,
there a band of coiners nestled. Electors and nobles, ecclesiastical
communities and cities outvied each other in making copper money; even
the people were infected with it. For a century the art of making gold,
and treasure digging had occupied the fancies of the people; now the
happy time appeared to have arrived, when every fish-kettle could be
turned into silver in the coiners' scales. A mania for money-making
began. Pure silver and old silver gilt became continually and
strikingly dearer in mercantile traffic, so that at last it was
necessary to pay four, five or more new gulden for one old silver
gulden, and the price of goods and the necessaries of life slowly rose;
but that signified little to the multitude, so long as the new money,
the production of which seemed to increase without end, was willingly
taken. The nation, already excited, became at last madly intoxicated.
Every one thought they had the opportunity of becoming rich without
labour; all applied themselves to trafficking in money. The merchant
had money dealings with the artisan, the artisan with the peasant. A
general craving, chaffering, and overreaching prevailed. The modern
swindling in funds and on 'Change, gives only a weak notion of the
proceedings of that time. Whoever had debts hastened to pay them;
whoever could get money from an accommodating coiner, in exchange for
an old brewing vessel,[34] could buy therewith house and fields;
whoever had to pay wages, salaries, or fees, found it convenient to do
so in plated copper. There was little work done in the cities, and only
for very high pay. Whoever had any old thalers, gold gulden, or other
good Imperial money lying in their chests as a store in case of need,
as was then the case with almost every one, drew out his treasure and
was delighted to exchange it for new money, as the old thalers, in a
most remarkable way, appeared to be worth four, nay even six and ten
times as much as formerly. That was a jolly time. If wine and beer
were dearer than usual, they were not so in the same proportion as
the old silver money. Part of the gains were jovially spent in the
public-house. Every one was disposed to give, in those times. The Saxon
cities readily agreed, at the Diet at Torgau, to a great addition to
the land tax, as money was to be obtained everywhere in superfluity.
People also were very ready to contract debts, for money was offered
everywhere, and business could be done with it on favoura