Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) THE REGULATING Silver Coin, Made Practicable and Easie, TO THE GOVERNMENT AND SUBJECT. Humbly submitted to the Consideration of both Houses of Parliament. By a Lover of his Country. _LONDON_, Printed for _Henry Bonwick_, at the _Red-Lion_ in St. _Paul_’s Church-Yard. 1696. CONTENTS THE REGULATING Silver Coin, &c. DEFINITIONS. CHAP. I. Of the present badness of our Coin. CHAP. II. Of the present Scarcity of Silver Coin in England. CHAP. III. Of the Importation of Silver. CHAP. IV. Of Altering our Coin. CHAP. V. Of Exportation of Coin’d Silver. CHAP. VI. Of melting down the current Coyn of England by our Goldsmiths and other Artificers. CHAP. VII. Of Hoarding up of the Silver Coyn. CHAP. VIII. Of Regulating our Silver Coyn. CHAP. IX. Advantages and Conveniencies most of which may be expected from this Method. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE REGULATING Silver Coin, _&c._ Writing on so curious, and intricate a Subject, I have great Reason to bespeak the Candour of the Reader. A Book of this Nature cannot but expect to meet with great Opposition, and ’tis very probable from Two sorts of Men especially, _viz._ Those that know little of the Subject-Matter, and those that know much. They that know little are Jealous, and they that know much Opiniatre, and whilst one will not take Pains to comprehend a thing, another taketh too much to overthrow it. [Sidenote: _Mr._ Lowndes.] But as I hope I shall say nothing here, to be pity’d; so I am on the other side pretty secure from Envy, because, the greatest Credit that can be gotten, by a thing of this Nature, doth already seem to be engross’d by a late learned and industrious Writer upon this Subject. It was, I must needs say, a prudent piece of Service the _Lords of the Treasury_ did the Nation, and more particularly the _Parliament_, under whose Judgment this matter justly falls, by imploying so able a Pen to clear the way, in giving a true, and entertaining Account of Matter of Fact. But I must do my self that little piece of Justice too, as to acknowledge the main Design of these Papers was laid before I could have a sight of that Book: