a discourse of coin and coinage-第25章

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in　use；　yet　it　remains　to　be　considered　how　they　would　be
reformed　by　this　new　form　of　Coining。　And　first　it　is　true；　if
the　form　were　used；　it　were　not　possible　for　any　King　or　State　to
make　any　advantage　either　by　the　raising　of　the　price　of　Money　or
diminishing　the　weight：　neither　could　they　indeed　make　any
Advantage　by　addition　of　Allay；　if　the　Proposition　be　truly
observed。　As　for　the　raising　of　Money　by　other　Nations；　It　is
plain　that　the　Observation　of　this　Proposition；　here　in　England；
would　not　hinder　them　to　raise　still；　as　now　they　do；　but　then　it
is　to　be　considered；　whether　their　raising　would　turn　to　our
Disadvantage　as　now　it　doth。
　　　　And　first；　if　other　Nations　raise　their　Money；　they　can
neither　by　that　raising　make　their　Moneys　valuable　to　us；　nor
make　our　Money　more　valuable　to　them；　when　as　before　their
raising　or　after　their　raising；　they　can　give　it　no　other　value
than　by　weight；　because　the　pieces　are　uncertain。
　　　　But　it　may　be　objected；　That　when　our　Neighbours　raise　their
Money；　then　will　our　Money　（being　al　by　weight）　go　further　to　be
coined　into　theirs；　than　it　would　have　done　before　and
consequently　for　that　profit　will　be　transported　until　the　price
of　their　commodities　do　grow　up　unto　their　Money。
　　　　To　which　it　may　be　answered；　That　they　cannot　set　an　higher
price　upon　the　pieces　of　our　Money　as　now　they　use　to　do；　because
the　piece　hath　no　certain　weight；　then　they　cannot　cull　out　the
pieces　as　（now　they　do）　which　over…weight；　and　so　by　converting
them　into　their　own　Money；　make　benefit　of　them；　so　as　there　is
no　way　left　unto　them　to　make　profit　of　our　Money　when　it　is
transported；　but　to　deliver　it　into　the　Mint　to　be　here　coined
into　their　Money；　in　which　case　the　Transporter　must　of　necessity
loose　all　the　charge　of　the　coinage　here；　together　with　the　Kings
Tribute；　and　he　must　also　loose　the　like　charge　in　the　place
where　he　coins　it　a　new。　Both　which　put　together　would　make　so
great　a　Proportion；　as　no　raising　for　the　drawing　of　Silver　or
Gold；　into　any　State　at　one　time　hath　hath　ever　equalled　it。
　　　　But　yet　this　Scruple　remains　unsatisfied；　That　at　least　the
Bullion；　which　otherwise　would　have　come　unto　you；　will　be　in　the
mean　time　diverted　until　the　price　of　Commodities　be　grown　up　to
the　value　of　their　Money　as　it　is　raised。　But　it　is　manifest；
that　all　other　mischiefs　set　down　before　would　be　taken　away　by
this　Proposition；　as　culling；　washing；　scaling　and　clipping　of
Money；　for　that　no　benefit　could　possibly　be　made　by　them；　and
that　equality　of　Exchange　formerly　propounded　would　by　this　means
be　brought　the　nearest　to　perfection　of　any　other；　for　that　the
Merchant；　first　shall　understand　the　true　value　of　his　own　Money；
and　cannot　make　the　account　of　Exchange　in　a　forrein　place；　but
by　comparing　their　Moneys　in　true　weight　and　fineness　with　his
own；　so　as　he　cannot　be　deceived　either　by　a　false　reputed　value
of　his　own　Money；　or　of　the　Money　which　he　is　to　receive　by
Exchange；　and　therefore　will　not　make　his　Exchange　to　loss；
except　he　be　induced　thereunto　by　some　other　circumstances　which
have　no　relation　to　the　Subject　of　Money。
　　　　But　having　thus　far　debated　of　the　Commodities　and　Benefits
of　this　Proposition　and　prevention　of　former　Inconveniences；　It
now　remains　to　be　inquired　what　new　Inconveniences　this
Proposition　would　bring　with　it。
　　　　And　first；　The　alteration　would　be　very　strange；　and　with
great　difficulty　would　be　received　by　the　People　in　a　matter　that
is　of　most　general　and　continual　use　of　all　others；　in　stead　of
accounting　by　a　pound　sterling；　angels；　shillings；　and　groats；　to
come　now　to　accompt　by　Pound　weights；　Marks；　Ounces；　Scruples；
and　Drachmas；　to　which　the　only　answer　to　be　made　is；
　　　　That　although　the　Trouble　and　Difficultie　would　be　very
great；　yet　being　once　settled；　it　would　be　settled　for　ever；
whereas　now　the　Trouble　and　Inconvenience　which　the　People　endure
in　this　matter　of　Money　is　often　renewed；　but　never　amended。
　　　　A　second　Objection　is；　The　Extream　molestation　which　the
People　should　receive　in　the　practice　of　it；　when　as　every　man
should　be　bound　to　carry　scales　in　his　pocket　（as　they　say　they
do　in　China）　and　upon　every　little　payment　be　bound　to　weigh
their　Money。
　　　　To　which　it　may　be　answered；　That　there　have　been　antiently
Proclamations　in　England；　and　very　lately　in　France；　to　avoid　the
frequency　of　washing；　clipping　and　scaling；　to　oblige　the　People
to　weigh　their　pieces　of　Silver　as　well　as　of　Gold；　but　for　the
Silver；　the　People　could　never　be　brought　unto　it；　whereas　by
this　Proposition；　of　Necessity；　every　man　receives　Money　must　be
tied　to　weigh　the　Silver　as　well　as　the　Gold；　and　all　these
Inconveniences　of　scaling；　washing；　culling；　and　wearing；　would
be　avoided　with　a　small　part　of　that　trouble　to　the　People；which
the　weighing　of　the　several　pieces　of　Silver　would　put　them　unto；
partly　because　the　least　and　most　ordinary　payments　would　be
accommodated　by　the　small　pieces　coined　of　a　certain　weight；　and
partly　because　the　trouble　of　smaller　payments　would　be
recompenced　by　the　ease　of　the　greater；　for　by　this　course　a
thousand　pounds　will　be　as　soon　weighed　as　twenty　shillings　can
now　be　reckoned。
　　　　A　third　Objection　may　be　made　against　it；　That　by　this
Proposition　Princes　and　States　would　be　deprived　of　the　means　to
make　secret　benefit　of　their　Moneys；　which　hath　been　continually
practised；　and　especially　in　times　of　eminent　necessity；　even　to
the　preservation　of　Kingdomes。
　　　　To　this　is　answered；　That　the　Objection　though　it　be　true　is
yet　of　no　weight；　because　that　profit　so　made；　is　first　made
unjustly；　and　by　the　breach　of　publick　Faith；　and　then　it　is　but
a　false　seeming　profit；　and　always　mischievous　to　the　People；　and
really　not　good　for　the　receivers　of　it。　And　（as　it　was　formerly
touched）　it　may　be　observed；　That　after　the　decay　of　the　Roman
Empire；　the　Reglements　of　the　Mint　of　that　great　Monarchy　being
lost；　through　the　Inundations　of　barbarous　People　（as　many　other
excellent　Institutions　were）　the　Jews　（who　by　God's　Curse　were
dispers'd　into　all　Nations；　and　being　suffered　to　acquire　no
natural　possessions；　betook　themselves　to　artificial　possessions；
especially　gave　themselves　to　the　Study　of　the　nature　of　this
matter　of　Money　as　their　Patrimony）　in　most　Countries　were
imployed　in　the　affairs　of　the　Mint：　and　to　them　succeeded　the
Italians；　as　it　may　be　observed　here　in　England；　where　for　some
Ages；　after　the　expulsion　of　the　Jews；　there　were　no　Masters　of
the　Mint　but　Italians　of　Lucca　or　Genoa：　Now　these　People　being
subtil　Masters　of　their　Art；　and　having　no　natural　affection　to
these　Countries　where　they　were　imployed；　but　aiming　only　to　keep
their　own　Mills　grinding；　did　by　projects　of　colourable　profit；
abuse　those　States　where　they　were　trusted；　and　keep　them　in
continual　alteration　of　their　Coin；　which　always　in　the　end
turned　to　diminution　of　the　intrinsical　value；　and　therefore；
finally　this　Proposition　seemeth　to　me　most　strange　and　remote
from　common　apprehension　of　all　the　rest；　but；　being　duly
weighed；　the　least　Inconvenient　and　most　likely　to　produce　good
effect　of　any　of　the　others。　And　thus　I　have　set　down　all　the
Remedies；　that　by　enquiry　I　could　learn；　to　have　bin　propounded
either　in　England；　or　in　other　parts　for　the　Inconveniences　grown
into　this　Subject　of　Money；　wherein　all　the　particular　Projects
that　have　made　the　same　projects；　varied　only　in　form；　or　in　some
by　circumstances；　yet　I　do　believe；　that　hardly　（one）　can　be
quoted；　whereof　the　ground　and　essence　is　not　here　set　down　and
debated。
　　　　　　　　And；　if　the　Reader；　that　with　attention　and　care　shall
have　made　his　way　through　this　intricate　Discourse；　shall　in　the
end　complain　that　after　all　his　pains；　he　finds　himself　as　little
resolved　what　is　fit　to　be　done　in　this　subject　as　before；
considering　the　variety　and　contrariety　of　the　consideration
incident　unto　it；　I　must　apeal　whether　I　did　not　from　the
beginning　profess　to　set　down　nothing　but　problematically；　and
that　my　Scope　was　not　to　render　the　Reader　able　to　find　out　the
fittest　course　to　govern　this　matter　of　Money　and　coin；　but　able
to　jud