CHAP. X. DECREASE OF METALS. 237 



of the succeeding age, or of the reign of Charle- 

 magne, afford no intelligence on the subject. 

 We must therefore have recourse to such, in- 

 formation as can be gleaned by groping through 

 the obscure writings of the middle ages. 



If the calculation we have hypothetically be- 

 fore made, and brought down to the year 482, 

 be continued through the unexplorable period 

 when it seems probable the consumption of the 

 precious metals was proceeding, we may calcu- 

 late, as before, by periods of thirty-six years, 

 and estimate that about 734 the actual quantity 

 of them was reduced thus (as shown by the 

 previous calculation in page 225): 



In the year 518 . 78,229,700 



554 . . 70,406,730 



590 . -. 63,364,057 



626 . . 57,027,652 



662 . 51,324,887 



698 . . 46,192,399 



734 . 41,573,160 



770 . . 37,415,840 



806 . 33,674,256 



Supposing the quantity of the precious metals in 

 circulation to have been reduced in quantity 

 from the time of Augustus to the beginning of 

 the ninth century in the proportion that is here 

 presumed, we might expect to have found a 

 proportionate reduction in the money prices of 

 all the commodities, which in the operations of 

 exchanging them with each other are reduced 



