A Discourse of Coin and Coinage:The first Invention,Use,Matter,Forms,Proportions and Differences,ancient &modern:with the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Rise and Fall thereof,in our own or Neighbouring Nations:and the Reasons.
Together with a short Account of our Common Law therein.
by Rice Vaughan,late of Grayes-Inn,Esq;London,Printed by Th.Dawks,for Th.Basset,at the George,near Cliffords-Inn,in Fleet-street.1675.
To the Right Honourable Henry Earl of Clarendon,Viscount Cornbury,and Baron Hide of Hindon;Lord Chamberlain to the Queens most excellent Majesty.
Most Noble Lord,It being become a thing so usual in this most scribling Age,(nam scripturire quam parturire mallet hoc soeculum)to crave shelter under the wings of some renowned Person,from the severity of Censurers;without which,Learning shall scarcely have Admittance:and this piece though not my own,yet coming to my hands amongst other manuscripts of a Gentleman of Grayes Inn,lately deceased;(and very near related to me)whose Genius,Imay safely say,was not a little curious in the search of other knowledge than the Law,(to which he served five Apprenticeships).And humbly conceiving nothing could more seasonably appear in View for the better instructing our worthy Countrymen in the Knowledge of a thing whose want is so generally complained of,yet the Invention,Use,and Species with their Advantages scarce truly understood;I presumed through that true knowledge of your Lordships Person,and most zealous Honour of your greatly to be admired Endowments,with your Love to Learning,which the most plebeian ears and eyes were not ignorant of,to recommend unto your Lordships hand this Treatise,in a more ample and different manner than that lately published out of the Mss.of the never to be forgotten Earl of Sandwich,shewing the first Invention,Use,Matter,Forms,Proportions,and Differences,Ancient and Modern of that Coy Lady Pecunia,with the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Rise or Fall thereof in our own and neighbouring Nations;and the Reasons Pro and Con,with other things in the other piece not contained.And here Icannot,without great unworthiness,be silent in the due praises of his most Excellent Majesty that now is,who with abundance of Royal Care and Wisdom,with no small charge,hath set forth a Coin in Form,shape,Goodness,and Beauty,not second to any used in the world,in Common Commerce,and so uneasy to be patterned or imbellished,a thing of no small consequence in Commonwealths.
Herewith you have a short account of our books of Law;as also Tables of the value of all sorts of Pearls,Diamonds,Gold,Silver,and other Metalls.[omitted from this edition].I shall not undertake to say,but that n the Tables of values,in these mutable times,some variation may happen,to the common practice of Artists,in that nature,whose private unmeasurable Ends are,to some more their Gods than Justice or Honesty their Practise:
but the Grounds being herein plainly stated;a pregnant wit,with a little Commerce,may soon rectify those diary Deceits,and for the other part,whose Theory perhaps in some places,may be thought too much to reflect on the too often practised Abuses of the Gold-Smiths in that Nature;I hope all but themselves will readily grant me Pardon for the Publishing,and they being but a few,and Justice on our side,the Authors Bones I trust will not disturb,nor I much suffer by the selfish Censures of a People so obstinately unreasonable.Mr Lord,I shall now only beg pardon for this presumption,in hopes of success,till time give opportunity to testify how much I am My Lord,truly devoted to your Lordships service,and your Admirer,Henry Vaughan.
