april — sept. 1859.] Ancient and Modern times. 103 



were made ; that gold was merely banished from circulation ; and 

 that silver became almost the only species of metallic currency 

 used in France." 



For ordinary numeration, the decimal system of notation is, 

 so far as I am aware, universal. The number of the fingers — the 

 arithmetical instruments of the uncivilised and the school-boy, 

 so obviously suggests ten as a basis of notation that we cannot 

 be surprised at its universal adoption. In one respect twelve 

 offers superior advantages — it has four measures while ten has 

 only two — but though it is possible that this consideration may 

 have had some influence in affecting the Roman division of weights 

 and measures, ten has gained the victory in the usage of man- 

 kind as the basis of merely numerical notation. 



From this prevalence of a decimal notation one might be led 

 a priori to infer the adoption, in some countries at least, of a deci- 

 mal system of weights and coinage : but this seems altogether a 

 modern refinement, and even now its advantages are not sufficient- 

 ly recognised to enforce its adoption. It would be incredible that 

 the number ten should not occasionally enter into monetary Tables, 

 but it does so (with two modern exceptions) more by accident than 

 design, at least its introduction, if caused by a perception of its 

 convenience, is only secondary and subordinate to the original 

 and primary division. Take for an example the Roman measures 

 of length. The foot (pes) was divided into twelve inches, and six- 

 teen fingers (digits) : but Jive feet made a pace fpassusj and one 

 thousand paces a Roman mile. 



Measures of length do not belong to my present subject. I 

 shall only remark that their divisions would naturally be suggest- 

 ed by the ordinary proportions of the human frame, as we know 

 the Hebrew, Greek, and Roman principally were, and consequent- 

 ly a decimal system was scarcely to be expected. 



The nations of antiquity seem to have attached peculiar import- 

 ance to some certain number, selected for reasons proper to each 

 country, and therefore different in each. Common to all the hu- 

 man race, as I have said, is the pre-eminence of the number ten. 

 Five may be added as similarly suggested ; and the relation be- 

 tween these, or rather the relation of two hands to one, or the 



