a discourse of coin and coinage-第14章

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as　much　as　the　old　rate。　By　the　said　Statute　of　25th　Edward　III
the　work　of　a　master　Carpenter　is　rated　at　iii　pence　a　day；　a
second　Carpenter　ii　pence；　a　Tyler　iii　pence；　and　the　Servant　of
either　of　them　one　penny　half　penny；　in　the　Summer　time；　without
meat　or　drink　or　any　other　courtesie。　By　the　said　rate　of
Middlesex　（17th　James　I）　master　Carpenters　and　Tylers　are　rated
at　xx　pence　a　day；　which　accounteth　to　near　seven　times　the　old
rate。　The　second　sort　of　the　said　work　men　at　16　pence　a　day；
which　amounteth　unto　8　times　the　old；　and　Labourers　of　the　best
sort　at　12　pence　a　day；　of　the　second　sort　at　ten　pence　a　day；
which；　by　medium；　is　neer　eight　times　the　old　rate。　By　the　said
rate　in　Essex；　Master　Carpenters　and　Tylers　are　rate　at　16　pence
a　day；　which　is　not　six　times　the　old　rate；　their　Servants　12
pence；　which　is　eight　times　the　old　rate。
　　　　It　is　said　in　the　said　Statute　of　25th　of　Edward　III　that　in
those　Counties　where　wheat　was　wont　to　be　given　for　work；　they
should　take　ten　pence　for　the　bushel　or　Wheat　at　the　will　of　the
Giver；　by　which　clause　it　appeareth　that　10　pence　was　then　a
large　price；　even　in　those　Counties　where　the　Bushel　was　bigger；
or　else　it　had　been　a　great　Rigour　to　leave　it　to　the　will　of　the
Giver。
　　　　By　the　Statute　of　the　12th　Richard　the　Second；　the　yearly
wages　of　a　Bayliff　was　rated　at　thirteen　shillings　and　four
pence；　and　by　the　aforesaid　rate　in　Essex　the　wages　of　a　Bayliff
is　rated　at　three　pounds　three　shillings　and　eight　pence；　which
is　（near）　five　times　the　old　Rate。　By　the　said　Statute　of　12　R。　a
master　Hind　is　rated　at　ten　shillings；　a　Carter　at　ten　shillings；
a　Shepheard　at　ten　shillings；　an　Ox…heard　at　six　shillings　and
eight　pence；　a　Cowheard　at　six　shillings　and　eight　pence。　By　the
said　Rate　in　Middlesex　Carters　are　rated　five　pound　wages；　which
is　ten　times　the　old　rate。　By　the　said　rate　in　Middlesex　the　best
sort　of　Plough…men；　Carters；　or　Shepheards　are　rated　at　three
pound。　The　second　sort　of　Hinds　and　all　Servants　in　Husbandry　at
two　pound　six　shillings　and　eight　pence；　which　amounteth　in　the
first；　to　six　times　the　old　rate；　and　in　the　second　to　seven
times　the　old　rate；　a　woman　labourer　or　Dairy　woman　by　the　said
Statute　at　Six　shillings。　By　the　said　rate　in　Middlesex；　the　best
women　servants　are　rated　at　forty　shillings　a　year；　the　second
sort　at　thirty　three　shillings　and　fourpence；　which　by　medium
amounts　to　six　times　the　old　rate；　and　somewhat　more；　and　by　the
said　rate　in　Essex；　the　best　women　are　rated　at　thirty　three
shillings　and　four　pence；　the　second　sort　at　one　pound　six
shillings　and　eight　pence；　which　by　a　medium　amounts　to　five
times　the　old　Rate。
　　　　And　if　any　many　shall　object；　That　the　present　rates　will
not；　generally　through　the　whole　Kingdome；　hold　thus　high；　though
they　are　thus　rated　in　the　parts　near　adjoyning　to　London：
　　　　It　may　be　answered。　That　by　the　old　Statutes　it　was　provided；
that　in　no　place　any　higher　rates　than　these　should　be　given；　but
they　might　give　less；　where　less　in　former　times　had　been　used　to
be　given。
　　　　But　on　the　other　side　it　may　be　much　more　probably　objected；
That　the　rates　are　now　greater　than　they　are　here　set　down；
because　it　is　not　so　strictly　observed　as　it　should　be；　whereas
when　the　old　Statutes　were　first　made　it　is　probable　that　that
the　Rates　were　with　the　largest；　and　were　more　strictly　observed
than　they　now　are：　and　although　this　computation　of　the　wages　and
hire　of　Servants　and　Labourers　be　（as　I　conceive）　the　most
certain　way　of　comparison　of　the　prices　of　all　things　between
that　time　of　King　Edward　the　third　and　this　present；　yet　for
Confirmation　I　will　add　unto　it　another　Observation；　wherein　we
shall　find　the　same　Proportion　to　hold　in　a　Subject　much　more
general；　and　therefore　so　exactly　calculated。　But　therein　I　must
appeal　to　the　well　grounded　Judgment　of　my　Reader；　and　that　is
that　I　will　set　down　the　entire　receipts　as　I　find　them　by
undoubted　Records　of　divers　years　of　Edward　the　Third；　and　then　I
will　briefly　represent　the　actions　of　War　in　the　said　years；
besides　the　ordinary　expence　and　the　said　actions　of　War　could　be
now　maintained；　but　by　a　Proportion　so　much　larger　as　the　rates
of　wages　are　now　encreased；　which　I　compute　between　six　and　eight
times　as　much　a　they　were　in　the　19th　year　of　Edward　the　third。
　　　　The　whole　receipts　of　the　Kingdom；　as　appeareth　by　the　Pell
of　the　Introitus　amounted　to　72；826　pound　11　shillings　5　pence；
in　that　year　the　King　sent　over　six　hundred　men　of　Arms；　and　six
hundred　Archers　into　Gascoign；　under　the　Conduct　of　the　Earl　of
Derby；　and　divers　other　great　Lords；　who　gathering　unto　them　the
other　Garrisons；　did　not　only　maintain　a　body　of　an　Army　in　the
field　a　great　part　of　that　year；　but　recovered　divers　Towns　by
Siege：　all　that　year　the　King　did　likewise　maintain　some
auxiliary　forces　of　good　importance；　the　Number　is　not　set　down；
for　the　aid　of　the　Duke　of　Brittany　under　the　Command　of　Sir
Thomas　Dayworth。　And　that　Year　the　King　likewise　made　a　voyage　in
great　magnificence　into　Flanders；　and　continued　there　long　in
Treaty　with　Jacques　van　Arteveld　and　the　Flemings；　to　withdraw
them　from　the　Homage　of　their　Earl　unto　his　Allegience。　The　20th
year　of　Edward　the　Third；　the　whole　Revenues　of　the　Kingdom　in
the　Pell；　amounted　to　154；139　pound；　17　shillings　5　pence。　This
year　the　same　forces　were　maintain'd　in　Gascoign；　which　did
freely　ransack　and　spoil　all　Xaintong　and　Poitou；　by　the　favour
of　the　Kings　great　Victories　elsewhere。
　　　　And　in　July　the　King　went　over　in　person；　and　landed　in
Normandy；　and　wasted　a　great　part　of　that　Province；　and　ransacked
many　of　the　principal　Towns：　his　forces　transported　thereto；　are
by　Hollingshead　reckoned　4；000　men　at　Arms；　and　10；000　Archers；
besides　a　great　Number　of　Footmen；　but　not　defined。　In　the　end　of
Summer　he　fought　that　famous　Battel　of　Cressey；　and　in　the
beginning　of　Winter　did　set　his　Siege　before　Calais。　This　Year
likewise　was　the　King　of　Scots　taken　prisoner　at　the　Battel　of
Durham；　by　the　Queen：　The　21st　year　of　his　Reign　his　Receipts
amounted　unto　226；113　pound；　five　shillings　and　five　pence；
almost　all　this　year　the　King　continued　his　Siege　before　Calais；
having　reinforced　his　Army；　both　out　of　England　and　Gascoign；　and
kept　the　Sea　by　his　own　Shipping　and　the　Easterlings；　and　in　the
end　of　the　year；　notwithstanding　that　the　King　of　France　having
assembled　all　his　Puissance；　sought　to　rescue　it；　the　Town　was
yielded；　and　an　English　Colony　transported　thither；　and　Victuals
besides；　all　this　year　the　King　continued　his　auxiliary　forces　in
Brittany　with　great　success。
　　　　Now　if　King　Edward　the　Third　had　with　his　Revenue　furnished
out　Money　for　these　great　actions　of　War；　besides　the
Magnificence　of　his　own　house　and　other　necessary　expences　of　his
Kingdom；　I　do　appeal　to　the　Judgment　of　the　Reader　whether　the
ordinary　expences　of　the　King's　house；　and　other　necessary　things
within　his　Kingdom；　and　the　like　actions　of　War　could　be
maintained　（not　speaking　of　the　success）　at　this　day　with　any
frugality　without　any　other　increase　of　comings　in；　equal　in
Proportion　to　the　increase　of　the　hire　of　Labourers　and　Servants
wages；　which　I　compute　at　six　times　or　rather　at　8　times　as　much
as　then　it　was。　And　I　am　sure　that　whosoever　shall　exactly　weigh
all　Circumstances；　shall　find　that　of　the　two；　this　latter
comparison　will　exceed　the　former。
　　　　Having　thus；　with　as　much　exactness　as　possible　I　can；　and　I
conceive　is　incident　to　this　subject；　made　proof　of　the
Proportion　between　Gold　and　Silver　and　the　things　valued　by　them；
as　it　now　stands　compared　with　what　it　antiently　was；　and　namely
in　the　25th　year　of　Edward　the　Third；　the　next　that　I　have
undertaken　to　prove；　is；　that　the　different　Proportion　which　is
really　grown　between　Gold　and　Silver；　and　the　things　valued　by
them；　doth　principally　and　indeed　solely　arise　of　the　grat
quantities　of　the　said　Mettals；　which　in　these　hundred　years　was
brought　out　of　the　East　and　West…Indies。　Now　although　there　be
many　other　causes　which　may　produced　this　effect；　as　Scarcity　or
Abundance　of　the　things　valued　by　Money；　War；　Depopulation；　and
al