Efforts were made in this reign of Henry VI. for the better observance of Sunday; and, here and there, there are indications that efforts were made locally to bring about ‘Sunday closing.’ Mr. Bridgett has adduced a few examples. In 1428 the corporation of Hull made an order for the observance of the Sunday. No market was to be kept, under penalty of 6_s._ 8_d._ for sellers, and 3_s._ 4_d._ for buyers; no butchers were to expose meat for sale, nor cooks to dress or sell except to strangers, and to them only before seven o’clock; no tradesmen to keep shops open; no vintners nor ale-house keepers to deliver or sell ale, under the same penalties. London made an attempt to suppress Sunday trading, but it was ineffectual. In the year 1444 ‘an Act was made, by authority of the Common Council of London, that upon the Sunday should no manner of thing, within the franchise of the city, be bought or sold, neither victual nor other things; nor none artificer should bring his ware to any man to be worn or occupied that day, as tailor’s garments or cordwainer’s shoes; and so likewise of all other occupations; the which ordinance held but a while.’ There was very little legislation upon these matters in Henry VI.’s reign. The planting of _hops_ was prohibited. They were used by the brewers in the Netherlands early in the fourteenth century; and the use of them in beer was brought into England from Artois. But there will be more occasion to speak of them later on, when we shall find that privileges were granted to _hop-grounds_. In this reign the Brewery Company was incorporated, and we can readily believe that its brew was duly appreciated by John Lydgate, the monk of Bury. Beer had risen immensely in price from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century. When the Archbishop of Canterbury visited his land at Tarring, in Sussex, in 1277, four gallons of the best beer were to be charged only 1_d._; whereas a tariff of 1464 shows an extraordinary advance. Best beer, per gallon 2_d._ Second ” ” 1_d._ Third ” ” 0½_d._ A century later it had again risen fifty per cent. In the archives of Ely Cathedral we have the following account of the produce of a vineyard:-- £ _s._ _d._ Exitus vineti 2 15 3½ Exitus vineæ 10 12 2½ Ten bushels of grapes from the vineyard 0 7 6 Seven dolia musti from the vineyard 12th Edward II. 15 1 0 Wine sold for 1 12 0 Verjuice 1 7 0 For wine out of this vineyard 1 2 2 For verjuice from thence 0 16 0 No wine but verjuice made 9th Edward IV.[81]