a discourse of coin and coinage-第7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！


charge：　and　if　the　people　do　hold　this　base　esteem　of　this
mixture　which　hath　in　it　the　intrinsical　value　for　which　it　is
current；　how　much　more　base　esteem　must　they　hold　of　that
mixture；　which　they　know　hath　not　neer　in　it　that　intrinsical
value　for　which　it　is　current；　and　how　much　more　must　they　needs
raise　the　Silver。　And　certainly　base　Money；　when　either　it　is　at
first　coined　much　in　the　intrinsical　value　under　the　extrinsical；
or　is　by　degrees　brought　unto　it　and　long　so　continued；　doth　in
the　end　breed　either　Insurrections　among　the　People；　or
rejections　of　it；　whereof　the　examples　of　Insurrections　are　very
frequent；　and　therefore　I　will　forbear　to　instance　in　them。　But　I
cannot　omit　one　example　of　Rejection；　because　it　is　so　fresh　in
Memory；　which　was　in　Ireland　in　the　end　of　the　Reign　of　Queen
Elizabeth；　which　Country　although　it　was　newly　vindicated　from
Rebellion；　and　did　patently　endure　all　the　imperious　Directions
which　a　late　fresh　Victory　did　bring　with　it；　yet　as　soon　as　the
Exchanges　of　base　Moneys　sent　thither　did　cease　in　England；　it
was　instantly　rejected　there；　and　would　not　pass　current　for　so
much　as　in　the　true　intrinsical　value　it　was　worth；　but　was
brought　up　at　under　rates　by　such　as　made　profit　by　melting　it。
　　　　Fifthly；　The　Dishonour　that　accompanies　base　Moneys；　is　of　a
more　important　Inconvenience　than　all　the　rest；　for　what　can　be
more　dishonourable　than　to　have　the　Image　of　the　Prince；　or　the
Mark　of　the　Publick　Attestation　impressed　upon　false　and
counterfeited　stuff：　according　to　the　saying　of　an　Emperour；　Quid
enim　erit　tutum　si　in　nostra　peccetur　Effigie？　And　if　there　be
gain　made　of　it；　it　is　a　manifest　breach　of　the　publick　Faith；
for　that　it　hath　no　other　course　than　as　it　hath　publick　warrant
to　be　good。　Nay；　this　point　of　Honour　hath　so　far　prevailed　in
the　World；　that　it　hath　been　made　an　Observation　by　many；　that　in
all　great　Divisions　in　States　and　Monarchaies；　that　partly　hath
infallibly　the　juster　cause　which　doth　most　warily　proceed；
either　to　the　raising　of　the　price；　or　the　abasing　of　the　matter
thereof：　which　Observations　are　not　without　warrant　of　Experience
nor　of　Reason　also；　for　that　all　raising　of　the　price　and　abasing
of　the　matter　of　Money　for　gain；　drawing　with　it　an　unjust；
ruinous　and　unequal　burthen　upon　the　people；　they　that　maintain
the　better　cause；　like　the　true　Mother；　will　choose　to　loose　the
cause　than　the　Child　should　be　destroyed。　In　which　loyal
maintenance　of　the　public　Faith　in　matters　of　Money　our　Kings　do
incomparably　outshine　all　other　Princes　and　States　of　Europe：　for
if　Spain；　and　some　other　States　do　equal　them　in　the　pureness　of
the　mettals；　and　the　low　values　of　their　Monies　of　Gold　and
Silver；　yet　they　have　made　themselves　farr　inferiour　unto　them　by
filling　their　Countries　with　base　Money。　And　if　in　Muscovy　they
have　coined　no　base　Money；　yet　they　have　raised　the　Standard　of
their　Silver　so　high；　by　diminishing　both　the　fineness　and
weight；　that　the　Silver　itself　scarcly　deserves　that　name。　And
this　I　have　seen　and　can　learn　by　other　means；　that　there　is　no
State　in　the　World　more　excellently　tempered　than　this　of
England；　or　wherein　the　Prince　is　more　absolute　in　all　things；
wherein　it　is　good　for　himself　and　the　publick；　that　he　should　be
absolute；　or　where　the　great　men　are　more　honoured　without
license　of　oppressing　the　People；　or　where　the　People　do　live
more　freely　or　so　happily　as　in　England。　As　for　the　Remedies　of
this　Inconvenience　of　base　Money；　I　do　leave　those　Countries　to
struggle　with　them　that　are　afflicted　with　it；　for　us　in　England
the　remedy　is　plain　and　easy；　which　is　mainly　and　constantly　to
keep　it　out。　Thus　far　I　have　proceeded　in　the　History　of　Money　to
set　down；　as　briefly　as　I　could；　by　what　degrees　Money　hath　grown
into　that　form　and　state　as　now　it　is　governed；　but　have　forborn
to　speake　of　the　Inconveniences　grown　therein；　and　of　the
Remedies　thereof；　save　only　in　the　last　Chapter；　which　I　mean　to
propound；　and　debate　in　the　rest　of　this　Discourse；　for　the
opening　of　the　Readers　understanding　without　making　any　positive
conclusion；　but　leave　that　to　every　ones　private　Judgment。

Chapter　7

Of　the　Inconveniences　in　general　grown　in　the　matter　of　Money。

　　　　The　inconveniences　which　are　accident　to　this　Subject　of
Money　are　in　general　but　two；　Raritie　and　Confusion；　which
although　they　do　coincide　many　times　in　the　subject；　that　is；
that　Rarity　breeds　Confusion；　and　Confusion　breeds　Rarity；　yet　in
their　Nature　they　do　differ；　and　many　times　likewise　in　the
Subject；　and　there　is　seen　Confusion　without　Rarity；　and　Rarity
without　Confusion：　yet　this　latter　branch　of　Confusion　will　yield
small　matter　to　our　discourse；　because　in　England　no　forrein
Coins　are　current；　nor　base　Money；　there　is　no　variation　in　the
Mints；　there　being　but　one；　and　there　is　very　small　Varietie　in
Allayes；　in　the　Silver　Money　none　at　all；　and　in　the　Gold；　but
two；　all　which　are　occasions　of　confusion　in　the　matter　of　Money。
As　for　the　other　branch　of　Rarity；　the　causes　thereof；　when　we
come　to　handle　them；　will　appear　both　very　various　and　very
intricate。　And；　if　I　were　to　handle　this　Subject　as　part　of　a
Treatise　of　the　best　Form　of　a　Common…wealth；　I　would　first
endeavour　to　search　out　what　proportion　of　Money　were　fittest　for
the　Common…wealth；　for　if　MOney　were　invented　for　the　Exchange　of
things　useful　to　man's　life；　there　is　a　certain　Proportion　for
that　use；　and　there　is　as　well　a　too　much　as　a　too　little：
Because　that　the　want　of　Money　makes　the　life　of　the　Citizens
penurious　and　barbarous；　so　the　over…great　Abundance　of　Money
makes　their　lives　luxurious　and　wanton；　by　reason　of　the　great
Commutability　of　all　things　for　Money；　by　which　the　vain　and
vicious　Fancies　of　men　are　presently　supplied　with　all　that　they
do　affect。　But　I　must　apply　my　Conceit　to　the　Common…wealth　as　it
is；　not　as　a　Philosopher　may　frame　it　is　to　perfect　the　Horse　in
all　his　natural　actions；　and　to　redeem　and　win　him　from　all
vicious　affections；　but　for　the　Rider　it　is　enough　if　he　do　use
him　to　the　best　Advantage　such　as　he　finds　him。
　　　　ow　all　the　Common…wealths　of　the　World　are　grown　to　such　a
Depravation；　that　not　only　the　exchange　of　Necessaries；　for　which
Money　was　first　invented；　but　all　things　else　are　valued　by
Money；　the　services　and　duties　of　the　Commonwealth；　the　virtue
and　the　lives　of　the　citizens；　so　that　in　the　common　opinions；
that　State　that　abounds　in　Money；　hath　Courage；　hath　Men；　and　all
other　Instruments　to　defend　itself　and　offend　others；　if　it　have
wisdom　how　to　make　use　of　it：　and　upon　this　ground　it　was　said；
during　the　time　of　the　late　Wars　in　France；　that　that　side　that
had　the　last　Crown　to　spend　must　be　infallibly　victorious。　And　it
seems　that　in　the　Low　Countries；　on　both　sides　they　are　of　the
same　opinion；　for　so　they　may　draw　Money　by　it　from　their
Enemies；　they　do　furnish　them　with　Victuals　and　other　Provisions
to　sustain　their　Armies　by　Pasport　and　publick　Avowal。　Hence　it
is　that　in　the　modern　Forms　of　Common…wealths　there　is　no
Proportion；　no　Mediocrity　of　Money；　but　all　do　strive　to　abound
with　it；　without　any　stint。　And　hence　it　is　that　Rarity　is　almost
the　sole　Inconvenience　in　matter　of　Money；　the　Rarity　of　Money
doth　grow　out　of　these　Four　Causes　following；　viz。
　　　　First；　Want　of　means　to　bring　in　the　Materials　of　Money。
　　　　Secondly；　Facility　of　exporting　them。
　　　　Thirdly；　The　wasting　of　them　in　the　Kingdom。
　　　　Fourthly；　The　great　encrease　of　the　proportion　between　Gold
and　Silver；　and　the　things　valued　by　them。

　　　　First；　the　want　of　means　to　bring　in　the　Materials　of　Money；
may　be　reduced　into　these　heads。
　　　　First；　The　want　of　Manufactures；　for　Manufactures　do　breed
Money；　and　Money　again　doth　breed　Manufactures；　which　is　apparent
in　divers　States　and　Cities；　that　have　no　natural　commodities　of
their　own；　either　to　exchange　for　other　Commodities　or　to　bring
in　Gold　and　Silver；　which　do　yet　notwithstanding　abound　with　both
by　reason　of　their　Manufactures；　and　as　the　Stocks　of　their　Money
do　encrease；　so　do　their　Manufactures　encrease　withall。　But　the
ways　of　encreasing　and　maintaining　Manuf