A. D. 1545. 95 



his due, not one third part of the filver being ftamped and regiftered. 

 He adds, that in the year 1585, they counted in millions that had 

 paid the king's fifth from the firft difcovery of the mines to that year, 

 befide an immenfe quantity that had never paid the fifth. It feems it 

 was at firfl; found to be very difficult to feparate the metal from the 

 earth or drofs by dint of fire, the antients being ignorant of the fepa- 

 ration of filver by mercury, although they knew that of gold, and 

 thought that mercury would not cleave to any other metal but gold. 

 The Spaniards, however, afterward difcovered that it would cling to 

 filver alfo, though not fo foon ; but it has no effe6l upon other metals. 

 And fince this difcovery, the poorer ore, which cannot be refined by 

 fire, is not lofl; as formerly ; for the quickfilver perfectly clears the fil- 

 ver without fire. There were (it feems) no quickfilver mines in Eu- 

 rope, according to our author, until after the difcovery of America, 

 excepting thofe of Carinthia in Germany, and of Almadin in Spain ; 

 but in the year 1566 they difcovered one near Guamanga in Peru, 

 whereby the crown gets (it is faid) 400,000 dollars of clear profit an- 

 nually, befides what is gained by cleanfing the metal with mercury, 

 amounting to a vafl; fum. Two-thirds of all the filver which comes 

 from America to Europe (fays our author) comes from Peru. 



To this account of the mofl; famous filver mines in the univerfe, and 

 of the great improvement in refining the metal by quickfilver, handed 

 down to us by fo authentic an author, we may venture to add, that 

 fince Herrera's days, there have been other very rich filver mines dif- 

 covered in Peru, and particularly, it is faid, there was a very rich one 

 difcovered near Cufco fo lately as the year 171 2. 



Under this fame year Daniel tells us of a French fliip of war carry- 

 ing 100 large brafs cannon; yet he neverthelefs owns in general, that 

 the largeft fliips of war in former times were not to be compared for 

 bulk with thofe of modern times, fince in old times large fleets were 

 fitted out from harbours, where now fliips of a m.oderate fize have not 

 water enough to float them, of which Havre de Grace (built by King 

 Francis T), and many other places, are inftances. Our Englifli naval 

 hiflorians think that fliips had not, as at prefent, gun port-holes till 

 this time, before which they only placed a few cannon on their upper 

 decks, and on their prow and poop, fighting with cannon in fliips be 

 ing but lately come into ufe. Daniel therefore may be miflaken as to 

 the date of his loc gun fliip. 



I ^^6. — Interefl, or ufe for money lent (in thofe days, and always 

 known by the name of ufury) was now firft fettled in England by a 

 ftarute [37 Benrj VIII, c. y.], intitled, ' How offenders in ulury fluill be 

 ' puniflred.' Before this time (fays the judicious Sir Jofiah Child), there 

 was no law for limiting the rate of interefl ; there was then little trade, 

 and as Uttle money in the nation ; whercfor every man took fuch an 



