344 .
FLUCTUATIONS IN CORN.
CHAP. XII.
of which we have had no instances in moderntimes.
The instances of the variation in prices whichare recorded in former times will excite surprisein those readers who have not paid attention tothe subject, and ought to make us all gratefulto that Providence which has brought us intolife in a period much less exposed to sufferingthan that in which our forefathers lived.
As it may be desirable to produce at oneview the scattered notices respecting the pricesof wheat which are to be found in the variousancient authors, we here exhibit such as havebeen collected, which, though the list is veryimperfect, will tend in some measure to showthat the variations in price depended much moreon the fert ility or barrenness of the seasons, andon the favourable or unfavourable state of theweather at the respective harvests, than on anygreat alteration in the value of the gold or silverfor which they were exchanged.
Year.
Price per quarter in
Price per quarter in
money of that time.
money of the pre-
sent time.
£. s.
d.
£. s. (L
a 1120 .
. 0 2
0
.060
a 1197 ■
. 0 18
8
. 2 16 0
a 1213 ) .
1 lowest price
. 0 1
6
.046
1216 S hi S hest P rice
. 0 6
0
. 0 18 0
a 1223 .
. 0 12
0
. 1 16 0
a 1237 ■
. 0 3
4
. 0 10 0