Page:Wiltshire, Extracted from Domesday Book.djvu/19

[ xiii ] nominal) hillings; each hilling being equal in weight to three of our preent hillings, as was the Norman pound equal in weight to three of our modern pounds. Therefore, to make the value of the lands perfectly intelligible, we mut multiply the antient valuation by three, by which the money of thoe days will be nearly brought to the ame terling tandard, as the preent coin.

We mut next proceed to acertain, as well as we are able, the proportionate value that money bore at that ditant period, to what it does at the preent intant though, I am afraid, to do this with any degree of accuracy, will be attended with almot inuperable difficulties.

The uual method of making this etimate, has generally been, to form a comparion between the the prices of wheat at the two periods. But this mut be exceedingly fallacious,as nothing fluctuated o much, in thoe early times, as the value of corn. We ometimes find the price of wheat, by the load, under ten hillings (of the preent tandard), and, perhaps, in the following year at the enormous price of twenty pounds, and in the next eaon again reduced to les than ten hillings.—When the difference of the value of money is conidered, the um of 20l. for a load of wheat mut appear