some considerations of the lowering of interest-第24节

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　the　same　price　one　with　another；　as　to　keep　two　Things　in　an　AEquilibrium；　where　their　varying　weights；　depend　on　different　Causes。　Put　a　piece　of　Spunge　in　one　Scale；　and　an　exact　counterpoise　of　Silver　in　the　other；　you　will　be　mightily　mistaken　if　you　imagine；　that　because　they　are　to　day　equal；　they　shall　always　remain　so。　The　weight　of　the　Spunge　varying　with　every　change　of　moisture。　in　the　Air；　the　Silver　in　the　opposite　Scale　will　sometimes　Rise　and　sometimes　Fall。　This　is　just　the　State　of　Silver　and　Gold　in　regard　of　their　mutual　value。　Their　proportion；　or　use；　may；　nay　constancy　does　vary；　and　with　it　their　price。　For　being　estimated　one　in　Reference　to　the　other；　they　are　as　it　were　put　in　opposite　Scales；　and　as　the　one　rises　the　other　falls；　and　so　on　the　contrary。　　　　　Farthings　made　of　a　baser　Metal；　may　on　this　account　too　deserve　your　Consideration。　For　whatsoever　Coin　you　make　current；　above　the　Intrinsick　value；　will　always　be　dammage　to　the　Publick；　whoever　get　by　it。　But　of　this　I　shall　not　at　present　enter　into　a　more　particular　Enquiry。　Only　this　I　will　confidently　affirm；　That　it　is　the　Interest　ofevery　Country；　that　all　the　current　Money　of　it　should　be　of　one　and　the　same　Metal；　That　the　several　Species　should　be　all　of　the　same　Alloy；　and　none　of　a　baser　mixture：　And　that　the　Standard　once　thus　settled；　should　be　Inviolably　and　Immutably　kept　to　perpetuity。　For　whenever　that　is　alter'd；　upon　what　pretence　soever；　the　Publick　will　lose　by　it。　　　　　Since　then　it　will　neither　bring　us　in　more　Money；　Bullion；　nor　Trade；　nor　keep　that　we　have　here；　nor　hinder　our　weighty　Money；　of　what　Denomination　soever；　from　being　melted；　to　what　purpose　should　the　kingdom　be　at　the　charge　of　Coining　all　our　Money　a…new？　For　I　do　not　suppose　any　Body　can　propose；　that　we　should　have　two　sorts　of　Money　at　the　same　time；　one　heavier；　and　the　other　lighter；　as　it　comes　from　the　Mint。　That　is　very　absurd　to　imagine。　So　that　if　all　your　old　Money　must　be　Coin'd　over　again；　it　will　indeed　be　some　advantage；　and　that　a　very　considerable　one；　to　the　Officers　of　the　Mint。　For　they　being　allow'd　Sixteen　pence　half…penny　for　the　Coinage　of　every　Pound　Troy；　which　is　very　near　Five　and　an　half　per　Cent。　If　our　Money　be　Six　Millions；　and　must　be　Coin'd　all　over　again；　it　will　cost　the　Nation　to　the　Mint　One　hundred　thirty　thousand　pounds。　If　the　clip'd　Money　must　scape；　because　it　is　already　as　light　as　your　new　Standard；　do　you　not　own　that　this　design　of　new　Coinage　is　just　of　the　Nature　of　Clipping？　　　　　This　business　of　Money　and　Coinage　is　by　some　Men；　and　amongst　them　some　very　Ingenious　Persons；　thought　a　great　Mystery；　and　very　hard　to　be　understood。　Not　that　truly　in　it　self　it　is　so：　But　because　interessed　People　that　treat　of　it；　wrap　up　the　Secret　they　make　advantage　of　in　mystical；　obscure；　and　unintelligible　ways　of　Talking；　Which　Men；　from　a　preconceiv'd　opinion　of　the　difficulty　of　the　subject；　taking　for　Sense；　in　a　matter　not　easie　to　be　penetrated；　but　by　the　Men　of　Art；　let　pass　for　Current　without　Examination。　Whereas；　would　they　look　into　those　Discourses；　enquire　what　meaning　their　Words　have；　they　would　find；　for　the　most　part；　either　their　Positions　to　be　false；　their　Deductions　to　be　wrong；　or　（which　often　happens）　their　words　to　have　no　distinct　meaning　at　all。　Where　none　of　these　be；　there　their　plain；　true；　honest　Sense；　would　prove　very　easie　and　intelligible；　if　express'd　in　ordinary　and　direct　Language。　　　　　That　this　is　so；　I　shall　shew；　by　examining　a　Printed　Sheet　on　this　Subject；　Intituled；　Remarks　on　a　Paper　given　in　to　the　Lords；　&c。　　　　　Remarks。　'Tis　certain；　That　what　place　soever　will　give　most　for　Silver　by　weight；　it　will　thither　be　carried　and　Sold：　And　if　of　the　Money　which　now　passes　in　England；　there　can　be　5　s。　5　d。　the　Ounce；　given　for　Standard　Silver　at　the　Mint；　when　but　5　s。　4　d。　ofthe　very　same　Money　can　be　given　elsewhere　for　it；　it　will　be　certainly　brought　to　the　Mint；　and　when　Coin'd；　cannot　be　Sold；　（having　one　Penny　over…value　set　upon　it　by　the　Ounce）　for　the　same　that　other　Plate　may　be　bought　for；　so　will　be　left　unmelted；　at　least；　'twill　be　the　Interest　of　any　Exporters；　to　buy　Plate　to　send　out；　before　Money；　whereas　now　'tis　his　Interest　to　buy　Money　to　send　out　before　Plate。　　　　　Answ。　The　Author　would　do　well　to　make　it　intelligible；　how；　of　the　Money　that　now　passes　in　England；　at　the　Mint　can　be　given　5　s。　5　d。　the　Ounce；　for　Standard　Silver；　when　but　5　s。　4　d。　of　the　same　Money　can　be　given　elsewhere　for　it。　Next；　How　it　has　one　Penny　over…value　set　wpon　it　by　the　Ounce；　So　that；　When　Coin'd　it　cannot　be　Sold？　This；　to　an　ordinary　Reader；　looks　very　Mysterious；　and；　I　fear；　is　so；　as　either　signifying　nothing　at　all；　or　nothing　that　will　hold。　For；　　　　　1。　I　ask　who　is　it　at　the　Mint；　that　can　give　5　s。　5d。　per　Ounce；　for　Standard　Silver；　when　no　body　else　can　give　above　5　s。　4　d。？　Is　it　the　king；　or　is　it　the　Master　Worker；　or　any　ofthe　Officers？　For　to　give　5　s。　5　d。　for　what　will　yield　but　5　s　4　d。　to　any　body　else；　is　to　give　One　sixty　fifth　part　more　than　it　is　worth。　For　so　much　every　thing　is　worth；　as　it　will　yield。　And　I　do　not　see　how　this　can　turn　to　account　to　the　king；　or　be　born　by　any　body　else。　　　　　2。　I　ask；　How　a　Penny　over…value　can　be　set　upon　it　by　the　Ounce；　so　that　it　cannot　be　sold？　This　is　so　Mysterious　that　I　think　it　near　impossible。　For　an　equal　quantity　of　Standard　Silver　will　always　be　just　worth　an　equal　quantity　of　Standard　Silver。　And　it　is　utterly　impossible　to　make　64　parts　of　Standard　Silver　equal　to；　or　worth　65　parts　of　the　same　Standard　Silver；　which　is　meant　by　setting　a　Penny　over…value　upon　it　by　the　Ounce；　if　that　has　any　meaning　at　all。　Indeed；　by　the　Workmanship　of　it；　64　Ounces　of　Standard　Silver　may　be　made　not　only　worth　65　Ounces；　but　70　or　80。　But　the　Coinage；　which　is　all　the　Workmanship　here；　being　paid　for　by　a　Tax；　I　do　not　see　how　that　can　be　reckon'd　at　all：　Or　if　it　be；　it　must　raise　every　5　s。　and　4　d。　Coin'd；　to　above　5　s。　5　d。　If　I　carry　64　Ounces　of　Standard　Silver　in　Bullion　to　the　Mint；　to　be　Coin'd；　shall　I　not　have　just　64　Ounces　back　again　for　it　in　Coin？　And　if　so；　Can　these　64　Ounces　of　Coin'd　Standard　Silver；　be　possibly　made　worth　65　Ounces　of　the　same　Standard　Silver　uncoin'd；　when　they　cost　me　no　more；　and　I　can；　for　barely　going　to　the　Mint；　have　64　Ounces　of　Standard　Silver　in　Bullion　turned　into　Coin？　Cheapness　of　Coinage　in　England；　where　it　costs　nothing；　will；　indeed；　make　Money　be　sooner　brought　to　the　Mint；　than　any　where　else：　because　there　I　have　the　convenience　of　having　it　made　into　Money　for　nothing。　But　this　will　no　more　keep　it　in　England；　than　if　it　were　perfect　Bullion。　Nor　will　it　hinder　it　from　being　melted　down；　because　it　cost　no　more　in　Coin　than　in　Bullion：　And　this　equally；　whether　your　Pieces；　of　the　same　Denomination；　be　lighter；　heavier；　or　just　as　they　were　before。　This　being　explain'd；　'will　be　easie　to　see；　whether　the　other　things；　said　in　the　same　Paragraph；　be　true　or　false；　and　particularly；　whether　'twill　be　the　Interest　of　every　Exporter；　to　buy　Plate　to　send　out　before　Money。　　　　　Remark。　'Tis　only　barely　asserted；　That　if　Silver　be　raised　at　the　Mint；　That　'twill　rise　elsewhere　above　it；　but　can　never　be　known　till　it　be　tried。　　　　　Answ。　The　Author　tells　us　in　the　last　Paragraph；　That　Silver　that　is　worth　but　5　s。　2　d。　per　Ounce　at　the　Mint；　is　worth　5　s。　4　d。　elsewhere。　This；　how　true；　or　what　inconvenience　it　hath；　I　will　not　here　examine。　But　be　the　Inconvenience　of　it　what　it　will；　this　raising　the　Money　he　proposes　as　a　Remedy：　And　to　those　who　say；　upon　raising　our　Money　Silver　will　rise　too；　he　makes　this　Answer；　That　it　can　never　be　known；　whether　it　will　Or　no；　till　it　be　tried。　To　which　I　reply；　That　it　may　be　known　as　certainly；　without　Trial；　as　it　can；　That　two　Pieces　of　Silver；　that　weighed　equally　yesterday；　will　weigh　equally　again　to　morrow　in　the　same　Scales。　　　　　There　is　Silver　（says　our　Author）　whereof　an　Ounce　（i。e。　480　Grains）　will　change　for　5　s。　4　d。　（i。e。　496　Grains）　of　our　Standard　Silver　Coin'd。　To　morrow　you　Coin　your　Money　lighter；　so　that　then　5　s。　4　d。　will　have　but　472　Grains　of　Coin'd　Standard　Silver　in　it。　Can　it　not　then　be　known；　without　Trial；　whether　that　Ounce　of　Silver；　which　to　day　will　change　for　496　Grains　of　Standard　Silver　Coin'd；　will　change　to　morrow　but　for　472　Grains　of　the　same　Standard　Silver　Coin'd？　Or　can　any　one　imagine　that　480　Grains　of　the　same　Silver　which　to　day　are　worth　496　Grains　of　our　Coin'd　Silver；　will　to　morrow　be　worth　but　472　Grains　of　the　same　Silver；　a　little　differently　Coin'd？　He　that　can　have　a　Doubt　about　this　till　it　be　tried；　may　as　well　demand　a　Trial　to　be　made；　to　prove；　That　the　same　thing　is　equiponderant；　or　equivalent　to　it　self。　For　I　think　it　is　as　clear；　That　472　Grains　of　Silver　are　equiponderant　to　496　Grains　of　Silver；　as　that　an　Ounce　of　Silver；　that　is　to　day　worth　496　Grains　of　Standard　Silver；　should　to　morrow　be　worth　but　472　Grains　of　the　same　Standard　Silver；　all　Circumstances　remaining　the　same；　but　the　different　Weight　of　the　Pieces　stamp'd：　which　is　that　our　Author　asserts；　when　he　savs；　That　'tis　only　barely　asserted；　&c。　What　has　been　said　to　this；　may　serve　also　for　an