wealbk01-第39章

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market　should　increase；　while　at　the　same　time　the　supply　did　not

increase　in　the　same　proportion；　the　value　of　silver　would

gradually　rise　in　proportion　to　that　of　corn。　Any　given　quantity

of　silver　would　exchange　for　a　greater　and　a　greater　quantity　of

corn；　or；　in　other　words；　the　average　money　price　of　corn　would

gradually　become　cheaper　and　cheaper。

　　　　　If；　on　the　contrary；　the　supply　by　some　accident　should

increase　for　many　years　together　in　a　greater　proportion　than　the

demand；　that　metal　would　gradually　become　cheaper　and　cheaper；

or；　in　other　words；　the　average　money　price　of　corn　would；　in

spite　of　all　improvements；　gradually　become　dearer　and　dearer。

　　　　　But　if；　on　the　other　hand；　the　supply　of　the　metal　should

increase　nearly　in　the　same　proportion　as　the　demand；　it　would

continue　to　purchase　or　exchange　for　nearly　the　same　quantity　of

corn；　and　the　average　money　price　of　corn　would；　in　spite　of　all

improvements；　continue　very　nearly　the　same。

　　　　　These　three　seem　to　exhaust　all　the　possible　combinations　of

events　which　can　happen　in　the　progress　of　improvement；　and

during　the　course　of　the　four　centuries　preceding　the　present；　if

we　may　judge　by　what　has　happened　both　in　France　and　Great

Britain；　each　of　those　three　different　combinations　seem　to　have

taken　place　in　the　European　market；　and　nearly　in　the　same　order；

too；　in　which　I　have　here　set　them　down。　　

　　　　　DIGRESSIONS　CONCERNING　THE　VARIATIONS　IN　THE　VALUE　OF　SILVER

　　　　　　　　　　DURING　THE　COURSE　OF　THE　FOUR　LAST　CENTURIES　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIRST　PERIOD　

　　　　　In　1350；　and　for　some　time　before；　the　average　price　of　the

quarter　of　wheat　in　England　seems　not　to　have　been　estimated

lower　than　four　ounces　of　silver；　Tower　weight；　equal　to　about

twenty　shillings　of　our　present　money。　From　this　price　it　seems

to　have　fallen　gradually　to　two　ounces　of　silver；　equal　to　about

ten　shillings　of　our　present　money；　the　price　at　which　we　find　it

estimated　in　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　and　at　which

it　seems　to　have　continued　to　be　estimated　till　about　1570。

　　　　　In　1350；　being　the　25th　of　Edward　III；　was　enacted　what　is

called　The　Statute　of　Labourers。　In　the　preamble　it　complains

much　of　the　insolence　of　servants；　who　endeavoured　to　raise　their

wages　upon　their　masters。　It　therefore　ordains　that　all　servants

and　labourers　should　for　the　future　be　contented　with　the　same

wages　and　liveries　（liveries　in　those　times　signified　not　only

clothes　but　provisions）　which　they　had　been　accustomed　to　receive

in　the　20th　year　of　the　king；　and　the　four　preceding　years；　that

upon　this　account　their　livery　wheat　should　nowhere　be　estimated

higher　than　tenpence　a　bushel；　and　that　it　should　always　be　in

the　option　of　the　master　to　deliver　them　either　the　wheat　or　the

money。　Tenpence　a　bushel；　therefore；　had；　in　the　25th　of　Edward

III；　been　reckoned　a　very　moderate　price　of　wheat；　since　it

required　a　particular　statute　to　oblige　servants　to　accept　of　it

in　exchange　for　their　usual　livery　of　provisions；　and　it　had　been

reckoned　a　reasonable　price　ten　years　before　that；　or　in　the　16th

year　of　the　king；　the　term　to　which　the　statute　refers。　But　in

the　16th　year　of　Edward　III；　tenpence　contained　about　half　an

ounce　of　silver；　Tower　weight；　and　was　nearly　equal　to

half…a…crown　of　our　present　money。　Four　ounces　of　silver；　Tower

weight；　therefore；　equal　to　six　shillings　and　eightpence　of　the

money　of　those　times；　and　to　near　twenty　shillings　of　that　of　the

present；　must　have　been　reckoned　a　moderate　price　for　the　quarter

of　eight　bushels。

　　　　　This　statute　is　surely　a　better　evidence　of　what　was

reckoned　in　those　times　a　moderate　price　of　grain　than　the　prices

of　some　particular　years　which　have　generally　been　recorded　by

historians　and　other　writers　on　account　of　their　extraordinary

dearness　or　cheapness；　and　from　which；　therefore；　it　is　difficult

to　form　any　judgment　concerning　what　may　have　been　the　ordinary

price。　There　are；　besides；　other　reasons　for　believing　that　in

the　beginning　of　the　fourteenth　century；　and　for　some　time

before；　the　common　price　of　wheat　was　not　less　than　four　ounces

of　silver　the　quarter；　and　that　of　other　grain　in　proportion。

　　　　　In　1309；　Ralph　de　Born；　prior　of　St。　Augustine's；

Canterbury；　gave　a　feast　upon　his　installation…day；　of　which

William　Thorn　has　preserved　not　only　the　bill　of　fare　but　the

prices　of　many　particulars。　In　that　feast　were　consumed；　first；

fifty…three　quarters　of　wheat；　which　cost　nineteen　pounds；　or

seven　shillings　and　twopence　a　quarter；　equal　to　about

one…and…twenty　shillings　and　sixpence　of　our　present　money；

secondly；　fifty…eight　quarters　of　malt；　which　cost　seventeen

pounds　ten　shillings；　or　six　shillings　a　quarter；　equal　to　about

eighteen　shillings　of　our　present　money；　thirdly；　twenty　quarters

of　oats；　which　cost　four　pounds；　or　four　shillings　a　quarter；

equal　to　about　twelve　shillings　of　our　present　money。　The　prices

of　malt　and　oats　seem　here　to　be　higher　than　their　ordinary

proportion　to　the　price　of　wheat。

　　　　　These　prices　are　not　recorded　on　account　of　their

extraordinary　dearness　or　cheapness；　but　are　mentioned

accidentally　as　the　prices　actually　paid　for　large　quantities　of

grain　consumed　at　a　feast　which　was　famous　for　its　magnificence。

　　　　　In　1262；　being　the　51st　of　Henry　M；　was　revived　an　ancient

statute　called　The　Assize　of　Bread　and　Ale；　which　the　king　says

in　the　preamble　had　been　made　in　the　times　of　his　progenitors；

sometime　kings　of　England。　It　is　probably；　therefore；　as　old　at

least　as　the　time　of　his　grandfather　Henry　H；　and　may　have　been

as　old　as　the　Conquest。　It　regulates　the　price　of　bread　according

as　the　prices　of　wheat　may　happen　to　be；　from　one　shilling　to

twenty　shillings　the　quarter　of　the　money　of　those　times。　But

statutes　of　this　kind　are　generally　presumed　to　provide　with

equal　care　for　all　deviations　from　the　middle　price；　for　those

below　it　as　well　as　for　those　above　it。　Ten　shillings；　therefore；

containing　six　ounces　of　silver；　Tower　weight；　and　equal　to　about

thirty　shillings　of　our　present　money；　must；　upon　this

supposition；　have　been　reckoned　the　middle　price　of　the　quarter

of　wheat　when　this　statute　was　first　enacted；　and　must　have

continued　to　be　so　in　the　51st　of　Henry　III。　We　cannot　therefore

be　very　wrong　in　supposing　that　the　middle　price　was　not　less

than　one…third　of　the　highest　price　at　which　this　statute

regulates　the　price　of　bread；　or　than　six　shillings　and

eightpence　of　the　money　of　those　times；　containing　four　ounces　of

silver；　Tower　weight。

　　　　　From　these　different　facts；　therefore；　we　seem　to　have　some

reason　to　conclude　that；　about　the　middle　of　the　fourteenth

century；　and　for　a　considerable　time　before；　the　average　or

ordinary　price　of　the　quarter　of　wheat　was　not　supposed　to　be

less　than　four　ounces　of　silver；　Tower　weight。

　　　　　From　about　the　middle　of　the　fourteenth　to　the　beginning　of

the　sixteenth　century；　what　was　reckoned　the　reasonable　and

moderate；　that　is　the　ordinary　or　average　price　of　wheat；　seems

to　have　sunk　gradually　to　about　one…half　of　this　price；　so　as　at

last　to　have　fallen　to　about　two　ounces　of　silver；　Tower　weight；

equal　to　about　ten　shillings　of　our　present　money。　It　continued

to　be　estimated　at　this　price　till　about　1570。

　　　　　In　the　household　book　of　Henry；　the　fifth　Earl　of

Northumberland；　drawn　up　in　1512；　there　are　two　different

estimations　of　wheat。　In　one　of　them　it　is　computed　at　six

shillings　and　eightpence　the　quarter；　in　the　other　at　five

shillings　and　eightpence　only。　In　1512；　six　shillings　and

eightpence　contained　only　two　ounces　of　silver；　Tower　weight；　and

were　equal　to　about　ten　shillings　of　our　present　money。

　　　　　From　the　25th　of　Edward　III　to　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of

Elizabeth；　during　the　space　of　more　than　two　hundred　years；　six

shillings　and　eightpence；　it　appears　from　several　different

statutes；　had　continued　to　be　considered　as　what　is　called　the

moderate　and　reasonable；　that　is　the　ordinary　or　average　price　of

wheat。　The　quantity　of　silver；　however；　contained　in　that　nominal

sum　was；　during　the　course　of　this　period；　continually

diminishing；　in　consequence　of　some　alterations　which　were　made

in　the　coin。　But　the　increase　of　the　value　of　silver　had；　it

seems；　so　far　compensated　the　diminution　of　the　quantity　of　it

contained　in　the　same　nominal　sum　that　the　legislature　did　not

think　it　worth　while　to　attend　to　this　circumstance。

　　　　　Thus　in　1436　it　was　enacted　that　wheat　might　be　exported

without　a　licence　when　the　price　was　so　low　as　six　shillings　and

eightpence；　and　in　1463　it　was　enacted　that　no　wheat　should　be

imported　if　the　price　was　not　above　six　shillings　and　eightpence

the　quarter。　The　legislature　had　imagined　that　when　the　price　was

so　low　there　could　be　no　inconveniency　in　exportation；　but　that

when　it　rose　higher　it　became　prudent　to　allow　importation。　Six

shillings　and　eightpence；　therefore；　containing　about　the　same

quantity　of　silver　as　thirteen　shillings　and　fourpence　of　our

present　money　（one　third　part　less　than　the　same　nominal　sum

contained　in　the　time　of　Edward　III）；　had　in　those　times　been

considered　as　what　is　called　the　moderate　and　reasonable　price　of

wheat。

　　　　　In　1554；　by　the　1st　and　2nd　of　Philip　and　Mary；　and　in　1558；

by　the　1st　of　Elizabeth；　the　exportation　of　wheat　was　in　the　same

manner　prohibited；　whenever　the　price　of　the　quarter　should

exceed　six　shillings　and　eightpence；　which　did　not　then　contain

two　pennyworth　more　silver　than　the　same　nominal　sum　does　at

present。　But　it　had　soon　been　found　that　to　restrain　the

exportation　of　wheat　till　the　price　was　so　very　low　was；　in

reality；　to　prohibit　it　altogether。　In　1562；　therefore；　by　the

5th　of　Elizabeth；　the　exportation　of　wheat　was　allowed　from

certain　ports　whenever　the　price　of　the　quarter　should　not　exceed

ten　shillings；　containing　nearly　the　same　quantity　of　silver　as

the　like　nominal　sum　does　at　present。　This　price　had　at　this

time；　therefore；　been　considered　as　what　is　called　the　moderate

and　reasonable　price　of　wheat。　It　agrees　nearly　with　the

estimation　of　the　Northumberland　book　in　1512。

　　　　　That　in　France　the　average　price　of　grain　was；　in　the　same

manner；　much　lower　in　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　and　beginning　of

the　sixteenth　century　than　in　the　two　centuries　preceding　has

been　observed　both　by　Mr。　Dupre　de　St。　Maur；　and　by　the　elegant

author　of　the　Essay　on　the　police　of　grain。　Its　price；　during　the

same　period；　had　probably　sunk　in　the　same　manner　through　the

greater　part　of　Europe。

　　　　　This　rise　in　the　value　of　silver　in　proportion　to　that　of

corn；　may　either　have　been　owing　altogether　to　the　increase　of

the　demand　for　that　metal；　in　consequence　of　increasing

improvement　and　cultivation；　the　supply　in　the　meantime

continuing　the　same　as　before；　or；　the　demand　continuing　the　same

as　before；　it　may　have　be