ABSTRACT
Sir,—These notions concerning coinage having, for the main, as you know, been put into writing, above twelve months since; as those other, concerning interest, a great deal above so many years; I put them now again into your hands, with a liberty (since you will have it so) to communicate them farther, as you please. If, upon a review, you continue your favourable opinion of them, and nothing less than publishing will satisfy you, I must desire you to remember, that you must be answerable to the world for the style, which is such as a man writes carelessly to his friend, when he seeks truth, not ornament; and studies only to be in the right, and to be understood. I have, since you saw them last year, met with some new objections in print, which I have endeavoured to remove; and particularly I have taken into consideration a printed sheet, entitled, ‘Remarks upon a paper given in to the lords, &c.’ Because one may naturally suppose, that he, that was so much a patron of that cause, would admit nothing, that could be said in favour of it. To this I must here add, That I am just now told from Holland, ‘That the States, finding themselves abused, by coining a vast quantity of their base [Schillings] money, made of their own Ducatoons, and other finer silver, melted down, have put a stop to the minting of any but fine silver coin, till they should settle their mint upon a new foot.’
