NORMAN AND

CHAP. XII.

322

the same degrees in France in the prices of thenecessaries of life.

From the Conquest till the time when, afterthe discovery of America , the precious metalsfrom the new world began to display their effectson the prices of commodities in Europe , we areled to draw our proofs and illustrations chieflyfrom English history, because the requisite do-cuments are more abundant and more accessi-ble, and because the monetary system was moresimple, and is now more easily to be made in-telligible.

At the time of the Conquest, the Normanmoney superseded the Saxon . The Normanpound was a troy pound weight of twelve ouncesof silver divided into twenty parts called shil-lings, and these again divided into twelve partscalled either pennies or pennyweights. Thus, themoney of that period, taking the silver at 5s.per ounce, may be valued at three times thesame denomination in the present day. Thoughthere was at intervals some alteration and someadulteration 1 of the coin, yet large payments

1 The crime of clipping and counterfeiting the currentcoin seems to have been carried on to a great extent, thoughsome severe laws were enacted and put in force to punish theoffence. Whether guilty or not, the Jews were the principalsufferers for this breach of the laws, as two hundred and eightyof them were put to death in London alone in the year 1279,