CHAP. XXI. THE PRECIOUS METALS. 



commodities, which are never measured by them- 

 selves. But if silver or gold be measured by 

 corn, meat, cloth, or other articles, those who 

 want such articles can procure a larger quantity 

 of them for the same weight of those metals. The 

 holder of silver has thus a larger surplus of his 

 peculiar goods, which may be, and a part probably 

 will be, destined to be converted into goods of 

 silver, as well as applied to other luxurious in- 

 dulgences. 



As the conversion of money into plate depends 

 much on the low prices of the precious metals, 

 so it is forwarded by peace and prosperity, and 

 generally retrogrades in seasons of war or tur- 

 bulence. The beginning of the century was a 

 season of more than usual tranquillity. In Eng- 

 land, till the civil wars under Charles the first 

 began, there was external and internal peace. In 

 Prance, till the year 1620, there was no foreign 

 war ; and the internal war concerning religion, 

 though furious whilst it continued, lasted, with 

 peaceful intervals between, not more than eight 

 years. Spain, though not reconciled to the loss 

 of the Netherlands, ceased to carry on war there, 

 and was only disturbed for a few years by the 

 Portuguese having separated themselves from that 

 kingdom. The prosperity of Holland was rapidly 

 approaching to its greatest height. Germany was 

 subject to that tremendous scourge the thirty 

 years' war on account of religion, in which the 



