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From the 25th of Edward III. to the beginning of the reign of

Elizabeth, during the space of more than two hundred years, six

shillings and eightpence, it appears from several different

statutes, had continued to be considered as what is called the

moderate and reasonable, that is, the ordinary or average price

of wheat. The quantity of silver, however, contained in that

nominal sum was, during the course of this period, continually

diminishing in consequence of some alterations which were made in

the coin. But the increase of the value of silver had, it seems,

so far compensated the diminution of the quantity of it contained

in the same nominal sum, that the legislature did not think it

worth while to attend to this circumstance.