CHAP. xix. IN SPAIN. 85 



dred and fifty-six pounds eighteen shillings and 

 two-pence, or at the rate of nearly four hundred 

 and seventy per cent. 



There is good reason to believe that the prices 

 of commodities in the other kingdoms of Europe 

 advanced at nearly the same rate. This is indeed 

 concluded from evidence sufficient to satisfy the 

 author, but which it would be difficult to produce 

 in a concise manner, and would be tedious to any 

 reader to investigate with all the necessary calcu- 

 lations. In Spain there are only to be found in 

 some of the chronicles notices of prices, the weights 

 and measures connected with which, including 

 their variations, as well as those of the money 

 used, are very great. We have, however, the tes- 

 timony of two Spanish authors of reputed veracity 

 on this subject, which, though expressed in general 

 terms, is deserving of notice. Ortiz says, " The 

 great quantity of gold and silver which fell into 

 the power of the King of Castile caused it to fall 

 to one-sixth of its former value 1 ." 



Don Sancho Moncada, who published his work 

 at Madrid in 1619, after boasting " de que el oro 

 y plata eran cosecha de esta nation" adds, " Be- 

 fore the discovery of the Indies, that was to be 

 bought for a quarto which now costs six reals, 

 and he who possessed one hundred reals was as 

 rich as he who now enjoys five hundred; for with 



1 Compendio de la Historia de Espana, vol. iv. p. 413. 



