Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/241

Land Forces without Money in 1667. 191 carry out as much as they can of the money already in England* and what mall at any time after be brought into it. If by the un- lawful tricks and now introduced trade of goldfmiths, in melting down our heavy moneys, and all other moneys they can come at, by making our moneys a commodity to be tranfported or turned into plate to furnim every alehoufe, or the inferior ranks of people, mall be countenanced and continued ; and if no other metall Ihould be coyned to make an exchange or commenfuration in the daily and common occafions of the multitude for their food and fuftenance to keep the people from being tartars and tories, iiecef- fitated to take all the courfes they can of violence, rapine, and outrages one to another, or to make the poorer fort of people for want of work or trade, which cannot be had, or driven without money to raife tumults or mutinies. And it being on the con- trary very poffible and probable to prevent all or moft of thofe growing and dangerous evills, if we would return to our own good Taws and cuftoms, which we have too much quarrelled with. If the people would not fooliihly wafte and confume our own monies, and fend it into foreign parts to purchafe pride and fuperfluities, and carryaway the dollars and pieces of eight which our merchants bring- ing into England, are fold by them to the goldfmiths and bankers, who ufurp the offices and places of the king's exchangers for 4^. a piece, and fent away as faft as they come to France for 4^. and to Ireland and Scotland for $s. a piece, which makes our mint {land fdle., and Ireland and Scotland full of dollers and pieces of eight, when England hath none or very few of them, or but very little of other money, and is ready to ftarve or perilh for want of it. If we kept our own coined money at home, and carried not away the foreign coin and moneys which came in unto us ; if we made as our neighbour nations have done fome inferior bafe mettled moneys to help to fave our moneys, and did our people not fuffer ourfelves to be deluded with the evill defigns and talk rather than reafon