2y8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

Appendix

I-

Value ofmoney.

The Saxon pound, as likewise that which wascoined for some centuries after the conquest, wasrear three times the weight of our present money :There were forty-eight shillings in the pound,and five pence in a shilling 88 ; consequently aSaxon shilling was near a fifth heavier than ours,and a Saxon penny near three times as heavy Asto the value of money in those times, comparedto commodities , there are some , though not verycertain , means of computation. A sheep by thesaws of Athelstan was estimated at a shilling; thatis fifteen-pence of our money. The fleece wasiwo-fifths of the value of the whole sheep :much above its present estimation ; and the reasonprobably was , that the Saxons, like the ancients,were little acquainted with any clothing butwhat was made of wool. Silk and cotton werequite unknown : Linen was not much used. Anox was computed at fix times the value of asheep ; a cow at four 9I . If we suppose, thatthe cattle in that age, from the defects in Hus-bandry, were not so large as they are at presentin England , we may compute , that money wasthen near ten times of greater value. A horsewas valued at about thirty-six shillings of ourmoney , or thirty Saxon shillings 81 ; a mare athird less: A man at three pounds The board-wages of a child the first year \yas eight sliil-

88 LL. Ælf. § 40.

" Fleetwood’s Chron. Pretiosam, p. 27, 28, etc.

*" LL. Inæ , § 69. 51 \vilkins , p. 66,

* Ibid. p. 126. 03 Ibid.