Butthoughthelowmoneypriceeitherofgoodsingeneral，orofcorninparticular，benoproofofthepovertyorbarbarismofthetimes，thelowmoneypriceofsomeparticularsortsofgoods，suchascattle，poultry，gameofallkinds，etc。，inproportiontothatofcorn，isamostdecisiveone。Itclearlydemonstrates，first，theirgreatabundanceinproportiontothatofcorn，andconsequentlythegreatextentofthelandwhichtheyoccupiedinproportiontowhatwasoccupiedbycorn;and，secondly，thelowvalueofthislandinproportiontothatofcornland，andconsequentlytheuncultivatedandunimprovedstateofthefargreaterpartofthelandsofthecountry。Itclearlydemonstratesthatthestockandpopulationofthecountrydidnotbearthesameproportiontotheextentofitsterritorywhichtheycommonlydoincivilisedcountries，andthatsocietywasatthattime，andinthatcountry，butinitsinfancy。Fromthehighorlowmoneypriceeitherofgoodsingeneral，orofcorninparticular，wecaninferonlythatthemineswhichatthattimehappenedtosupplythecommercialworldwithgoldandsilverwerefertileorbarren，notthatthecountrywasrichorpoor。Butfromthehighorlowmoneypriceofsomesortsofgoodsinproportiontothatofothers，wecaninfer，withadegreeofprobabilitythatapproachesalmosttocertainty，thatitwasrichorpoor，thatthegreaterpartofitslandswereimprovedorunimproved，andthatitwaseitherinamoreorlessbarbarousstate，orinamoreorlesscivilisedone。
Anyriseinthemoneypriceofgoodswhichproceededaltogetherfromthedegradationofthevalueofsilverwouldaffectallsortsofgoodsequally，andraisetheirpriceuniversallyathird，orafourth，orafifthparthigher，accordingassilverhappenedtoloseathird，orafourth，orafifthpartofitsformervalue。Buttheriseinthepriceofprovisions，whichhasbeenthesubjectofsomuchreasoningandconversation，doesnotaffectallsortsofprovisionsequally。
Takingthecourseofthepresentcenturyatanaverage，thepriceofcorn，itisacknowledged，evenbythosewhoaccountforthisrisebythedegradationofthevalueofsilver，hasrisenmuchlessthanthatofsomeothersortsofprovisions。Theriseinthepriceofthoseothersortsofprovisions，therefore，cannotbeowingaltogethertothedegradationofthevalueofsilver。Someothercausesmustbetakenintotheaccount，andthosewhichhavebeenaboveassignedwill，perhaps，withouthavingrecoursetothesupposeddegradationofthevalueofsilver，sufficientlyexplainthisriseinthoseparticularsortsofprovisionsofwhichthepricehasactuallyriseninproportiontothatofcorn。
Astothepriceofcornitself，ithas，duringthesixty—fourfirstyearsofthepresentcentury，andbeforethelateextraordinarycourseofbadseasons，beensomewhatlowerthanitwasduringthesixty—fourlastyearsoftheprecedingcentury。Thisfactisattested，notonlybytheaccountsofWindsormarket，butbythepublicfiarsofallthedifferentcountiesofScotland，andbytheaccountsofseveraldifferentmarketsinFrance，whichhavebeencollectedwithgreatdiligenceandfidelitybyMr。MessanceandbyMr。DupredeSt。Maur。Theevidenceismorecompletethancouldwellhavebeenexpectedinamatterwhichisnaturallysoverydifficulttobeascertained。
Astothehighpriceofcornduringtheselasttenortwelveyears，itcanbesufficientlyaccountedforfromthebadnessoftheseasons，withoutsupposinganydegradationinthevalueofsilver。Theopinion，therefore，thatsilveriscontinuallysinkinginitsvalue，seemsnottobefoundeduponanygoodobservations，eitheruponthepricesofcorn，oruponthoseofotherprovisions。