386 An Indenture for building a House at Salisbury. 



curious, and form a striking contrast to the usages of the present 

 day. During the mayoralty of John Hall in 1451, we find : — 



" A gift to our Lord the King, for six large oxen and two smaller ones, and 



for fifty sheep, £12. 14«. Od. 



For a hogshead of Wine, six quarters of corn, six pipes of ale, given to 

 the Reverend Father, Richard, Bishop of Sarum, at the time of his installation, 

 £18. 13s. 4d. 



Paid William Swayne and Edmund Penston, citizens of the said city, for 

 the Parliament at Westminster, which terminated at Leicester, £22. 0*. Od. 



For a pipe of wine, given to Mr. John Seymour, Sheriff of Wilts, to conciliate 

 his good offices, 65 shillings." 



A great deal of curious information concerning the habits and 

 possessions of a citizen of Salisbury during the fifteenth century may 

 be gleaned from Hatcher and Benson's History, already quoted; 

 several elaborate inventories are printed there, giving the most 

 minute account of the contents of a private house of that period, 

 also the details of the furniture and fittings of the George hostelry 

 in 1473, shewing the rough sort of accommodation then afforded to 

 travellers at a good inn. At this time too the citizens of Salisbury 

 must have been excited by the strange and tedious proceedings con- 

 nected with the canonization of St. Osmund, who died in 1099, 

 but was only inserted in the catalogue of Saints in 1457 by Pope 

 Calixto. 



It only remains to add, that the original indenture is now preserved 

 in the Salisbury and South Wilts Museum. 



