74

ADVANCE OF PRICES

CHAP. XIX.

plentiful that a barrel of beere was sold for eight-pence, and four great loaves of bread for one pennyand a farthing. In 1557 (5th Mary) wheat wassold before harvest at thirty shillings the quarter,but after harvest, at seven and sixpence, so that apenny loafe, which weighed in London the lastyeere but ten ounces troy, weighed now twenty-six ounces. In 1558 wheat rose again to twenty-three shillings the quarter. In 1573 (8th Eliza-beth) about Lammas, wheat was sold in London at three shillings and three-pence the bushel, butshortly after it was raised to four shillings andfour-pence, five shillings and sixpence, six shillingsand sixpence, and seven shillings and nine-pence,which continued long after, yet there was no wantto him that wanted not money.”

In other accounts, especially in the ChroniconPreciosum, we find the prices at some intervals ofthe period very low; as in 1494 at six shillingsper quarter, in 1495 at five shillings, in 1499 atsix shillings; and at other times, as in the years1551, 1552, 1553,1554, 1555, 1556, 1557, 1558,1559, 1560, 1561, 1562, there was no variation,the price being in each of those years eight shil-lings the quarter, or eight shillings and ten-penceof our present money 1 .

1 It is observed by Fleetwood (page 122) that the price ofwheat did not remain fixed exactly at eight shillings duringthe whole interval, but that the variations were so incon-siderable that the proprietors of the land, in settling the rentof it with the farmers, agreed that it should be estimated atthat price during the whole twelve years.