पृष्ठ 280 / 734

And money has come to be, by general agreement, a representative

of Demand: and the account of its Greek name νομισμα is this,

that it is what it is not naturally but by custom or law (νόμος),

and it rests with us to change its value, or make it wholly

useless.

Very well then, there will be Reciprocation when the terms have

been equalised so as to stand in this proportion; Agriculturist :

Shoemaker : : wares of Shoemaker : wares of Agriculturist; but

you must bring them to this form of proportion when they

exchange, otherwise the one extreme will combine both exceedings

of the mean:[18] but when they have exactly their own then they

are equal and have dealings, because the same equality can come

to be in their case. Let A represent an agriculturist, C food, B

a shoemaker, D his wares equalised with A's. Then the proportion

will be correct, A:B::C:D; now Reciprocation will be practicable,

if it were not, there would have been no dealing.