desired, does not deteriorate by keeping. This reduces the choice to a small number of articles. By a tacit concurrence, almost all nations, at a very early period, fixed upon certain metals, and especially gold and silver, to serve this purpose. No other substances unite the necessary qualities in so great a degree, with so many subordinate advantages. Next to food and clothing, and in some climates even before clothing, the strongest inclination in a rude state of society is for personal ornament, and for the kind of distinction which is obtained by rarity or costliness in such ornaments. After the immediate necessities of life were satisfied, every one was eager to accumulate as great a store as possible of things at once costly and ornamental-which were chiefly gold, silver, and jewels. These were the things which it most pleased every one to possess, and which there was most certainty of finding others willing to receive in exchange for any kind of produce. They were among the most imperishable of all substances. They were also portable, and, containing great value in small bulk, were easily hid a consideration of much importance in an age of insecurity. Jewels are inferior to gold and silver in the quality of divisibility; and are of very various qualities, not to be accurately discriminated without great trouble. Gold and silver are eminently divisible, and when pure are always of the same quality; and their purity may be ascertained and certified by a public authority. Accordingly, though furs have been employed as money in some countries, cattle in others, in Chinese Tartary cubes of tea closely pressed together, the shells called cowries on the coast of Western Africa, and in Abyssinia at this day blocks of rock-salt though even of metals, the less costly have sometimes been chosen, as iron in Lacedæmon from an ascetic policy, copper in the early Roman republic from the poverty of the people-gold and silver have been everywhere preferred by nations which were able to obtain them, either by industry, commerce, or conquest. To the qualities which originally recommended them, another came to be added, the importance of which only unfolded itself by degrees. Of all commodities they are among the least influenced by any of the causes which produce fluctuations of value. No commodity is quite free from such fluctuations. Gold and silver have sustained, since the beginning of history, one great permanent alteration of value, from the discovery of the American mines; and some temporary variations,* . . . but, on the whole, no commodities are so little exposed to causes of variation. They are more constant than almost any other things in their cost of production. And, from their durability, the total quantity in existence is at all times so great in proportion to the annual supply that the effect on value even of a change in the cost of production is not sudden, a very long time being required to diminish materially the quantity in existence, and even to increase it very greatly being no rapid process. Gold and silver, therefore, are more fit than any other commodity to be the subject of engagements for receiving or paying a given quantity at some distant period. If the engagement were made in *Since Mr. Mill wrote this article new discoveries of gold and silver have been made in Australia and in the United States, which have led to such an increased production that their purchasing qualities have largely decreased. corn, a failure of crops might increase the burden of the payment in one year to four fold what was intended, or an exuberant harvest sink it in another to one-fourth. If stipulated in cloth, some manufacturing invention might permanently reduce the payment to a tenth of its original value. When gold and silver had become virtually a medium of exchange, by becoming the things for which people generally sold and with which they generally bought whatever they had to sell or to buy, the contrivance of coining obviously suggested itself. By this process the metal was divided into convenient portions, of any degree of smallness, and bearing a recognized proportion to one another; and the trouble was saved of weighing and assaying it at every change of possessors, an inconvenience which on the occasion of small purchases would soon have become insupportable. TH JOHN STUART MILL. JAPANESE LYRICAL ODES. HESE odes are from the old Yamato language, which the translator informs us "is a very noble and harmonious tongue.' He also says that "they are familiar in every Japanese household, high and low, and every Japanese child has his memory stored with at least some of them, but few even among tolerably well-educated persons can understand perfectly the ancient dialect in which these odes are written or explain the allusions contained in them, and hence has arisen a crowd of commentaries, among which much notable difference of opinion is to be met with." There are one hundred of these poems, containing from four to eight lines each. They are called Steps to the Summit of the Hundred Odes of a Hundred Poets. They were all written between the seventh and thirteenth centuries, and were first compiled by Sadaihe, sometimes called Teika, who was a poet-priest and lived near Mount Ogura in Yamashire. He died A. D. 1241. While these odes are very crude they will compare favorably with the literature of Europe during the same period of time. (From the revised edition by Koromo-gawa-daijin, published A. D. 1805 at Lioto and Ohosaka, Japan.) TAGO'S SHORE. By YAMBE NO AKAH'TO, who flourished about A. D. 715. From where my home,— My lonely home,-on Tago's shore Doth stand, the wandering eye may roam O'er Fusiyama's summit hoar, Whose lofty brow Is whitened by th' new-fallen snow. MESSAGE FROM THE SEA. By SANGI TAKAMURA, who died A. D. 852. He was originally very poor, but became rich as a supervisor of ships coming from China. He was reported by envious people to the Tenshi as a robber and embezzler, and was banished to the Yasoshima, "Eighty Isles,' on which occasion he indited his song to a friend. The Tenshi afterwards learned the innocence of the slandered Takamura, and restored him to his former rank. Ye fishermen, who range the sea In many a barque, I pray ye tell Toward Yasoshima I sail. To HIS LOVE. By KAWARA NO SADAI-JIN, who died A. D. 895. Mojidsuri is a silk fabric embroidered with intricate designs of flowers, etc. Ah me! my soul with cares is vext, Unnumbered, crowded, and perplext : Than varied pattern more confus'd On Mojidsuri fabric used, The produce of Shinobu's loom, Shinobu in Michinokuland: For whose sake-whose but thine-doth gloom Hold o'er my failing heart command? THE HAMLET. By MINAMOTO MINEYUKI-ASON, who was the grandson of the Emperor Ko-kwo. He died in the third year of Ten-kei (18), A. D. 940. The hamlet bosom'd 'mid the hills Aye lonely is; in winter-time Its solitude with mis'ry fills My mind, for now the rig'rous clime AUTUMN. By HARU-MICHI NO TSURKI, who died A.D. 864. The poet visits the wilds of Shigayama, and, on seeing the masses of dried and autumn-reddened maple-leaves entangled among the rocks of the mountain streams, composes the following stanza: The winds of autumn have amassed Dried withered leaves in ruddy heaps, Have them in th' mountain-torrent cast, Whose stream in stony channel sweeps; Amid the rocks that bar the way The Mom-ji's reddened leaves delay. FORGOTTEN. By KI NO TSURAYUKI, who flourished about the middle of the tenth century. Returning, after a long absence, to his native. village, he finds that no one recognizes him, and everything appears strange. But the fragrancy of the wild cherry (sakura) has not altered, and is still familiar to him. The comrades of my early days Their former friend indifferent view Who with a wondering eye doth gaze On th' village that of old he knew So well. O flower! thy fragrancy Alone familiar seems to me! A Vow. By KYOWARA NO MOTOSUKE, who died in the first year of Yei-so (25), about the middle of the tenth century. It is a proverb common in Michinoku "To keep a vow while the waves do not overleap Suyemats-yama -i. e. to keep a vow for ever. The negative form used here is that of the original. When last each other we embraced, A solemn vow of faith we swore,-And sealed it with the tears that chased Adown our cheek our drench'd sleeves o'erThat we our oath would fail to keep When th' waves o'erleapt S'ye's pinecrown'd steep. A. 1820 504 DYING. MY ARAB STEED. By IDS'MI SH'KIBU, who was the daughter of Ohoye no Masatoki, wife of Yas'masa, Lord of Tamba. She lived about A. D. 1040. Ere long for me this world shall end, But once more wert beside me now AUTUMN'S CHILLY BLAST. By SAKYO NO TAIU AKISUKE, who flourished about A. D. 1155. When bloweth autumn's chilly blast, Through rifts at times the moonbeams peep From 'mid the dark clouds drifting past, And earth in pallid radiance steep, I love to see The bright-edged shadows o'er the lea. PLEASURE OF EARTHLY LIFE. By KAMAKURA NO UDAIJIN. He became an Imperial personage A. D. 1303. The literal translation is: "How desirable is the life here on earth! How pleasant to watch the net-haul of the small boats of the fishermen plying near the shore." O that throughout an endless life I might in peace dwell, far from strife! How pleasant such a lot would be! AN IMPATIENT LOVER. By GON-CHIU-NAGON SADAIHE, son of Toshi-nari. He entered the priesthood and died in the second year of Nin-ji (46) A. D. 1241. He is otherwise known as Teika, and was the compiler of the Hundred Odes. On Mats'ho's shore, our meeting-place, At dusky hour of night, I wait My longed-for mistress to embrace; Ah, why then ling'rest thou so late! My ardent passion, than the fire That heats the salt-pans, rages higher. THE HUNDRED-CHAMBERED PALACE. By JYUNTOKU IN. This royal poet was a son of Gotoba no In, whom he succeeded as emperor. Afterward he was deposed by Yoshitoki, and eventually was banished to the island of Sado, about A. D. 1209. On the hundred-chambered palace, lo! A rent and tattered roof is seen, Where rank Shinobu weeds do How long, how hard our pain has been! Translated into English A. D. 1866, grow: 47823 |