wealbk01-第53章

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case　with　most　of　these　things　upon　most　occasions；　and　would

have　been　the　case　with　all　of　them　upon　all　occasions；　if

particular　accidents　had　not　upon　some　occasions　increased　the

supply　of　some　of　them　in　a　still　greater　proportion　than　the

demand。

　　　　　The　value　of　a　free…stone　quarry；　for　example；　will

necessarily　increase　with　the　increasing　improvement　and

population　of　the　country　round　about　it；　especially　if　it　should

be　the　only　one　in　the　neighbourhood。　But　the　value　of　a　silver

mine；　even　though　there　should　not　be　another　within　a　thousand

miles　of　it；　will　not　necessarily　increase　with　the　improvement

of　the　country　in　which　it　is　situated。　The　market　for　the

produce　of　a　freestone　quarry　can　seldom　extend　more　than　a　few

miles　round　about　it；　and　the　demand　must　generally　be　in

proportion　to　the　improvement　and　population　of　that　small

district。　But　the　market　for　the　produce　of　a　silver　mine　may

extend　over　the　whole　known　world。　Unless　the　world　in　general；

therefore；　be　advancing　in　improvement　and　population；　the　demand

for　silver　might　not　be　at　all　increased　by　the　improvement　even

of　a　large　country　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　mine。　Even　though

the　world　in　general　were　improving；　yet　if；　in　the　course　of　its

improvement；　new　mines　should　be　discovered；　much　more　fertile

than　any　which　had　been　known　before；　though　the　demand　for

silver　would　necessarily　increase；　yet　the　supply　might　increase

in　so　much　a　greater　proportion　that　the　real　price　of　that　metal

might　gradually　fall；　that　is；　any　given　quantity；　a　pound　weight

of　it；　for　example；　might　gradually　purchase　or　command　a　smaller

and　a　smaller　quantity　of　labour；　or　exchange　for　a　smaller　and　a

smaller　quantity　of　corn；　the　principal　part　of　the　subsistence

of　the　labourer。

　　　　　The　great　market　for　silver　is　the　commercial　and　civilised

part　of　the　world。

　　　　　If　by　the　general　progress　of　improvement　the　demand　of　this

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；

containin