . 4 17 6 



3 74 Ib. Ris 0138 



4 77 Ib. Sucare 3172 



5 3J Ib. Zinsiberis electi 066 



20 Ib. Columbe 132 



29 Ib. communis 1 17 11 



6 29 Ib. Canele 177 



