Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/240

There can be no better way than to make every man a creditor, and keep as much as we can that little good money which is left in the kingdom, and enable every man to supply more than at present he is or can be. And by his majesty making current by authority of Parliament an imaginary kind of money upon a credit given by the people one to another, confirmed and made real and as much in good money undertaken to be repaid them by their reprefentatives the parliament.

(Rot. Parl. 5 R. II. m. 24.) In the parliament of the 5 R. II. how to restrain the carrying away of money, which was the care and endeavours of many a parliament both before and afterwards, when there was such a plenty of gold in the 18 E. III. the commons in parliament prayed that no man mould be inforced to receive gold, the same being under 20s.; and in a parliament in the 20th year of that king's reign, that the king's receivers might receive as well gold as silver. (Rot. Parl. 18 E. III. m. 50. and 20 E.III. m. 17.)

There being now a greater cause to assay all lawfull means for the more plenty of money than there was in the 15 E. III. when it was mentioned to be one of the causes of summoning that parliament, or for a consultation to be had as was. (Rot. Par. 15 E. III.)

It being as impossible as it will be improbable that ever many should have plenty, or be without a great want of it, or not be beaten or baffled by enemies abroad or at home, for want of money of silver or gold to serve the affairs of the nation if they do as we have hitherto done make it of a greater intrinsique value, or of higher alloy than the coin of other neighbour nations, which make a cause and temptation of transporting of it adjudged to be so, and so not to be prevented by the Parliament. If our merchants and all others make it their busy gains and advantage tocarry