Economic Organization and Policies in the Middle Ages

Numéro d'article 10123770

GENERAL EDITORS: M. M. POSTAN, Emeritus Professor of Economic History in the University of Cambridge, and H. J. HABAKKUK, Principal, Jesus College, Oxford. Edited by M. M. POSTAN Emeritus Professor of Economic History in the University of Cambridge E. E. RICH formerly Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History in the University of Cambridge, and Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge AND EDWARD MILLER Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge This volume is in two parts, the first dealing with economic organization in the Middle Ages, and the second surveying medieval economic policy. CONTENTS Preface Part I: Organization H. VAN WERVEKE: The rise of the towns R. DE ROOVER: The organization of trade C. VERLINDEN: Markets and fairs Part II: Policies A. B. HIBBERT: The economic policies of towns SYLVIA L. THRUPP: The gilds EDWARD MILLER, H. VAN WERVEKE, E. LÖNNROTH and C. M. CIPOLLA: Economic policies of governments E. B. FRYDE and M. M. FRYDE: Public credit GABRIEL LE BRAS: Conceptions of economy and society P. SPUFFORD: Coinage and Currency PREFACE The plans for this volume laid down by the initiators of the series—Sir John Clapham and Eileen Power—were given their final shape some eight years ago; the contributors were chosen and their contracts signed in the following year. Yet, despite the considerable interval, the present volume has had to go to press without three of the chapters hitherto regularly scheduled. Of the missing chapters, that on the economic policies of east European states fell victim to the difficulties of academic communication with Russian scholars in the early and middle fifties; that of the organization of transport had to be given up owing to the resignation of another author for health reasons. But the most important gap is caused by the withdrawal of the writer designated for the chapter on money and currency. This was a chapter which the editors hoped to make into one of the cornerstones of the volume, and which in their view was well worth waiting for. Unfortunately the field of monetary history is thinly held, and the hour was so late when the original contributor withdrew that the editors had to renounce all hope of recommissioning the chapter. All they were able to do was to provide a short appendix listing the coins and currencies mentioned in the volume and giving, where possible, their rates of exchange. According to Sir John Clapham's and Eileen Power's plans the third medieval volume was intended to deal with the aspects of medieval economic history purposely left out of the first two volumes, and in the first place with economic policies and policy-making institutions. What suggested this division of matter was that, in the past, economic policies unduly dominated the story of economic history. The development of industry, trade and agriculture, and that of population and land usage, were not only discussed in close relation to corresponding policies and regulations, but were often seen through the eyes of regulating and policy-making authorities. Thus viewed, the history of agriculture tended to be wholly absorbed into that of the manor, and the history of trade and industry into that of towns and gilds. To correct this bias the planners of the series decided in the first place to devote the agricultural volume to the various economic