Recent Wiltshire Books, Pamphlets, and Articles. 357 



reaping and binding of wheat, rye, or beans xx d . " ; and so on for all 

 kinds of agricultural work. Still more elaborate tables are given in 

 1605 and 1655. These tables of wages are apparently printed in full, 

 and form the most valuable portion of the records here dealt with. For 

 the history of prices and the social condition of the people throughout 

 the 17th century they are probably as valuable as any records now 

 existing. 



The Muniments of the Dean & Chapter of Salisbury. 



The report on these MSS. is concluded in the same volume (1901) of 

 the Reports of the Historical Manuscripts Commission as that on the 

 Wilts Quarter Sessions Eecords, covering pages 338 — 388. The Editor 

 disclaims attempting anything in the nature of a guide to the treasures 

 of this collection, and only the older and more important documents of 

 the series are mentioned. A large number of the most important have 

 been printed in Sarum Charters in the Bolls Series, whilst others have 

 been printed in Canon Jones' Register of St. Osmund. The special 

 characteristic of the collection is the extraordinary number of early 

 original charters which it contains. The first Keport of the Commission 

 (p. 90) contained a notice of a few deeds connected with Salisbury 

 Cathedral. 



Amongst the documents noted are : — 



1232. An inspeximus by Kobert, Bishop of Salisbury, of a deed by 

 Thomas de Sancto Martino, Rector of Preschet, creating the perpetual 

 Vicarage of the Chapel of Merleberg' Castle. 



There are a large number of documents relating to property in the 

 City of Salisbury at the end of the 13th and the 14th century. In 

 connection with these the Commissioner remarks : "As a caution against 

 supposing that the false reading [of the Latin contraction for the name 

 of Salisbury] as Sarum or Sarrum was officially adopted at any particular 

 time, it may be observed that the same documents are found in the 14th 

 century to bear both the common seal, nove civitatis Saresburie and that 

 of the mayoralty, maioris Sarrum. Sarum, or Sarrum, when once 

 taken into use, is variously construed, sometimes as a genitive plural 

 (ciuitas Novarum Sarum) , sometimes as a feminine substantive singular 

 (ciuitas Nove Sarum), evidently influenced by the old ciuitas Noue 

 Sar[esberie\ , sometimes as neuter (ciuitas Noui Sarum) : but in no case 

 is it inflected." 



An inventory of the goods, ornaments, and jewels bequeathed to the 

 Church of Salisbury by Bishop Richard Medford, 1407. 



The fabric accounts go back to the 15th century, and include a series 

 relating to the repair of the Cathedral, 1671 — 1673. 



The making, repairing, and setting up of the organ in the Cathedral 

 in 1635 cost £220. 



The Editor notes that many of the deeds printed in Sarum Charters 

 have been printed from transcripts in later cartularies, and that the 

 original deeds here preserved differ verbally in many instances from the 

 copies printed. In many cases he carefully gives the corrections . 



VOL. XXXII, — NO. XCVIII, 2 B 



