C 49 I 
ancient laws, which had been infringed. The ItatnteSv. 
of 5 ift of HENRY III. and 3 ill of edward i. explain the 
ancient weights and meafures ; that is to fay, the Englilli 
penny called a fterling, round without clipping, was to 
weigh 32 grains dry wheat, taken from midft of the. 
ear, and 2 o of thole penny weights were to 'make an 
ounce, and 1 2 ounces a pound ; and 8 of thofe pounds 
were to be a gallon of wine, and 8 of thofe gallons to 
make a London budiel, which is the -^th part of a quar- 
ter. The definition of the pemry weight in thefe ftar 
tutes agrees with the determinationof william the Con- 
queror, and fiiows the legal weight contmued the fame.. 
What the weight of that pound was, fo raifed from a 
penny weight, equal to the weight of 3 2 grains of wheat,, 
we may clearly learn from that declaration in the L8th 
of HENRY YiiL. when he abolillied that old pound, and, 
ellablifhed the Troy weight; which fays, that the Troy 
pound exceedeth the old Tower pound by ^ of the oiuice. . 
As the Troy pound eftablifhed by henry viii.isthe fame 
as is now in ufe, confifting of 5 7 6 o T roy grains, and 4 8 o ■ 
grains to the ounce, and 1 2 ounces to the pound : fo 360; 
grains is | of the ounce, which, deducted from 5760,, 
leaves 540 0 Troy grains,, equal.to the weight of that old 
Saxon pound, which lie abol hired. But to trace out 
experimentally the weight of that penny weight, raifed 
from, 32 grains of wheat, I got a fmall fample of dry 
wheat of lafh year 1773, (the wheat of that year but or- 
dinary); and, from a little handful taken therefrom, L, 
told out juft 96 round plump grains, dividing them into?> 
Vol. LXV.. H: parcels 
