of assaying gold and silver, is very interesting and singularly accurate considering that he could not have had technical knowledge of the subject.”]

10.  They mill them, that is, put on the marks on both sides at once with great exactness and speed, and then the money is perfect.  The mill is after this manner:  one of the dyes, which has one side of the piece cut, is fastened to a thing fixed below, and the other dye (and they tell me a payre of dyes will last the marking of L10,000 before it be worn out, they and all other their tools being made of hardened steel, and the Dutchman who makes them is an admirable artist, and has so much by the pound for every pound that is coyned to find a constant supply of dyes) to an engine above, which is moveable by a screw, which is pulled by men; and then a piece being clapped by one sitting below between the two dyes, when they meet the impression is set, and then the man with his finger strikes off the piece and claps another in, and then the other men they pull again and that is marked, and then another and another with great speed.  They say that this way is more charge to the King than the old way, but it is neater, freer from clipping or counterfeiting, the putting of the words upon the edges being not to be done (though counterfeited) without an engine of the charge and noise that no counterfeit will be at or venture upon, and it employs as many men as the old and speedier.  They now coyne between L16 and L24,000 in a week.  At dinner they did discourse very finely to us of the probability that there is a vast deal of money hid in the land, from this:—­that in King Charles’s time there was near ten millions of money coyned, besides what was then in being of King James’s and Queene Elizabeth’s, of which there is a good deal at this day in being.  Next, that there was but L750,000 coyned of the Harp and Crosse money,

[The Commonwealth coins (stamped with the cross and harp, and the inscription, “The Commonwealth of England”) were called in by proclamation, September, 1660, and when brought to the Mint an equal amount of lawful money was allowed for them, weight for weight, deducting only for the coinage (Ruding’s “Annals of the Coinage,” 18 19, vol. iii., p. 293).  The harp was taken out of the naval flags in May, 1660.]

and of this there was L500,000 brought in upon its being called in.  And from very good arguments they find that there cannot be less of it in Ireland and Scotland than L100,000; so that there is but L150,000 missing; and of that, suppose that there should be not above 650,000 still remaining, either melted down, hid, or lost, or hoarded up in England, there will then be but L100,000 left to be thought to have been transported.  Now, if L750,000 in twelve years’ time lost but a L100,000 in danger of being transported, then within thirty-five years’ time will have lost but L3,888,880 and odd pounds; and as there is L650,000 remaining after twelve years’ time