Pagina 491 di 2651

In 1309, Ralph de Born, prior of St Augustine's, Canterbury, gave

a feast upon his installation-day, of which William Thorn has

preserved, not only the bill of fare, but the prices of many

particulars. In that feast were consumed, 1st, fifty-three

quarters of wheat, which cost nineteen pounds, or seven

shillings, and twopence a-quarter, equal to about one-and-twenty

shillings and sixpence of our present money; 2dly, fifty-eight

quarters of malt, which cost seventeen pounds ten shillings, or

six shillings a-quarter, equal to about eighteen shillings of our

present money; 3dly, twenty quarters of oats, which cost four

pounds, or four shillings a-quarter, equal to about twelve

shillings of our present money. The prices of malt and oats seem

here to be higher than their ordinary proportion to the price of

wheat.