+----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Nature. | 1347 | 1378 | 1462 | 1482 | 1569 | 1578 | 1588 | 1595 | 1695 | 1865 | | | | |[437] |[438] |[439] |[440] |[441] |[442] |[443] |[444] | +----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | _d._ | |Serpentine|13-3/4|13-2/3| 12 | 10 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |Corned | -- | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 |10-3/4| 7 | |Fine | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 11 | -- | -- | -- | -- | +----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ The remarkable uniformity in the prices of English powder has been noticed by Prof. Rogers in his “History of Agriculture and Prices,” iv. 631. He thinks that “fine” powder meant priming powder, because infantry soldiers were usually served out with 1 lb. “common” (corned) powder and ¼-lb. “fine” powder. It doubtless did at one time; but the term was applied to all small-arm powder eventually.[445] The prices of the first two powders have necessarily been calculated. The price of charcoal in 1347 was .013d. per lb.; in 1378 it was .02d.[446] The prices of sulphur and saltpetre in 1347 were 8d. and 18d. per lb. respectively;[447] in 1378 they were (for large quantities) 4d. and 20d. respectively.[448] From an English MS., quoted by the Emperor Napoleon III., it appears that the cost of manufacturing powder at Southampton in 1474 was .864d. per lb.;[449] and, as it is the only fact available, I have been obliged to assume that this was the cost of making powder in 1347 and 1378. But it is probably not far from the truth. The proportions taken for the 1347 powder are Arderne’s, 6-2-1; those for 1378, 3-1-1. From these data we have:— 1347. 1378. _d._ _d._ 6 lbs. saltpetre 108. | 3 lbs. saltpetre 60. 2 “ charcoal .026 | 1 lb. charcoal .02 1 lb. sulphur 8. | 1 ” sulphur 4. ——————— | ——————— Price of 9 lbs. of materials 116.026 | Price of 5 lbs. of materials 64.02 ======= | ======= ” ” 1 lb. ” ” 12.892 | ” ” 1 lb. ” ” 12.80 Cost of making, per lb. .864 | Cost of making, per lb. .864 ——————— | —————— Price of 1 lb. 13.756 | Price of 1 lb. 13.664