a discourse of coin and coinage-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　But　first　to　shew　the　Antiquity　of　the　practice　of　raising　of
Monies　we　will　begin　with　the　Romans。　The　As；　which　was
originally　coyned　of　a　pound　weight；　was；　during　the　first　Punick
War　for　help　of　publick　necessities；　brought　to　2　ounces；　and　all
the　lesser　parts　of　the　As；　as　ounces　and　others；　were　abated　in
proportion。　During　the　Dictatorship　of　Fabius　Maximus　the　As　was
brought　to　one　ounce　weight；　and　yet　reduced　again　by　Papirius　to
half　an　ounce。　The　Denarii　of　Silver　were　at　first　current　for
ten　As；　and　the　Sestertii；　which　were　quarters　of　the　Denarii；
for　two　and　a　half　as。　But　when　the　weight　of　the　as　was
diminished　to　one　ounce　the　denarius　was　made　worth　sixteen　as；
and　the　sestertius　worth　four　as。　They　did　likewise　make　sundry
abasements　（by　means）　of　the　Allay；　whereof　that　of　Livius　Drusus
was　excessive；　mixing　an　8th　part　of　Copper。　And　hereby　the
confusions　grew　so　great；　that　Tullie　in　a　passage　of　his　Offices
saith；　Jactobatur　enim　Temporibus　illis　Nummus；　sic　ut　nemo
posset　scire　quid　haberet　（in　pecunia）；　where　upon　Marius
Gratidianus；　who　being　Triumvir　monetae　cudendae；　brought　in　an
exact　Ordinance　for　the　regulating　of　this　Money；　had　Statues
erected　to　him　by　the　people。　The　first　gold　pieces　were　coined
of　40　pieces　in　the　pound；　and　in　the　time　of　Justinian；　the　same
pieces；　called　Solidi　aurei　were　72　in　the　pound。　After　the　great
inundations　of　the　Barbarous　people　into　the　Roman　Empire；　the
Confusions　in　this　subject　of　Money　grew　incredible。
　　　　Charles　the　Great；　in　whose　time　the　Monarchy　of　the　Francks
grew　to　the　Height；　made　a　new　Reglement　of　Moneys；　which　is　the
same　that　continues　to　this　day　in　France；　and　is　the　same　which
we　do　now　practice　in　England；　for　the　division　of　Moneys；　though
for　the　Values　of　them　the　difference　is　grown　exceeding　great：
For　he　renewed　again　the　Account　by　Livres　or　Pounds；　and　divided
the　Pounds　into　twenty　Solidi；　which　in　France　they　call　Sols；
and　we　Shillings；　the　solidus　again　into　12　Denarii；　which　in
France　they　call　Deniers；　and　we　pence。　But　the　values　are　grown
so　different　as　every　of　our　Shillings；　our　Pounds；　our　Pence　are
valued　at　ten　of　theirs：　and　yet　in　intrinsical　value　are　more。
Many　do　hold　that　by　the　Institution　of　Charles　the　Great；　twenty
Sols　contained　in　them　a　Pound　of　silver。　but　it　is　authentically
to　be　proved；　both　by　unquestionable　Records；　and　by　Pieces
themselves；　of　which　I　have　some　extant；　that　many　hundred　of
years　after；　in　the　time　of　St。　Lewis；　who　was　contemporary　with
our　Henry　the　Third；　that　the　Sols　then　contained　in　intrinsical
value　near　six　Sols　of　this　present　King；　so　much　hath　the　Money
since　that　time　been　raised　in　price；　and　abased　in　substance；
which　is　the　same。　In　the　Reign　of　Philip　the　Second；　in　the　year
1181；　the　French　Mark　of　fine　Gold；　which　makes　almost　8　ounces
of　our　Pound；　was　valued　in　the　Moneys　then　at　44　livres；　and　the
Mark　of　the　King's　Silver　was　valued　at　2　livres；　13　sols；　and　4
deniers。　And　by　the　Edict　of　this　present　King；　in　the　year　1614；
the　Mark　of　the　same　Gold　was　valued　at　278　Livres；　6　Sols；　6
Deniers。　And　the　Mark　of　the　same　silver　was　valued　at　20　livres；
5　Sols；　so　that　in　this　time；　the　Gold　hath　been　raised　to　six
times；　and　almost　the　third　part　of　the　price　which　then　it　did
bear；　and　the　Silver　hath　been　raised　much　above　seven　times　the
value　which　then　it　did　bear。
　　　　I　will　not　trouble　the　Reader　to　set　down　by　what　degrees
this　Price　has　grown　to　so　great　an　height　which　have　been　very
various；　the　Price　having　been　sometimes　excessively　raised　and
sometimes　sudainly　reduced　back　again　by　the　French　Kings；　and
most　commonly　to　make　a　Levy　of　Monies　upon　the　People；　which
hath　bred　infinite　Confusions；　and　sometimes　Rebellions　in　that
Kingdom。
　　　　But　I　will　now　come　to　the　Kingdom　of　England；　where　the
raising　of　the　Price　hath　been　with　a　more　constant　hand；　and；
almost　alwayes；　out　of　a　kind　of　Necessity　to　follow　the　raising
of　other　States；　yet；　from　time　to　time　we　shall　not　finde　the
Rates　of　the　raising　much　to　differ　from　those　of　France。　But　I
cannot　begin　from　so　antient　（a　date）　as　in　France；　The　first
Record　that　I　can　find　for　this　purpose　being　in　the　eighteenth
year　of　Edward　the　Third；　which　was　in　the　year　of　Grace　about
1344。　And　then　a　pound　of　Gold　of　sterling　Standard；　which　is　23
carrats；　3　grains；　and　one　half　fine；　was　valued　at　13　pound　4s
8d。　and　a　pound　of　Silver　of　sterling　Standard；　at　22s。　2d。　The
20th　of　Edward　the　Third；　the　pound　of　Gold　of　the　same　Standard
was　raised　to　14　pound；　and　the　pound　of　Silver　to　22s　6d。　In　the
27th　of　Edward　the　Third；　the　same　gold　was　raised　to　15　pound；
and　the　same　Silver　to　25s　the　pound；　the　rest　of　the　reign　of
Edward　the　Third；　and　during　all　the　Reign　of　Richard　the　Second；
and　until　the　Thirteenth　of　Henry　the　Fourth；　the　same　prices
remained。　And　then　by　the　Advice　of　the　Parliament；　to　prevent
Transportation；　the　same　Gold　was　raised　to　16　pound；　15s　and　the
same　Silver　to　30s　the　pound；　and　this　price　remained　all　the
rest　of　the　reign　of　Henry　the　Fourth；　and　during　all　the　Reign
of　Henry　the　Fifth；　and　until　the　49th　of　Henry　the　Sixth；　and
then　the　same　Gold　was　raised　to　22　l。　10s。　and　the　same　Silver
to　37s。　6d。　But　in　the　fourth　of　Edward　the　Fourth；　the　price　of
the　same　Gold　was　brought　back　to　20　pound　16s。　8d。　the　Silver
remaining　as　before。　And　in　the　eighth　of　Edward　the　Fourth；　the
Gold　was　again　raised　to　the　former　price　of　22　l。　10s。　the
Silver　still　remaining　at　37s。　6d。　And　this　price　remained　all
the　rest　of　the　Reign　of　Edward　the　Fourth；　all　the　Reign　of
Richard　the　Third；　all　the　Reign　of　Henry　the　Seventh；　and　all
the　beginning　of　Henry　the　Eight：　But　in　18th　of　Henry　the　Eight；
a　Commission　issued　forth　for　the　Alteration　of　the　Standard；　and
of　the　Prices　of　Moneys；　according　to　the　Direction　to　be　given
by　the　Cardinal　of　York；　and　such　other　of　the　King's　Council　as
he　should　call　unto　him：　form　whence　issued　so　great　a　Confusion；
both　in　the　prices　and　Standard　of　the　Moneys；　as　would　prove
very　difficult　to　trace　out；　and　tedious　to　read；　as　well　for　the
Obscurity　as　for　the　great　Variations；　which　succeeded：　And
therefore　I　pass　over　all　the　rest　of　his　Reign；　as　also　those　of
King　Edward　and　Queen　Mary；　and　until　the　fourteenth　of　Queen
Elizabeth；　when　was　again　coined　Gold　and　Silver　of　the　antient
sterling　Standard；　the　Gold　at　36　l。　the　pound；　and　the　Silver　of
the　old　Standard　at　3　l。　the　pound：　and　although　there　were　at
the　same　time　and　after　much　crown　Gold　coined；　yet　the
intrinsical　value　of　it　was　governed　by　（the　weight　and　fineness
of）　the　Angel　of　Gold：　In　the　25th　and　26th　of　the　Queen；　she
abased　the　standard　of　the　Gold　one　quarter　of　a　grain；　and　the
standard　of　the　Silver　one　penny　weight；　whereby　the　price　of
Gold　was　raised　one　shilling　10　pence　in　the　pound；　and　the　price
of　Silver　3d。　in　the　pound。　but　in　the　second　year　of　King　James；
the　price　of　the　Soveraign；　in　gold　which　is　but　22　carats　fine；
was　raised　to　27　pound；　4　shill。　being　almost　one　eleventh　part
more；　and　by　the　Proclamation；　by　which　every　20　shilling　piece
was　made　current　for　22　shillings；　the　said　Gold　was　yet　raised
another　tenth　part；　so　that　the　increase　of　the　price　of　Gold　has
been　such　by　the　Degrees　before　specified；　that　every　pound
sterling；　by　reckoning　of　Gold　coin；　and　every　part　of　a　pound；
as　Marks；　and　Shillings；　etc。　in　coin　of　Gold；　did　in　the
eighteenth　of　Edward　the　Third　contain　in　intrinsical　value　（id
est）　in　pure　Gold；　thrice　as　much　and　above　a　third　part　more
than　the　same　pound　sterling　in　reckoning　of　Gold…coin；　marks；
shillings；　etc。　does　at　this　day　contain。　And　every　pound
sterling　in　reckoning　of　Silver…coin；　and　every　part　of　a　pound；
as　marks；　shillings；　etc。　in　Silver　coins　did　in　the　18th　year　of
Edward　the　third；　contain　in　intrinsical　value；　（id　est）　in　pure
Silver；　thrice　as　much；　wanting　about　1/6th　part　as　the　same
pound　sterling；　in　reckoning　of　Silver　coins；　marks；　shillings；
etc。　does　at　this　day　contain。
　　　　There　is　yet　another　Proportion　of　Gold　and　Silver　to　be
inquired　into　as