22.9. 9. Of the relative Scarcity of Gold and Silver.
Besides the positive
plenty and scarcity of gold and silver, there is still a relative
abundance and a relative scarcity of one of these metals compared with
the other.
The avaricious hoard up their gold and silver, for as they do not
care to spend, they are fond of signs that are not subject to decay.
They prefer gold to silver, because as they are always afraid of losing,
they can best conceal that which takes up the least room. Gold therefore
disappears when there is plenty of silver, by reason that every one has
some to conceal; it appears again when silver is scarce, because they
are obliged to draw it from its confinement.
It is then a rule that gold is common when silver is scarce, and
gold is scarce when silver is common. This lets us see the difference
between their relative and their real abundance and scarcity, of which I
shall presently speak more at large.