[162] Page, op. cit. p. 77.

[163] Cunningham, Industry and Commerce, i. 402, 534; Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, New Series, xvii. 235.  Fitzherbert probably referred more to villein status, which continued longer than villein tenure.

[164] Thorold Rogers, History of Agriculture and Prices, i. 278, 288.

[165] Harrison, Description of Britain, p. 233, says the produce of an acre of saffron was usually worth L20.

[166] Exportation of corn is mentioned in 1181, when a fine was paid to the king for licence to ship corn from Norfolk and Suffolk to Norway.—­McPherson, Annals of Commerce, i. 345.  As early as the reign of Henry II, Henry of Huntingdon says, German silver came to buy our most precious wool, our milk (no doubt converted into butter and cheese), and our innumerable cattle.—­Rolls Series, p. 5.  In 1400, the Chronicle of London says the country was saved from dearth by the importation of rye from Prussia.

[167] Hasbach, op. cit.. p. 32.

[168] Lord Berkeley, about 1360, had a ship of his own for exporting wool and corn and bringing back foreign wine and wares.—­Smyth, Lives of the Berkeleys, i. 365.

[169] Nasse, Agricultural Community of the Middle Ages, p. 66.

[170] Customs in some Surrey manors in the time of Richard II, Archaeologia, xviii. 281.

CHAPTER VI

1400-1540

THE SO-CALLED ‘GOLDEN AGE OF THE LABOURER’ IN A PERIOD OF GENERAL DISTRESS

In this period the average prices of grain remained almost unchanged until the last three decades, when they began slowly and steadily to creep up, this advance being helped to some extent by defective harvests.  In 1527, according to Holinshed it rained from April 12 to June 3 every day or night; in May thirty hours without ceasing; and the floods did much damage to the corn.  In 1528 incessant deluges of rain prevented the corn being sown in the spring, and grain had to be imported from Germany.  The price of wheat was a trifle higher than in the period 1259-1400; barley, oats, and beans lower; rye higher.[171] Oxen and cows were dearer, horses about the same, sheep a little higher, pigs the same, poultry and eggs dearer, wool the same, cheese and butter dearer.  The price of wheat was sometimes subject to astonishing fluctuations:  in 1439 it varied from 8s. to 26s. 8d.; in 1440 from 4s. 2d. to 25s.  The rent of land continued the same, arable averaging 6d. an acre,[172] though this was partly due to the fact that rents, although now generally paid in money, were still fixed and customary; for the purchase value of land had now risen to twenty years instead of twelve.[173] The art of farming hardly made any progress, and the produce of the land was consequently about the same or a little better than in the preceding period.[174]