This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1770 edition. Excerpt: ...cattle, than it does in our times. The Saxon Chronicle tells us b, that in the reign of Edward the Confessor there was the most-terrible famine ever known j in so much that a quarter of wheat rose to sixty pennies, or about fifteen shillings of our present P LL. Inæ, § 38. P. 121. Hist, Rames. p. 415. Hist. Eliens. p. 473. Hist. Elicns. p. 471. « Wilkins, p. 126. Wilkins, p. 56. y Monast. Anglic, vol. ii. p. 528. z Mat. Paris. a Fleetwood, p. 83, 94, 96, 98. b p#, Vol. L K k money. Appendix money. Consequently it was as dear as-if it now cost seven? pounds ten shillings sterling. This much exceeds the great famine in the end of Queen Elizabeth; when a quarter of wheat was fold for four pounds. Money in this last period was nearly of the fame value as in our time/ These enormous famines are: a certain proof of bad husbandry On the whole, there are three things to be conildered wherever a, sum of money is mentioned in antient times First, the change of denomination, by which a pound has been reduced to the third part of its antient weight in silver... Secondlyr the change in, value by the greater plenty of money, which has reduced the fame weight of silver to ten times less value, compared to commodities; and consequently a pound sterling, to the thirtieth part of the antient value-Thirdly, the fewerpeople and less industry, which were then to be found in every European kingdom.. This circumstance made even the thirtieth part of the sum more difficult to levy, and caused any sum to have more than thirty times more weight and influence both abroad and at home, than in our times-; in the fame manner that & sum an hundred-thousand pounds for instance,, is at present more difficult to levy in a small state, such as Bavaria, and can...