Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.

MONEY. 19 words DEI GRATIA appear now for the first time on English coins. They were inscribed on his earliest gold coins, and afterwards on his groats, but not on his smaller 1-,ieces of silver. It is remarkable, that these emphatic words should not have obtained a place on the coins at an earlier period, as they are found on all the great seals after the reign of William I. They were used as early as the latter end of the seventh century by Ina, king of the West Saxons, in the introduction to his laws. The 40th year of this reign is remarkable by an order of the king, that Peter-pence' should be no more gathered in England and paid to the Bishop of Rome. Richard II., 1377-1399, at the age of twelve years ascended the throne of his grandfather. The troubles of his reign did not prevent attention to the state of the money and coinage. In the second year of his reign the Commons petitioned the king, against the clipping of the coins and the exportation of the good money. In the Parliament of 1381, the Commons again represented the distressed state of the country arising from the gold aud silver being carried out of the kingdom; and what was left was very much clipped; they renewed their petition at the end of the Session, and prayed that good and wise counsel might be taken after inquiry and a remedy applied. The remedies proposed were various. One of the chief was, that no clerk nor provisor should be suffered to take away silver or gold, or to make any exchange for payments to the court of Rome. On these informations, a statute was enacted, which, among other things, provided that only "lords and other great men of the realm, and mer" chants and soldiers," might carry money in gold and silver out of tlo kingdom. A few years afterwards, an occasion arose for the enactment of a statute to protect the supremacy of the Crown, commonly called the statute of prsemunire.' 1 In the year 1376, the court of Rome had become so oppressive in its exactions that the Commons were forced to prefer a petition to the Parliament in which they stated,-" So tost come le pape voet avoir monoic put meintenir ses guerres de Lumbardie, ou aillours, pur despendre, ou pur raunson' ascuns de ses amys prisoners Fraunceys pryses par Engleys, il voet avoir subside de clergie d' Engleterre. Et tontost ce luy est grantez par les prelatz, a cause que les evesqes n' osent luy contrestore, et est leve del clergie sanz lour assent eut avoir devant. Et les seculers seigneurs n'y preignent garde, ne ne fobt force coment le clergie est destruit, et la monoye du roialme malement enilorteo'" The King in his answer replied, that he had already provided against such offences by divers statutes and other means; and that he was then proceeding ag'ainst the Holy Father, the Pope, in that very business, and that he wa s readir to do, from time to time, whatever might be effectual. It also appeared that the chief part of the money was conveyed out of the realm by the Pope's collector, and by the Cardinal's procurator, who likewise discovered the secrets of the state. The remedy proposed was, that Parliament should ordain, and that it should be proclaimed throughout the realm, that no one should in future, up1on pain of life or limb, act as procurator for the Pope, the Cardinals, or any other residing at the Court of Rome. In the following year, they further complain to the King "that the Pope's collector here held a receipt equal to a prince or a duke, and sent annually to Itome from the clergy for procuration of abbeys, priories, first-fruits, &c., twenty thousand marks, some years more, some less; and to cardinals and other clerks, holding benefices in England, was sent as much, besides what was conveyed to English clerks remaining there to solicit the affairs of the nation; upon which they desire his majesty, that no collector of the Pope may reside in England." The Commons of the Realm made the following noble declaration against the assumptions and aggressions of the Bishop of Rome:"The Crown of England hath been so free at all times, that it hath been 02

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Title
Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.
Author
Potts, Robert, 1805-1885.
Canvas
Page 8
Publication
London,: Relfe bros.,
1876.
Subject terms
Arithmetic

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"Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts." In the digital collection University of Michigan Historical Math Collection. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/abu7012.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 9, 2025.
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