312 CALCULATION 



CHAP. XXVI. 



nificence among the higher classes, but they in 

 general have not the means of indulging their 

 taste, except for the fine arts, in which the Italians 

 seem to excel other nations as much as they fall 

 short of them in what may properly be distinguished 

 as manufactures. The gold chains of Venice 

 have been long celebrated; and the occupation 

 of the jewellers and goldsmiths of Milan, Turin, 

 Florence, and Rome, produce ornamental objects, 

 some few of which may rival the productions of 

 similar workmen in Paris, London, and Vienna. 



This slight survey of the several countries of 

 Europe, with a view to the estimation of their use 

 of the precious metals, is a very imperfect mode of 

 making such calculation. In the absence, however, 

 of other guides, it is the only one that can be fol- 

 lowed. We have seen in England, France, and 

 Switzerland, where from the few data that have 

 been collected, a conclusion has been arrived at, 

 which, though implicit reliance cannot be placed 

 on it, is at least as near an approximation to truth 

 as the nature of the subject will admit of. 



In those countries which contain nearly one- 

 fourth part of the inhabitants of Europe, we have 

 deemed it fair to estimate the application of gold 

 and silver to other purposes than that of coin at 

 about four million pounds sterling annually for 

 the last twenty years. These are not only the 

 richest parts of Europe, and on that account 



