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THE UNIVERSAL REFORMATION. 43
God's severest scourges, for the affliction of mankind would
be to enrich villains.
Solon's opinion being laid aside, Chilo argued as follows :
" Which of you, most wise philosophers, doth not know
that the immoderate thirst after gold hath now adaies filled
the world with all the mischiefs which we see and feel.
What wickedness, how execrable soever it be, will men not
willingly commit, if thereby they may
Conclude, therefore, unanimously with me,
accumulate riches ?
that no better
way can be found out, whereby to extirpate all the vices
with which our age is opprest, then for ever to banish out
of the world the two infamous mettals, gold and silver, for
so the occasion of our present disorders being removed, the
evils will necessarily cease."
Though Chile's opinion had a very specious appearance,
it would not bear the test, for it was said, that men took so
much pains to get gold and silver because they are the
measure and counterpoise of all things, and that it was
requisite for man to have some mettals, or other thing of
price, by which he might purchase what was fitting for
him, that if there were no such thing as gold or silver, he
would make use of something instead of them, which,
rising in value, would be equally coveted, as was plainly
seen in the Indies, where cockle-shells were made use of
instead of money, and more vallued than either gold or
silver. Cleobulus, particularly, being very hot in refuting
this opinion, said, with much perturbation of mind :
" My
Masters, banish iron out of the world, for that is the mettal
which hath put us into the present condition. Gold and
silver serve the purpose ordained by God, whereas iron,
which Nature produced for the making of plow-shears,
spades, and mattocks, is by the mallice and mischief of