全書分5篇13章與7個附錄。第1篇有3章：首章介紹格雷欣家族事業的多角化經營，與王室的長期密切關係。第2章解說為何王室需要代理人，格雷欣之前兩位代理人的業績。第3章解說格雷欣擔任代理人期間，遭遇的波折與過程。
第2篇分2章，解說都鐸的經濟與財政背景。第4章綜述三項背景。(1) 從英國長期的經濟趨勢來看，都鐸有哪些階段性的特點；(2) 解說都鐸的鑄幣與貶值問題；(3) 國內外貿易的特點和業務規模。第5章分析王室的財務收支與困難，如何從鑄幣、出售王莊園林、賣官爵、頒授特許權，來彌補財務虧空。
第3篇（6、7章）解說歐陸的金融與貿易市場：安特衛普（Antwerp）為何能成為16世紀的國際金融中心？安衛普的金主如何貸款給各國君主？
第4篇（8-11章）分析格雷欣對外債與內債的貢獻。第8章以具體細節，說明他替英國籌到多少資金，遇到哪些困難，作出哪些重要貢獻。第9章提出1528-68年間的英鎊匯率變動圖，論證英國當時的財務實力，尚不足以在安特衛普操縱英鎊匯率。第10章說明他對內債、貨幣重鑄、外匯委員會，有哪些見解與建議。第11章析述他在外交危機協商、情報工作、採購軍火的貢獻。
第5篇（12-13章）評價格雷欣的貢獻，對比繼任代理人的表現。書末有七項附錄：(1) 格雷欣興建的皇家交易所；(2) 格雷欣學院；(3) 海外探險商人；(4) 格雷欣與倫敦布業商會；(5) 格雷欣的商業日誌；(6) 格雷欣的傳記；(7) 英國的貨幣與幣值。最後另附：大事紀、文獻解說、參考書目。
Sir Thomas Gresham (1519-79) was a remarkable Crown financier in Tudor England. This study begins with Tudor macroeconomic structure and micro evidence regarding England’s foreign debt in the 16th century. Detailed information will be used to illustrate Gresham’s manipulating of foreign exchange and negotiations with major European money lenders, and evaluate his contributions to mitigate Tudor foreign debt problems.
This monograph contains 13 chapters and 7 appendices.Two specific issues are examined and answered. (1) The structure of Tudor revenues and expenditures, to show how serious were the deficits. (2) How Gresham helped the Crown to arrange and defray foreign borrowings.
To save the cost of borrowings and repayments, Gresham asked the Crown several times to allow him to manipulate exchange rates of Pound Sterling in the Bourse of Antwerp. Most Tudor economic historians misinterpreted Gresham’s letters as if he was able to do so. Based the recent available exchange rate statistics, I present the trend of exchange rate of Pound Sterling (1537-68) and argue that Gresham was unlikely to manipulate the foreign exchange market in Antwerp. Gresham was boasting his proposals and it was a fortune that the Crown did not follow his project continuously.
第2篇分2章，解說都鐸的經濟與財政背景。第4章綜述三項背景。(1) 從英國長期的經濟趨勢來看，都鐸有哪些階段性的特點；(2) 解說都鐸的鑄幣與貶值問題；(3) 國內外貿易的特點和業務規模。第5章分析王室的財務收支與困難，如何從鑄幣、出售王莊園林、賣官爵、頒授特許權，來彌補財務虧空。
第3篇（6、7章）解說歐陸的金融與貿易市場：安特衛普（Antwerp）為何能成為16世紀的國際金融中心？安衛普的金主如何貸款給各國君主？
第4篇（8-11章）分析格雷欣對外債與內債的貢獻。第8章以具體細節，說明他替英國籌到多少資金，遇到哪些困難，作出哪些重要貢獻。第9章提出1528-68年間的英鎊匯率變動圖，論證英國當時的財務實力，尚不足以在安特衛普操縱英鎊匯率。第10章說明他對內債、貨幣重鑄、外匯委員會，有哪些見解與建議。第11章析述他在外交危機協商、情報工作、採購軍火的貢獻。
第5篇（12-13章）評價格雷欣的貢獻，對比繼任代理人的表現。書末有七項附錄：(1) 格雷欣興建的皇家交易所；(2) 格雷欣學院；(3) 海外探險商人；(4) 格雷欣與倫敦布業商會；(5) 格雷欣的商業日誌；(6) 格雷欣的傳記；(7) 英國的貨幣與幣值。最後另附：大事紀、文獻解說、參考書目。
Sir Thomas Gresham (1519-79) was a remarkable Crown financier in Tudor England. This study begins with Tudor macroeconomic structure and micro evidence regarding England’s foreign debt in the 16th century. Detailed information will be used to illustrate Gresham’s manipulating of foreign exchange and negotiations with major European money lenders, and evaluate his contributions to mitigate Tudor foreign debt problems.
This monograph contains 13 chapters and 7 appendices.Two specific issues are examined and answered. (1) The structure of Tudor revenues and expenditures, to show how serious were the deficits. (2) How Gresham helped the Crown to arrange and defray foreign borrowings.
To save the cost of borrowings and repayments, Gresham asked the Crown several times to allow him to manipulate exchange rates of Pound Sterling in the Bourse of Antwerp. Most Tudor economic historians misinterpreted Gresham’s letters as if he was able to do so. Based the recent available exchange rate statistics, I present the trend of exchange rate of Pound Sterling (1537-68) and argue that Gresham was unlikely to manipulate the foreign exchange market in Antwerp. Gresham was boasting his proposals and it was a fortune that the Crown did not follow his project continuously.