52 A MEDIJSVAL CITY

much of which was brought to York from the coast
by pack-horse across the moors. The herring was
an important article of food.

Money was measured in marks, shillings, and
pence. Of the current coins those in gold were
called the angel, half-angel, the noble, half-noble,
and quarter-noble; in silver there were the groat,
half-groat, the penny, and half-penny. The local
branch of the royal Mint was housed within the
Castle. The building containing it was rebuilt in
accordance with an order of 1423. The coins from
this mint, which was at work during a large part of
the fifteenth century, bore distinctive marks to
show the place of minting. Silver coins bore the
inscription CIVITAS EBORACI. The archbishops
continued to use their privilege of coining money.

The following extracts, interesting for the
substance and the literary form, are taken from the
city records as published by the Surtees Society,
vols. 120, 125, " The York Memorandum Book."

From the ordinances of the Pewterers, 1416.
" Ordinaciones pewderariorum.

" Ceux sont les articles de lez pewderers de
Lounders, les queux les genz de mesme lartifice
dyceste citee Deverwyk ount agrees pur agarder et
ordeiner entre eux par deux ans passez, devant
Johan Moreton, maire."

Others of the earlier ordinances are in Anglo-
French ; many are in Latin. Later ordinances are
in English as in the case of those of the Carpenters,
1482, of which the following are the opening
paragraphs:—

" In the honour of God, and for the weile of
this full honourabill cite of York, and of the