Page:Wiltshire, Extracted from Domesday Book.djvu/20

[ xiv ] appear incredible, and if the concurrent tetimony of all the Hitorians of thoe times did not agree in uch a fact, we might even doubt the poibility of it.

It is no part of my plan to explain the caues of thee extraordinary variations; though thoe, who are converant in the early hitory of this kingdom, will, probably attribute them to the imperfect kill of our ancetors in hubandry, to their little precience in guarding againt the inclemencies of eaons, to their improvidence in dipoing of their corn at the firt opportunity, and chiefly, perhaps, to the turbulence of their times, when property had, carcely, any other ecurity than the peronal trength of it's poeor. It is enough for me to have proved, that the difference in the value of money is not to be dicovered by the comparative prices of wheat.

The price of cattle will neither ait us much in the preent peculation;for though this was not in o fluctuating a tate as that of corn, (owing, perhaps, to the little art which was neceary to produce and rear them) yet we cannot rely on the difference of value between a fat ox at the time of the Conquet, and a fat ox of our own times: It was then valued at about even or eight hillings (of our preent tandard), which would carry the difference of the value of money greatly