Observations on Dr, Arbuthnot’j

to be sold sometimes at 2 d- a Gallon, or less *'. VideArbuthnot, p- 125, 126.

All that Dr. Arbuthnot fays about the Cyathus is foreign tothe Purpose, as also what he has about the Anatocismus ;for Plmy fays nothing about the Anatocismus , and butbarely mentions the Usura modica civilis , which was mul~tiplicata semijfibus , or 6 per Cent.

As to the Anatocismus , it seems to have been reckon’d op-pressive, and yet some Usurers seem not content with it, tho’they had 12 per Cent. besides, for their Money : Nihilimpude?itius Scaptio , qui centefemis cum anatocismo contentusnon ejfet. Vide Cicer. ad Attic. lib. v. Ep. 21. Arbuthnot,p. 2 to.

If the former Emendation appears too harssi, I knowno other Method of setting Matters right, but by sup-posing that is the old reading sngulas uncias VINIconsitijse , be right ; H S has been dropp’d by the Li-brarians, after vint ; but if Budœus' s Conjecture holdgood, who reads BIN IS instead of VIN I, the S in. USmust have been dropp’d, and the Legs of the H, or 77 ,made bints ; or what is still more probable, out of IIS wasmade Binis.

Faults of this Kind are so very common in ancient Authors,that it is to be lamented that they did not write all theirSums, Dates, &c. in Words at length, instead of anynumerical Characters whatever : An Error in a little Cha-racter often confounds a great Sum, and the common Writers

* What is said here is upon a Sup- ment of the Philosophical Transactions ,position that the Romans took Wine ' T. p. 610. But above all, Fannius inand Water to be of the fame, or neat- Ward's Dissertation de Asse. Monum.ly the fame lpecific Gravity. Vide Arf Kempian. p. 49.buthnot, p. 91, 92. Lowtborp ’s Abridg-

feem