A HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE AND PRICES IN ENGLAND FROM THE YEAR AFTER THE OXFORD PARLIAMENT (1259) TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONTINENTAL WAR (1793) PREFACE. THE evidence which has been collected into this volume is mainly derived from the domestic accounts of certain Oxford and Cambridge colleges, from those of Eton College, and later on from those of Winchester. I have also used the collections of Mr. Lloyd, who transcribed the register of the Clerks of the Oxford Market, two University officials, who are still entrusted, by ancient charter, with the police of trade in the market of the city of Oxford. The following Oxford Colleges have supplied me with information:-New College, Magdalen, All Souls, Oriel, Corpus, and for one or two years, S. John's. The New College series is very much broken. The others are generally continuous, and up to the outbreak of the Civil War, when Oxford was besieged, the entries are fairly copious. After the surrender of the city, the account for the year is very slight and barren. Two Cambridge Colleges have supplied me with abundant evidence. The accounts of King's College are, in one of the two regular forms, unbroken, except for one year (1619). In this year a third register, the Commons book, is extant, and supplies many details which would, but for this account, have been lost. The other set of accounts is that of S. John's, which under the judicious care of the Bursar, Mr. Scott, has been restored to |