Again, suppose he sells his Mum for Gold, or is to exchange his Silver for Gold, that which he was wont to sell for 3 Guineas, he expects 3 Guineas for still; or if you are to pay him in Silver, he expects as much as he can change for 3 Guineas, he wo’nt be fobb’d off with less: So the Merchant sells as cheap as ever; but we pay more, because what we pay, is dearer than it was. You’ll object against this way of reasoning, and say ’tis the Risques of the Sea, and Obstructions of Trade now in Time or War, makes all foreign Commodities dearer. But I hope I don’t err in saying, that the Merchant notwithstanding the War wou’d take less of our Silver Coin for the same Commodities if it were better, and less Gold of us if it wou’d buy as much Silver in his own Country. And there are Reasons which may ballance the Dangers of the Seas in Times of War in Reference to our Commerce with the Subjects of Neutral Princes. On our side Taxes are great, and the Subject cannot afford to buy so many foreign Commodities as at other times: And on their side they have not so good a Vent as they had; so their Commodities must stick on hand unless sold so cheap as may make amends for the Hazards of the Sea, and the Cheapness of Commodities wou’d be the natural Effects of Scarcity of Money, if our Money had the same real Value as formerly. Again a Collier who trades to _Newcastle_ is wont to receive a Guinea for every Chaldron of Coals he brought into the River at such a Time of Year, and so he doth still, and no more; and who can say Coals are risen and Mum is risen? No such thing; but Gold and Silver are risen: And when we give the same Gold and Silver for a Commodity as we did, we wrongfully say the Commodity is dear, when ’tis not that but the Gold and Silver which costs us more. We give the same Labour, the same Leather, the same Mault, for the same Quantity of Gold and Silver which we did. And now ’tis the Country Gentlemen, Artizans and Day-Labourers have the hardest Bargain of all. The Farmer sells his own Corn and Cattle according to the Value of Gold and Silver, and the Mercer his Silks, and the Draper his Cloth, and the Tanner his Leather; but the Farmer in the mean time pays his Rent, and Husbandmen, and Artizans, according to the Value of our present Coin, and when he paid 28 Guineas a Quarter formerly, twenty shall serve turn now; and the Scrivener buys the Country Gentlemen’s Lands, according to the Valuation of Coin; and not Metal; and the Land which cost the Father 600 Guineas, is now sold by the Son for 430; and half a Year hence it may be proffered for 300. This is nothing but Ruine and Confusion to the Landed Men of the Kingdom. But if the Buyers of Land, as the Merchants, Bankers and Scriveners are, were Sellers too, we should find Land rise in Proportion to every thing else.