Were any person, talking of lengths and distances, to use the word _foot_, sometimes to signify _yard_, sometimes _perch_; or to use the word _mile_, to signify sometimes _league_, sometimes _inch_, and sometimes _fathom_; who could comprehend one word of his discourse concerning the matter? Would we not even laugh at such a person, for pretending to inform us of any thing concerning lengths or distances. If any change be made upon the value of the money-unit of a country, which is called a pound; in propriety of language, it can no more be called a pound, after the change, than it can be called a rhinoceros. [Sidenote: Farther obscurities from the abuse of language.] _5to_, Another reason for the obscurity of money-jargon, is the manner in which writers express themselves, when they speak of variations in the value of money. Upon this occasion, says one, the King raised the money 5 _per cent._ What does this mean? No man living can understand the expression; because it may signify, that he raised either the denomination of the coin, or the value of the unit. If he raised the coin, he debased the unit: if he sunk the coin, he raised the unit. A crown of 6 livres is a coin: a livre is the unit. If it is said, the 6 livre piece is raised; that is as much as to say, it is made to be more than 6 units; consequently, as the silver in the piece does not change its weight, it follows, that the unit, or money of accompt, is diminished. On the other hand, if it is said that the livre is raised, it implies that the crown, which contained 6 livres, is made to contain less than 6 units; therefore, the value of the unit is raised; that is, it is made to contain more silver than before. [Sidenote: How to avoid such abuse.] Writers, therefore, to be distinct, ought never to mention these matters, without removing the ambiguity, in favour of readers of all denominations. As for example: The King raised his coin, and debased his money of accompt. For this reason the French expression is good, and easily understood; _augmenter la valeur numeraire des especes_, is liable to no obscurity. There are also two terms used by French writers, which appear synonimous, and yet are directly opposite; AFFOIBLISSEMENT, _et_ DIMINUTION _de la monnoïe_. Such terms are perplexing, and ought either to be avoided, or constantly explained. The first signifies the coining the specie of the same denomination lighter in the metals than before: the last signifies the lowering the denominations of the coin already made. The first therefore diminishes, the second increases the value of the unit, which is the livre. [Sidenote: Quest 2d. What is the difference between raising the _value_ of coin, by imposing coinage, and raising the denomination of it?]