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M«thods for the Employrrcnf and Maintenance of the Poor are propofed. The Redurt, but moft excellent Treatife of Intereft. By Sir JosiAH Child, Baronet. The Fourth Edition. _ . LONDON: Printed for J Hodges, on LovJon Bridge ; PV. Mea- dowj at the ^pigei in Comhill ^ C. Corbft. againft ^t. Dunftan^ Church, Flert/Irerti J. Jachfan, atSf. Jawrj'iGatei J.Stagg,v.x Wej, ^inJitr-H^ll ; and 7. Btvtll^ near .Sr. Saviours Church, Soathwark, Price Bound ? s^ 4^ ... ^«. # t ;*■ .J o .ii..>: ■r ^ ' ..!■..• 1. rvrf ''i' 1"! i ' ^'. ■■ • • ft j; i- ,Jjv;;;^^.,:,^-viV fc* 4. ' THE CONTENTS. A Difcourfe' concerning Trade, 3cc, /TL Page !• Chap. I. A fhort Reply to a Treatife, entitled, Iiiterclt of Money Miftaken, 35. Chap. II. Concerning the Relief and Employ- ment of the Poor, 85^ Chap. III. Concerning Companies of Merchants, . no* Chap. IV. Epnccrning the Adt : Navigation; V Chap: The C O N T E N T S. !M Chap. V. Concerning Transferrence of Debts, \ v> Chap. VI. Concer>iiijg a Ccurt- Merchant, .41. -" • ' ■''" "* Chap. VII. A-^ f\^^\ Concerning Naturalization/ ' ipf Chap. Ym: :,r|. - Concerning Wool and Woollen ^fa^ll-. fa6:ures. rr- ' Chap. IX. iiiiTicnrj t- Concerning the Balance of Trade, 16^. Chap. X. Concenung Plantations, u^ i^iU: j^ . ^ V A fmall Treatife ^gainft Ufury, 135. \; THE PREFACE. HE following anAver to he treatife, endtuled, /«- iircjf of money mijiaken, I not have J.ifure 1 ^°"^«quence «>. fince whfch t JeV£'?"^K'*^ rj-,>o«-./:. . : ^^**v^ *^t?n another ^ tifc. 11 The PREFACE, '1 ft.- y tife, I muft needs fay, that either I underftand nothing of this fubjc6t, or elfe this gentleman is the greatoit Granger to it that ever undertook to difcourfe it, he having wrote much, but in my opin*on nothing to the pur- pofe, more than was much better (though briefiier) faid by the author of the fore-mention'd freatife, out of which moit of his feeiT^s to be borrowed, though the words be va- ried, with fome additions of interro- gations, expoftulations, fimilies and circumlocutions. Befides, the gentleman taking up things at random, and for want of a due underftanding of the matter, is very unfortunate in his inftances of fa£t, *v}z. In his preface, about the middle,^ his words are, *^ Has abatement of *' ufury, or fome other fublime po- " licy, obliged the French of late to •* fetupon trade and manufactures ?" And then he affirms, that I dare not •jouch on that String, in regard that nation The PREFACE. 111 n^ation h for mahy years alter'd • intereitffom 7 per cent. • i o h,s interrogation. I anfwer do- fit.vely. thar theabatemenc of uXv iitve me, .-cad the French edifts themfel.e^and they wj]] tdlyou fo (anabftraaofoncofwhich^Save ''t« V ^'^^f''"°^'-"g treat/fe.''" i o his affirmation, that I dare not touch upon th/s ftr/ne I far I dare do ;,^ , ^^^ the f holafffue thereupon, for the French in faft ney under 6 par tent, and that to c per cent. lately, as r have been Se- 1 ,'^> r^'J omitted this, all their bu/],ng ,n other things would fi^n fy very i;„,e ,•„ concFuC. ^ eft .b^'Jl" ^i.^^^'^^' fi"'^« they eitabJiftd their Council of Trad/ t.on of becoming confiderable by it ■ave reduced their intcreftfronf,o to 6 per cent. '"'" 10 . A 2 His ■i:ti :{ ;t ■f I ! ' .^ .'II' m :'iii ;l ly The PREFACE. c« c( (C His following Words are, '* Do Iraly and Holland owe their trade " and riches to the lownefs of ufu- ry, or to their innate frugality, wonderful induilry, and admiia- <« ble arts, *Scc. I anfwer ; low intereH is the natu- ral mother of frugality, induftry and Arts, which 1 hope the gcn'.le- man's eyes will be open enough to fee by that time he has read a little further, and confidcr'd two or three years longer. But it rnay be faid. How can a lowintereftbe the natural mother of frugality, when, if this gentleman muft be credited, abatenient of our ufe-money brought in our drinking? which he docs not only fay but prove as he thinks, by aninftance of faa ; for he fays, we now fpend ufually twenty thoufandtuns of French wine, (and he believes that a far greater quantity is yearly importcdjand that the computation of Spanilh Rhenifh, and Levant wincs^ far exceeds the for- The P R E t A C E. v former; fo that by his calciilation, andashelavs,grounded upon a very good authority, viz. a report to the Houfe of Commons, it fhould fcem that thercis about rhequantityoffor- ty hve thoufand tuns of wineofaJi Jortsimporred annually intoEngland. But if Jtfhall app-ir in fad, thrt before the laft abatement of intereli: trom 8 to 6 percent. \vc did ufually import near t\vicc the quantity of Wines annually we now do, and that now in all forts of wines we do not import above the qu:^.nrity of twenty thoufand tuns yearly 5 ' then what wil become of his large Rruaure, budt upon fo fandy a foundation ? Reader/ this is the cafe, and the rnatter of fad truly recited by me, (which many ofthe honourable mem- bers ofthe Houfe of Commons well Know) and mifeken by him ; from whence I might with much more reafon infer, that the abatement of intereft droveoutour drinking,(fo;.r. /^«^^iedid,)butIknow there we.e ^ A 3 likewife (I . « vi The P R E F A C E. like wife other caufes for Itjefpecially the additional diiries that from time to time have been la.d apon wines. Bat before I part with the gentle- man on this point, I muft note to him another monftrous miftake in ticl", or at leaft in his inference, viz. he fays, that twenty thoufand tuns of French wines at 2 s. 8d. per gallon, amounts to 640000 1. and concludes (if I underfland him) that fo much is loft to England i whereas^ were the matter of fadt as he fiippofeth, which is not fo in any meafure, this inference would be ftrangely errone- ous ; for by the expence of I^ch quan- tity we can rationally lofe only the firft coft, which is but about 6 or 7 1. per tun, and that amounts to but 1 20000 1. or 140000 1. at the utmofl:, all the reft beingfreight, cuftom and charges paid to the King, and our own countrymen, and confequcntly not loft CO l\ngland. To conclude this herid, I do agree fully with the gentleman^that luxury and The PREFACE. vll and prodigality are as weJl prejudi- cial CO kingdoms :is to privare fami« lies ; aj KJ that t he expence of foreian ?°? JPiilks, elJScial Jj forcigrT ma- nufaaures, is the worf! expence"'i nation can^be inclmat^tr to, and' ou^ihttohe prevented as . luch as pofTible, but that nothing has nor wjJl jndine this or any other na- tion more to thriitincfs and good Husbandry, than abatement of inter- eft, 1 think I have proved in the fol- Jov^^ing difcourie, and therefore all that this gentleman has faid about luxury. &C.isagainfthimfe]f, and for iellening of interefh The gentleman at the beginning of fcis preface fays, - He will not en- quire into the lawfulnefs of inter- im eft but leave the fcrupulous to thefeyeraldifcourfcsmadepublick on that fubjea. » For my part I fha 1 agree with him in that likcwife; «nd to the intent that what has been niade publick formerly may the oetter be known, I wouM entreac A 4 choiJ 1 1 I \i M ' vni The P R E F A C E. thofe that w "ulcl be thoroughly f.i- tished therein, dihg('ntl)' to pcrufe I excelknt trcacife, entitled, '^ The Er^lllhufarer, or ufury con an • c cond crr.n 'd, b. in2 a CO Ilea ion o f <' the opinions of many ot the loarn- " cd Fathers of the Church of Eng- " j.md, and other Divines" printed at London, afirj9 1 634, and now a- hour to be reprinted. ij jC upon thisoccafion I fhall hum- 1^-ly pjvijne to fay. That if by the follow in^T difcourfes it inall appeur, that the interefl of England being higher than that of our neighbour country, does render our lands (our common mother) of vile and bafe efteem; does prevent the culti- vation and improvement of our coun- try, as otherwifeit might and would be improved, doeshinder the growth of Trade and employment and Kn- creafe of the hands of our country ; does cncourap-eidlenefs and luxury, and dilcourage navigation, mduitry, arts and invention -, then 1 make no que it 1 on The PREFACE. queft IX ion but the tak ing of iuch an intercrt as exceeds the m'eafure of ^.u nei-hbours, IsMaluminfe, by th our light of nnure, and confcquend |in, althoughGod had nevcr'expr^c^ Jy forbid it. ^ But the Ufurer may fty, Aippofe the Bo f Jrrowci miiKes 12 per cent- or niy mony, is ^t n fin m me to take 6percent.ofhim?Ianfvver,between them two there may be no comnu- tative inju(iice,according co my weak judgment, while each retains a mu- tual ben . 'fit, the Ufurer for his mony the Borrower fo, his indultry 5 b.iC in the mean t.me if the rate given and taken exceed the rate of our neigh- bour nations, thefe fatal nation^ evil confequences will enfue to our common country by furh a praaice which therefore I conrlude to be V^* Inm tnfc: And pera(ivcniiire r'lcre- tore chewifdomofGod almiahtydid p^oh;bi^theJevvs^romIendmgipon ^ ^ o )e f) anothf .bur allowed them to -nd to iirangu . for the Cnrich- A inrr X The P R E F A C E. ing of their own nation, improve- fnent of their own territory, and for the impoverifhing of othersjthofe to whom they were permitted to lend being fuch only whom they were commanded to deftroy, or at leaft to keep poor and miferable, as the Gi- beonites, &c. hewers of wood, and drawers of water. Ipropofe to do the gentleman that right, as not to omit taking notice of any thing he has of novelty in rela- tion to the prefentcontroverfy, whe- ther it be material or no ; and in or- der thereunto, the next thing I ob- ferve new in his treatife, is, page 9. " It is, fays he, dearnefs of wages <' that fpoils theEnglilh trade, and a- <' bafes our lands, not ufury ♦, " and therefore be propounds the making adaw to retrench the hire of poor mens labour, (an honeft charitable project, and well becoming a ufur- er.) The anfwer to this in eafy. Firft, I affirm, and can prove he is VniiUken in faft, for the Dutch, with «vhom The PREFACE. xl whom weprincipaliy concendJn trade give generally more wages toall their iTianufaaurers^by at leaft two pence m the Shilhng, than the Englifh. Secondly. Wherever .wages are high univcrfally throughout the ^i^^-S.^O'-W.fisaninfallibleevidence ottherichesofthatcountry.andwhere- ever wages for labour run low, it is '^ '^u"^. J""^ ^'°'"^"J' "fcbat place, ihirdly.ftis multitudes of people. • and good lawi, fuch as caufe an en- ■' creafc of people, which principally cnnch any coiintrysandii-. ^e retiench by law the labour of our people, we drive them from us to other coun- tries that give better rates, and fo the Dutch have drained us of our feamen and woolen manufafturers, and we nf "r^°^ '*>^'' ^"ifi«rs and filkmanuftaurers, and many more we Ihould, if our laws otherwife gave them fitting encouragement, of which more in due placef Fourthly If any particular trades exaa more here than inHolland,they arc XIL The PREFACE. are only fuch as do it by vertae of in- corporations,privileges,andcharters3 of which the cure is eafy by an a6t of naturalization, and without com- pulfitory laws. It is true, our great grand-fathers did exercife fuch policy of endea- vouring to retrench the price of la- bour by a law (although they could neveretfe6lit)buttharwasbeforetrade was introduced into thisKingdomjwe are fmce^with the reft of the trading world, grown wifer in this matter, and I hope fball fo continue. The next new obje6lion thegentie- inan has, is page 13. '' If we abate •^ intereft (faid he) will rot the Hollander take the fame courfe, while we like Children wink, and think no body fees us ?" Yes, certainly the Dutch will take the fame courf^^ except they leave their old wonr, for we never yet a- bated our intcrelt, but th I anfwe? The P R E F A C E. xv I anfwer, there is nothing in the world will engage our merchants to Ipend lefs and trade more, than the abatement of intereft, for the fub- dmng of intereft will bring in multi- tudcs of traders, as it has in Holland to fuch a degree, that almoft all their people ot both fexes are tra- ders, and the many traders will ne- ceflitate merchants to trade for lefs profit, andconfequently be more fru- gal in their expences, which is the true reafon why many confiderable nierchants areagainft the lefTenineof intereil, of which I have faid fome- what more in the following treatife. Page 43. he propounds another remedy for the advance of our trade and the keeping our coin at home,' and enlarges much upon it in his appendix, which is to diminifh the intrinfick value of our coin. If the gentleman had underftood trade half fo well as he is faid to do inortgages,bonds,andbills,certainly he would not have mentioned this xvi The PREFACE. old thread- bare and exploded project which is a trick has been tried fo of- ten in Spain, till it has left them more black money (as they call it) than white or yellow, notwithftand- ing their Silver mines in Peru and Mexico, and that their laws make it death to export gold or filvcr. This conceit I have known three times experienced like wife in Portu- gal, within this twenty four or twenty five years, at firft the piece of 8 rials went at 400 ries, after that was brought to 480, after that to 520, and now to 600 ries, and yet Itill we bring their money from them as heretofore, and fell our commodities to them for as much fil ver as ever. The reafon is evident ; fuppofe for example, a hat that was ufwally fold CO them for fo ur pie jes of eight, when the Piece of eight was at 400 ries. we then fohl fnch a ^at for 1600 ries i when they ruifed the _ piece The PREFACE, xvii piece of eight to8 ries perpiece more, weloldthefame hat at 2000 ries, and fo nimg in proportion as they raifed theircoin,themerchantffillobferv'ng what the intrinfick vahie of the mo- ney is, not the name it is called by ; and fo it would be in England, or any part of the world. rhave now done with all lean find of novelty in this gentleman's treatife, to meddle with old and f!ale matter, which in other words has been often faid,and as often anfwer'd, would be but to trouble the reader with impertinencies; fo would it like- wife to nfe opprobrious calumniating reflections, as he does covertly in a bufinefs of that ferioufnefs, weight, and pubiick concernment as this is ; I underftand not the world fo little as not to know, that he that will faithfully ferve his Country, muft be content to pafs through good report and evil report, neither regard I which I meet with, a truth I am fure :!.;i' xvili The PREFACE. fure atlaft will vindicate itfelf, and be found by my countrymen. Yet before I conclade this preface, I muft needs take notice of one thing to be wonder'd at, viz. that feme had the confidence piiblickly to af- feit before the Lords, when this con- troverfy w^s debated before their Lordfhips, that when intereft was at lo per cent, land was fold at twenty years purchafera ftrange,prefumptiii- ous, and incredible aflertion againft records, againft experience, and a- fainft reafoa 5 to which I doubt not ut their Lordf?> hich are twins, and have always, and ever will wax and wane together. It cannot be ill with trade,but land will fall, nor ill with lands, but trade will feel it. Butin regard this gentleman is fo miferably miftaken in the Trades of Spain and Portugal, which he rec- kons as lofl:,Ithink it may be ufeful to inform him, and others better, what trades are really loft, and en- quire how we came to lofe them, and what trades weftill retain, and why, and of both as briefly as I can, becaufe I have faid fomething of them in the following treatife. \'n %. XX The P R E F A C E. Of Trades lojft. 1. The Ruflii trade, where the Dutch had laft ya^v twenty two Sail of great (hips, and the Englifh but one, whereas formerly we had more of that trade than the Dutch. 2. The Greenland trade, where the Dutch and Hamburghors have yearly atleaftfour or fivehundredSail of (hips, and the Engiiih but one the laft year, and none the former. 3. The great trade of fait from St. Vuals in Portugal, and from France, with fait, wine, and brandy to the eaft-lands. , 4. All that vaft and notorious trade of fifhing for white herrings upon our own coaft. 5. The Eaft Country trade, in which we have not half fo much ro do as we had formerly,and the Dutch ten times more than they had in times paft. A J. \. The P R E F A C E. xxi 6. A very great part of our trade iorSpanifh wools fromBilvao, Thefe trades, andlome more I could name, the Dutch intereft of three per centr nnd narrow-limited companies in England, have beat us out of. 7. The EalMndia trade for nut- megs, clovcs, and mace, an extraor- dinary profitable trade, the Dutch arms and flelghcs have beat us out of, but their lower intercft gave ftrength to their arms, and acutenefs to their invention. 8. Their great trade for China and Japan, (of which we have no Ihar:') is an ertea of cheir low intereft,thofe trades not beir-^g to be obtained but by a long pro.ef3,and great disburfe- ments, deftiture of prefcnt, but with expedation of future ^ain, which fiK per cent, cannot bearT 9. The tiades of ScorJand and Ire- land, two of our own kingdoms the Dutch have bereaved us of, and in i he xxiv The PREFACE. i4.The trade of Menadcs,orNew- York, we fhould have gained inftead of the iorrner, lince " q;ot poflef- fion of that place in tb .. ce war, if the Dutch hid not been connived at therein at ■irll;, which now I hope the)' are not ; for if they fhould be, it would not only be to the intire lofs of that trade to England, but greatly tothe prejudice of theEnglifh trade to Virginia, becaufe thoDurch, under pretence of trading to and from New-York^carry great quantities of VirginiaTobaccoJireQlyforHolland. 15. The Englifh trade to Guinea r fear is much declined, by reafon that company hath m^t with difcou- ragemencs from lome of our neigh- bours. Nore, that mofiof ihc afore-mcn- tion\i trades are the greateft trades in the world, for the employment of Ihipping and fcamen. 2dly, That no trades deferve fo much care to procure, and prderve, and encouragement to profecute, ns thofe The P R E F A C E. xxr thofe that employ the mo ft (hipping, altho' the commodities tranfport- ed be of fmall vahie in themfelves ; for, firlT, fhey are certainly the moli profitablei for befidesthe gain accru- ing by the goods, the freight,which is in fuch trades often more than the value of the goods, is all profittothe nation; befides^they bring withthem a great accefs of power (hands as- well as money) many (hips and fea- men being juftly the reputed ftrength and fafety of England. I could menrion more trades thac \vc h:ive lofi, and are in the highwav to lofe, but I fhiili forbear at prefenc for fear this porch fliould prove too big ; as alfo for other rcafons. The trades wc yet retain are, I ft. For HOi, t'^e trade o^red her- rings at Yarmouth, pilch:irds in the Welt country, and cod-fifh i.. Nev/- fonndland and New-Enrrland. 2dly, A good partof Vhe Turkey, Iraijan, Spaniih,and Portu^^al trades! B Onf niim xxvi The PREFACE. Our trades to and from our own plantations, viz. Virginia^Barbadoes, New-England, Jamaica, and the Leward-iri::nds. If any fhall here ask me, how it comes to pafs that theDutch low in- tereft has not cafhiered us of thefe trades, as well as the former, I fh;ili anlwcr,firft generally, and then par- ticularly. 1. Generally I fay, the Durch low intereft has miferably kfT.ned us in all trades ofthe w orld, not fecured to us by laws, or by fome natural ad- vantage which over-ballanccs the difproportion of our interefi: of mo- ney, which difpropoition I take to be 3 per rent, 2. Particularly the red herring trade we retain, by reafon of two na- tural advantages ; one is, the tifh for that purpofe :nuit be b:ought treih on fhorc, and that the Dutch cannot do w iih theirs, bccanfc the herrings fwim on our coaft, and confequcntly "^ The The PREFACE, xxvir The orher k, thofe herrings muft hefmoked ^ith wood, which cannoc be done on any reafonable terms,but in a woody conntry/uch asEngJand is, and Holl md is nor. Thefe ad- vanrages thatGod has givenour land do counterpoize and overpoize the difproportion of interel}, viz. 3 p^r cent, otherwjfe we might fay/arewel red herrings as well as white. The pilchards on the weft coaft likewifecome toour fhores^and rruft be cured and prefTed upon the land, which is impoffible for the Dutch to do. The Newfoundland fifhing is ma- naged by weft countrymen, whofe- ports are properly fituated for that country, and the country itfelf is his majeftj's , fo the Dutch can have no footing there, if they could, 3 per cmt, would foon fend us home to keep fheep. As to the Turkey, ItaIian,Spanilh, and Portugal trades, thoughou! venc -\ji. iiiiv vii/i.ii, rtiiu iKJiwt lores or itutit B 2 be xxvlii The PREFACE. i' be declined, yet we retain a very conliderable part of thofe trades, by reafon of feme natural anui fon-e artificial or legal advantages, which preponderates 3 per ant» Such as thefe : I ft. The wool of which our mid- ling and coarfe cloths are made, is our own, andconfcquently cheap- er to us than the Dutch can fteal it from us, payingfreJglits,comm;ffion, bribes and couL^nage, and fome- times armed guards to force it oft. 2dly, Our feuel and vi6lual :s cheaper in remote parts from Lon- don, and confequencly our ma„,utac- turers can and do vvork cheaper than the Dutch, whatever Mr. Manly erroneoufty aftirms. 3dly, The rcdhcrring, pilchard, Newfoundland, and New-England ftlhery, by which we carry on much of thofe tr-jJes, are infeparably an- nexed to this kingdom, as before is demcnftrated, and by the bounty of God The P R E F A C E. xxix God almighty, not by our own wifdom or mdiidry- 4^hly, Our lead and tin, by which wc c:irry on mu:h ofthofe trades, are natives with u.s. 5chly, Our country confumos within itfelf more of Spanifh wines and fruir, Zanc currants, and Le- vant oils, than any country in Eu- rope. 6thly, Which is an artificial ad- vantage (and due to the wifdom of the contrivers) our a£l of navigation compels us, or at leaft would do, if it were juftly adminiftrcd, to im- port none of thofe goods but /rem the proper ports of their imbarkati- on, and by Engliffi fhipping only. The trades to and from all our own plantations, are likewife fecur- ed eo us by the a£l of navigation, or would b-, if that a£l were truly ex- ecuted ; and if it were not for that, you fhould fee forty Dutch iTiips ac our own plantations for one Englifh. B To 1 *., ' ' 'i- t' « '■ i; i-.hi I ' * xx:k The PREFACE. To Conclude this paragraph, the Dutch low intereft,through our own lupinenefs, has robbed us totally of liiltrade, not infcparably annexed to this kingdom by the benevolence of tiivjnc providence, and our a'^ of na- V gation, which, though it has feme things in it wanting amendment,de- iorves to be called ourCharta Mariti- tr.a, infomuch as with fhame to our- felves it may be truly i]jid ^f us, as we proverbially fay to carelefs per- fons the/ have loit all that is loofc\ When I think of thcfe things I rann )L hut wonder that ihvre fliould he I and Engliihmen who want not bread to eat, or cloathes to wear, fhould be yetfounkindand hardheart- ed to their Country, as ftrenuoufly ^o endeavour (for private ends) the depriving her of fo great a good, as would be the abatement of our inter- eft to 4Pc'r cent, by a law. f have lately fcen a treatife written about thirty years fince, by LewisRoberts, ii i wi viiiiii w^ V> AiVx V iii iiC ii J H iii V C^ ti^* geratcs The P P n F A C E. xxxi gerates feind w.ch gr'ac reafon) the W'Onde* [:l ad /iinf iJAT- theDutch have by chc iovvnefs of their cuftomsjbuc feeing an exadl: hnitation in thac re- fped is not c onfiftenc with our af- fairs ar pr^feoc, though much to bs defired in due time, I infift not there- upon, but think ic ner:eirary by the way, to make this true animadver- fion, viz. that 2 per cent, extraordin- ary in inrereif, is worfe thzn 4 per cent, extraordinary in cuftoms, be- caufe cufto.-ps run only upon our goods imported or exported, and that but once for all j whereas inte- rtil runs as well upon our (hips as goods, and mull be yearly paid on both fo long as they are in bein'r ; and the (hips in may bulkey tkadco. and fuch as are nationally moffc pro- fitable, are of four times the value of the goods. That oldobjedlion fjout widows and orphans, I h^wo ! think fully an- fwered in my fo'^ ...r treatifcibut be- > .n»-. ..!^T :^ - / ■-* •w»l*»w».«t.iv,«J llAWb »>JV.H JL^ B 4 Ifhall '■,■1- **f! xxxii The PREFACE. I (hall fay a word more to it here, viz. I. Widows and Orphans are not one to twenty of the whole people ; and it is the wifdom of kw-makers to provide for the good of the majo- rity of people, though a minor part fhould a little fuffer. 2. Of widows and orphans, not one in forty will fuffer by the abate- ment of intereft for thefe reafons, vix. I ft. Of widows and orphans nine often in this kingdom have very little or nothing at all left them by their deceafed relations -.^nd all fuch will have an advantage by the ^ibate- «i. ?ntof intereli, becaufe fuch abate- ment will encreafe trade, and in confequence (^cafion more employ- ment for fuch ncceffitous perfons. 2dly, Many widows and orphan have jointures, annuiti s, copyholds, and other lands left them, as well as moneys and all fuch will be gain* ers by the abatement of intereli The PREFACE, xxxiii Sdlyy For all London orphans the city gives not now above 5, and to fome 4 per cent, intereft, fo the lofs to fuch is not worth fpeaking of. 4thl)', Many executors arefo un- worthy as to allow orphans no inte- reft, andjuftify themselves bylaw ; to fuch orphans it will be all ons what the legal race of intercftis. 5thly, When the law for abate- ment of intcreft is paft, many more parents will leave their children an- nuicjes and efiates running in trade, -^ ^hey do in Holland and Italy* whereby the abatement of intercft will become piontable, not preiudi^- cial to them. *' And for the fe^vthat at firft nay happen to (u^cr, ofwhich the nu :/- berwillbe veryfmall (and there- tore not to be named in compctitioa wichthecommongoodofthekingdom) they have an eafy means within their own power, to prevent their bein:r one farthing the worf^ for th- abated mentof inrereft ; it is but w^ ' 'in- a R i«. >V i i ;.*}•' ^r."!^:" xxxlv The P R E F A E lav^^n whisk inftead of a point dc Ve- nice; and for the meaner fort a (erge petticoat, inftead of a Silk one, and a plain pair of Ihoes initead of la- ced ones. And that the ladles may not be offended with me, I dare un- dertake that this will never fpoil, but mend their marriages ; btfidts thegreater good itwill briiig tothcir country ,and to their poftcr^ies after them, whether they prove to be nn- blemen,gentlemen,ormcrchants^&c. I have in feveral places of my en- fuing trcatifc referred to fome tra6ls I formerly publifhed upon this fub- jc£V,which being now wholly out of print, I thought fit to reprint and nnnex unto this, which ac hrft I in- tended not. Some there are who would grant that abatement of intereft,if it could be eBLded,would procure to the na- tion all the good that I alledge it will bring with it, but fay it is not practicable, flfr at kart not now. The P R E F A C E. xxxv /. needlefs fcruple, and contra- dictory to experience? ; fori, a law has abated intcreft in England, three times within thefefew year^ already; and vvhaclliould hinder its efle£t now" more than formerly j* %. If a law will not do it, why do the ufurers raife fuch a daft, and en- gage fo many friends to oppofethe paiiing an a6l to this purpofe ? The true reafon is, becaufethey are wife enough to know that a law will certainly do it, as it has done already, though they would per- fuade others to the contrary. And if it be doubted we have not money- enough in England, befiJes what I have faid jn my former troatife as to the encreafe of our riches in genr. ral, I Ihall here give further rea- fons of probability, which are the bef^ that can be expcdled in this cafe, to prove that we have now much more money in England than wc had twenty years part. Not- '^^ '* xxxvi The P R E F A C E. Notwithftanding the feeming fcar- clty at prefent, if Idiouid look further back than twenty years, the argu- ment would be Wronger on my fide, and the proportion ofthe encreafe of money greater, and more perfpicu- ous ; but I (hall confine my felf to that time, which is within moft mens memories. 1. We give generally now one third more money with apprentices than we did twenty years paft. 2. Notwithftanding the decay and lofs of fjvcral trades and manufac- tures, yet in thegrofs we fhipoft'now one third p:ut more ofthe manufac- tures, as alfo lead and tin, than we did twenty years part, which is a caufe, as well as a proof of oar en- creafe of money. If any doubt rhis, if they pleafe to confult Mr. Dickins, furveyor of his n.ajcfty's cudom? who is the bed a- blo 1 .no*y Jiving, and has cak^n the mofi pains in thefe calculations, he mny be fatisfadtorijy refoived, 3. HoufsS The PREFACE, x XXV>J Houfl 3. riouies new bii c in London yield twice the rent th.y did before the fire,- and houlcsgoncially imme- diately before the Hre yielded abouc one fourth pare more rent tnr-.n they did twenty years pail. 4. ThefpjL'dyand coldly buildings a convincing^and to of London ar Grangers an ariiazing) argi.inicnt of theplenty, and latcencreafcof mo- ney in En^^land. 5. We have no.v^ more chan dou* bleth ping that we had t.ven y years pari e quaruity of merc!ianti fhip- 6. The courfe ot our ra de fr( rom the encreafe of oiu* money is ftrangely altered within thefe twenty years, moll payments from merchants and (hopkeepers being now made with ready money, whereas formerly the coiirfe of our general trade ran at three, fix, nine, twelve and eighteen months time. But if thiscafe be fo clear/omc may ask me. How comes it to pafs that all forts of men complain fo much of 'I: t*j xxxvill The P r. E F A C E. of the fcarcity of money, efpeclally in the countr) F My anfwers to this query are, viz. I. This proceeds from the frailty and corruption of humane nature, it being natural for men to complain of the prefenr, and commend the times paft; fo faid they of old, *« The *' former days were better than <' thefe i " and I can fay in truth, upon my own memory, that men did complun as much of the fcarci- ty of money, ever fince I knew the world, as thov do now ; nay, the very idme performs th;it now complain ot this, and commend that time, ,2. And moro particularly,this com- plaint proce .'dsfrom many mens End- ing themfelves uneafyin the matrers of their religion, it being natural ior men, when they arc dilcontended at one thinpr, to complain of all, and principally to utter their difcon tents and complaints in thofe things which are moil popular. Thofe that hate a man for iome one caufc, will feldom allow The PREFACE, xxxlx Mow of any thing that is good in him ; and fome tha: are angry with one perfon, or thing, will hnd fault with others that gave them no of- fence; iikepeevifh perfons thatmeet- ing discontent abroad, coming home, qa:irrcl with their wives, children, lervants, dec, 3. And more efpecinlly thjscom- pla nc in the country, proceeds from the late praftice of bringing up the tax-moni^y in waggons to London, which did doubtlefs caufe a fcarcity of money in the country. 4. And principally this feeming fcarcity of money proceeds from the . trade of hankering, which obli:ru£ts ' circulation, advances ufury, and ren- ders it fo eafy, that moll: men as foon IS they can make up a fum of 50 1. or 100 1. fend it in to the (jold- fmith ; which does, and will occa- fion while itlafts, that fatal pre^ng neccffity for money, fo yifible throughout the whole kingdom, both to prince and people. i^'m^i,^%. ^ ^ik I jjp^ 1^. I Xi The PREFACE. From what has been laft faicl, it appears the matter inEngJandis pre- pared for the abatement of intereft, which Sir Henry Blunt, (an honou- rable member of his majciiy'bcouncil of trade) well faid before the Lords at the debate, h the Unum Magnum towards the profperity of this king- domrlt is a generative good, and will bring m.any other goodthinc^s withit. I lliall conclude wi.h two or three requeils to the reader. 1. That he would read, and. con-^ fiJer what he reads, with an entire love to his country, void of private intereils, and former ill grounded impreffions received into his mind, to the prejudice of this principle. 2. That he would read all (mind- ing the matter, not the ftile,) before he make a Judgment. 3. I'hat in all his meditations up- on thefcprinciples, he would warily diftinguifh between the profit of the m^Tchant and the gain of the king- dorn^which arc fo far from being al- ways The P R E F A C E. xli ways parallels, that frequently they run counrerone to the othei, altho* moil men by their education and bu- finefs, having fixed their eye and aim wholly upon the former, do ufiially confound thefe two in their Thoughts and dlfcourfes of trade, or elffi miilake the former for the latter j from which falfe meafures have proceeded, many vulgar er- rors in trade, feme whereof by reji- fon of mens frequent miftakings, as aforefaid, are becomealmoft prover- bial, and often heard out of the mouths, not only of the common [People, but of men that might [know better, if the would duly ►confider the aforefaid diftindlion. Some of thefaid common prover- ibial errors are, viz. 1. Vulgar error; we have too ► many merchants already. 2. Tho St. ck of England is too 'biprfor thii' trade of Knorland. 3- No man Ihould cxcrcife two fallings, 4. Efpe- xlii The P R E F A C E. it A I- 1 ?»*. ttii^ k * 1 . 4. Efpecjally no fhopkeepcr ought to be a merchant. 5. Luxury and fome excefs may be protirablc. 6. We have people enough, and more than we can employ. 7. To faffer artificers to have as many apprentices as they will, is to deftroy trade. 8. The admiflion of Grangers j«5 to call in others to eat the bread out of our own mouths. 9. No man ought to live and trade in a corporation, that is not a free- man of the place. 10. Nor fhould 'iny be freemen, that are not the fons of freemen, or have ferved feven years apprcn- ticefhip. I r . It h better we trade but for a hundred pound at lo per cent, profit, than for three hundred at lo per cent profit, and fo Pro rata. 12, Our The PREFACE, xliii 12. Our planucions depopulate, land confequently impoverifh Eng- iJandi with abundance more that might be narr :d, but that many of J them are occafionly hinted, and [I hope them and others confuted in the following difcourfe. By what has been faid, and what p follows, as well as by what moft m^n ■sobfcrve, it is evident that this king- [dom is wonderfully fitted by the bounty of God almighty, for a great progreffion in wealth and powerjand that the only means to arrive at both lor either of them, is to improve and advance trade, and that the way to thofe improvements is not hedgedup jWith thorns, nor hidden from us in thedark,orintriguedwithdifficultiei, but verynaturalandfacile,if wewould fet about them, and begin the right way, cafting off fome of our old mi- phken principles in trade, which we jinheritfroni our anceliors, who were foldiers, huntfmen, and herdfmen. •iiiU . it r It: xllv The P R E F A C E. and therefore neceflarily unskilful in the m^fteries of, and methods to rniprove trade, (though their natu- ral parts were nothing irfericr to ours) trade being but a novel thing in England, corp~aracively to other parts of the world; and in my opi- nion notyet advanced to the one fifth part of improvement that this land is capable of ; and I think no true Englifhman will deny that thef^afon cries aloud to us, to be up and doing beforeour fields become unoccupied, and before the Duth get too much the whip- hand of us, whom (in fuch a cafei were they freed from their French fears which they labour un- der at prefent) I fear we fhould find as fevere taskmafters, as ever the Athenians were to the little trading cities of Greece. Neither are the Dutch the only r\eighbours we have at this time for corrivals in trade, but the French king and king of Sweden are now as fti 'w i « V "^ y The P R E F A C E. xl< a£live, circumipe£l, induftrious and pro^pedive too in this affair -y and have, and are ordering things as {-••LidLntly for promoting it^ as the Datch themfelves. When I began to write this trea- tife, I intended not to enlarge up- on fo many particulars, and the rather becaufe nothing can be faid for publick good, hut will crofs the particular ends, as well as the opinions of many private perfons ; and ftill the more is faid, the more are difobliged; but my duty to my country overcoming tbofe doubtful confiderations, I have adv -cured this fecond time to expofe m^ con- ceptions to publick ccnfure, with tliis confidence, that after thefe principles have fuftered the accufto- mary perfecution of tongues and pens, naturally and conltantly ac- companying all new propofals for a while, they will at length the moft, it not all of them,o. fome thing very like them, come to be general! v received ^i ] xlvi The P R E F A C E. ceived and honoured with the pub- lick fanftion, by being pafled into laws (gradually) not at once) con- ceinrng the time of which lam not careful, but for my country fake, I could wi(h it might be fhortned. h ■i*r •I • ' ... 1) , i ^'' I ,,.♦' ^ 1 4 (O A I DISCOURSE Concerninff TRADE, Sec. Tli E prodigious encreafe of the Netherlanders' in their dome- ftick and foreign trade, riches, and multitude of (hipping, is the envy oftheprefent, and may be the wonder ot hiture generations : And yet the means whereby they have thus advanced themfelves, are fufHciently obvious, and in a great meafure imitable by mofl: o- ther nations, but more eafily by us of this kingdom of England, which I i^iall endeavour to demondrate in the toJlowmg difcourfe. oOiiic it' m nT^ ^^r _ ''1^; Some of the faid means by which they have advanced their Trade, and thereby improved their eltates, are thele following. Fir ft, They have in their greatcft councils of ftate and war, trading-mer- chants that have lived abroad in mod parts of the world •, who have not only the theoretical knowledge, but the prac- tical experience of trade ; by whom laws and orders are contrived, and peaces with foreign princes projected, to the great advantage of their trade. Secondly, Their law of gavel-kind, whereby all their children polfefs an e. qual fliare of theit lathers eftates after their deceafe, and fo arenoc leftto wref- tle with the world in their youth, with inconilderable afTiftance of fortune, as moft of our youngeft fons of gentlemen in Englmd are, who are bound appren- tices to merchants. Thirdly, Their cxaft making of all their native commodities, and packing of their herring, codfifli, and all other commodities, which they fend abroad in great quantities •, the conl'enuence of which is, That the repute of their iUiVl \,V/iliiii\^\.« J ways good, and the buyers will accej)t gf them by the marks, without opening •, whereas ' til whereas the fifh which our Englift make in Newfoundland and New-fno- land, and herrings at Yarmouth, o^n prove fa fe and deceitfully made j and our pilchards from the Wcft-countrv falfe packed feldom contain the quantity for which the hoglheads are marked ia which tney are packed. And in England the attempts which our fore-fathers made for regulating of manufadures, when left to the executi- on of forae particular perfon, in a Ihort time refolved but inJo a ta^ up^„X commodity without refpeft 7o thi goodnefs of It; as mod notoriouQy ap! NTrV"'',''"'"'"''"^ of the AUL. WAGE, which doubtlefs our prede- ceffors intended for a fcnitiny into the goodnels ot the commodity'; and to that purpofe a feal was invented, asa fignal that the commodity was made ac^ cording to the ftatutes, which feals, it Lid, \"';'^ ""^ ^ "nought by thou- p,"J;. ""^ P« "P«n what the buyer, agementand immunities to the inven- tors of new-manufiftures, and the diT coverers of any new mylleries in t ade" ^nd tothofcthat fhJ u''i".^^^J:' '"Oduies of other Natio^rirftw; ^ and I ?' IV 4 !:4i and pradice amongft them •, for which the author never goes without his due re- ward allowed him at the public charge. Fifthly, Their contriving and build- ing of great (hips to fail with fmall charge, not above one third of what we are at, for fhips of the fame burthen in England; and compelling cheir faid ihips, being of fmall force to fail always In fleets, to which in all time of danger they allow Convoy. Sixthly, Their parfimonious and thrif- ty living, which is fo extraordinary, that a merchant of one hundred thoufand pounds eftatc with them, will fcarce ex- pend fo much per cent, as one of fifteen hundred pounds eftate in London. Seventhly, The education of their children, as well daughters as fons ; all which, be they of never fo great quality or eftate, they always take care to bring up to write perfed good hands, and to have the full knowledge and ufe of a- rithmetick and merchants Accounts; the well underftanding and practice of which, does ftrangely infufc into mod that are the owners of that quality, of cither fex, not only an ability for com- merce of all kinds, but a ftrong aptitude, love, and delight in it •, and in regard „ __ i._ !^_ -.i.---:-. ^o the [51 the men, it does encourage their huA bands to hold on their trades to their dy- ing days, knowing the capacity of their wives to get in their eftates, and carry on their trades after their deaths i ( Whereas if a mer-^hant in England ar- | rive at any confiderable eftatc, he com- monly withdraws his eftate from trade, before he comes near the confines of old age; reckoning that if God fhould call hfm out of the world, while the main of his eftate is engaged abroad in trade, he muft lofe one third of it, through the unexperience and unaptnefs of his wife to fuch affairs ; and fo it ufually falls out. '* Befides, it has been obferved in the nature of arithmetick, that like odier parts of the mathematicks, it dees not only improve the rational faculties, but inclines thofe that are expert in it to thrittinefs and good husbandry, and pre- vents both husbands and wives in fome meafure m running out of their eftates. when they have it always in their heads what their expences dr amount to, and liow foon by that courfe their ruin mufl overtake them. and the he-uht of their pvr.c. ,.,i,;.u il ceru^inly th.mofc cq«al and ' indifferent C2 tax [ 6 ] tax in the world, and leaft prejudicial to any people, as might be made appear, were it the fubjeft of this difcourfe. Ninthly, the careful providing for, und employment of their poor, which it is eafy to demonftrate can never be done in England comparatively to what it is with them, while it is left to the cai-e of every parifli to look after their own only. Tenthly, Theirufe of banks, which are of fo immenfe advantage to them, that fome not without good grounds have eftimated the profit of them to the publick, to amount to at leaft one mil- lion of pounds ilerling/> merchants who have lived where th..cultom IS in ufe, can value to its due proportion. Fourteenthly, Their keeping up pub- iick regiflcrs of all lands and houfes,- chargeable law-iuits are prevented, and v/i i.xiiuii ana houies ren- dfiwd the ffrwr'it'^!^ P ^,5 [ 8 ] dcred indeed, fuch as wc commonly call, real fecurities. Laftly, The lownefs of intereft of money, with them, which in peaceable times exceeds not three per cent, pr an- ,ftum i and is now during this war with England, not above four pr tent, at moft. Some more particulars might be ad- ded, and ihofe aforefaid further im- proved, were it my purpoffe to dif- courfe at large of trade. But moft of the former particulars are obferved and granted by all men that make it any part of their bullnefs to in- fpe^ the true nature and principles of trade \ but the lail is not io much as taken notice of by the moil ingenious, to be any caufe of the great encreafe of the riches and commerce of that peo* pie. I fhall therefore in this paper confine myfelf to write principally my obfcrva- vations touching that, viz. The profit that people have received, and any other may receive, by reducing the intereft of money to a very low Mte. This, m my poor opinion, 1$ the Can- fa C^^(a»s Af" all the other raufes of the riches 01 that people j and that if in- tereft l9l tcrefl of money were with us reduced to the fame rate it is with them, it would in a fhort time render us as rich and con- fide rable in trade as they now are, and confequendy be of greater damage to them, and advantage to us, than can happen by the iflue of this prefent war, though the fiiccefs of it Ihould be as good as we could wifh, except it end in their total ruin and extirpation. To illuftrate this, let us impartially fearch our books, and enquire in what the flate and condition of this kingdom was, as to trade and richts, before any law concerning the intx^icfb of money w»& made : The firft of which that I can fi nd, was4»»(? 1545. and we fhall be inSormttd that the trade in England then was in- confideraWe, and the merchants very mean and few: And that afterwards, viz. anno 1635. withir ten years ^ter in- tcreft was brought down to ^ghtpet ant. there were more merchants to be found upon the exchange worth each one thoufand pounds and upwards, than were in the former days, viz. before the year 1600. to be found worth onehiia* dred pounds each. And now fmce intercft hajs foocn fof aoou^ t\uf^nt^\j -... /!_. ^ -,. , . _ . _^^ withftanding our long civil wars, and C 4 the 'i ► \i^ **,' I 's: \ t 10 ] the great complaints of the deadnefs of trade, there are more men to be found iipo^i the exchange now worth ten thoii- fand pounds eflates, than were then of one thoufand pounds. And if this be doubted, let us ask the aged, whether five hwidred pounds po»- tion with a daughter fixty years ag were not efteemed a larger portion than two thoufand pounds now : And whe- ther gentlewomen in thofe days would not efteem themfelves well cloathed in a Serge gown, which a chamber maid . now will be afhamcd to be feen in : Whether our citizens and middle fort of gcmiy iiuw arc nut more rich in deaths plate, jewels, -and houfhald goods, &c. than the bed fort of knights and gentry were in thofe days. And whether our beft fort of knights and gentry now do not exceed by much in thofe things the nobility of England fixty years paft : Many of whom then would not go ta the price of a whole fatten doublet ; the Embroiderer being yet living, who has afTured me he has made many hundreds of them for the nobility with canvas backs. "Which way ever we take our mea- l^res, to me it feems evident, that fince our firft abatement of intereft. the riches I riches and fplendor of this kingdom- is encreafed to above four, I might fay a- bove fix, times fo much as it was. We have now almoft one hundred coaches for one we had formerly. We with eafe can pay a greater tax now in one year,, than our fore-fathers could in twenty. Our cuftoms are very much improv- ed, I believe above the proportion aforc- faid, of fix to one -, which is not fo much in advance of the rates of goods, as by encreafe of the bulk of trade •,, for though feme foreign commodities are advanced, others of our native commo- dities and manufadures are confiderably abated, by the laft book of rates. I can myfelf remember fince there were notin London ufed fomany wharfs or keys for the landing of merchants goods, by at Jeaft one third part as now there are; and thofe that were tiaen, could fcarce have employment for half •what they could do ; and now notwith- ftanding one third more ukd to the fame purpofe, they are all too little in a time of peace, to land the goods at, which come to London. If we look into the Country, we fhall find lands as much Improved fince the Mjatciiicnc ofiniL.elt, as trade '&c. in /r CI tics 11 • \m , [-13 ] Cities ; that now yielding twenty years purchafe, which then would not have fold for abo'»''e eight or ten at moft. Befides, the rent of farms have been for thefe lad thirty years much advan- ced i and altho' they ha^r^ for thefe three or four lafl: years fallen, that has jio refpedl at all to the lownefs 6f intereft at prefent, nor to the other miftaken jeafons which are commonly affigned for it, B\it principally to the vaft improve- ment: of Ireland, fince a great part of it was lately pofTefTed by the induftrious Engl!lh,whOjWere foldiers in the late army, and the late great land taxes. More might be faid, but the premifes being confidered, I judge willfufficient- ly demonftrate how greatly this king- dom of England has been advanced in all refpefts for thefe laft fifty years : And that the abatement of intereft has been the caufe of it, to me feems moft pro- bable ; becaule as it appears, it has been in England, fo I find it is at this day in all Europe and other parts of the world infomuch that to know whether any country be rich or poor, or in what pro- poition it is fo, no other queftion needs tc be refolved, but this, viz. what iutcreu uv they pay for money r m »3 ] Near home we fee it evidently, in Scotland and Ireland, where ten and twelve per cent, i^paid for intereft j the peojple are poor and defpicahlc, their perfons ill clothed, their houfcs worfe provided, and money intollerable fcarce notwithftanding they have great plent^ of all provifions, nor will their land yield above eight or ten years purchafe at mod. In France where money is at feven prcent, their lands will yield about ei^rh- teen ycaj-s purchafe j and the gemry who pofitfs lands, live in good conditi- on, tho' the peafants are little better than Haves, becaufe they can pofTefs no- thing but at the will of others. In Italy money will not yield above three per cent, to be let out upon real fe- curity, there the people are rich, full ottrade well attired, and their lands will fell at thirty five to forty years purchafe ; and that it is fo, or better with them m Holland, is too manifeft In Spain the ufual intereft is ten and r^elve per cent, and there, notwith- Itanding they have the only trade in the world for gold and filver, money is no where more fcarce ; the people poor, defpicable, and void of com merr. ^! iner tiianluchas x\,^ Engliih,DutchJta- \ »■:■ Phi' r ' "k ■ 4-- t 14 ] Hans, Jews, and other foreigners bring to them 5 who are to them in cffedl, but as leeches, who fuck their blood and vital fpirits from them. I might urge many other inftances of this nature, not only outof Chriftendom, but from under the Turks dominions, EaU- India and America : But every man by his experience in foreign countries, may eafily inform himfelf, whether this rule does univerfally iiold true or not : for my part, to fatisfy my own curiofity, I have for fome years, as occafion offer- ed, diligently enquired of all my acquai.i- tance that had knowledge of foreign countries, and I can truly fay that I ne- ver found it to fail in any particular in- ftance. N^w if upon what has been faid, it be granted that deface, this kingdom is richer at kaft four-fold, I might fay eight-fold, than it was before any law for intereft was made, and that all coun- tries are rt this day richer or poorer in an exa^l proportion to what they pay, and have ufually paid for the intercll of money, it remains that we enquire care- fully, whether the abatement of intereft be m truth the caufe of the riches of any countrv, or only the concomitant or ef- iect or the ncncs o-i a w^junuyi in wuK;i» feems J.^-: [ 15 ] fcems to lie the intricacy of this quelb- on. . To fatisfy mylelf in which, I have taken all opportLinitiLS to dircourfe this point with the mofl: ingenious men I had. the honour to be known to, and have fearched for, and read all the books that I could ever hear re printed againft the abatement of interefl, and fcrioufly confideredalK arguments and objec- tions ufed by them againft it -, all which have tendt 1 to confirm me in thi> opi- nion, which I h\imbly off. to the con- fideration of wifer heads, viz. tharthe abatement of intereft is the caufe of the profperity and riches of any nadon and that the bringing down of intereft in thi5 kingdom from 6 to 4, or 4, per cent, will nccefTarily, in lefs then twenty years til - double the capital ftock of the nat" The -fjuit material objedbior • I have met with again Ic it are as follows ; Objed. I. To abate intereft, will caufe the Dutch and other people .^hac have money put out at intereft in ^ng- land, by their friends and fador-, to call home their eftates* and confequent- ly will occafion a great fcarcity and want ofrngneyamongftus. To I# «t. K' IB i m m ^^^H ■■ 1^ H' i [ i6 ] To this I anfwer, that if intereft be brought to 4j>er cent, no Dutchman will call in his money that is out upon good iecurity in England, becaufe he cannot niake above 2 per cent, of it upon inter^ eft at home. But if they fliould cai: home -a]\ the money they have with us ut intereft, it would be better for us ilian ifthey diditnot; for the borrower is always a fiave to the lender, and Hiall be fure to be al wayr kept poo ^hile che other IS fat and full : He that -if^^s a ftockthat is none of his owi, be^n^r forced for the upholding his repu° .tation to live to the full, if not above the proportion of what he does fo ufe while the lender polTeiring much, and uling \m\t or none, lives only at die charge of what he ufes, and not of what iie has. Befides, if with this law for abate- mcnt of intereft, a law for transferring bjlis of debt Ihould pafs, we fhould notmifs the dutch money, were it ten times as much as it is amongft us j for ^ A ''j^^^^ ""^^^ certainly fypply th. dL,,Ji or at Jeaft one half of all the ready money we have in ufc in the nation. Objea. 2.1fintereabeabated, land - .-- i.^, iiix'w*^"^it> una tyaicquentiy [ 17 ] rents j and if rents, then the fruits af the land j and fo all things will k T and how ftall the poor ifveT&e ^'"'■' ,1, f- T^" ""' ^ %' 'f it follow thaf the fru.ts of out land/ in confequence 'r fuch a law for abatement on«ercft grow generally dear, it is an evS demonltraton that our nmniZ richer, for generall^whc^^etr^pr y-fions are for continuance of years de^ .n any country, the people Tre rfch ou?rI ' ";7-'''/ "'"'* ^heap through-' out the world, for the moft part The people arc very poor. ^ And fur our own poor in EnelanH ,V « obfervecl, thatthey live beuer in d,e the c-ieapeft and better n a dear year year hey w,Il not woric above two days in .Week ; their humour ^ 'ng fuch, rhnt they will not pro^^ fo; a hard time, butjuft work fo n >chVnd no more, as n,ay maintain them n th" t a'^cTftoTeJ'^""^'^''^'''''^^''-'^- Objed 3. If intereft be abated U- fi^rers will call in their money ; fo what fnortglgcd ? &c;'' -'" "'"« •^^'^ Anfur; I V I# ri!.' [ i8] Anfw. I anfwer, that when they know they can make no more of their money by taking out of one, and put- ting, it into another hand, they will not be ih forward as they threaten, to alter that lecunty they know is good,' for another that may be bad : Or if they fliould do it, our laws are notfo fcvere, but that gentlemen may take time to difpole of part of their land, which immediately after fuch a law will yield them thirty years purchafe at lead -, and much better it is for them fo to do, than to abide longer und' •• that confuming plague of ufury, which has infenfibly deftroyed very many of the bed fami- lies in England, as well of our nobility as gentry. Objc(5h 4. As interefl: is now at- 6 per cent, the King's Majefty upon any emergency can hardly befupplied ; and it it fhould be reduced to 4 per cent. how Hiail the King find a confiderable fum of money to be lei.t nim by his people ? Anlw. I anfwer, the abatement of Hitcrell to the people, is the abatement of intercli to the King, when he has occaiion to ^ake up money ; for what is borrowed of the city of London,, or ctiier uOviits puiitltk, nothing can he demanded f '9] Jemanclai but the legal intereft ; and if the King n.Tve occafion to take up mo- ney of private perfons, beinghismajefty c'oZ'"^ ^° Soo^ight. is above d^ common courfe of law, the King n.uft and always i,as given more than the f* •''''• .^'^°' inftance ; the legd rate IS now 6j».r cent, but his Majefty, or (iich as have dilpofedof hijiMajeftv'' Exchequer-rallies, have been faid to give ten ami twelve in fome cafes ; and mtereft be brought to 4 per cm. his Majefty m fuch cafes as he now gives MaieT ^"^ m'';^" * «' 7 s by whict kis Majefty would have a clear advantage. Objeft. 5. If intereft be abated, it will be a great prejudice to widows and orphans, who have not knowledge and abi_hties to improve their eftates other- Anfw. 1 anfwer, that by our law now, hen-, and orphans can recover no intereft from their parents executors except ,t be left full/ and abfohiteCo ne'. T'r'v^' ''''P°'''^ '"'^ !'« °"t "10- /, ' ,^'''"^""" of the executors. ,rn^''"""f"'' I"'""' of the heirs and orphans ; and If it be fo left to the e. -^^ivrs u.icretion, they may improve the 1^- [ ao J the monies Jeft them in trade, or pur- chafe of lands and leafes, as well asbv intereft; or when nor, the damage fuch iieirs and orphans will fulbin in their mmority, being but two per cent, is in- confiderable, in refpeft of the great ad- vantage that wilJ accrue to the nation in general, by fuch abatement of intereft. Befides, when fuch a law is made, u' ^^r^^' ^^ "^^" ^^^^ ^o f^^e care in their life to provide for and educate tAeir children, and inftrud their wives, as that no prejudice can happen thereby, as we fee there does not in Holland ari AtaJy, and other places where intereft is 10 low. Having now offered my thouglits in anfwcr to the aforefaid objedions, it wi 1 not be amifs that we enquire who Will be advantaged, and who will re- ceive prejudice, in cafe fuch a law be made. . ^'^^^ ^^ J^4iefty, as has been faid in anfwer to that obje^ion, will, when he has occafion, take up money on bet- ter terms. Befidcs which, he will re- ceive a great augmentation to his re- venue thereby, all his iands being im- Tiediateiy worth, after the making fuch a iaw,double to what they were before ; iiii cuirQiiKS wiii be much incrcafcd by the i t 2» ] die increafe of trade, which muft ne- ceflanlyenfue from the making S; ftatSiiemoft.''^- r''. senary, whofe e- Itates Jie moftjy ,n land, may prefentlv upoa ali they have, inftead of fifty wrke one hundred. ■ ">cy write beaT'tlJ"r'^"'^ f"^ tradefmen. who Dear thtiicjt and burthen of the da v rmoft of our trade being carried on by young men that take up money at in tereft) will find their yoiTe fitiighVr up-" on their Ihoulder,, and be encourS Clothiers, packers, md all foru of U* bourrng people that depend on trad^ ^■11 be more conftantly and fully emplo^ thehSsTS/A"*iT'f »' «„> _ • Lu ""^" rates. And whereas our neighbour*, the Netherlanders (who ^^LT"T"c' ">= '"0"» continually fucceeding the father* in trade to many cale term fonsof Anach, and men of re- nown) againft whom we fight dwarfs and DiBm;».c ;,. n.^.< "-,"6"' owarrs hp;„A. " '''7">iva ami experience, l>eing younger brothers of gentlemen that xX- •4,'« *Hi tawf ;:^:4^ifjrt« I [ 21 ] that reldom have above one thouilmd pounds, fometimes not two hundred to begin the world with : Inftead, I fay, ot fuch young men and fmall ftocks, if this law pafs, we fhall bring forth our bampfons and Goliahs in flocks, fubtil- ty, and experience in trade to cope with our potent adverfaries on the other fide there being to every man's knowledc^e that underftands the exchange of Lon-' don,, divers Englifli merchants of large •jjf' ^^o^avenot much pad their middle age, and yet have wholly left off their trades, having found the fweet- u ^"i^**^^' ^^^^^ if tJ^at fhould abate, muft again fet their hands to the plough, which they are as able to hold and govern now as ever, and alfo will engage them to train up their fons in tlic lame way, becaiife it will not be 10 cafy to make them country gentle- men as. BOW it is, when lands fell at thirty or forty years purchafe. For tlie fufferers by fuch a law, I know none but idle perfons that live at as little expence as labour,, neither feat- tcring by their expences, fo as the poor fiiay glean any thing after them, nor working with their hands or heads to bring either wax or honey to the com- mon mve o\ the kingdom i but fwel- li'ig f 23 ] ling their own purfes by the fy,<,.,t „r other mens brows anH th, I ' ^^ of other men, bTains £dT'"^'"'^« feds of an abatement of intereV ,1, I thmk K is out of doubt tWh." batement of intereft does tend to tSt "' richingof a mnnn ^^'-"^ to the en- has befn one greaTouftof ^r^^^^''^ the Dutch and Ita ians nnH ^.' ''"''" "^ of the rich,., "f'^' =>"« the increafe thcfe laft aftj Vir °"" '^'"Sdom in we ma^i^^frth '° P'°^^ -''-h. "ftlf, which j3 7ro'!f"r'!'' °f'"'^'«ft Pjying nature ?L, P"''^'|'°"^ ^^ "luki. maVthe "endif T'^ °f "eceffity ^h^Y live at anv mn '^""'^"""^ "^l^' if the torrowers LTrear'' "P^"^^' ^'"d rable infence of whIS ^7 " '"^'"°- Audlev derwf!^^ l T ^*^e '" old niuft be greater tr\ •jufrower, who • 1 4 [ 24 ] who, as has been faid, lives at a n.uch larger expence. And as it is between private perfons, fo between nation and nation, that have communication one with another. For whether the fubjefls of one nation lend money to fubjeds of another, or trade with them for goods, the efFe<5t is the fame. As for example, a Dutch merchant that has but four or five thoufand pounds clear fl-ock of his own, can eafily borrow and have credit for fifteen thoufand pounds more at 3 per cent, at home ; with which, whether he trade or put it to ufe in England, or any Country where intereft of money is high, he muft necefTarily, without very evil accidents, attend him in a very few years treble his own capital. This difcovers the true caufe, why the fugar-bakers of Holland can afford to give a greater price for Barbadoes fu- gars in London, befides the fecond freight and charges upon them between England and Holland, and yet grow exceeding rich upon their trader where- as our fugar-baL ers in London, that buy fugars here at their own doors, before fuch additional freight and charges come upon them, can fcarce live upon their callings; ours here paying for a good fhare of their flocks 6 ter cent. and and few of them employ in their fugar works above fix to ten thoufand pounds at moft •, whereas in Holland they em- ploy twenty, thirty, to forty thoufand pounds flock in a fugar-houfe, paying but 3 per cent, at moft for what they take up at intereft, to fill up their faid . ftocks, which is fometimes half, fome- * times three quarters ,jof their whole ftocks. And as it is with this trade, the fame rule holds throughout all other trades whatfoever. And for us to fay, if the Dutch put their money to intereft among us, wefhall have the advantage, by being full and flufli of coin at home. It IS a mere chimera, and fofar from an advantage, that it is an extream lofs, rendring us only in the condition of a young Gallant, that has newly mort- gaged his land, and with the money thereby raifed, ftuffs his pockets, and looks big for a time, not confidering that the draught of cordial he hath re- ceived, though it be at prefent grate- ful to his palate, docs indeed prey upon his vital fpirits, and will in a ftiort time render the whole body of hiseftate in a deep confumption, if not wholly confumed. Befides, whatever money the Dutch lend us, they always keep one end of the chain at htwne in their own 1^i..M- i-»in I„ k ■ in wealth to' a nLlfror^'Zll' oth"? kinds of people, x,«. nobility, genSv hhT' .P''yfi=i»"=' fcholarsofaS' and Ihopkeepers, do only hand i from one to another at home AnH if i ■nent of intereft. b^fide.^ he geJ^^^j benefit ,t brings to all. except the sr^ g dronift Ufurer, will add nel^^: gtTtrei^inX-tfhS'r- k:ngd4.°'^'^"-^''-"'^-^«ofa'; SUP- it. .1* > »■ [ 28 ] SUPPLEMENT. TH E foregoing dilboiirfc I wrote in the Sicknefs-fi air^fi at my country habitation, nc tht\ intending 10 publilh it, but on.^y >mmunicate it to Ibme honourable «..d ingenious friends of the pre fent P* ^rnent, wh® were pleafcd to take copies of it for it ^ir own dehberate confideration, and dige- ition of the principles therein affcrted i which at firft were ftrange to them, as I expe<5t they will be to moll others, till they have fpent fome time in thinking on them ; after which, I doubt not but that all men will be convinced of the ti nth of them, that have not fome pri- vate inhered of their own againil them, external to the general good of the Kingdrm. For fure I am they have a foundation in nature, and that according to the excellent Sir William Petty's ob- ferv.tion in his laft difcourfe, concern- ing taxe.N, Rf' noknt male adminijlrare : Natur: .t»iu1 and will have its courfe, the matter in England is prepared for an abatement of interefl", and it cannot long be obiiruclcd ; and after the next abatement, whoever lives forty years Jonger, fhall fee a fetond abatement 5 for for welhallnevw ftandon even ground m ti^de with the Dutch, till fntereft te ^he fame with us as it is with His Majefty was gracioufly p!ea' - at the opening of the laft feflion oi this l-arlument, to propofe to the confide- ration of both houfes, the ballancing of the trade of the nation ; to effeft ..viTich in my cpinion, the abatement of in tereft nnlh"; . K^"*?- 1"""''?'' ""Si"« which ought to be (.t on work, which not- withftanding, I Aould not have pre& med to expofe to publick cenfure, on my own Hngle opinion, if I had not liad the concurrence of much better judgments than m. jwn -, having never leen any thing in print for it, though much agamft it, until the latter end of wCTh ?'r" 7*"^'* ^'™^' ^friend wnomlhadoftendifcourfed with upoa i^?^!?' r"^''*^ ^y accident a fiAall tr^Ct to the fame purpofe, w, ote near -^% years ago, which he gave me, and I hav., for the publick good, thought hi to annex It hereunto w^a/,-;« ^ The author of the ftid trait, by its ft'Ic, leems to have been a country aen- t^ en that or a merchant, fo I hope! ^'Wt going together, tliev mnv ;„ ^ ^ fume ■t.T-/'« ■■■„ ^ *'-ws^-*^%\ :.■* * .»i ,# hi ^ 30 ] (bmc meafure, fupply the dcfed of each or!.er. Another reafon that induced me to the printing of them together, is, be. caufe what he wrote then, would be the confcquences of the abatement of interefl from 10 to 6 percent. I have, I think, fiiljy proved to tlie con virion ofall men not wilfully blind, they have been the real effeds of it, and that to a greater proportion than he did promife ; every paragraph of which is written by me, and copies of it delivered to fevc- ral worthy members of this Parliament, inany months before ever I fiiw or heard of this, or any thing clfc written or printed to tlic like purpofe. ^ What I have aimed at in tJie whole, IS the good of my native country o- therwiie I had not bufied my felf about It ; for I want not employment fufficient ot my own, nor have r:a(bn to be out of love with that I luve. _ The fevcral particulars in the Ugin- i>ingo( this treatile, relating to trade, 1 have only hinted in general term'; i hoping that fome abler pen, will here- after bo incited for the fervice of his King and country, to enlarge more par- ticularly upon them. " * Bjforc ::h f3' ] Before I conclude, though I have fin died [y-rvitY m th^ \xrUr.] r "^^^ «ii,° '""'■''» ""■'""'I. i. ..,k. lent rate it is now ^t ; "1 *^ the m r^ft „Vir°P''-' '° ^4 down ^«/.unde ther :"^T^"''^^''• which hf-inrr '^'^"^^'^^'"g countHcs, r ,. ^^,,^ winch '^ W'C l^a [ 32 J i* 1^ * and thofedo wc cannot yet arrive t effccfl the fame thing among them, and would do the Jike among us, if wc could have them : One of which, is their afccrtaining real fecuritics by their pubJick regifters: For wc fee evi^ dently, money is not fo much wanting m England as fccurities, which men account infallible -, a remarkable in- ftance of which is, the Eaft- India Com- pany, who can and do take up what money they pleafe, for 4 per cent, at any time. Another Ijw is, Their conflitutions of Banks and JLumbards, whereby pri- vate perfons that have but tollerable cre- dit may be fupplied at eafy rates from the State. A third, and very confidcrable one, is. Their Jaw for rransfcring bilh of debt, mentioned in the beginning of this difcourfe. A fourtii, which is p cuftom, and in cHed may be here to our purpofe ac- counted as a law, is the extraordinary frugahty ufcd in ah ..-ir publick af- fairs, which in then grtatefl: extremi- ties have been T -h, as not to compel them to give abov^e four/)^r cent for the loan of money. Whereas it is faid. His [33 ] His Majefty in fome cafes of exigen- cy, when the national fupplies have not con:e ,n to an.wer the pre^,^nt emergen- cies -^f affairs, l,as been enforced to Td Zr '^" "•""'' T'" '° goldfmiths ; gftat fums from private perfons at t he ull rate of 6 per cent, wi.ereas fc-mer! y they uHially gave b.,t 4 per LT o- would have fnlltn cf itfe'f to 4 /„r But again, to conclude. Every nation. ttodfof'^K '''°"''"S to pecuKe- oflL° m", °^-5 '" ''^'^ tranfaftions of their publick affairs and law-mak- wav^ Ct "I '^'\^''^e 134] God almighty, but this generation will find the like great and good effefts, by th^ rcduaion of it from 6 to 4, which IS now at the birth. And that the next generation will yet fee far greater ad- vantages by bringing it from 4 to 'xper »if 1 1-» i' TRADE: t35] TRADE AND Interest of Money" conlidered, &c. 4 ,_ ♦f'TV/iv: CHAP. J. A Short Reply to a Treati5f en:.tuled, J„uujl of M^ney rnShl^' T H E R E was never any thing pro, ■^ pounded lor publick good that Jd not meet with oppofiti^n" aVifit ■on of men in regard of the way, who >et have the fame defign as to the end P-on„ 3 -'/"fl'Ke of the perfon i.opoL>n.nig, or the humour of fuch as "CUiU have linfh.inrr U,. • D5 L 'gut iULo tnc Wrij, M t-, ' m ,'! f f,i i| 1 36 ] world but by their own midwifery ; and are therefore only difpleafed with a thing, becaufe they were not tlie firft propofers of it themfelves ; fometimes for a more inveterate and corrupt princi- ple ofwifhing things worfe, becaufe they are not well, hating that any thing ifliould be reformed, becaufe they canno* bring all things to the figure of their own fancies and fometimes from other By-refpedts and private interefts. Whether any, or wWch of thefe has moved my oppofcr, I will not here de- termine, becaufe I know him not ; but leaving that to the judgment of the im- partial reader, if the gentleman's love to his country be fuch as he profefTes, and tqual to mine, I (hall not doubt but after a more ferious examination of the matter, he will agree with me in the thing defired. In the beginning of this treatife he re- cites r.ineteen obfervations of mine^ as means whereby the Dutch have encreaf- ed their trade and riches : And page 9. feems to approve them all, faying as I told him, as alfo he does, page 22. ** That more might be added," but is not fo kind to his country to let us know what they arc •, which, if he had done, would have been m^rc agreeable to his pre- C 37 ] pretended candour, and as well of ufe to h.s country, as an evidence of his own fufficency -. it being a much eaf^r thing to cavl at what other nwn h^I done. th,n to prefentthe world with any thing new and material of our own l-age 10. (paffing over many others) he quarrels at that facetious inftanceof u S^7"l ^^^""8 in former times fattin doublets, with canvas backs » Wofrn'r "°'' --nfiderawft itance of many, yet upon the whole he cone udes wuh me, "That we are rnuch ^^ richer now than we were before any •< wJ'h J """■"^ "'*l' "''"^'' «"d th« « m^nr" f S'"°«'"/'cher fince the abate- mentofintereftfrom ioto8*.r««f « froth's". T' '"^ '■'"" " wafabated from 8 to 6p^r «w."whichinpaee lo he confeffes, and in page l , . he imSidN .. .^f". according to the more or leli the richer or p orer it is." lam fr!,d rnnoT •^"^ '''^ •"'greed, and th^t^mj oppofer ,s (o well inftrufted, hopirp I Ihall wuh kfs difficulty perfuade 1 m d^tT;?t""'"'-^"''r^'^f*'p'- c rl- in cuntrovcriy, wherein as vet I think It will appear he is no gre.r„,a'L But* .*^■^ ,fj^ ^t^is, »> '>- *\ ■f- «,. *7 f 38 J m-.ft Mt u ^ '"'"■ "P°" the matter, I' m'ith u f 39 J " tt?;^nfr»'^'"'''"S^"y°""8 men "Other, be the fn^ a 'i"^" '""^^ t°a- bc-tv^een them twn f • ^'°'' °^ J°«', fo the nS XS"f r,^°^ f'"'^ 'end money to Tpn^f-^^ ^"^'^'^'"^n 'ength car fes home bflf""-'"'. ^,' '' '•"ttreft; which hnerefr if •''"P"' ^""^ •^fi- is a dear loft Snt" "°;'.°'- tiiiputed ^^ ^^ "^^ to be Wy ffiiftaken Pf '^'"f be not mifera- r BKikin ? And whetiier the n...r. Ml ]n» I ' h :*i ^ [40] failing tfiia of a high intereft all the world over, be not to greatly enrich a few, and impwcrifh the generality oi traders ? So it is in Turkey, where interelt is at 20 per cent, and upwards, if we may believe thofe honeft and worthy Turkey merchants, who are now upon the Exchange, and have lived long in that country ; and fo it was With us here, vi/hen intereft was at 10 fer cent, and upwards, as I have already demonftrated by the inftances of Sutton,. Grcfham, Craven and Spencer •, fo that he muft be naturally blind, or put out his eyes, who does not fee that the A- b.itement of intereft is a diffufive prin- ciple : Hence it follows, that few great and rich merchants, whofeeftates^ are perfonal, except they have rjfo great fouls, can bear the difcourfe of abating intereft with more patience than ulurers, well knowing that it muft ne- celTarily retrench their prefent profits by encreafing the number of traders • which though it be a fmall lofs to indi- viduals, will be a vaft gain to the gene- rality of the Nation. At the lower end of page 12. his words are, that in my inftance of old Audley's obferving that, looat 10 pr cent, would \n 70 years amount to ifOOOCoJ. he affirms, l^ iftin iC (( t 41 1 Irgs""*. '"'^ "-''^^kcn than i„ «her „, J"™'):' '" i'avc miftaken no more ,„ other things than in that, ,n fuch ant.n roddenpath as this, I j.aVe fo] 5 Zucii le(s than I could liope for • fn !^ ftrare which I h.vc Knier' ed'a ^0^ able, rhewmg that ,00 I. at that rate r.fo wthm u trifle to 200 I hi fcven years, intereft upon intereft, fo lu The ufual accompt is and was former y that money doubles once in feven y I^ a ,Tf"'"r '"'°''^''"S to which ;ule joo^h^in feventy years, a„,ountst One hundred pounds at < -n pounds *.- te«ft^rn.rr' ." " -^^^ "pon L terelt, encreafes thus, viz. ■'if ATfirft A- 3 montIi5 it is At 6 months. At 9 months At 12 months. At I year i quarter, At I year 2 quarters. At I year 3 quarters. At 2 years, ^t 2 years I Quarter: "- — - ..I.. . I' I 100 102 107 no "5 118 121 s. d. 00 00 10 I 7 2 '7 10 « «^ o 3 9 7 9 4 4 9 o o At -p^ •'ii^i.i »-5'j1 : i-:.3Lii *M i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 If Ks m H! liS 112,0 lA II 1.6 Va &J r c^ A 'V y' / 3 O'/^ Photogniphic ^Sciences Corpordtion ^ ^. c^ ^ ;\ \ r^\ }3 WIST MAIN STIilT WEBSIIR N Y I4SB0 I 716 1 S7: 4i03 '^ L^< P % H I" Hi ■ t' » i '^ ■ I J, .iSr A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A [4^] X years and half ^ years 3 quarters 3 yeirs 3 years one quarter. 3 years and half 3 years 3 quarters 4 y^rs 4 years 1 quarter 4 years and half 4 years 3 quarters 5 Years 5 Years 1 quarter 5 Years 1 half 5 Years 3 quarters d Years 6 Years i quarter 6 Years 1 half 6 Year^ 3 quarters 7 Years 118 00 I »3» 4 t 134 5> 9 '37 »7 141 M4 ^48 5 16 8 10 6 II '5* 3 I '55 'P 2 «59 163 1^7 «7 '7 'P a I- 180 3 '7 I * 3 •85 7 P ipo 5 a 194 '5 5 ip^ 12 10 Suppofing. one hundred pounds to dou- ble feven years at intercft upon interefty as aforefaid, the encceafe is, viz. f- Atfirft At 7 Years ;. At 14 Yean At II Years At 28 Years At 35 Years At 4j2 Years 100 aoo 400 800 1600 3x00 ^400 Ac ^^49 years At 55 years At 6;^ years At 70 years Us ] 11800 25600 51200 102400 c< "^f?^ ^-^H^y'' "That I make ufe «• ni. ^''f"'^ of mtereft, which no mzn " E"- *■' *""««"§ a difcourfe a- ., ga'nft-ntereft, writ In 1621. when it w« at 10 per cent, endeavouring thereby to impofe a belief that thf " S^.^^f'"'" ''I'o wrote that- difcourfe •< c^rZ?^^ ""'^' '^''ereas it may be „ J'*'" four years after it wu brought .. r"*" to that rate, and that othenwfe " irl"'u {!?''« ^"««n '""her. »t be- " IfS/r'^'*'* '•*»' «e "J'ght live tiil after four years. I anfwer , That through the ntereies of almighty God. and Sr the good of th^5 Kmgdom^ that Patriot ofhil coun- try, old Sir Thomas Culpepper, who! Wenncebeenaffured waf t^rauthoro? that trerinfe, did live above twenty years after the writing of it, and then publiihcd a fecond freatife, 'whiS would adv,fe my oppofer to read, and then I hope he will be more modeft hcrc- ^km » -if 1!':' :U. lir. "\ if J**' ::'1 [ 44] fings " eonclufions, impo- But left he Ihouid not meet with the faid treatife, I ftall here infert afcw J;nes out of it to the pr.fent purjof^ Old Sir Thomas fpeaking of the cer- Tei^n "^'^' f '^^ abatement of L. " W l''"'!"*" "P"""' "»' to reft •• m^;„ ,"' '?" "^ """'"S '»«= "fe for .,,. air objeaSons which &W the Sta- „ J!!"^*'^ •'*"«fit wi/1 be much grea. ••• thPnV S! ^•"""'on'^ealth. by calling «. 1, A ^^ """^y '^'"'" from 8 to fl " ft ^ T- ^^^ '' ^^ f^m «Uing It down from 10 to 8;>«r cent. '- I «^L "°t ^niment upon his words, but oftLfr""';''''^ '"'"•'''• I ""-'r heard iiKe effed, wh<^n I wrote mine, bat^lf! '"^^ i':'^,g«"''«™an brings up his S' ' '!?•''' * fto« champion for San! hi. '"^'T' ''"'• of Ururers, plants his ma,n battery againft that part f45] part which I confeffed to be weak«ft, s. Whether the lownefi ofintereftis ^,rl -^ J^'"'"; ^« »'«= lownefi of only the effcft, which he endeavours to nl?ri^ ^fou'-wguments. which I Aall particularly anfwerin a due place, in the mean time ufe my own method to prore, riwt the abatement of intereft by a law 2, ^L '"' *i" ^^ » ™"ns to improve thu Jffertkn of the jiutbor in th J*low,ngFage, there being acciden- tally not rt»m enugh in tbis to in- tnfert tt tbe clesr Manner be has drawn tt. I. What- ' \-f I. ■k \\A i*' n ^* [ 4« ] ^ 'w 3 w O .y C5 Si c lO •c « -c a, o J Of 14 C4 CT) -^ ifjVO Now that the abatement of interefl, win advance the value of land, I prove firftoy expedience; for certainly anno i^ziy the current price of our lands in r L 47 J England was twelve vears m.-^i. r and fo I have been aflure^ bySt ^ nent men whom I have queriKic"" larly as to this matter ; and ffl V fo by purchafes made ab^u. 'hat time h. my own relation, and acquaintance anl^ I prefume that any. nobleian or J'n^k r fteS""'^ ^J ""'J^ commfnS ng hL .-A ' °/ ^^^" mannors to s,v? them hfts out of the records of any man !./ -f, ^ T"8'>f or fo d fifty years now fold, would yield, one wi-h ?nn ther, at leaft treble the money andTn" fome cafes fix times the moU tJv tical capacit.es, the moft proper and experienced judges of this Z(TVZ. liiur memories . anH fK* Pleafc to be informed by '11^^ i^rvants; and if thJ. h/r • ^^^^^ bcdemVH K.?..! u ^^ ^®' ^t cannot oyaiaw, has greatly advanced I .A. -Purchafc as ^vellLimS /«;;«! b/ , 1 ».. i •• . !^ «..:K [ift^' >m II t [ 4» ] by meliorating the lands themfelvcs, thofe improvements by marling, limc- ing, draining, (^c. havmg been made fince money was 8 and 6 per ctnt, which 10 per cent, could not bear. And to prove that lands we-e then at twelve years purchafe, I have the written teftimony of that ir.comparable wordiy perfon Sir Thomas Culpepper fen. who, page ii. of his firfttreadfc affirms, " That land was then at twelve years purehafe , '* who being hirpfelf a grave and antient Parliament man, and dedicating his book to the then PsHis- ment, of which he was then a member, cannot without horrible uncharitable- nefs, be prefumed to impofe upon his country. And now fince our intercft is at 6per cent, as the fame worthy author did wife- ly fore-fee, I appeal to the judgment and experience of my countrymen, whc- ther the genuine price of our lands in England now would not be 20 years par- chafe, were it not for accidental preffures, under which it labours at prelcnt, fuch as thefe ; I. Our late great Land-taxes, a. And principally the late great im- provement of Ireland, mentioned in my former treatifc, the confequence of which r 49 3 which is, that that country now f, Pl.« foreign „,arkets, as ^d' 1 T own plantat ons in Amerir, • ^. ^' t>ork, hides, tallow. bT^Tbelrw^f' and com, at cheawr raTe. ^ ' ^°°^ afford, to the El" *^='"^ecan .. f i'l '^^'. ^f ^'"Provcment of Ireland Js the principal caufe wh,. "' f^ciand, C^wS'theVo^rVi^ LondonTSre'L'grrh irr ^ could ha/e no fuch delWl -^f* ence, which has b«„ fo T^r^J '".^"" that whofoever wiH i,il°r '^'^?'^'''"^' themfelvcs bj old fc riv^ener '"^''™ '' ^eds, ftall Ld. St a houf^' "?""' teadiirfel/^ithrJCt Zt'.^'^'' tercft was brought toTL! *^'^'" '"- out i-tuJe^^ have yielded with- J-ruple toooor ,200 J, The abate- mens .j^J u I 1» I i If : «■ I J,, I! ' t': ment of intereft having had a double cff^dtl upori houfes, by cncreafing trade, and confequently railing rents, as well as cncreafing the number of years pur- chafe. 3. A third reafon why land docs not at prcfent bear an exad proponion to 6 per cent, which fhould naturally be twen- ty years, is the late plague, which did much depopulate this Kingdom. 4. The late fire in London, which has engaged men in building in the city, who otherwife would have been pur- chafing in the country. 5. The unufel plenty of corn, which has been for thefe three or four years pad in moft parts of Chriftendom, the hke of which has been feldom known, it happening moft commonly that when one country has had great plenty, o- thers have had great fcarcity. 6. The racking up of rents in the years 1651. and 1652. which was pre- fently after the iaft abatement of inter- eft. A feventh accidental reafon why land does not fell at prefent, at the rate it naturally ihould, in proportion to the legal intereft, is, that innovated praftice of bankers in London, which has more cffe^s attending it than moft I ^J« *st^ Iftail here take notice of that onlv wh.chis tomyprefent purpofe. viz .The gentlemen that are Bankers ha- v.ng a large intereft from his m"' i£ tor what they advance upon his E- % s revenue, can afford to givVlhe full legal mtereft to all p^rfonsfhlt nut ver io fliort or long a time; which makes the trade of ufury fo eafy and hitnerto fafe, that kw th^tu ■ found the fweetnefi of^iis t^ t" of -mprovement, being by condn^i^ce feureTt e™^n to fancy themfeJves lecure m it, can be led. there Ivln^ 'ay out their money in land, though at ,5 years purchafe ; whereas before m nX hL"''''' '"■'"'"S '^^'"'"P nmes to let it lie dead by them till they could meet with fecurities to the r mindsi and if the like neceffitj we« uTfoftrT>'"S^^=^. ^heUTf uie tor the dead time being dedufterf from the profit of 6 1. per cj. ccmmS i" """"y would ineffea takeoff* r anH- '^'^r """^ °f the profit of ufu- purchafe lands, m regard the diffe- ^ rence 'IK mM^ I *H 4- ■ IV ■r-, f ■ * ■» I"** J •«" i ';- ■,.. M-' ■i 4'' ■ f 52 ] rence between ufury and purchafing would not in point of profit be i'o great « now it is i this new invention of ca- ihenng, having in my opinion clearly bettered the ufurcrs trade i or 2 per cent, per annum. And that this way of leaving money with Goldfmiths has had the aforefaid effeft, fecms evident to me from the fcarcity it makes of money in the country i for the trade of bank- crs being only in London, does very much drain the ready money from all other parts of the Kingdom. The fecond point I am to prove, is, that it will advance the rent of Farms To prove that it did fo in fad, d'e- pends on memory ; and for my own part, I and moft others I converfe with, do perfeflly remember that rents did generally rife after the late abatement ot mtereft, viz. in the year i6ki and 1051. The reafon why they did fo, was trom the encouragement which that a- batement of intcrefl gave to Landlords and Tenants, to improve by draining, marling, limeing, ^c. excellently made out by the aforefaid two worthy au- thors, fo that I do, I think with good reafon, conclude that the prefenTfall ot rents is not natural, but accidental, and and to be afcribed principalFy to the foregoing reafons, given forthcDrefent £~ co°'tM '" P-hafc S - I. By Evidexct of faft. It J,,. u,.„ fo m England, the encreafe of ow tS hucfoiwdt'^:;jS^^'-K:t' ways go before the efTeft, which rTh-nt I have evidently demonftrated a my formei tre;^t!fe. ' If any doubt of this, and will be - the^ams to examine the Cufcm-We z Bf7,T''^^°°" "^ refolved ' .nn* ^ ^"/^"'•'O'- Not only of that P "in hf f'""." ^'^ Thomas'culpep. per in his fecond treatife, and thtrein of the judgment of the Fr nchKing Ind Sew fe'V:: f% ''>'- «cited,^ S ' iiKcwiic ot a Parhament of Enfflanr^ fedu^c^ji^r^^rrivv-^ a.ble whe^of a^fwol^d^r '.^■ Foralmuch as the abatement of inter' c«Urom,o in the hundred in former E 2 .< ti^gj^ .5"- i?*€. i'i « ^ •; I > ' f ' E iji: ' ii V \' • cc cc cc << ■1 t 54 ] hath been found by notable experi- '' ence beneficial to the advancement or trade, and improvememt of lands by good husbandry, with many o- ther confiderable advantages to this Nation, efpeciaUy reducing of it to a nearer proportion with foreign ^^ States, with whom we trafHck i and ^' whereas in freH. memory the like fall " from 8 to 6 in the hundred by a late *| conftant pra(5lice hath found the like " ^^^^^^ to the general contentment of this Nation, as is vifible by feveral " improvements, (^c." 3. By Necejfary Confequence. When intereft is abated, they who call in their money muft either buy land, or trade With It: if they buy land, the miny Buyers will raife the price of land • if they trade, they encreafe the number of" traders, and conlcqucntly the bulk of trade •, and let their money lie dcad'by them, Ithmklhave fully proved they cannot, in an addition I publi/hed to my nrfl: obfervations, ^ 4. By Reafon. For firfl whilfl intereft IS at 6 per cent, no man will run an ad- venture to fea for the gain of 8 or g per cent, which the Dutcli having money at 4 or 2 per cent, at intereft are contented With, and therefore can and do follow /i ii V.iii [55 I a vaft trade in /"lit from Sf Vua'I Kn' chelle, to the Baltick S,h and 0^°; P^rts ; and al(b their m'^g trade for neTl^ ;\"1 ^'^^'-fi'^-'g. which 5e and h,;. . '"e,"°' """'^ °"^ trouble r«/. of our money Ileeping. For fh- ?hJ . : r°ft nr? r "'"'^ proportion to ftance w^.P for money ; as for in- itance, when money was at lo per cent .n England, no man in his witfwould primTfe^J 1\^' ^'^^^^''y he did no^ r Ue^ft tiJ"'"- '^''V^P^rcm. gain atJeaft wlien mtereft was at 8, the hopesof.,or,oat.eaftwasncccfIa;'! tl T ^ ^"^ ^*- "' "ow intereft goes J^u""- ^^^ '"f='"ibl«= confequrnw of whKh „ that the trades before re! G eiland"''" ^V'*"""' "^ ^"'"^°-y »" •4 .... L- lit 1^- i) ' 1 i IW ' , "i m i^ ; >bi * » v'1 IH 1^* r IkL. -*^X ?" [ 62 ] provementof landinthe country, which is well and truly demonftratcd from ex- perience, by the elder and younger Sir Thomas Culpepper, to whom, to avoid prolixity, I muft refer the reader. Seventhly, It encreafes the people of a nation •, this alfo neceffarily follows the cnercafe of trade and improvement of lands, not that it caufes married men to get more children. But I ft, a trading country affording comfortable fubfiftances to more families than a country deftitute of trade, is the reafon that many do marry, who other- 'wife muft be forced to live fingle which may be one reafon why fewer people of either fex are to . be feen unmarried in Holland at 25 years of age, than may be found in England at 40 years old. 2dly, Where there is much employ- ment, and good pay, if we want hands of our own, we ftiall draw them Irom others, ashas beenfaid. 3d]y, We fhall keep our own people at home, which otherwife for want of employment would beforccd to leave us, and ferve other nations, as too many of our feamen, Hiipwrights, and others have done. t ^3 3 4thly, Our lands and trade beinRim- proved wilJ render us capable not only of emp oying, but feeding, a flir great crnumber of people, as is manifeft in that inftance of the land of Paleftine And if thelc will be the effedls ofa- bating interell, then I think it is out of doubt that the abatement of intereft is the caufe of the increafe of the riches of any kingdoni, for quicquid efficii tale eft magu tale. Now to anfwer his four re- cited reafons, viz. Firft he fays, if a low flated^ intereft by law be the caufe of riches, no country would be poor, all defiriig riches rather than poverty, and all having it in their powei to ftate their intereft as low as they pleafe by law. , I anfwer, firft, whatever nation does It gradually, for fo it muft be done, as it has been hitherto in England, 2 per cent being enough to abate at one time, will iinci thofeeffeds I have mentioned ; but It IS a work of ages, and cannot be done at once ; for nee natura aut lex operantur prjaltum. ^ Secondly, it is a great imprudence to imagine that any country underftandine their true intereft fo well, as by degrees to abate ufe-money, will not likewife hv Jiic lan^ wifdgm be led to the infti'- tuting ^'^i >" I (} « f < * ■.-1 I ' It [64] tuting of matiy other good Jav/s for the encouragement of trade, as our Parlia- ments have ftill proceeded to do, as in- tereft \.ls been abated. His fecond reafon is, that if the low- nefs of intereft were not the efFed: of riches m Holland, they might take as much ufe-money as they could get, there being no law againft it. I anfwer, there were formerly laws in Holland, that reduced intereft to 8 and 6, and afterwards to 5 per cent. Anno 1640. and fmce in the year 1655. to 4 per cent, the placart for which I have feen, and have been told, and do believe, they have fince reduced it by placart to ^percent, as to their cantors, and all publick receipts, which In Hol- land is as much in effect as if they had made a general law for it, becaufe the moil of their receipts, and payments are made in and out of the aforefaid publick offices, or elfe into and out of their banks, for which no ufe-money is al- lowed ; which feveral gradual and fuc- cefsful abatements of intereft did occa- fion their riches at firft, and brought their people to that coniiftency of wealth, that they have fmce wrought themfeives into fuch an abundance, that jhcrc are more lenders now than bor- rowers. t 65 ] rowcn and f:. I doubt not but it vviii be With us in a few yaars, after the next abatement of intereft is made by law, which I have good reafon to con- clude, not only from the vifible opera-- tions of nature in all other things and- places, but from fadl and experience m this very csi,, being certain that the goJalmiths m London could have what money they would upon their iervants notes onJy, 4 i. and 4]. 10 s. per cent: ^^^^'^ ^^^e late emergencies of ftate, which I couJd demonftratc has verv much obftruAed the natural fall of in- tereft with U3. Something more i have laid in anlwer to this in the addition to my former treatife -, and this may ferve Jikewife for an anfwer to his third rea- Ion. Fourthly, he fays, that which I muft prove to make good my alTertion, is, that any country in the world, from a poor and low condition, while intereft was at 6 per cent, sntls made rich by bringing it to 4 per cent, or per cent by a law. I anfwer, if the inftance of Holland and Italy were not flifficient to fatisfy him in this point, yet that having proved, which he cannot denv. fhat-nr •■ .- i-'r i..'i--f: A • X Hit i . t" M .» ^*»-i» ^^ >«-.- r_ " ii- f* \ f •n ' 8 to 6 ptr cent. I think it may rationally be con- cluded, that another abatement of inter- eft in England would caufe a further in- creafc of riches, as it has done in Hol- land. From Italy I have endeavoured to gain a certain account of their legal intereft, but am advifedthat no taking ofufc-mo- ney is allowed by their pontifical laws, the intereft now taken there, which is generally 4 per cent, is done only by dif^ penfation of Pope PaulY. and that not* withftanding no man can recover intereft of money there, if the party who ihould pay it can prove ht has not gained the value of the intereft demanded. Now let the reader judge whether that prac- tice of Holland, and this of Italy, where the Romifh churchmen have fo great a Power, who are to take cognizance, 3\\d v[:y by their a'^ricular contelTors, ci all jLjnces ot this kind, the laws concern- ing the i.fe of money in thofc countries being pontifical, do not amount in efFeft to a lov/ ilated intereft by law in Eng- land. } irf: 167 2 , But to deal more ingeniioufly with my Oppofer than he has done with me, 1 mil grant him that much riches will occafion m any kingdom a low rate of intereft, and yet that docs not hinder but a low ftated intercft by law may be a caufe of riches ; for if irade be that which enriches any kingdom, and low- erin .• of interell advances Trade, which 1 think IS fufficiently proved, then the abatement of intereft, or more pro- perJy reftraining of ufurv which the antient Romans, and an other wife and rich people in the world did always drive at, is doubtlefs a primary and prin- cipal caufe of the riches of any nation. It being not improper to fay, nor abfurd to conceive, that the fame thing may be both a caufe and an effeft. Peace begets plenty, and plenty may be a means to preferve peace ; fear begets hatred, and hatred f#ar ; the diligent ^and makes rich, and riches make men diiigent, fo true is the proverb, CrefcU mor nummi, quantum ipfa pecunia crefcit, i-ove we fay begets Love j the fertility ot a country may caufe the increafe of people, and the increafe of peonle may caufc the further and greater fertility of a country, liberty and property conduce ... .-.-.. iiicrcaie of trade, and im. provcment '.'V^- J *4. f *' ^^•' ?!l'^»l« *-1ifi !■■»■ i ! ^ r^ 1 , •*• ) \ 1 t ? 1 n t - [ «8 1 provement of any country ; and the in- crcafe of trade and improvements con- duce to the procuring, as well as fecu- ring of liberty and property •, (Irength and health conduce to a gooddigeftion, and a good digeftion is necefTary to the prefervation of health and increafe of ftrength •, and as a perfon of very great honour pertinently inftanced at a late debate upon this queftion, an egg is the caufe of a hen, and a hen the caufe of an egg. The incomparable Lord Bacon, in his hiftory of Henry the Vllth. fays, p. 245. of that Prince as well as other men. That his fortune worked upon his nature, and his nature upon his fortune •, the like may be faid of nations ; the a- batemcntof interefl caufes an increafe of wealth and the increafe of wealth may caufe a further abatement of intereft. But that is beft done by the midwifery of good laws, which is what I plead for -, the corrupt nature of man being more apt to decline to vice, than incline to virtue. Folio 15. he affirms, L.ands are not rilen in purchafe, nor rents improved fincerhc abatement of interefl:. That I fliall fay no more to i it is mat- •^r .AV^»A«VtA *r i»v/ i4i S^ ^kk\. owners of land arc the bell judges ot this 1 69 J this cafe -, only I would entreat them not to depend upon their memories a-^ lone, but to command particular ac- counts to be given them what fum or fumsof money were given forty or fifty years part: for any intire farms or man-, nors they now know ; and I doubt not but they will find that moll of them will- yield double the faid fums of money now, notwithftanding the prefent great preflures that land lies under, which ought maturely to be confidered when this judgment is made. I rather defirc the enquiry to be made upon the grofs fum of money paid» than the years pur- chafe, as being lefs fallible, becaufe ma- ny farms have been of late years fo rack- ed up in rents, th-^t it may be they will not yield more years purchafe now, ac- cording to the prefent cents, than they wou d many years pad, and yet may yieJd double the money they were then bought or fold for, becaufc the rents were much lefs then. Fol. 15. He impertinently quarrels at my in fiance of Ireland, faying I quote jt lometimes to prove the benefit of a 'owint^rcn, p. 8. and fometimes the milchief of high inrcreil:, p. 9. which - - =.-- .-„- wi^ lij u^ ^^^-^ uiiiricnuiy way or prevaricating i fur p. 8. I mention the late * ># i ■» (* ' 'mA ' •- • It > it .(I '■^,4 t 70 ] late great improvemer of Ireland only, as an accidental caufe why uur rents at thar prefent fell, rind in this it appears I was not much miftaken ; for within a few months after I firfl writ that trea- tife, the Parliament took notice of it, Page 9. I mention that place among o- thers, that pay a high intereft, and°are confequertly very poor, if there beany contradidion in this, Jtt tie reader judge. Page 1 6. the gentleman puzzles himfeif about finding miflakcs in my cal- culation of the increafc of merchants e- ftates, but difcovers none but his own ; fo I IhaJI not trouble the reader about that, all merchants granting me as much as I dcfign by it, though fome of them have not, or care to obferve the a- batement of intereft to have been the principal caufe of it. Fol. 17. Becaufe he cannot anfwer that large and pregnant inftance of the etFc<5ls of a low intereft which I gave in the cafe of the fugar-bakers of Lon- don, and thofe of Holland, which was but one of a hundred, which I could have mentioned ; he endeavours to ftt vp another of a .^onti-ary tffca, which is a weak ridicubus inftanrc, and no- thing to his purpofc : for thit commo. dity that I mentioned, viz. fugr.r, is a folid t, / V f 11 ] iolid balky commodity, always {„ r, the reafon why we of late knt filkftock ■ngs th,ther, is accidental, no „a°uti only happening by means of an ent"ne we have to weave them, of which f^ have not yet the ureiMtalyBeSel wearing things being mo4" efteem.H through fancy than judgment the r^i ans may have the far!,e Sy' Jhich it too much amonaft u« V '^ . '^ which is none of- thei 'own m^ '''='' - do French ribbanTs.Tnd ^h fe" menEngn(hones;befides. heismS: ken in fa,y;ng, we bring the fiik L --.«kc them of from Italy ; for the MV of wh,ch we make tha't 'con^mc^i ''^ i I ky, not Italian filk. ' kind \nd fi^n' g^"^!'"'*" begins to be ""' ana finding me outof thewiv TltlV^' r -°'"' -« to in3 mk ' ^^^' ^'" '"■'"S down in, ift, Multitude jf people. *Jly. Afullttadc. ♦ V I an- t , • t ■if [ 72 ] 1 anfwer, that I have, I think, prov- ed that the abatement of intcrell: will €fte(5t the two former, and I think my oppofer is not clear-fighted, if he can- not difcern that the latter, in adu^ and regulated proportion, muft be a fe- quent of them. In the next place, the gentleman find- ing me at a lofs, as he fays, for the rcfon of our great trade at prefent, will help me as well as he can. I anfwer, Thofe latter words (as well as he can) were well put in *, for as yet he has told me no news, nor given a- ny fhadow of reafon, which I knew not before, and had maturely confidered many years before I writ the firft trea- tife. The rcafons he gives for our prefent greatnefs of trade j« re •, Firft, Our cafting off the Church of Rome. Secondly, The ftatutes in Henry the Vllth's time, prohibiting Noblemens Retainers, and making their lands liable to the payment of debts. Thirdly, The difcovery of the Eaft and Weft-India trades, p. 19, 20. To his firft and fccond rcafons I an- that thofe ftatutes of Henrv VII, (tinor nff the C^Urcl. of Ronift did 'i'cr niir r-A K.. -T.']""'^'?? "Pon it. th..t we - -/ -*, ^iiiu wuiu never fee our orin- pnn- cipal ■":>.;h 211 1^'iB «r ^ I' , 11 *'■ ' <* a. *- i; 'i^ lit^' I'rafr' [74] cipal money again -, nor ever did we greatly profper upon it, till our intereft was much abated by laws, nor ever ihall mate the Dutch in it, till our in- tereft be as low as theirs. The like, in a great meafure, is true in our Weft- India trades, we never got confiderabic by them till our laft abatement of in- tereft from 8 to 6 per cent. Page 21, 12. he labours to prove, that if we would have trade to flourifh, ^nd lands high, we muft imitate the Hollanders in their pradice ; which in matter of trade I know is moft certain, fo far as they are confident with the ecvernment of our own country, and The firft and re^dieft thing wherein we can imitate them, is to reduce our in- tereft of money to a lower rate, after the manner of our fathers, and they did it before us, which will naturally lead us to all the other advantages in trade which they now ufe. I . For if intereft be abated to 4 per cent, who will not, that can leave his children any competent eftate of 1000 or 2000 1. each , brin^- them up to writing, arithmetick, and merchants accompts, and mftruit them in trades, well knowing that the bare ufc of their «««v<>^ M ^75] 2. Muft not all perfons live lower in expence, when all trades will fe i 'ft gamfiil to individuals, tho' more pro£ b!e to the pablick ? proWa- « Mky and as cheap lailing ihip, af 4. Will it not bring trade to be fo 6 whrar:7n"f "' "'\°" S-lTe'^n: wno are m our greateft Councils will come to underftand it, and accSiner contrive laws in favour of it ' ^'^ hJ' ^'" "°'' ""y- 'las « not aJrcadr b ought us to lower our cuftoms u]^^ mZ? """' ^"'"^odities and ma^" -S'li?^U",J^^,^t?-ce^ ;|^:p:£-:St^;5 his fimdamental point, and are thert by necemated to follow "and kecKoou; trades from generation to generation b' 7- Do *:. *;^^ 'liA M-: 1^: ■ !■ , I r p- \' pi: • V'4 r 76 ] 7. Do we not fee that even as the world naw goes. Dies diem docety fcarcc a SelTion of P.irliament paflet without niaking fome good Ads for the better- ing ©f trade, and paring off the cxtrava- gav it \Ji iCi, 1 " ;> U! nf.'fe 1 Il ■ I". ■• III;::- '•^.f lit. H ^ id [7^ ] ^dly, Our laws againft Engrofling corn and other commodities, there be- ing no perfons more beneficial to trade in a nation, than EngrofTcrs, which will be a worthy employment for our pre- fent Ufurers, and render them truly ufe- ful to their Country. 4thly, Such as are our laws againft exportation of Bullion lately repealed. 5thly, Such is the ufe of the law at prefcnt, which takes not only a cuftom, but 15 s. per ton excife on ftrong beer exported, being the fame rate it pays when fpent at home, contrary to the praftice of ail trading countries. 6thly, Such arc ourlawij which Ci^^rge fea-coals, or any of our native provifions exported, win cuftoms, -y/a;. beef, pork, bread, beer, &?c. for which I think in prudence the door Ihould be opened wide to let them out. 7thly, Of the like nature is our law impofing a great duty upon our horfes, mares and nags exported. 8thly, Such in my weak opinion, is that oranch ofthe Statuteof 5 Eliz. that none fhall ufe any manual occupation, except he has been apprentice to the fame. 9thly, Such, in my opinion, is the law which yet prohibits the exportati- on of our own Coin i for *nce it is now by l79l by confeM of Parliament agreed an J found by experience of all underhand, mg men, to be adv ntageo.'s to this King- rfom to permit the free exportation of Buihon, I thmk it were better for m that our own coin might likewife be freely exported, becaufe by what of it tZ'Z'' "" .'^""W S^i" the manufac- tnre (the coming) befides the great ho- nour and note of magnificencylt would be to his majefty and this Kingdom, to part' of\K?'''^^\ =°'" ^""•*"' i" '■^^ part^ ^l the univerfe. lorhly^ rSuchare all by-Iafiirs ufcd a- mong the Society of Coopers, and other artificers, Jimitmg mafters to keep but one apprentice at a time j whereas ic were better for the publick, they were permitted to keep ten, i f they could or would maintam or en:ploy them. I ithly. Such feem to be many of our aws relating to the poor, efpecially thofe agamll mn.aces in city and trad- ing towns, and thofe obliging parfhes to mamtiun their own poor only. P^ge 13. and 24. the Gentleman mai cs a large repetition of what he had aid Detore, wherein I obferve notH- >r new buuhat he fajis, the Eaft-Ind^.-Compa. " •V iuivc money at 4 pgr cent, only be- caufe men may have their money out ^ 3 when ''^i '■^"j f' . ■»• , ^.*• i 1 • ' 1 "T i •■ -f- I! ". I IH. .mi [ 80 ] when they pleafe •, which is a miftakc, tho* a fmall one, for the Company fel- dom or never take up money but for a certain time ; tho' I doubt not but that generous Company wil J, and do atmoft times, accommodate any perfon with his money before due, that hasoccafion to require fuch a kindnefs of them, altho' they oblige not themfelves to do it. In this tenth particular, at the latter cAd of p.^fi;e 24. he fays, I am miftaken in my affcrtion Cf the intereft of Scot- land, which upon further Cnoujry a- raongft the Scotch mcrchantsmpon the Exchange, lam lt>Id fehisownmiftakc; fo I muft k«ve that, being matter of faft^ to thofe that know that country and its laws, more and better than ei- ther of us : Laftly, he conclud 2, that whilft I fay the matter in England is fo nafurauy prepared for an abatement of intereft, that it cannot be long obftruc- tcd, I propound a law to anticipate Na- ture, which is againft Reafon. I anfwer. It was the wifdom of our Grand-fathers to bring it to what it would bear in their time ; and our Fa- thers found the good effedls of it, and brought it lower, the beriefit of which : . n is^a^j I- — -l-- r..^ %.ii\^ i'^^'- ccfs ; and therefore, feeing the matter will [Si J will now bear further abfttement, it is reafonablc for us to follow chat excellent example of our anceftors ; Jaw» againft • Nature I grant would be incffe6luai ; but I never heard before, that to help^Na- tare were againft Reafon. Touching the gentleman's ^erfonal reflexions upon me, I fhall fay little j it appears fufficiently by what I have written, anc^ his anfwer, that 1 am an Advocate for induftry, he^ for IdknA ; It appears likcwife to thofe that know nie m London, who are many, that I am fo far from defigning to ingrois trade, that J ". : haft«ening to convert what I cai: oi my i.nalj eftate that is perfonal, info real, fuppofing k to my inteftft fo to do, before the ufe of money falls, which I conclude cannot hug fufpend; and that then the land and lioufes muft nfe i and I doubt it will appear, when this Gentlemanis as well known as I am, that he is morean Ufurer, than an Own' ner of land or Manager of trade at piie-- ^^nt ; my ends have only been to ferve my Country,, which I can with a Cmc^e ^i >r ^^^^^^' ^"" ^^^ prefence of God and Men ; And thrxt nothing elfe could have engaged me into this unr>leaftFw^ controverly, wherein I have giWn un^' willing offence to all my nearcft Rela- ^ 4 tions. •i**i '*% 1 w m ^# ^\ m * If .jb,l 1 1 1 ' ■'>«« i - .- -1-^ l-i jfl ft ,4. iM 1 ■ "St''.' ■r "••'? ■ > m «■ • '•* %. \' '■ ( s It 9 it- r * [ 82 ] tlons, and new at firft that I muft needs do fo, mod of them being fuch as Age and Wifdom has inftruded rather to be Box-keepers than Gamefters. I have before mentioned thejudg- menK)f the French King and Court, but intvfnded i?ot to recite the Edift, being at large in the laft treatife of Sir Thomas Culpepper the Elder; yet on fecond thoughts, confidering all men perhaps, may not come to a fight of ii^ and find- ing the faid Edidl fo comprehenfive of the whole matter of thiscontroverfy, I have here recited it. >* The King by thcfe edi6ls had no- thing relieved the necelTities of the Nobility, if he had n©t provided for Ufurers, who have ruined many good and anticnt houfes ; filled towns with unprofitable fervants, and the countries with mlferies and inhuma- nities •, he found the rents, viz. Ufu- ries, conitituted after 10 or 8 in the hundred, did ruin many good fami- lies, hindred the traffick and com- merce of me/chandizes, andmatle til- lage and handicrafts to be negle^ed, many defiring through the eafinefs of a deceitful gala to live idly in good towns pn their rents, rather than to give thcmfelvcSjWith any pains, to li- *' bcra! ic «( «c «c <« « ■ V^^l mm '■•"i^ wm > '^i.fj ^M ^4rA ■m .■*,f- H 1 -1 I |i " ■;■" ■ "'4 ^^i.t. m- m't 1f'3 For difcourfe with a country Ufurer, he will affirm, and perhaps be ready to fwear to it that this abatement of inter- ell is a kiiavi.ih defign of the citizens to advance themfelvcs, who are too proud already, and that if it goes forward it will undo all the country gentlemen in England : And if one fpeaks with the city Ufurers, they will be ready to af- firm, that this IS a plot carried on only by Noblemen and Gentlemen, whofe eftates are all in land, for their own ad- vantage^ and that it will fpoil all the trade of the kingdom, being a proje(5l at one inftant to take off juft one third of mens eftates that are perfonal, and add the fame proportion to all fuch whofe eftates are real ; which in effect is to impoverifh all the younger, and enrich all elder brothers in England : So that out of the mouths of the greateft and wifcft adverfarics to this principle, it may be juftly concluded, that though fmgly t'^ey deny the truth of it, yet jointly they confds it. To concluu., there is nothing that I have faid, or that I think any other cars f*y upon this occafion, but was faid in fubftance before bv old Sir Thoi.iasCul- peper, though unknown to me, who tad an ample and clear fighi into the whole . [ 8? J whole nature of this principle, ajid the true elfcas and confequences of it trudV being always the fame, though illuftrati- ons niay vary ; nor can any thing noV be objeded a^inft the making a UW for the further abatement of intereft, but' the fame that was objeftcd in thofe times whercm the former Statutes pad ; f<> that why my oppofer fhould cavil at th& doing of that by a law in England now, which he feems to like well if it could be done, I know no real caule, except it be that in truih he is wife enough to know that a law in Englacid will certainlv da f^ework, as it has done formerly- \nd- mconfeque- ce his own private gaii. will be retrenched. Before I conclude, I think it ncccflfa- ry, for caution to my Countrymen, to iet them know what effeas thefe dir. courfes have had on others. When I wrote my firft treatife, intereft was ia the Ifland of Barbadoes at is percent. where Jtis fince by an Ad of the Coun. try brought down to lopcr cm. a great fall at once, and our weekly Gazettes ^me months pad informed us, that the Sweues by a law had brought down K^u'^'^^'f^ fo ^percent, neither of - --=:i ij.i,^ Uiiy ^uuu cricccs «pon uut certainly the contrary, except us- ..^iO:.,X3 11 »■ ;-. .* f »■ jr.-" •»* * [ «6] by way of ? mM h" k^ 1 J , - »■ , r ■, ■ .1. iM^- ' i ^S 1 to ^■>lB B^ K- KK ;- ■1)^ » , ■'^ Wim i t. . [ 90 ] whatfoever in this Kingdom, who had the ufe of thofe laws now in force, it fecms to me a very ftrong argument that it never could, nor ever will be done by thofe laws, and that confequently the deft^ lies in the laws themfelves, not in the men, /'. e. thofe that fhould put them in execution. As to the fecond anfwer to the aforc- faid queftion, wherein want of charity is afligned for another caufe why the poor are now fo much neglected, I think it is a fcandalous ungrounded actufation of our contemporaries, except in rela- tion to building of Churches, which I confefs this generation is not fo pro- pen fe to as former have been, for mod that I converfe with, are not fo much troubled to part with their money, as how to place it, that it may do good, and not hurt to the Kingdom : for, if they give to the beggars in the ftreets,or at their doors, they fear they may do hurt by encouraging that lazy unpro- fitable kind of life ; and if they give more than their proportions in their re- fpedlive 4)arifhcs, that, they fay, is but giving to the rich, for the poor are not let on work thereby, nor have the #orc given them s '^^t only their rich neigh- b.-.>.—A «^^.. ^K^j^ 1^^/L, A .i. ^1 ,^%. £* ••i'l«i^«* «vF^M given given in churches to the vifited poor, and to fuch as wereimpoverifhed bv the fire ; we have heard of fo man/ ?.nd great abufes of that kind of charity, that mofl men are under fid difcourage- ments in relation thcireto. I write not this to divert any man from y. orks of charity of any kind: He that gives to any in want does weJJ ♦, but he that gives to employ and educate the ^oor fo as to render them ufcful to the, kingdom, in my judgment does better. And here by the way, not to kave r^A ^ ^ ^°^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^P^^^ ^^ what ^oa ih^ll incline their hearts to give for the benefit of the poor, I think it not impertinent to propofc the hofpitals of this City, and Poor labouring people that have manjr children, and make a hard" Ihift to fuilain them by their Induftry. of which there are multitudes in the out parts of this City, as the beft objccfts of chanty at prefent. But to return to my purpofe, viz to prove that the want of charity that now is, and always has been, in relation to the Poor, proceeds from a defca in our laws. Ask any charitable minded man as he goes along the ftreets or i^ondon. viewjnor i-k<> T>^^- .. _ i girls, men, and womco of all ages, and many^ '*.' r. « 1* a' 1 •■■if *> m r 92 1 many in good health, 6fr. why he and ethers do not take care for the fitting thofe poor creatures to work ? Will he not readily anfwer, that he wifhes hear- tily It could be done, though it coil kim a great part of his cftate, but he i: but one man, and can do nothing tov^ards Jt ; givin them money, a. has been faid, being but to bring them into a liking, and contmuance in that way. The fecond Queftlon then is, Qucftion 2. Wherein lies theeffeftof our prefent laws relating to the Poor ? I anfwer, that there may be many j but I (hall here take notice of one onhr; ^^ich I thipl^ jg b« fundamental, and which unaltered, the Poor in England can never well be provid.-d for, or em- ployed ; and that when the faid fiinda- menta! error is well amended, it is al- moft impojfTible they fhould lack either work or maintenance. The laid radical Error I cfteem to be the leaving if to the care of every pa- ri Ih to maintain their own Poor only -, upon which follows the (hifting off, fendingor whipping back, the poorwc^n- derers to the place of eheir birth, or lad abode ; the practice of which I have feen iTjany years in London, to fignifiy as muck as ever it will^ which is juft nothing of good [93 ] good to the kingdom in general, or the Poor of it in particular, tho* it be fome- times by accident to fome of them apu- nifliment without efFed -, I fay without effc^, becaule it reforms not »:he party, nor fe ifpofes the minds of others t© obe- dience, which are the true ends of all punifhment. As for inftance, a poor idle perfon, that will not work, or that no body will employ in the country, comes up to London to fet up the trad': of beg- ging ; fuch a perfon probably may beg up and down the ftreets feven years, it may be fevSi Ind iwenly^ before ilhy I dy asks why fhe does fo, and if at length fhe has the ill hap in fome parilh, to meet with a more vigilant £ die than one of twenty of them are, h. ne does is but to lead her the length of five or fiy Houfcs into another parilh, and then concludes, as his mailers the pari- Ihioners do, that he has done the part X)i a moft diligent officer : but fuppofe he fhould yet go further to the end of his line, which is the end of the law, and the perfeft execution of his office ; that is fuppofe he fhould carry this poor wretch to a Juftice of the Peace, and he fhoui' order the delinquent to be whipt and icnt from parifh to parifh, to the placi; > .t*:!! M mi k K I tf ■■■''• in I f r 1 1» - ,* c » ^^H^ 'r ♦, f ■ . * '-.1 ■ [ 94 ] place of her birth or Jaft abode, which not one Juftice in twenty, through pi- ty or other caufe, will do ; even this IS a great charge upon the Country,and yet the bufinefs of the Nation itfelf wholly undone ; for no fooner does th« delinquent arrive at the place affigncd, but for lliame or idlencfs fhe prefently deferts it, and wanders diredrJy hack, or fome other way, hoping for better fortune, whilft the parifh to which fhe IS fent, knowing her a lazy and perhaps a worfe qualited perfon, is as willing to be nd of her, as fhe is to be gone from thence. But if it be retorted upon me, that ty mv own -onfcflion, much of this mif- €hiet happens by the non, or ill execu- tion of the laws ; I fay, better executi- on than you have feen you muft nor ex- ped , and there was never a good law made that was not well executed, the fault of the law caufing a failure of exe- cution, it being natural to all men to ufc the remedy next at hand, and .eft fatis- iied with ihifting the evil from their own doors ; which in regard they can fo eafily do, by threatning or thurfting a poor Body out of the verge of their own D3=riiiii i£ is unr^iion'^Kl-* *«nH in '•»i-ri ^>-t ho^pe that it ever will be other^fe. As f 95 1 As for the laws againft Inmates, and empowering the Parilhioners to take fc- cunty before they fuffer any poor p^'fc^ to inhabit amongft themjit may bTthw were prudent conftitutions at Kmes a place ot trade, and may be fo ftill in fome countries ; but I am fure ^n dt.>" ^nd great tens of trade they are -I o«- ther improper, and contrary to the prS- ^ ^ of other citi^ and tradfngtoZa- -load. The riches of a city, as of a Nation, confiding in the multimde of ..ihabitants ; and if fo, you muft allcw Jimates orhave a city of cottagel. And mionofthe poor, and fetting them on Work, you need invent no ftrataaems to ^fc ''"'^'"ih" to brifgThem in. For the refort of Poor to a Citv or Nation weli managed, is in effe^tul conflux of riches toWt C ty or NatioJ- and therefore the fubtle Du'^rch «c i4' hem lo?' "''""P'^h =*" thatcom To 1^4r3Xf3L^'J«'--uch comutent ? rhis I confefs is a hard and diffij Reg, nt. m I 5 i'»- V ■•■■■v: 1 ,«' '?,?■ k .•-' ^.•^i ,*-*\ i-? .»» »^^' [96 ] Regni^ and may very well defer vc the moft deliberate confideration of our wi- feft Counfellors. And if a whole Sel- fion of Parliament were employ'd on chis fingular concern, I think it would be time fpent as much to the glory of God and good of this Nation, as in any Thing that noble and worthy Patriots of their Country can be engaged in : But feeing I have adventured thus far, I fliall humbly proceed to offer forae general propofals that have a tendency towards the effeding this great work, which being Icrioufly thought of and debated by wifer men, may be capable of fuch melioration as may render them in a great mcafure cfFc6lual to the King- dom in general \ altho* at prefent, to prevent that common objedion, that great mutations are dangerous, I (hall only propofe them to be experimented in thefe parts of the kingdom, which are the vitals of our body politick, which being once made found, the cire of the reft will not be difficult. PropofitiOT I. Firil then I propofe, that thcCity of London andWeftminfter, Borough of South wark, and all other places within the ufual linis of communi- cation, dcfcribed in the weekly bills of moi-Lilitv. mav bv a(5t oi Parliament be — ^ ^ . alio- # * '^. t 97 ] aflbciated into one province or line of communication for relief of the Po«. 2 . rhat there be one affemblyof m'en and fuch as theyrhall from time to Tn^ appomt and depute, entruftedwS care for and treufure of all the P^ wKhmthe fan pale or Ime of corner rate'd f^rt of gJi^^?'^ 't '"^"P"- il (1,^ Jir L ■^V^""^"'^' wrhperpetu. al fucceflion, by the name of Fithc^s of tir' "'■ """-■ '''''^^ '"'nourabl and lignificant title. 4. That all conftabk-s, churchwardens ' f. '''I' "'-."'"^'■"'ficers m all pariC w.rhm the la,d i,ne. be fuU,rdina e and accountable to the laid Father, of the I^^or, and thcr Deputies for, andTn all things relating to the Poor nv,v(,'^''"ru''' ''*''' ^•'''"^^ "'■the Poor may have libeny to affefs and receive in- o coupon trealury, for relief of their i oor. fo much money from every pariHi a hey yearly paid to that purii,fe any o he three years preceding thif confti- •t'on and to compel the payment of 't, but not of more. ^ndJ^'V^' '"^''^ ^"'"=" °'"f''e Poor a ml he,r Deputies, mayhave very large ■l!!*^'.T. P^^-^fi" -11 things' relai - o V iiivA vui, unU particuiarJ^ to have and -.f-. • ■«; h [98] and receive the chariabl^ benevolence of all perfons once every Lord*s-day in every parifh Church, and in any other Meeting of pious Chriftians, and at any other time or times which they fhall think fit. 7. That the faid Fathers of the Poor, and fucli as they fhall authorize, may have power to purchafe lands, ereft and endow work-houfes, hospitals, and hou- fcs of correftion, and to exercife all o- ther powers relating to the Poor, that any number of Jufticesofthe peace now may do, in their quarter felfions or o- therwife. 8. That the faid Fathers of the Poor may have power to fend fuch Poor be- yond the Seas as they fliall think fit in- to his Majefty's plantations, taking fe- curity for their comfortable maintenance during their fervice, and for their free- dom afterwards. 9. That the faid Fathers of the Poor may have power to eredl petty banks and lumbards for the benefit of the poor, if they Ihall find it convenient, and alfo to receive the one half of what is paid at all the doors of Play-houfes and have the Patent for fiirthings, and to do whatever elfe his Majcfty and the Par- '^ C99J Ijiment flmll think fit to recommend to them, or leave to their Difcretion eollcfted for th,5 Purpofe be accounted l.'cred, and that it be felony to mifip- P ), conceal, lend, or convert it to any other uk- or purpofe whatfoever II. That there be no Oaths, or other Kits, impolcd upon the faid F.ithersof ^■e Poor, at their admiffion, to bar our Nonconform^,, a-^.gft whom there vill b. tound fonie excellent inftruments -r th,s good work,and fuch as will con- llantly attend it ; for if they be kept es, and in all places, -.tcrtheniaanerotthe habits in Spain "ther as h.ve all the Familiars of i^l ' T M '" r'* Romilhcountries. 'V th admnab.'e cffeft, though to wick- ™ purpofe i the - onC-n.,,..". ...v„_ , -■ii b^: ti..t the laid: koh^j ":^'Z P ro<4 */-:• «??-1 r, >'*. W^.- , i i : ^ )J4^ f ■i.\ L too ] Poor being numerous, and difperfed by their habitations and bufinefs, into moft parts of their province, will readily fee jiny neglc<5b of officers, and as tafily redrefs them •, the medal which they wear about them being a fufficient War- rant to command obedience from all parifh officers wherever they come, although their Perfons be r >c known there. 1 3. That the faid Fathers of the poor may have liberty to admit into their fociety,and into all powers and pri- vileges equal with them, any perfons that are willing to fcrve God, their King, and Country, in this pious and publick work, the perfons dcfiring to bJ fo abmitted, paying at their admif- fion 100 /. or more, into the poor's trea- fury, as a demonftration of the fincerity of their intentions to labour in and cul- tivate this mod religious vineyard. This I only offer becaufe the number of the faid Fathers of the Poor hereafter men- tioned, may be thought rather too fevr thaa too many. 14. That the faid ?ath_rsof thePoo^ befides the authority now eicercifed by {'uftices of the Peace, may have fomc cf$ limited powers given them, in rc- iation to the pumihmcnt of their owrs and ParifliOfHc^rs, by pecuniary muias for the Poor's benefit in cafe of neglect, and otherwife as his Mijcfty and the Parhament fhall think fit. 15. That the faid Fathersof the Poor may have freedom to fet the Poor on work about whatfoever manufadure they think fit, with a Non Oh^ante to all Patents that have been or fhaJJ be granted to any private perfon or pcrfons tor the fole manufadure of any com- modity i the want of which priviJcge I have been told, was a prejudice to the workhoufe at Clerkenweil, in their late defign of fetting their poor children a- bout making of Hangings. i5. That all vacancies, byreafon of deatli, of any of the laid Fathers of the Poor, be perpetually fupplitd by dcdi- on of the Survivors. n. ^u^' ^' '^^^ ^^""^ queftionis. Who IhaJ' be the pcrfons enrrufted with fo gre: a work, and fuch excefsor power? 1 i; -s a queftion likewife of fame diificujiy, and the more in regard of our prefcnt differences in Religion 5 but 1 Ihall anfwer it as wcUas I can. In general I fay, they muft be fuch as the people muil have ample iktisfadion Jn, or elle the whole defign will bcloft; ' " umveriaiiiy gf the people be „;*«; r Gz pot ) J .I !:r not fatisfied with the perfons, they will never part with their money j but it' they be well fatisfied thcr'^-in, they will be miraculoiifly charitable. Queft. 5. This begets a fifth qup- flion, viz. What fort of men the peo- ple will be moft fatisfied with ? I anfwer, I think in none fo well as fuchonly as a Comtnon Hall of the Li- verymen of London fhall make choice of i it being evident by the experience of many ages, that the fcveral corpora- tions in London are the beft Adminiftra- tors of what is left to charitable idcs, that have ever been in this kingdom •, which is manifeft in the regular, juR, and prudent management of the hofpi- tals of London, and was wifely ob- fjrved by Dod:or Collet, Dean of Sr. Paul's, that prudent Ecclefiaftick, when he left the government of that fchool, and other great revenues afTigned by him for charitable ufes, to the difpofition ot the Mercers-Company. Obje(5l. But here it may be objeded, that Country Gentlemer, who have power in places of their refidenccs , and pay out of their ]ai„* '*:-^ >■'? 1 i 104 ] councH, who being men fo elc(5>ed as aforefaid, will certainly confcientioufly ftudyand labour to difcharge tlicir truli: in this fervicc of God, their King, and Country. I ft. The Poor, of what quality rocv'<^r, as foon as they are met with, will be immediately relieved, or fct on work where they arc found, without hurry- ing them from place to place, arvd tor- turmg their bodies to no purpofc. 1, Charitablc-mindcd men will know ccpainly where to difpofc of their cha- rity, fbas it may be imployed to right purpofes. . 3. Houfc-kecpers will be freed fr©m the intolerable incumbrance of bcg^rs at their doors. 4. The plantations will be regularly fupplied with fervants, and thofc that are fcnt thither well provided for. 5. The faid affcmbly will doubtlef$ appoint fome of their own members to vifit and relieve fuch as are fick, as of- ten as there be occafion, together with poor labouring families both in city and fuburbs. 6. Poor children will be inftruifbed in learning and arts, and thereby rendered fcrvicciibic to tiicir country, anu niany other worthy afts done for publick good by by the joint deliberation of fo many prudent and pious men, aflifled with fuch a power and purfe, more than cart be forefeen or eXprefled by a privates perfon. QjeH:. 7. The feventh queftion may be, What Ihall all the Poor of thefe ci^ ties and countries, being very numerous, be employed about ? This cjueftion will be anfwerM befl by the faid affembly themf«lves, when they have met and confultcd together, who cannot be prefumed deficient of invention to fet all the Poor on work, efpccially fince they may eafily have ad- mirable Precedents from the praftice of Holland in this particular, and hava already very good ones of their own, in the orders of their hofpitalsof Chrift- Church and Bridewell in London, ^hc girls may be employed in men Jing the clothes of the aged, in fpinning, card- ing, and other linnen mannfaftures, and many in fewing linnen for the Exchange* or any houfe- keepers that will put out linnen to the matrons that have the go- vcrnment of them. The boys in picking okam, making pins, rafping wood, making hangings, or anv other manurar not, is not nfiuch material, the great bufincfs of the nation being firft but to f eep the Poor fron*. begging and ftarv- ing, and enuring fuch^as are able to la- bour and difcipline, that they may be hereafter ufeful members to the king, tiom. But to conclude, I fay the wif.ft inan living by himfelf cannot propofe or imagine Tuch excellent ways and me- thods as will be invented by the united wifdom of f© grave an aflembly. The fitting of the faid aflembly, I humbly conceive, ought to be, de die in die:n r, the ^orum not more than thir- teen .-Whether they fhall yearly, month- ly or weekly, chufe a Prefident ; how they Hiall diftribute themfelves into the feveral quarters of the Communication ; what trtafurers and other officers to cm. ploy, and where, and how many 5 will beft be determined by themfelves, and that witiiout difficulty, becaufe ma- ny that will probably be members of the faid aflembly, have already had large experience of the government of the hofpitals of London. The manner of ele(5lion of the faid Fathers^of the Poor, I humbly fuppofe, cannot poflibly be better contrived, than after the fame way by which the Eaft-India- Company chuiv iheu Cuniiiilttet, which will pre- vent C 107 ] vent the confufion, irreguJarlty, and in- certitude, that may attend the ele^ion of voices, or holding up of hands, efpe- cially becaufe the perfons to be cleaed at one time will be very many. The iaid manner propofed is, every eledlor, H^ir^'^u^''^''^^'"^"' to bring to Guild- Hun ^t the appointed day for eledions. a lift of the whole number of perfons, fuchas he thinks fit that arc to be eled ted and deliver the fame openly unto fuch perfons as the Lord-Mayor, A'- dermen,and Common-council-men, ihall appoint to make the fcrutiny, feven, or ten days after, as fiiall be thought fit at another Common Hall may declare who arc the perfons cleded by the majority or votes. -^ ' . If it be here objed-ed to the whole piirpole of this treatife, taat this work may as well be done in diftinaparifhes. It all parifhes were obliged to build ' work-hoiifes, and employ their Poor tnerein as Dorchefter and fome others nave done with good fuccefs. I anfwer, that fuch attempts have been made in many places to my know, ledge, with very good intents and ftre- nuous endeavours -, but all that ever I " "^ ' Vdi U I _r 1 m 1 m 1 m ^h i^iovcu vain and meffecftual. i#ra- >■»■.-. <•?#; 11? VJJLi'' * 1 < f» llfe^4' t iq8 1 as I fear will that ofClerkxinwell, ex- cept that fingle inftance of the town of iDorChcfter i which yet fignifies nothing in relation to the Kingdom in general, becaufe all other places cannot do the like : Nor does the town of Dorchefter fentertain any but their own Poo; only, »nd whip away all others •, whereas that which 1 defign is to propofe fuch a foun- dation as Ihall be large, wife, honeft, and rich enough to maintain and employ ^11 Poor that come within the pale of their communication, without enquiring where they were born, or lad inhabited -, which I dare affirm with humility, that nothing but a national, or at leaft fuch a provincial parle can fo well do, nor any perfons in this kingdom, but fuch only as Ihall be picked out by popular cledion for the reafon before alledged, viz. that in my opinion three fourths at Icaft of the (lock mud iffu^ from the wharity of the people, as I doubt not but it will to a greater proportion, if they be fatisfied in the Managers of it ; but if otherwifc, not the fortieth, I might fay not the hundredth part. I propofe .the majority of the f\id Fathers of the Poor to be Citizens, (though lam none my fell) becaufe 1 tnink a i^rcat fhare of the money to be tn ipioy ovc I ccU 1 C 109 ] employed, mull an.! will come from them, if ever the wo»-k be well done, as alfo btcaufe the inhabitants are neareft the center of their bufinefs, and they beft acquainted with all affairsof this nature, by their experience in the government of the Hofpitals. Earneftly to defire anc ^ndeavour that the Poor of Englan'^ fhould be better provided for and enij-jloyed, is a work that was much ftudied by my deceafed fa- ther ; and therefore though I b asrea* dy to confefs, as any fliall be to charge me with difability to propofe a model of laws for this great affiir, yet I hope the more Ingenuous will pardon me for endeavouring to give aim towards it, fince it is fo much my duty, which in this particular I Jhall be careful to per- form, thougi y be too remifs in others, as fti;, ^.pear by more viBbk and apparent demonftrations, if e*:/ this defign, or any other that is like to cffc<5l what is defired, fucceed. Now I have adventured tiius far, I ihall proceed to piiblifh my thought; and obfervations concerning fome other things that have relation to trade, which I do without any purpolc or dengn,rave Onlv fo l?ive Qrri»Gnn tr\ nixr P/^Min^nr^ ' «-' . ^ . J .. - J men to be difcouifing and mcc mating upoi h^.. 2^«. '.« i5#« 'IP i^ .'■V \]^-^* »*-\ [ no ] upon thofe things which h.ive a tenden- cy to publick good, from whence, though my fuggeftions (hou Id be milhikes probably fomc good cffcd may cnrue,ana therefore the Ingenuous, I know, though they may differ from me, will not blame nie for the attempt. 'W'l / ^.k n CHAP. III. JL'onccrning the Companies of Mer- chants. Companies of Merchants are of two forts, viz. Companies in joint (lock, fuch as the Eart-I.idia-Company, the Morea-Company, which is a brai.ch of the l\irkey-Ccmpany, and the Green- land-Company, which is a brancii of the Mufcovia-Company ; the other iorts are Companies who. trade not by a joint flock, bur only arc under a government and regulation, fuch are the llambo- roug!i-Comnany, the Turkey-Company, the Eaftlan«' -Company, the Mufcovia- Company. It lias for many year.', been a Mootc cafe, whether any incorpor.rting of mer- chants be for nublic!: good v^r not. For my own part I am of opinion, J. That .'> [ III ] I. That for Countries with which i Maicd icn h\i jelly nus no alliance, nor can have u- ny by rcafon of their tlilbncc, or barba- lity, or non-communication with the PrincLsoFChriilcndom, :jc. where sherc IS a neceHity of maintaining forces and ^orts, (fucli as Kafl-India and Guinea) Companies of Merchants are abfolutely nciceflary. 2. It iecms evident to me, that the grcateft part of thofe two trades ojghc tor publick good to be managed by joint Hock. 3. It i«:cjueflionnble tome, whether any other Cornpai.y ol Merchants are for publick good or hurt. 4. I concl'jde, however, that all rc- ftriclions of tiade are nought, ai 1 con- icquent'y that no company whatfoever, whether they trade in a jomt fiock, or under reguh ion, can be fur publick good, txcep' If may be eafy for all, or any ot his Ma)efiy\s Siihjeas to be ad- 'iiitted into all orarv of the faid Com- panies, at any tii.ie, fr,ravery inconfi- ckrable fine j nnd that if the fine exceed 20/. including all charges of adinimon. It IS too much, and Jiat for thefe rea- fons. R •1 1 1 ill f- )» r \. .» ,. L • » • VV- I I 1 ...1- _ ^\_^'--_ t, ^ i'tU 11 11 iVc iKrit by. trade, and liavc the furcft nil es to Ikc' .»f ♦ m *f' It I 'M0^ Ch live ^n*l '' .•' 54 [»' Ml Hi's" ^ 4'* f V Kt. ' [112] thrive by, admit not only any of their own people, but even Jews, and all kind of Aliens, to be free ot any of their focieties of Merchants, or any of their cities or lowns corporate. •2. Nothing in the world can enable us to cope with the Dutch in any tradc,but Increafe of hands and ftock, which a ge- r.eral admiflion will do •, many h^d» and much (lock being as neceflliry to the profperity of any trade, as men and mo- nc?y to v/arfare. 3. There is no pretence of any good to the Nation by Companies, but only Order and Regulation of trade -, and if that be prefcrvcd (which the admiUlon of all that will come in and fubmit to the Regulation, will not prejudice; all the good to the Nation that can be hop- ed for by Companies, is obtained. 4. The Eaft-land, bcfuies our native commodities, confume great quantities of It.dian, Spanifh, Portugal ;ind French c )mmodit;LS, I'iz. od, wine, friiir, fugar, f iccads, flioomack, ^c. Now in regard oar Ealt-Country Mtrchants of England arc few, compared with thr Dutch, and intend princip.'.ly that one trade out and hon c, ana conltqnently are not lb convcrfant in the afurciaid Con.nioai- tics, nor forward to aUycnturc upon ^ thcni, t i'3 ] them, and fteing that by the Company's Charter our Italian, Spanifli, Portugal, and French Merchants, who underftand thofc Commodities pvirfedlly well, arc excluded thofe trades, or at lead, if the Company will give them leave to fend out thofe goods, are not permitted to bring in the returns ; it follows, that the Dutch muft fupply Denmark, Swe- den, and all parts of the BAlrick, with mod of thofe Commodities ; and fo it is in fart?l(*rv*» an.fl incrcafc a trade. :.That ' '■ ■ nl ■'' £< ' ■ * I •I I ^11 #li: 'lit. M'' [ "4] 2. That Iiinkcd Companies, though cftublifhcd by Ad of Parliament, may lofc a trade. 3. That trade may be carried on to a- ny part of Chrillendom, and incrcafed without Companies. 4. That we have declined more, at kaft have increafcd lels, in thoie trades limited to Companies, than in others where all his M.ijelty»s Subje^s have had equal freedom to trade. Tlie common objuflions againll this eafyadmimon of all his Majelty's Sub- jeds into Companies of Merchants, arc ; Objed. I. If all perfons may come in- to any Company of Merchants on fuch eafy terms, then young Gentlemen, Shop-Keepers, and divers others, will turn Merchants,who through their own iinskilfulnels will pay dear for our native Commodities here, and fell them cheap abroad •, and alio l:uy foreign Commodi- ties dear abro'd, and fell them here for IJs than their col^, to the ruin of them- ielv^s, and dellnidion of trade. I anfwer,Fir(l,LVM'('^/ Eviptsr^ let par- ticular men look to themlelves, and fo doubtlefs iluy will in thole trades for v^hic' theieare now comjxinics, as well as they do in o^her:i ter^ which there arc no Compai.i b. [ "5 ] It is the care of Law-makers fird and principally to provide for the People in grofs, not particulars ; and if the con- llquence of fo eafy an admilTion fhould be to make our Manufadures cheap a- broad, and Foreign Commodities cheap here, as is alledged, our Nation in ge. neral would have the advantage both ways. Objed. 2. If all fliould beadmitced, i3c. Shop-keepers, being the Retailers of the fame Commodities the Company imports, would have fo much the advan- tage of the Merchant, that they would beat the Merchant wholly out of the - rade. I anfwer, firft, We fee no fuch thing in Holland, nor in the open Trades, v/z, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and all our own Plantations ; neither can that well be ; for to drive a retale Trade to any purpofe, requires a man's full ftock, a-s well as his full attendance, and fo does it to drive the Trade of a Mer- chant, and therefore few can find (lock cind time to attend both •, from whence it follows, that of the many hundreds which in memory have turned Mer- chants, very few continued long to fol- hw both, but commonly after two or tiircc years experience, betook them- felves ' mm m ■•» :,t^u, '^t. rr y. [ n6 ] felvcs wholly to Merchandizing, or re- turned to the Ible excrcife of their Re- tale way v but whether they do, or do not concerns not the Nation in general, whofe common intcreft is to buy cheap, whatever appellation the Seller has, whether that of a meer Merchant, Gen- tleman, or a Shop-keeper. Obje<5l. 3. If Shop-Kcepers and o- ther unexperienced perfons may turn Merchants, ^c. they will through igno- rance negleft buying and fending out our Native Manufadures, and will lend out our Money, or Bills of Exchange, to buy Foreign Commodities, which is an apparent national lofs. I anfwer, that Shop-Keepers are,like all other men, led by their profit, and if it be for their advantage to fend outMa- nufadhires, they will do it without forc- ing -, and if it be for their profit to Ifend over money or Bills of Exchange, riiey will do that, and fo will Merchants as foon and as much as they. Objedt. 4. If any be admitted, 6?^. what do we get by our feven years fer- vice, and the great fums of money our pa- rents gave to bind us apprentices to Merchants, (d£. and who will hereafter bind his Ton to a Merchant ? I anfwer. ■«« in »>, [ H7 3 I anAver, the end of fervicc, and gi- ving of money with apprentices, I have always underftood to bv; the learning of the art or fcience of Merchandizing, no: thepurchafmg of an Immunity or Mo- nopoly to the prejudice of our country j and that it is fo, is evident from the. practice, there being many generalMcr- chants that are free of no particularCom- pany, who can have as large furr.s o'f money with apprentices, as any others that are free of one or more particular Companies of Merchants •, and miiny Merchants that are free of panicubr Companies, to whom few will give any confiderable fums of money with Ap- prentices, tlie proportion of money giv- en with Apprentices not following the Company a Merchant is free of, butthe condition of the Mafter, as to his more or Icfs rcpntcd (kill in his calling, thriv- ing, or going backward, greater or lef- fer trade, well or ill government of himfelf and family, &c. Objed. 5. If all fhould be admitted on fuch eafy terms, will not that be Ira- ni fell injuflice to the Companies of Mer- chants who by thcml'elves or prede- cefTors have been at great disburfs- munitics abroad, as the Turkey-Com- pany, *vSi^''» "^^ ' mw t ii8 ] pany, and the Hamburgh-Company have done. I atifwer, that I am yet to learn that any Company of Merchants not trading with a joint flock, fuch as the Turkey, Hamburgh, Mufcovia, and Eaftiand Companies ever purchai^d their Privi- leges, or built and maintained Forts, Caftles, or Fadories, or made any Wars at their own charge i but I know the Turkey- Company co maintain an Am- baflador and two Confuls, and are fome- times neceditated to make prefents to the Grand Segnior, or his great Officersj and the Hamburgh-Company are at fome charge to maintain their Deputy and Minifter at Hamburgh j and I think it would be great injuftice that any Ihould trade to the places within their Charters, without paying the fame Du- ties or Levations towards the Compa- ny's charge, as the prefent Adventurers do pay ; but! know not why any Ihould be barred from trading to thofe places, or forced to pay a grea Fine for admif- fion, that are willing to pay the Com- pany's Duties, and fubmit to the Com- pany's regulation and orders in other rc- fpc'ds. Objefl. 6. If all mav be admitted ^ aforefaid, then lych numbers of Shop- keepers in] tH C 119 ] Keepers and others would come into the Society of Merchants, as would by the majority of votes fo much alter the Governors, Deputy, and AfTiftants, of the refpeftive Companies, that ignorant perfons would come into thofe ruling places, to the general prejudice of thofe Trade. I anfwer, Thofe that make this Ob- jeftion, if they be merchants, know there is very little in it -, for that it is not to be expelled that twenty Ihop- Kcepcrs will come into any one Com- piny in a year, and therefore can have no confiderable influence upon the elec- tions ; but if many more ihould come m, It would be the better for the Nation, and not the worfe for the Company' for that all men are led by their in! terefl ; and it being the common intercft of all that engage in any Trade, that the 1 rade fhould be regulated and tro. vcrned by wife, honefl, and able m?n, there is no doubt but moll men will vote tor fuch as they efteem i'o to be, which IS manifeft in the Eaft-India-Company where neither Gentlemen nor Shop- Kctpeis were at firft excluded, neither ure ^hey yet kept out, any EngliOiman whatioeycr being permitted to come in- to thac Company tliat will buy an Ac- tion. W^ ^^ '^E !»■; .1 ,"»•' PX*' «*^. m kSJF \* «l"i.i: 4t' f liVl^J" i£v [ »^2<> ] tion pay Ire. only five pounds to the CompaD) ror his admifllon, and yet un- deniable experience has convinced aW gainfayers in this matter ; that Compa- ny, fince its having had fo large and na- tional a foundation, having likewife had a fucceflion of much better Governors, Deputies, and Afli^ants, than ever it had upon that narrow bottom it ftood formerly, when none could be admitted to the freedom of that Company for lefs than a fine of fifty pounds •, and the fuc- cefs has been anfwerable, for the fint Company fettled upon that narrow-li- mited intered, although their (lock was larger than this, decayed and finally came to ruin and defiru(flion j whereas on the contrary, this being fettled on more rational, and confeqiiently rnore juft, as well as more profitable priftci- pics, has through God's goodnefs thriv- en and increafed to to the trebling of their firft Hock. f- ■-^q-fk' I it CHAP, ir# [ 121 } CHAP. IV Concerning the Ad of Navigation. THOUGH this Av5l of Navigation concluded a very beneficial Adl for this Kingdom, efpecially by the Makers and Owners of Shipping, and by all Seamen ; yet fome they are, both wife and honeft Gentlemen and Mer- chants, that doubt whether the Incon- veniences it has brought with it, be not greater than the Conveniences. For my own p;\rt, I am of opinion that in relation to Trade, Shipping, Profit, and Power, it is one of the choicelland moft prudent Ads that ever was made in England, and without which we had not now been Owners of one half of the Shipping, nor Trade, nor employed one half of the Seamen which we do at prefent ; but feeing time has difcovcred fome Inconvenicn- cies in it, if not Defcds, which in my poor opinion do admit of an cafy amend- ment i and feeing that the whole Ad is not approved by unanimous confent, I thought fit to difcourfe a little con- cerning it, wherein, after my plain me- thod, 1 fhall lay down fuch objcdions as i. iiSVv met witn^ arm iuujoin my aa- fwers. .*,< f. Ul%'! & H. i^l rfM4> [ 122 ] r\ver '..* iij-' '^i. ^i' 'A- 124 ] ing an IHand, the defence of which has alwayi been our Shipping and Seamen, it feems to me abfolutely neceflary that Profit and Power ought jointly to be confidcred, and if fo, I think none can deny but the Aft of Navigation has and docs occafion building and employ- ing of three times the number of Ships and Seamen, that otherwife we fhould or would do, and that confequently, if our force at fea were fo greatly im- paired, it would expofeus to the receiv- ing of all kinds oi injuries and affronts from our neighbours, and in the con- chifion render us a defpicable and mi- ferable people. Objedlionj to feveral Parts of the Adl of Navigation. OBlecflion i. The Inhabitants and Planters of our plantations in A- merica, fay, this Ad will in time ruin their pl.mtations, if they be not pcr- niitted at leall to carry their fugar^ to the bc*t markets, and not be compelled to fend all to, and receive all Commo- dities from England. I anfwer. If they were not kept to the rules ot the Ad of Navigation, the coulciiuence would be, that in a few years years the benefit of them would be wholly loft to the Nation, it being a- greeable to the policy of the Dutch, Danes French, Spaniards, Portuguefe, and all nations in the world, to keep their external Provinces and Coioniet in a fubjedion unto and dependency upon their Mother-Kingdom ; and if they fliould not do fo, he Dutch, who, as I have faid, are Mafters of the Field in frade, would carry away the greateft of advantage by the plantations, of all the Princes in Chriftendom, leaving us and others only the trouble of breeding men, and lending them abroad to cul- tivate the ground, and have bread for tiieir induftry. Here, by the way, with entire fub^* mmion to t!ie greater wifdom of thofe whom It much more concerns, give m^ jcave to query, Wliether inftead of the i'lte prohibition of Irifh cattle, it would not have beetx more for the benefit of this kingdom of England, to luffer the fnlh to bring into England, not only their hve r ittle, but alfo all other com- modifies of the growth or manufadlurc «ltliat Kingdom, Cuftom free, or on. taly Cuftoms, and to prohibit them from trading homeward or outward with the i^"tcii, or our own plantations, or any li -u ._ ..."•Vt '.♦ ?'■'. ■:.'. i J, ''■" * • ^^ ' * I . c»' 'a :U^ I 126 J ..■f • 1. • Other places, except the Kingdom u? England ? Mod certainly fuch a law would in a few years wonderfully in- creafe the Trade, Shipping, and Riches of this nation. Query a. Would not this be a good addition to the Ad of Navigation, and much increafc the employment of En- glilh Shipping and Seamen, as well in bringing from thence all the Commodi- ties of that Country, as fupplying that Country with Deals, Salt, and all other foreign Commodities, which how they have from the Dutch ? Query 3. Wc \\d not this be a means dFedtuaily to prevent the exportation of Irifh wool, which now goes frequent- ly into France and Holland, to the ma- il ifeft and great damage both of En- gland and Ireland ? Query 4. Would not this be a for- trefs or law to fccure to us the whole Trade of Ireland ? Query 5. Would no: this render that which now diminifhes, and feems dangerous to the value '^f lands in En- gland, viz. the growth Oi Ireland, ad- vantageous, by increafe of Trade and Siiipping, and co '"'^quently augment the power ot this Kingdom ? Ob- [ 127 ] Objedb. 2. The fecond Objeftlon t& part of the Aft of Navigation, is ufually made by the Eaftland and Norway Mcr- charts, who affirm, that in cfFerf their Trade is mr ^ declined fince the paf- fing the A(5l of Navigation ; and the Danes, Swedes, Holftciners, and all Eafterlings, who by the faid Ad may import Timber, and other Eaflern Com- modities, have increafed in tliQ number of their Shipping, employ.^d in this Trade, fmce ourA<5l c f Navigatior , at lead two third parts , and tiie Englifh have proportionably declined in the number of theirs imployed in that Trade. I anfwer. That I believe the matter of h£t aflcrted is true, as well as the caufe affigned, viz. the A(5t of Naviga- tion i and yet this flxould not make us out of love with d.at excellent law -, ra- ther let it put us "pon contriving the amendment of this feeming defed, or inconvenienre,the .urc of which, 1 liope, upon mature conf^ .eration, will not be found diffic*'^ , for which I humbly propofe to the wifdom of Parliament, Viz. that ? lav be made to impofe a Cuifom of at lead 50 1. percent, on all E.iRLnd Commodities, Timber, Boards, Pipe-StW'j, aiKJ Salt, imnnrrpfl inrn i, f;-»* ll -b '^ [ I , ■*'» tC*' !,•-•',» I H -nc- r<-\ li' pi- ), ' 1*4 » , t 128 ] England and Ireland upon any Ships but Englifh built Ship?, or at leaft fuch only as are failed with an Englifh Ma- fter, and at leaft three fourths Englifli Mariners. And that for thcfc reafons ; Reaf I. If this be not done, the Danes, Swedes, and Eafterlings will certainly iii a few years carry the v^hole I'rade, by reafon of the difference of the cliarge of building a Ship fit for that Trade there or here, viz. a Fly- boat of 300 tons new built, and fct to fea for flich a voyage, may coft there ij or 1400/. which ](cr^. v;ould cofl from 21 to 2400 /. whiv:h Is i'o vail a diipro- portion , that it is impoflible for an E:iglifhman to cope with a Dane in that >'avigation under fuch a difcourage- ment ; to ballance which there is no- thing but the Stranger's Duty, which the Dane now pays, and may come to 5 or 6 /. per Ship per Voyage at moft, one with another, which is incompatible with \ nft difTerence of price between the firll coll of the Ships in either Nation -, and this is fo evident to thofe who are converfant in thofe Trades, that befides *he decreafe of our Shipping, and in- creafc of theirs which has already hap- pened . ours in orobabilitv had been » - ^ ^^. wholly .'V, ■■«,-' [ 129 ] wholly beaten out of the Trade, and only Danes and Eafterlings freighted, had we been liecefTitatcd to build En- giifli Ships, and had not been recruited on moderate prices by Flyboats (being Ships proper for this Trade) taken in the late Dutch war, and by a further fupply of Scotch Prizes likewife, thro* hisMajcfty's permiflion and indulgence. Reaf. 2. Becaufe the number of Strangers Ships employed in the afore- faid Trade yearly, J eftimate to be a- • bout two hundred fail ; which if fuch a law was made, muft unavoidably be all excladcd, and the employment fall wholly into Englifh hands ; which would be an excellent nurfery, and give con- ftant maintenance to a brave number of Englifh Seamen, more than we can 0^ do employ a. prefent. Rcai', 3. The Afl of Navigation is now of feventeen or eighteen years landing in England, and yet in all thefe years not one Englifh Ship has been built fit for this Trade, the reafon of which is that before mentioned, viz. that it is cheaper freighting of Danes aiid Eaflcrlands •, and it being fo, and all men naturally led by their profit, k fcems to me in vain to expeft that ever tnis jLiiiw Wui procure uic uuuuirig or H4 one i. w 11 ^^^l i one Englilh Sh,ip fit for that employ- mcnt, nil thofe Strangers are excluded this Trade for England ; and much more improbable it is, that any fhould now be buiJt than it was formerly when the Ad was firft made, bccaufe 1 imber is now at almoft double the price m England it was then ; the confequence of which IS, that if timely provifion be not made by fome additional law, when our old flock of Flemifh prizes is worn out as many ©f them are already, we Ihiill have very few or no Ships in this Trade. The Objeaions which I have heard made to this Propofition, are, viz. Objedt. I. If fuch an impofition be laid on thofe grofs Commodities im- ported by Strangers Ships, which will amount to the excluding all Strangers from this Trade, we fhal.1 want Ships in England to carry on the Trade, and fo the Commodity will not be had, or dk will come very dear to us. I anfwer. If the Commodity fliould be fomewhat dearer for the prefent, it would be no lefs to the Nation in ge- neral, becaufe all freight would be paid to Englifhmen •, whereas the freight paid to Strangers fwhich upon thofe Commodities is commonly as much or * « 4 W I W li « C^ [ i3« 1 more than the value of goods) is all clear lofs to the Nation. 2dly, If there fhould be a prefent want of Shipping, aind the Parliament fhall pleafe *:o enjoin us to build Englifh Ships for this Trade, this extraordinary good efFedl will follow. It will engage us to do what we never yet did, viz. to fall to building of Fly- boats (great Ships of burthen, of no force, and fmall charge in failing) which would be the moft profitable un- dertaking that ever Englifhmen were engaged in, and that which is abfolute- lyneceffary to be done, if ever we in- tend to I oard the Dutch in their Trade and Nav'giU; >n ; thefe Flyboats being the Milch-Cows of Holland, from which they have fucked manifoldly greater profit than from all their Ships of force, though both I know are necef- iliry -, but if at firft the Parliament (hall think fit to enjoif us only to Ships fail- ed with an Engliih Mafter, and three fourths Engliih Manners, the Danes and Eaflerlings being by this means put out of fo great an employment for their Shipping, we fliall buy Ships proper for this Trade on eafy tenus of them, per- haps fbr half their coll, which Undcr- H 5 value ■ - -^ ■ /»♦> .yt [ 13* ] value in purchafe will be a prefent clear profit to Englarid. Objcdt. 2. Iftbisbedone in England, ^'itiay not othei- Princes account it hard and unreafonable, and confequently rc- laliate the like upon us ? To anfwcr this Objedion, it is necef- fary to enquire what Kingdom and Country will be concerned in this Law. id, Then. Italy, Spain, and Portugal, will be wholly unconcerned. 2dly, So will France, who if they were concerned, can take no offence, while they lay an impofition of 50 or 60 per cent, upon our Dmpery. 3dly, The Dutch and Hamburghers would not by fuch additional law be more excluded than now they are, and the latter would have an advantage by it, in cafe the Danes fhould (as it may be fuppofed they will) lay a tax upon our Shipping there; forthe confequence of it would be, that much of thofe kinds of Commodities we fhould fetch from Hamburgh, where they are plen- tifully to be had, though at a Jittic dearer rate, and yet none fo dear, but that the Dutch fetch yearly thence 350 or 400 Ships loading of Timber, and other wooden Commodities. Vh 4thly; 4thly, The Swedes m)uld have an apparent benefit by it, by turning a great part of the ftream of out Trade for thofe Commodities to Gottenburgh,, and divers other parts of Sweden^ that are lately opened, and now open- ing, where very large quantitiesof Tim- ber, Mafts, and boards, likewife may be had, though fome fmall matter dear- er than in Norway. Befides, if the Swedes fhouJd exped no advantage, but rather lofs by fuch amendment of our own laws, they have no reafon to be angry, becaufe they have lately made fo many laws for encouragement of their own Shipping and Navigation, andcon- fequentl> difcouragement of ours, that do in effeft amount to a prohibition of the Euglifh from fending their own Manufadures to Sweden in Englifh Shipping, infomuch that the Englifh Merchants when Swedifh Shipping does not prefcnt, are forced many times t y /. A ^ //a cy/- Photogrcijihic &iences Corporation 4s <^^ ^ K^^ \ \ ^ -;. '^\ 13 WIST MAIN STIIIT Wf BST»R N ¥ I4S«0 I 716 1 iri-4}03 ^^ '^ w^ W' Vi < ,.>»» ^ : t ^1 m [ '36 ] ^ The difficulty feems not to be fo* much m making of s law to this pur- pofc, as reducing, it topradic^, becaufe we have been fo long accuftomed to buy and kU goods by verbal contradls only, that rich and great men for fome time Will be apt to think it a diminution of •heir reputation to have Bills under their hands and feais demanding of them for goods bought; and meaner men will fear the lofing of their Cuftomers. fey mfifting upon having fach Bills for what they fell, which inconveniency prQbabJy may be avoided, and the good hoped for fully attained, if it be en. adted. That all and every Ferfon and Per- fons. Native and Foreign, Bodies Poli- tick nnd Corporate, Being or Inhabiting within the Kingdom of England, or Do- mmion of Wales, who from and after the day of fhall buy and re- ceive any Wares, Goods, and Merchan- dize from any others, Ihall immediately on receipt thereof (in cafe ready money be not paid for the fame) give unto him or them, of whom fueh Goods, Wares, and Merchandize fhall be bought, or to his or their ufc, a Bill or Writing obligatory, under the Hand ^d Seal of him or them fo buying the fame. [ 137 1 fame, which fliall mention the quality of the faid Goods, and the neat fum of money, with the time or times of pay- ment agreed upon. 2. That all Perfons, &c, may transfer the faid Bills under their Hands, to any other by a Ihort afljgnation on the back fide. 3. That every fuch Afllgnee may re- aflign toties quoties. 4. After fuch AfTignment it fhalf noC be in thepowerot any AiTignor to make void, releafe, or difcharge the Debt. 5. No Debts, after Aflignment to be liable to any Attachments, Execution, Statute, or commifTion of Bankrupt, or other Demand, as the Eftate of him or them that affigned the fame. 6. That each afTignment fhail abfo- lutely veil the fame property into the Afllgnee, to all intents and purpofes. 7. That fuch Aflignments being re- ceived, and receipts or difcharges given for the fame, Ihall be deemed good pay- ment. 8. That all goods fold above the va- lue of 10 /. alter the day of for which no fuch Bill or Writing obli- gatory fliall be given or tendered as a- forefaid, to the Seller or Sellers there- of, or to his or their Ufc, fliall dc deem- ed 11 Ob s\i. i'ii SRf^; *■ Wa r^ * - ^B •r to be paid in ready money, any conceffion or verbal agree- ment between the faid parties to the contrary notwithflanding. This claufe I hope may be efFe<5lual to initacc us to a pradice and obfervance of fuch a law. €. That the nrft aiTignmcnt of any fuch Bill or Bills of Debt, be to this or the like effea. I A. B. do engage and atteft, that the debt within mentioned is a true debt, and no part of it paid to me or to my ufe, or difcharged by me -, and I do hereby affign over the fame to C. D. for his own Account. 10. And that the fecond, and all o- ther after aflignations upon any fuch Bills, Ihall be to this or the likeeffed, viz. I A. B. do atteft, that no part of the within- mentioned Debt is paid to me or my ufe, or difcharged by me, and I do hereby transfer the fame to C. D. The objedions I have met with to the n-Kiking fuch a Law are, viz, Objecft. I. This would be repugnent to our Common Law, and fome Sta- tutes* iX L '39 ] rutes, viz. Maintenance, Champarty, Bankrupt, ^c, n . I anlwer, not fo repugnant as at firft View it feems to be; for though by our Laws at prefent, Bonds and Bills cannot be afligned. Mortgages (which are but another kind of Security for mo- ney lent^ may be afTign'd. 2. If any Laws at prefent are repug- nant to the common good of the Nation, and if the making of fuch a new Law will effe«itually encreafe the ufeful Stock of the Nation, at lead one third part ; and greatly eafe the courfe of Trade, as I humbly conceive this will do, I hope none will deny but that it may con fift with the wifdom of Parliament to create new laws. 3. Moft of our Statutes were madeiit times before we un«« CHAP. VI. Concerning a Court Merchant. 1KAVE conceived great hopes frcm the late mod prudent and charitable Inftitution of that Judicature, for deter- mination of differences touchina houfcs burning by the late fire in London, that this Kingdom will at length be blefled with a happy method, for the fpeedy^ eafy, and cheap deciding of diF rences between Merchants, Mafters ot Ships, and Seamen, 6ff. by fome Court or Courts of Merchants, like thofc which are ^■' i' ■ :r"' are eftabli/hcd in moft of the great ci- ties and towns in France, Holland, and other places j the want of which in Eng- land, is, and has ever be<:n, a great bar to the progrefs and grandeur of the Trade of thisKingdom -, as for inftance, if Merchants happen to have differences with Maflers and Owners of Ships,upon Charter-parties, or Account beyond Sea, Ci^c, the fuit is commonly firft commenced in the Admiralty Court, where, after tedious attendance and vatt expences, probably juft before the caulc fliould come to determination, it is ei- ther removed into the Delegates, where it may hang in fufpence till the Plaintiff and Defendant have empty purfes and grey heads, or elfe, becaufe moft con- trads for Maritime AffairSj are made up- on the Land, (and moft accidents hap- pen in fome Rivers or Harbours here, or beyond Sea, and are not in Mo man) the Defendant brings his writ of Prohi- bit-on, and removes the caufe into his Majcfty's Court of King's Bench, where after great expences of time and money, it is well ii we can make our own Coun- cil, being common Lawyers, underftand one half of our cafe, we being amongft them as in a foreign Country, our lan- guage ftrangc to them, and theirs as ftrangc C »43 ] ftrange to us. After all, no attefti- tions of foreign Notaries, nor even publick Inftrumcnts from beyond Sea, being evidences at Law, and the accounts depending, confifting perhaps of an hundred or more fercrai articles, v/hich are as fo many iflues at Law, the caufc iiiult come into Chancery, where after many years tedious travels to Wcftmin- fter, with black boxes and green bages, when the Plaintiff and Dependant have tired their Bodies, diftrafted their Minds and confumed their Eftates, the caufe, if ever it be ended, is commonly by order of that Court referred to Mer- chants, ending miferably, where it might have had at iirft a happy iffuc if it had begun right. From whence follows thefc national Inconveniencies. 1 . It is a vaft expence to the perfoni concerned. 2. It takes ofFmen from following their callings to the publick lofs, as well as the particular damages of the party concerned, that time being loft to cie Nation which is fpent in Law-Suits. 3. It makes men, after they have once attained indifferent Eftates, to leave Trading, and for eafe to turn Country Gentlemen, whereas great and cxpcri- enced m Hi r 1* ^ : m ':U 'f: '4' k«4 HS 3 enced rr.en are the only perfons that muit mate the Dutch in Trade, if ever we do it. 4. It is in my opinion a great caufe of the Prodigality, Idlcnefs, and Injufticc of many of our Mafters of Ships inEng- land, andconfequently a wonderful bar to the growth of our Engl llh Navigati- on, who knowing that their Owners can- not legally ejeft thefn, efpecially if the Mafter have a part of the Ship himfelf : But that remedy to the Owners wiiJ be worfe than the difet^fe, which occafions Matters to prefume to do thofe things, and be guilty of fuch Neglecfls as natu- rally they would not, if they flood more upon their good behaviour. I could fay much more of the damage thisNation fuflains by the want of aLaw- Merchant, but that is fo evident to all mens experience, that I fhali not longer mfift upon it, but proceed humbly to propofe fome particulars, which being auly confidcred, may peradventure by wifer heads be Inaproved toward^ the cure of this evil, viz, I. That it be enafted, that there fliall be erefted within the City of London, a ftauding Court- Merchant, to confift of twelve able Merchants, fuch as fliall be chofcn by tiie Livery Men of the faid City ->' M4 1 City in their Common Hall, at the time and in the manner herein after limittcd and appointed. 2. That the faid twelve perfons fo to be clededjOrany three or more of them, fitting at the fame time and place, and not otherwife, fhall be accounted Judi- ciary Merchants, and authorized to hear and determine all difftrsnces and de- mands whatfoever, which have arifen, and are not otherwife determined, or may any ways arife between Merchants, Tradefoien, Artificers, Maftcrs, and Owners of Ships, Seamen, Boatmen, and Freighters of Ships, or any othef perfons having relation to Mercnandiz- ing, frade, or Shipping, for or con- cerning arly account or accounts of Mer- chants, Freight of Ship, or Goods, Bill or Bills of Exchange, or Bills of Bot» tomry, or Bumery, or for work done upon, or materials delivered to the ufc of any Ship, or Money due for fale oF Goods, or any other thing relating to Trade or Shipping. 3. That any three or more of them^ as the Judges did lately at Clifford*s- Inn, may proceed fummarily to the hearing ahddetermmingof anyfuqh dif- ferences, and that then* Sentence fhall be final> from which there fhall be no Ap. Wit »l_ •<.■. ■ HE*' I ,1 ^^: V ' SBoi''> " t ^Br'^'-''' 1 ^K^'t^:'* li ^Rnt '• ]^' ... . ''*1 b . -ff [ 146 ] ' Appeal or Review, othenvife than as ij herein after-mentioned, nor any Writ of Error lie for the removal or reverfal of the fame. 4. That they, or any three of them may fo ifliie out Summons for convening all perfons before them, as the Judges did, ^c. 5. That they be a Court of Record, as the Judges were, ^c, 6. That they take nothing for their own pains, diredly or indiredly, but fix pence each for figning every final order in every Caufe, whereof the va- lue of money to be paid does not exceed 10 1. and twelve pence for all Gaufcs not exceeding the value of 100 1. and only ^ s. each for all Caufes exceeding the value of 100 1. The faid Fees to be due and payable only to fuch and fo many of the faid Ju- diciary Merchants a? heard the faid Caufe and Caufes, and figned tl^e Judg- ments or final Decrees in them. 7. That for rewards to Officers, the Judiciary Merchants do conflitute a ta- ble of reafonable fees, to be confirmed by tiie two Lord Chief Juilices, and iJord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. 8. That in any cafe determined by a Icfs number than feven of the faid Judi- " * ~ ciary - n c 147 r ciary Merchants, there may be an ap- peal to feven or more, as was lately pradifed in the afore-mentioned Judica* ture. p. That they may have pow^r to le« vy Executions upon Eftates real or per- fonal, with fuch reftridlions as the Par- liament fhall pleafe to appoint. 10. That the extent of the Jurifdic- tion of th^ fliid Court, Ihall be to all places within ten miles of London, or only to the late lines of Communication, as the Parliament Ihall think fit. 11. That the faid judiciary Merchants and their Officers, before they exercffc their authority, do take fuch oaths as the Parliament fhall pleafe to appoint. 12. That if any of the judiciary Mer- chants be profecuted for exercifing any of the powers that fhall be committed to them, they may plead the general ifTue, and give the Ad in evidence for their defence. 13. That no Writ or Writs of Super- fedeas. Certiorari, or Injundion out of any of his Majefty's Courts, fhall fuper- fede> or flay execution, ^c. 14. The Ad to continue probationa- rily ^o long as the Parliament fhall think lit. lfj<^^^fi 15. That ''•V ^- '- [ 148 ] 15. That the twelve judiciary Mer- chants (hall be chofen yearly by all the Freemen, that are Livtrymen of Lon- don, in the Guild-hali of the fjiid Ci- ty, or by fo many of them as Ihall be prefent at fuch elecllon, upon every monday yearly, next before the feail day of St. Micheal,oras the Parliament Ihall appoint, in manner following : E- very Liveryman then prefent, to deli- ver unto any two fuch Aldermen and four Commoners, as the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldsrmen for the time be- ing, fhall appoint to take the view or fcrutiny of Eledion, a paper contain- ing the names of fuch twelve pcrfons as he thinks beft to be elc6lcd for the purpofesaforefaid, fct ting his, the faid Ele6lor*s own nnme on the backfidc Ui the faid Paper •, and the next moaday after in the faid Guild Hall, the faid two Aldermen, and four Commoners, or fo many of them as fliall have taken the Scrutiny^ fhall publickly declare \inro the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commoners then prefent, who are the twelve perfons chofen by the majority of votes* anp how many votes each ot them h;\d. 16. If it happen that any of the judi- ciary M rchants die bclorc the end of the C J49 1 the year, or refufe to undertake the Truft, it be lawful for the Liverymen to chufe another or others, toties quo- ties •, and the Lord Mayor be enjoined to fummon Common Halls to that pur- pofe. 17. That every year fix of the old judiciary Merchants go ofFin courfe, and be uncapable of being re-ele<5bed, and fix new ones chofen in their ftead, 'viz, all the twelve to be rechofen, but only fix of the old ones that had the mod voices to hold the next year, although more of them fliould happen to be clerked for the next year. Objed. I . The many Objeflions that I can forefee will be made againft this Conftitution, are, that it thwarts that mod excellent order of our Englilh Ju- ries. Anlw. 1 . I anfwcr, That I hope there is no Englifhman more in love with Ju- ries than myfelf i but it is evident that \\\Q. common wny of Trials, does not well reach the variety and ftrangcnefsof Merchants cafes, efpecially in relation to Forcigcn Affairs. Anfw. 2. What better Jury can a Merchants hope for, than twelve able and honcil; Merchant, chofen by the Jl^XI T<.*^>^l«r r\T f-K** virK/tlAk i^ t \ • 'w«A^«v%4 ff w dar V V I 2 ,.A fuch * lii i*'^-i HM^ ^- ■^.? if ^^ ^■ [ 150 ] fuch as (hall dl of them (land upon their good behaviour to be turned out with ignominy the next year, if they do' not equal right to all men. Objed:. 2. The admitting of no ap- peals from a Court Merchant feems too arbitrary. I anfwer ; While we chufe our Judg- es ourfeJves for Merchants cafes, and may remove them ourfelves, in my opinion they can be no more too arbi- trary than too much power can be given to Referees, when both parties defire an end of ♦^heir Differences •, befides if their power be not great, the many He- figns of cheap, fpeedy, and fhort iflues will be loft. But if it Ihall plcafe the Parliament, there may be in the A*ai [ «S« ] the value of the Lands of this Kingdom,, is now fo generally owned and alTented to, by all degrees of men amongft us, that I doubt not but a (hort time will produce fome Ad or A<5ls of Parliament to chat purpofe. I have therefore thought it not imr- pertinent to note fome few particulars, which, if not warily prevented, may de- prive us of the greateft parr of the fruit hoped for by fo good a deiign, viz. I ft. The privileges of incorporated Cities and Towns. 2dly, More efpecially the focletics of Artificers and Tradefraen belonging, to fome cities and towns corporate, fuch as Weavers, Coopers, and many others, who by virtue of thcii Charters, pre- tend to privileges and jurifdidion, not only in the utmoft extent of the liber- ties of their refpedive cities and towns, but to the diftance of ten miles about them. 3. That branch of the Statute of the 5th of Elizabeth, which cnafts, That none (hall ufe any manual occupation that hath not fcrved an apprenticefhip there- unto, upon which Statute it hath been ufual to indi. c Strangers, and Workmen Uiai. have eXcicIicu t-iicit out-parts of London. I 3 11^ • I w j,r,j,j ! J i 4 M Upon \lm iOl.;- i'S B*" * ' Jl k ^ 1 |Sb^ ^' 3^1 ir- ?r^1 f »52 3 Upon this point of Naturalization, many men make great doubt, whether it be fcr the pubJick good to permit the Jews to be naturalized in common with other Strangers. Thofe that arc againft their admiflion, who for the moft part are Merchants, urge thefe reafons : 1 . They fay the Jews are a fubtil peo- ple, prying into all kinds of Trade and thereby depriving the Englifli Merchant of that profit he would otherwife gain. 2. They are a penurious people, li- ving miferably, and therefore can, and ^ V ■ ■ f ^l\ ^■HRt'^ 1 ' 'rTMH ^^lHlBif»r "T ''i iB^B^B ^' i^^RH \ ' ...Wy I " [ »54 ] Principle 2.Fear is thecaufe of hatred and hatred of reparation from, as well as evil deeds to, the Parties or Govern- inenthat^d, when opportunity is offer- ed : I his by the way fhews the diffe- rence between a bare connivence at DilTeniers in matters of Religion, and a toJeration by Law : The former keeps them continually in fear, and confe- quently apt to Sedition and Rebellion, . when any probable occafion of fuccefs Prefents ; rhe latter difarms cunning ambitious minded men, who wanting a popular difcontented party to \7ork upon, can affeft little or nothing to the preju- i!- ^^ .^.r^ Government. And this me- thinks difcovers clearly the caufe why the Lutherans in Germany, Calvinifts in France, Greeks in Turky, and Seda- rics in Holland, are fuch quiet peace- ablc-mmdcd-men, while our Non-con- tormifts m England are faid to be in- cl^ineable to ftrife, war, and bloodfhed ; lake away the Caufe, and the Effedt "Will ceafe. While the Laws are In force againft 'k^"' £^^ ^^^"^ ^^^ ^"^^^^ ^^"gs over their Heads, and are always in fear, though the execution be fufpended, not xnow: ig how foon Counrijq. q^ Coun- fcllors, tiiZies, or Perfons, may change,' it W'^\ t »5S 1 It is only perfeft love that cads ouc fear ; and all men arc in lore with Li- berty and Security. It cannot be deni* ed that the induftrious F;ces have fting», though Drones have not, yet Bees fting not, except thefe that hurt them, or difturb their Hives. It is faid, the Jews cannot intermarry with us, and therefore itcannot be fuppo- fcd they will rcfide long amongft us, al- though they were treated never fo kind- ly i why not refide here as well as in Ita- ly, Poland, or Holland ? they have now ro Country of their own to go to, and therefore t^at is their Country, and muft needs be fo efteemed by them, where they are beft ufed, and have the grcateft fecurity. CHAP. Vllf. Concerning Wool and Woollen Manu- nufadlures. THAT Wool is eminently the foundation of the Englifh riches, 1 have not heard denied by any, and that therefore all pofTiblc means -L^ ^_ i__ ..r_j u^ >-«. J 5 own - r ^:i;' [ »56 ] Dwn Kingdom, is generally confejffed ; jand to this purpofe moft of x>iir modern Parliaments have ftrcnuouQy eiideavour- €d the contriving of fevere law to pre- vent its exportation j and the laft Adb made it Felony to Ihip ©at Wool, Wool- fcls, ^<. Notwithilanding which, we fee that Englifh and Irifh Wool goes over fo .plentifully, that it is within a very fmall matter as cheap in Holland as in England. The means to prevent this evil, by additional penal Laws, and alterations of fome of thofe now in being, were long under debate, by his Majefty's command, in the Council of Trade ; who, according to their duty, took great pains therein : and fince, I have been informed, the fame things were under confiHeration in Parliament •, fo that I doubt not, but in due time we fhall fee fome more efFedbual Laws ena( .ed to this purpofe, as well in relation to Ire- land (from whence the greatell of this mifchief proceeds) as in England, than ever yet has been ; yet I do utterly dei'pair of ever feeing this diUiafe per- fectly cured till the caufcsofitbe re- moved, which I take to be. ift. Height of intereft in England, which an abatement by law to 4 per C€nt. would cure. 2d]y, Want of hands, which an A6b of Naturalization would care. 3dly, Compulfion in matters of Re- ligion, which fome relaxation of the ccclefiaftical laws, I hope, would ef- fedually cure. For while our neighbours, through the cheap valuation of their flocks, can afford to trade, and difburfe their mo- ney for lefs profit than we, as has been, I think, fufliciently demonftrated by the foregoing difcourfe, and have more hands to employ than we, by reafon of the large immunities and privileges they give both to Natives and Foreigners, there is no queftion but they will be able to give a better price for our Wool, than we can afford ourfelves •, and they that can give the beft Price for a Com- modity, (hall never fail to have it, by one means or other; notwithftanding the oppofition of any Laws, or inter- pofition of any power, by fea or land i of fuch force, fubtilty, and violence, . is the general courfe or Trade. Objed. But feme may fay, and take it as well from what I have written elfe- whcrcj ^ ffoir* meirown obfervations. Will m If-*' J m [ 'S8 ] Will not the well-making of cur Wool- len-Manufadlurcs, contribute much to the ke-ping of our Wool naturally within our own Kingdom? I anfwer, Doubtlefs it will have a great tendency 'thereto, but can never cffe^ [ '59 replenifticd with many) have any ten- dency to it, nor any thing I have yet feen in print j for, I ft. All our Laws relating to the Al- negeors duty, every body knows figni- fy nothing to the incrcafc or well mak- ing our Manufii6lures *, but are rather chargeable and piejudlcial. 2dly, All our Laws that oblige our people to the making of ftrong, fubftan- tial (and, as we call it, loyal) Cloth, of a certain length, breadth, and weight, if they were duly put in exe- cution, would in my opinion, do more hurt than good, becaufe the humours and falhions of the World change, and at fome times, in fome places fas now in moft) flight, cheap, light Cloth will fell more plentifully and better, than that which is heavier, ftronger, and truer wrought •, o^d if we intend to have the trade of the World, we muft imitate the Dutch, who make the worfl; as well as the beft of all manufadures, that we may be in a capacity of ferving all Markets, and all Humours. 3dly, I conclude, all our laws li- miting the number of Looms numbered, or kind of fervants, and times of work- incr. to. hf. certainly Dreiudicial to the Cfothiflg-Trade of 'the Kingdom in ge- mt\ [*J(H.>^» V 'M^ ::* neral, though they may be advantage- ous to fomc particular men, or places, - who firfl: procured thofe laws of reftric- tion and limitation. ^ 4thly, I think all thofe Laws are pre- judicial that prohibit a Weaver from being a Fuller, Tucker, or Dyer ; or a Fuller, or Tucker,, from keeping a Loom. 5thly, f conclude, that ftrctching of Cloth by Tenters, though it be fomc- times prejudicial to the Cloth, is yet abfolutely neceflary to the Trade of England, and that the excefs of (drain- ing cannot be certainly limited by any Law, but muft be left to the Seller's or Exporter's difcretion, who beft knows what will plcafe his Cuflomers beyond the Seas ; befides, if we fnould wholly prohibit draining of Clotl-i, the Dutch (as they often have done) would buy our unftrained Cloth, and carry it into Holland, and there drain it to fix or ^e en yards pr piece more in length, *ti-i make it look a little better to the €ye, and after that carry it abroad to Turkey, and other Markets, and there beau us out of Trade with our own wea- pons. "D.,.. r ^! t^ . iiuc lUiiit, iikiy uicii asK me, W nether I think it would be for the advantage [ i6i ] *,n \ L it.. MM of the Trade of England, to 'cave all .hyr,jf men at liberty to make what Cloth and Stuffs they pltafc, how thsy will, where ^ and when they will, of any lengths or fizes ? lanfwer-, Yes, certainly :n my judg- ment it would be fo, cxc.pt fuch ipc- cies only as his Majefty and the Pralia- mentfhall think fit to make Staples, as fuppole Colchefter Bayes, Perpetuanoes, Cheanyes, and fome other iorts of Nor- wich Stuffs, to be allowed rhe honour of a publlck Seal, by which to be bought • and fold here, and beyond feas-, as if^it were upon the publick faith of England v and wherever fuch Seal is allowed, or fhali be thought fit to be affixed to any Commodity, I would defire the Com- modity Ihould be exadly made accord- ing to the inllitution, and always kept to its certain length, breadth, and good- But in cafe any fhall make of the faid Commodities worfethan the inflitution, I think it would be moft for the publick advantage to impofe no penalty upon them, but only deny them the benefit and reputation of the public k Seal, to fuch Bayes or Stuffs as (hall be fo mfut- ficient ; which, in my opinion, wcui^ be puniihment enough to ^^^^^|j^^ IMa ■ ftt: l* *"• !'?»*■ [ 162 ] fhould make worJe than the Standard, and advantage enouoh to thofe that fhould keep to it. 2. For all Cloth and Stuffs not being made Staples, I think it would be of very great ule that the Makers did weave in their Marks, and affix their own Seals, containing the length and breadth of the pieces (as has been pro- vided in fome Statutes) and that no Maker under feVere penalties fhall ufe another Mark or Seal, with fuch penal- ty to every Maker or Seller, whofe Cloth or Stuffs fhall not con tain the lengdi and breadth fet upon the Seal, as his Majefly and the Parliament fhalJ think fit. 3. If the Makers of alJ Stuffs what- foever for Exportation, whether Staples or not (which are commonly fold by the piece, and not by the yard or ell) were obliged to make them no fhorter than antiently they have been made ; the particular lengtl.s of each fort of which might be provided for, and ex- prcffcd in the Adl, this good effect would follow upon it, vtz. At all foreign Markets, where we pay a great cullom by the piece, ac- cording to the Books of Rates currant in the fcvcral Countries, we UiouJd pay btic [163] but the fame Cuftom abroad for a piece of full length, which now we do for one that is fhorter -, notwithftanding, I con- ceive, it would be expedient to leave it to the Makers difcretion to make their pieces as much longer as they pleafe. C H A P. IX. Concerning the Ballance of Trade. TH A T the greatnefs of this King- dom depends upon Foreign Trade, is acknowledged, and therefore the in- lereft of Trade not unbecoming Perfons of the higheft rank ; and of this ftudy,as well as others, it may be faid, there's an infinity in It : None, though of the largeft intellects and experieHce, being able to fathom its utmoft depth. Among other things relating to Trade, there has been much difcourfe of the Ballance of Trade -, the right undcrllanding whcrecf may be of fin- gular ufe, and ferve as a compafs to fleer by, in the contemplation and pro- pagation of Trade for publick advan- The Is* 'f^ [ 164 1 The Ballance of Trade is commonly underftood two ways 1. Generally, fomething whereby it may be known whether this Kingdom gains or lofes by Foreign Trade. 2. Particularly, fomething whereby we may know by what Trades this Kingdom g?jns, and by what Trades it lofcs. For the firft of thefc ; It is the moft genenil received opini- on, and that not ill grounded, that this Ballance is to be taken by a ftrid fcru- tiny of wha«- proportion the value of the Commodities exported out of thisKing- dom bear, to thofc imported •, and if the Exports exceed the Imports, it is concluded the Nation gets by the gene- ral courfe of its Trade, it being fuppo- fed that the over-plus is imported Bul- lion, and fo adds to the treafure of the Kingdom, Gold and Silver being tak- en for the meafure and flandardof Rich- es. 2. This Rule is not only commonly applied to the general con rfe of Fore- gin Trade, but to particular Trades to and from this Nation to any other. Now although this notion has much of truth in it, was ingenioufly and worthily darted by him that firft pub- liHicd [ '6s 3 liihed it, and much good has accrued to the Kingdom by our Law-Makers (No- >men and Gentlemen) refenting it, .c if the difficulty of the fcnitiny,where- by to reduce it into pradice, and the many accidents that may accrue, befe- rioufly weighed, it will appear toodoubt- ful and uncertain as to our general T-ade, and in reference to particular Trades, fallible and erroneous. . That it will not hold as 10 foreign Trade in general, appears, I. From the difficulty and impollibi. lity of taking a true account, as well of j the quantity as of the value of Commo- j d'tics exporced and imported. The gener?! rule for this has been the Cuftom-Houfe-Booksj but that they cannot be in any mcafure certain, will eani; be granted •, for, I. As to the quantity, if it be conli- dered that many fine Commodities of fmall bulk and great value, as Points, Laces, Ribbands, fine Linnen, Silks, Jewels, isrc. arc imported by ftealth ; and that alfoin many Out- Ports and Creeks of F.! -land and Wales, Com- modities of bulk ar^• bothl.imported and f'xnorfrd oftentimes by indireft means, ihit never are rcgiftred, befides alio or what is entered, tiiere may b.", though not 1 fc - 'J I M -» if -'^f *i V -f :| '.ir* '•■J t [ «<56 ] not Gonfiderable in London, yet in o- ther parts much different in the quanti- ties and qualities. 2. As to the value, how fhall computation be made ; feeing the .uteJ of the Culloms are in no kind proporti- onable, our own Conmodities being fome rated very low, as Drapery, Silk Waies, Haberdashery, and all Manu- factures of Iron ; others high, as Lead and Tin j and Fi/h, in Englifh Ship, ping, nothing ; and for Foreign Com- moditici miported, the rates are yet more unequal; fo that the value rated for Che Cuftoms cannot be a due Meafure ? Befides, Foreign Commodities im- ported by Engl/h Shipping, fliould be valued only at their firftcoft and charges abroad, and thofe by Foreign Shipping, with the increafc of the homewanl freight. 2. From the many accidents that fall out in Trade, without the true know- ledge of which, a right Ballance cannot be made, as, I. Accidents that diminifh the flock ^nt out, as lofTes at Sea, bad Markets, Bar.Krupts, as alfb Confifcations, Sei- 1^ , and Arrefts, which fall out oi ten Now [ i67 ] Now if by any of thefe, or fuch like, the original (lock comes to be impaired and leffened, the value of the Comn.o- dities imported in return, may be far lefs than the value of thi Commodities exported, and yet may be the full pro- dud, and fo the Nation no gainer, tho* the Exports were more in value than the Imports. 2 . Accidents whereby the (lock fent out comes to be extraordinarily ad- vanced in fale abroad, from whence it may fall out, that the Commodities imported in return, may appear to be of a much greater value than the Commo- dities exported, and yer be no more than the real produce of them, and fo the Nation no lofer, but a gainer there- by, although the Imports exceed the Exports. And if the afore-cited inftances fuf- fice not to prove the uncertainty , in fome cafes, of this nCwion of the Bal- lanceof Trade, the following examples of Ireland, Virginia, and Barbadoes, are fo pregnant to this cafe, as I think will convince any man -, for thofe three countries do without dcubt export an- nually a far greater value of the Com- modities of their native growth and pro- dud, than is imported to thcrn fiom hence — :■- !j T nc* ceflary material rf Salt-Pctrc. 3dly, It fuppUes the Nation for its Confumption, with Pepper,Indigo^Ca'i- coes, and feveral ufeful Drugs, near the value of 150000 /. to iSooooV. per an- num* 4thly, It farnifhed us with Pepper, Cowries, Long-Cloth, and other Calli- coes and painted Stuffs, proper for the Trade of Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, and Guinea, to the amount of 2 or 300000 I: per annum ^ moft of which Trades we could not carry on with any confiderable advantage but for thofe fupplies ; and tuefe goods exported, do produce in foreign parts, to be returned to M--4 [ »73 1 to Engkr^d, fix times the treafurcin fpecie that the Company export! front hence. Now, if not only the aforefaid ad- vantages be fcrioufly confidered, butal- fo what detriment the Nation would fuftain, if we were deprived of thofc fupplies, both in point of (Irength and warlike provifions, in regard of Ship- ping and Salt-Petre *, btit alfo in refpedt of the furtherance it gives rothe manyo- ther Trades before- mentioned, it will eafily appear that this Trade, though its imports exceed its exports, is the mod advantageous Trade to England, and deferves all encouragement ; for were we to buy all our Pepper and Callicocs, ^c, of the t)utch, they would raife our Pepper (which now (lands the Nation in but about 3 u. per pound m India) to, or near the proportion which they have ad- vanced on Nutmegs, Cloves, and Mace (which coll the Dutch not much more per pound in India than Pepper) fince they engroffed the Trade for tfnfe Commodities -, and the ufe of Callico 'n England W(smld be fupplied by foreig i linen at greater prices ; fo that ^' !iat may befecured from this Natio" ' con- fumption, would in probability coft them above 400000 /. per annum more K 2 than V'll ;[ '74 ] fhan novv it does ; and our foreiorn Trades for Italy, Guinea, ^c, would in part decay for want of the aforefaid fup- piies. There is another notion roncerning the Ballancc of Trade, which I think not impertinent here to take notice of, viz. Someareof Opinion, that the way to know whether the Nation gets or lofes in the general by its foregonig Trade, is to take an infpedion into the courfe of the Exchange, which being general- ly above the intrinfick value oiparof the coins of foreign countries, we not on- ly lofe by fuch Exchan^^c, but the fame is a demonflration that we lofe by the general courfe of our foreign Trade, and that we require more fupply of com- modities from abroad, than our ex- ports in goods do ferve to purch; ie : And certain it is, that when once the Exchange jomes to be 5 or 6 per cent. above the true value of foreign monies, our treafure would be carried out, what- ever Laws fhould be made to prevent it ; and, on the contrary, when the Exchange is generally below the true value of the foreigi^ coins, it is an e- vidence that our exports do in value exceed what we require from abroad : And fo ti the E'fcHan*?'''' rntTi^'c fn hg 5 '''' [ '75 I 5 or 6 per am. below true value of die" foreign coins, Returns ^s\\\ be made for England in the coins of foreign countries. Now, that there is alfo a great deal of truih in this notion, is not to he de- nied i and that the diligent obfervance and confideration of the courfe of .ne Exchange may be of ufe, and very ne- ceffary in many refpedfs, and is a very- ingenious ftudy for any that would dive into the myfteries of Trade iyet becaule this is likewife fubjed to vary on many accidents of emergencies of State and War, ^/T, ^^ \ becaufe there is no fet- tled ourfe of Exchange, but to and from France, Holland, Flanders, Him- brough, Venice, Leghorn, an 1 Genoa, and that there are many other great- and eminent Trades befides what are driven to thofe Countries, this cannot afford a true and fatisfa6.ory Solution t6 the prefent Qaeftion. Thus having demonftrated, that thefe tions, touching the Ballance of Irade, though they are in - their kind ufeful notions, are in fome cafes fal- lible and uncertain •, if any fhall afk» How fhall we then come to be refolved f^\ mil £^ rv^rtfr#-n»- 11 ^n/s/^inn r K3 I an- *• «i * ^1 h' :W' f:^- P H|[E> \|^ w m% I 176 ] larifwcr; firft. The bcft and moa certain difcovcry, to my apprehcnfion, is to be n.^de from the encreafe and di- minution of our Trade and Shipping in general i for, if our Trade and Shipping diminifh, whatever profit particular men may make, the Nation undoubted- ly lofcs J and on the contrary, if our Trade and Shipping encreafe, how fmall or low foever the profits are to private men, it is an infallible indication that the Nation in general thrives ; for I dare affirm, and that categorically in all parts of the whole World, whatever Trade is great, and continues fo, and grows daily lorc great, and encreafes in Shipping, and that for 1 fucceilion not only of a few Years, but of Ages, that Trade muft be nationally profitable. As a Town where only a Fair is kept, if every year the number of people and commodities do augment, that Town, however the Market* are, will gain j whereas, if there comes dill fewer and kwer People and Commodities, that place will decline and decay. Difcour- fingonce with a Noble Lord concern- ing; this metfure or r>ethod of knowing the Ballancc of our Trade, or more plain- ly our general national Gain or lols by .Trade, his Lordfhip was pleafcd to op- pofe, [ 177 1 pofe, by asking two very proper Qoef- tions, viz. . Qucft. I. Is there not a great Simi- litude between the Affairs.ot a private perfon, and of a Nation, the former being but a little Family, and theUutcr a great one ? . , i • I anfwcr ; Yes, certainly there is. Queft. 2. His Lordfhip's fecondQae- ftion was. May not a private Merchant be, or feem to be. Owner of much Ship- ing, drive a great Trade, receive and fend out many Goods, and yet decline and grow poorer, notwithftanding all his tumbling and buftling ? I anfwcr. Yes, ceriainly he may •, but this will foon appear, either whdc he lives, or at his death i and his great Trade will become but a fmali one, or none at all : Bat that man who drives a great Trade, and is Owner or Employer of much Shipping,and does all his days continue and encreafe in Trace ancT Shipping,aRd his Son, or Succcffor after him, and after him his Grandfon, Uc this would be an indifputable evidence that fuch perfon or family did thrive by their Trade ifor if they had not thriven, their Trade would not have long con- tinued, much lefs cncreafed : i his is the cafe of Nations, and this, through 1! M V. i :m K4 God's ■'t.'i* '1 « J ^1^; .1 V I r 17S ] (foci's goodnefs, is the cafe of England .IS bad as wc are at prefcnt. ' The rcafon of this is as evident as the firfl ; Un where a great Tnulc is dri- ven, efpccially where much Shippincr is employee], whatever becomes of "Jhc poor Merchant, that drives the Trade multitudes of people will be certain gain- ers, as his Majcftv, and his Officers of Cuftom, befides Shipwrights, Butchery Brewers, Bakers, Rope- Makers, For- ters. Seamen, Manufaclurcs, Carmen Lightermen, and aJl other Artificer*; and People that denend on Trade ancl Shipping, which indeed, more or left, the whole Kingdom does. But it may be faid again, if this In- creafe of Trade depend upon, and pro- ceed from our ordinary Importations, for which our ready money goes out, it will impoverilli us. I anfwcr -, in fome cafes it may be fo, and in (ome cafes, as I have already de- monftrated, 't may be otherwife, but that will bed be kn^wn by the tric6Vs ; for ifweareimpoveriiued,ourgeneralTrade, and our Shipping, will neceffiHly and vifibly grow lei's :ind lefs, and muR ra- tionally and unavoidably do fo ; for mat beine imnoverirhrfl w*. n,.,ii 1^/:. ^...- v i V- \^ \ t k tools our flock, to drive a great 1 rail with c 179 1 with', whereas, on the contrary, ifc rr Trade in the grofs bulk of it, though wc may dechnc in Ibme, do dill increalc, cfpecially our Shipping, for a long trad of years, it is an infallible proof of our thriving by our Trade, and that we are ftill getting more tools, more ilock, to trade with. Some there are who would limit this difcovery to the increafe and diminution of our Coin and Bullion -, but becaulc that is more fecret ai»d indifcernable, it cannot, I conceive, afibrd fo clear a dcmonilrarion as the other, if any at all, for t' It money ft, ms to vu'gar Obler- vers niofl: plent'^ul, when there is lea^ occafion for it ; and, on the contrary, more fearce, a:^ the" occafions for the employment of it are more numerous and advantageous ; according to which wc fliould ieem to have moft mo- ney when we have the lead Trad'j, and yet then certainly the Nation gets lead. This is apparent to thofe who will obfervc, that when the KalUndia- Company have a great fale to make, then money is generally foinid to be icarce in London •, not that iL js io m reality, more than at other times, bui" ov.v.fc«uiV LI 11% I ,1; f^ •! fir gages men to ciriploy quantities, v/hich K .1 iiiev im m I^ > -IV ■■V « [ i8o ] t!icy provide and by afide for that pur- polc ; from the fame reafon it is, that a high rate of ulliry makes money fccm fcarce, bccaufc every man then, as foon as he can make up a fmall fum, ferds it in to the Goldfmiths ; of which more is faid before in the Preface to this dif- courfe. J anfwer ; that though the ftudy of the Ballance of Trade, in this laft m.en- tioned refped, be a ftudy very ingeni- ous and commendable ; yet in my poor opinion, the enquiry, whether we get or loff , does not fo much defcrve our grcatcll pains and care, as how we may be fure to get j the former being of no life, but in order to the latter ; and this therefore leaas to thf^ confideration of the other Ballance of Trade, as mod ufeful and neceflary, viz. What is to be done in England, to improve its Traddf to fuch a degree, as to equalize or over-ballance our Neigh- bours in our national profit, by our foreign Trade ? I anfwer •, this is a large and cxtcn- fivc queftion, and requires to refolvc it, the grcatcll (kill and experience, both in affairs of State and Trade, and there- fore i have only made an elTay towards it, which the whole difcourfe foregoing is. [ i8i ] is, JVnd therefore I hope the reader w^II accept of my g-^od affedion to n*y coun- try herein, though he meet not with thkt full fatisfadion he might cxped and wifli for. The method I propofe, for the fur- ther anfwering of this great queftion, is, rfollowing my own principle) that if Trade be great, and much Englifh Siiip- ping employed, it will be good for the Nation in general, whatever it may be for private Merchants : Fir ft, to lay down fome general rules for the enlarge- ment of Trade i\\ England, and then fome ways of reducing thofe general rules into ufe and practice ; the general rules for the enlargement of Trade arc not many. I . Increafc hands 7 • m j Incrcafe ftock^^^^*^^' Make Trade eafy and ncceffary, make it our intereftto trade. Make it the ir.tereft of other Nati- ons to trade with us. I . To increafe hands in Trades, the following particulars would much con- tribute. ift, An A(^ of Naturalization be* foremen tioncd . adlr. 2. i. e. 4. ■i;#( rit 1"^; IX. -v M [^;1 [ 182 ] zdly, Some enlargement of the foun- dations of Societies of Merchants, as before limited. 3dly, A more eafy and free admilTion • of Inhabitants, Merchants, and Artifi- cers, to be Burghers of our Cities and Boroughs. 4thly, Not to hinder any man fiom keeping as many fervants as he can, nor looms, working-tools, ^c. 5. To abate the intercft of money, as aforef^id. ^ 6. Some relaxation of the Ecclefia- ftical Laws, would keep our own peo- ple at home, and invite others to us, and confequently increafe the number of our hands in Trade. 7. Ti!mploy, educate, and relieve the Poor, fo as they may neither be idle, nor pcrifli for want, or leave the land, by reafon of their miferies. 8. Giving fuch honour and prefer- ment to Merchants, in the Affairs of the Nation, as their experience and education has fitted th?m for, will doubtlefs increafe their number. To increafe our flock in Trade. 1. All the fix foregoing particulars, "will very much contribute, efpecially #nA n i*\'i ♦•a-irv* Ar^ ♦- ^-vl «. ■^12.-^ itw. •^«AW V/i AAAb ing in of more ftock 5 for that the pcr- fon! [ »S3 fons engaged In Tr.vdts mufl iiccciTarily bring in dicir ftocks with them, if they have any •, and for A'tificcrs that have none, their labour in conftquenee will generate flock to the Nation, and in- creafe what wc have already. 2. A Law for Transf-:ning of Bil!^ of Debt, as beforcmentioned, will much anci fp.edily augment our ufeful Stock. 3. The rcflraining of the Trades of our ownPlantatiors wholly to England, and preventing all kind of abufes of that pnrt of Acls of Trade and Navi- gation, would tend much to the increafe of our ftock in Trade. 4. The fecuring of r' at Trade for Shipping employed for Importation of Timber, Malls, Boards, and Pipe- Staves, into thefe three King .ms, to be done only by hi: Majefty's Subjeds, and not by any Strangers, would in a very few years much increafe the Stock of England. 5. Prevention of the Exportation of our Wool, and encouraging our woollen Manufactures. 6. Incourage and increafe our Fifii- ing Trades, which how that is only to 2T» ii 'it i .1^5 ttWr. f3i ' ']'■ |jj {■" - .:;-k^ *' ■ ^HHIP^t'i' ^^^Ki^'^l'' P^^Mpfv;^^' E^hM^ [ iS6] 4. Reducing interefl of money to 4 /^t'r t-^^//. wijl make Trade eafy to the Borrowers ; and il make it necefTary, it is the U;ium Magnum (as before is faid i ) for while we that are Merchants, can ib eafily rurn Gentlemen, by buying Lands for Icfs than twenty year^ pin- chale, let no man expcd, chat if we thrive, we wiM drudge all our days in Trade ; or if we would, to be fure our fons will not. 4th General Rule, to make it the iiv terefl of other Nations to trade with us. I. Being in a good condition of ftrength at home, in reference to the Navy, and all other kind of military preparations for defence (and offence upon juit occafiOA given) will render us wife and honourable in the eftecm of other Nations, and confequently ob- lige them not only to admit us the free- dom of Trade with them, but the bel- ter terms for, and countenance in the courfe of our Trade. ^. To make it the interefl of others to trade with us, we muft be fure to furnifh them a: as cheap, or cheaper rates, than any other Nation can or T i. Uiiii ill LXll UcVti UC done, without fubduing Ufury eQ:>e- ciaJiy,. [ i«7 J cially, and doing thofe other Things bcforementioned, that will conduce to the Lncreafc of our hands and (lock •, for our being in a condition to fell our Neighbours cheaper dian others, muft be when it is principally an effect of ma- ny hands and much llock. Objed. But it may be faid, how fhall wc profit by this rule of felling cheap to Foreignt:rs, whereas the con- trary is faid to be the way to riches, viz. to fell dear,' and buy cheap. Anfw. I anfwer •, in a itrifb fenfe it may be fo, for the private Merchant : But in this difcourfe I am defiginghow our p '^lick national Trade may be fo. managed, that other Nations, who are' in competition with us for the fame, may not w reft it from us, but that ourr may continue and increafe, to the di-, minution of theirs: If there were no others to wage with us, we might, as . the Proverb fiys, miake our own Mar-, kets , but as the cafe now ftands, that all the World are ftriving to engrofs all the Trade diey can, that other Proverb is very true and applicable. All covet, all lofe. 3'. The well contrlvcment and ma- nagement of Foreign Treaties, riiay very much contributes to the making it the »■ :fc->i m r Ifi 1 i"'i 1 -■ ^ ■ • ». * - ■^ t .■ ■( ■ ■■■ 'i « 1 * ■» !• i 1 ■" »* mi i>:n [ 188 ] the intereft of other Nations to trade with us, at lead to the. convincing of foreign Princes wherein, and how it is their intereft to trade with us. 4. Publick Juftice and Honefty will make it the intereft of other Nations te trade with us, that is, that when any Commodities pafs under a pu'olick com- mon feal, which is in fome fort the pub- lick faith of the Nation, they may be exaft in length, breadth and nature, according to what they ought to be by their Seals. That like care ought to be taken for the true packing of our Herrings and Pilchards, formerly mentioned. 5. I we would engage other Nations to trade with us, we muft receive from them the fruits and commodities of their Countries, as well as fend them our^ : But it is our intereft by example, and other means (not diftaftefui) above all kinds of Comn.odities, to prevent, as much as may be, the Importation of foreign Manufadures. 6. The Venetians being,a people that take from us very little of our Manu- faftures, ha -e prohibited our Engiilh Cloth ; and from whofe Territories we receive great .quantities of Currants, purchafed with our :ady Money fcem! 1 189 ] for England. feems to me advantageous that ilich Importation as well as the Im- portation of wrought Glafs, Drinking Glaffes, and other Manafa(flures from thcnc?, fhould be difcouraged •, it being fuppofed we can now make them as well ourfelvcs in England. The Trade for Canary Wines, I take to be " moft pernicious Trade to En- glanc-, ^ecaufc thofe Iflands confume very little of our Manufactures, FilTi, orot^"'- English Commodities-, neither do they furnifli us with any Commodi- ties to be further manufadured here, or to be re-exported, the Wines we bring from thence being for the moft part purchafed with ready Mohey -, fo that o myapprehcnfion, fomething is neccf- fary to be d^c, to compel thofc Iflan- ders to fpend more of our English Com- modities, and to fell their Wines cheap- er, f which every year they advance m price) or elfe to leffen the confumption of them in England. I have in this laft difcourfe of the Ballance of Trade, as well as in my former, confined myfclf to write only general heads and principles that relate to Trade in general -, not this or that particular Trade, becaufe the feveral Trades, to feveral Countfies, may re- quire m t ^i&;.>!» ^Liv [ 190 ] quire diftlnd and ixirticular confidc-a- tions, refpcding the time, place, com- petitors with us and other circumflanccs to find out, wherein our advanniges or diiadvantages Jie, and how to improve the former, and prevent the latter : but as this would be too great a work for one man, fo I fear it would make this too great a book, to be well read and con fide red. But in the Prcmce to this Trentifc, I have briefly mentioned many particular Trades that we have Joll, and ar- lofino- and by what means, and many Trades^ that we ytt retain, and are incrcifincr, and how it happens to be lo, which may give feme hghc to a clearer difcovcry and inlpcdion iiuo particular IVadcs, to wh:ch inp.-nious men, that have hearts to fervc i aeir Country in this (To ncceH-iry a work at this time) may add, and further improve, by the advantage of abilities to exprcls their fentimenrs in a more inrclIigibK: and plaulibK flile. But when land orhers have faid all wc can, a low inrorell is, as the foul to the body ol Tiade . it is tht/t>tequs non to theprofpnity and aJv.inaniuiC of the Lands a:id Tim 1 • or Englaiid. C H A P. [ «9i ] CHAP. X. Concerning Plantations. TH E Trade of our Englifh Plan- tations in America, being now of as great bulk, and employing as much Shipping as moft of the Trades of this Kingdom, it feems nor unneceflary to difcourfe more at large concerning the Nature of Plantations, and the good and evil confcquences of them, in relation to this and other Kingdoms -, and the ra- ther, becAufe fome Gentlemen of no mean capacities, arc of opinion, that his Majefty.'iJ Plantations abroad, have very much prejudiced this Kingdom, by- draining us of our people ; for the con- firmation of which opinion, they urge the example of Spain, which they fay h almoft ruined by the depopulation which the Weil-Indies have occafioned ; to the end thereof, that a more particular fcru- tiny may be made into this matter, 1 fhall humbly offer my opinion in the fol- lowing propofitions, and then give thofe rcafons of probability which at prcfent occur to my memory, in confirmation of each propolition. I. Firft: I agree, that Lards (though cxceik-^t) Without hands prcpurtion- .4 . I Iv , 1 1, mi ♦■* •km [ i9i ] able, win not enrich any Kingdom. 2. That whatever tends to the depo- pulating of a Kingdom, tends to the impoverilhment of it. 3. That moft Nations in the civilized Parts of the World, arc more or Icfs rich or poor, proportionably to the pau- city or plenty of their people, and not to the fterility or fruitfulnefs of their Lands. 4. I do not agrce,that our People in England, are in any confiderable mea- furc abated, by rcafon of our foreign Plantations, but propol'c to prove the contrary. 5. I am of opinion, thut we had im* mediately before the late Plague, many mo^e People in England, than we had before the inhabiting of Virginia, Ncw- Engknd, Barbadocs, and the reft of our American Plantations. 6. That iJl Colonics, or Planutions, do endamage their Mother-Kingdoms, of which the Trades of fuch Plantations are not confined by fevere Laws, and good executions of thofe Laws, to the Mother-Kingdom. 7. That the Dutch will reap the greatcft advantage by all colonies iflfu- mg from any Kingdom of Europe j of which the i radcs arc not lb uoctiy confined 1^ ■ - [ '93 1 confined to the proper Mother-King- doriis. 8. That the Dutch (though they thrive fo exceedingly in Trade) will in probability never endamage this King- dom by the growth of their Plantati- ons. 9. That neither the French, Spa- niard?, and Portuguefe, are much to be feared on that account, not for the fame, but for other caufes. 10. That it is more for the advan- tage of England, that Newfoundland fhould remain unplanted, than that Co- lonies fhpuld be font or permitted to go thither to inhabit, with a governor, laws, i^c, 1 1 . That New-England is the moAl prejudicial Plantation to the Kingdom of England. I. That Lands, though in their nature excellently good, without hands pro- portionable, will not enrich any Kingdom. This firft Propofition, I fup^fe, will readily be affented to by all judicious perfons, and therefore tor the proof of it, I ihall only alledge matter of fadt ,.» The ■ * C ^'94 ] The Land of Palcftine, once the richeft Country in the Univcrfe, fince it came under the Turks Dominion, and confequently unpeopled, is now become the poorell. In Andaluziii and Granada, formerly wondepfully rich, and full of good towns, fince difpeopled by the Spaniard, by expulfion of the Moors, ma y of the towns and brave country-houies are fallen into rubbifh, and the whole Country into miferable poverty, though the lands naturally are prodigioufly fer- tile. A hundred other inflances of fad might be given to the like purpole. II. Whatever tends to the popula'ting of a Kingdom, tends to the improve- ment of it. The former Propofit ion being grant- ed, I fuppofe this will not be denied, and of the means (viz. good lawsj whereby any Kingdom may be popula- ted, and confequently enriched, is, in cffed, the fubftance and def ^^n c " all my foregoing difcourfe -, to which, for a- voiding repetition, I muft pray tbeRea- <]er'3 rctrofpci^tion. III. The [ »9S 3 III. That moft nations, in the civilized parts of the World, are more or Jefs rich or poor, proportionable to the paucity or plenty of their people. This third is a confequent of the two brmer Propolitions -, and the whole World is a witnels to the truth of it. The feven united Provinces are certain- ly the moll populous tra6l of land in •Chriftcndom, and for their bignefs, iin- <.loubtedly the riched. England, for irs bignefs, except our Forefts, Waftes, and Commons, which by our ownLavvrs and Cuftoms are barred from improve- ment, I hope is yet a more populous Country than France, and confequently richer -, I fay, in proportion to its big- nefs. Italy in like proportion, more populous than France, and richer ; and France loi'e populous and rich than Spain, r. JV. I do not agree, that our People in England, are in any confiderable meafure abated, by reafon of our fo- reign Plantations, but propofe to prove the contrary. '..-tr- ■h^ '^'^^ I h .z :^\ ,t 'I'llfS t. m [ 196] This I know is a controverted Point, and d« believe, that where there is one man of my mind, there may be a thou- fand of the contrary \ but I hope when the following grounds of my opinion have been thoroughly examined, there will not be fo many diflenters. That very many people now go, and have gone from this Kingdom, almoft every year, for thefe fixty yeai:s pad, and have, and do fettle, in our foreign Plantations, is mod certain. But the firft queftion will be, whether, if En- land had no foreign Plantations for thofc People to be tranfported unto, they could or would have Hayed and lived at home with us ? I am of opinion, they neither would, nor could. To refolve this queftion, we muft: confider what kind of people they were, and are, that have and do tranlport thcmfelves to our foreign Plantations. New-England, as every one knows, was originally inhabited, and has fince fucceflively been replcniflicd, by a fort of people called Puritans, who coukl not conform to the ecclefiaftinl I^aws of England, but being wearied withChuix h Cenfurcs and Pcrll-ciitions, were ibrccd to quit their Fatlura land, to lind out new ,:ft. 1 197 ] of them did, new habitations, as ma; ^ in Gc/nuny and Holland, as well as at New-England i ctnd had there not been a New-England found for fomeof them, Germany and Holland probably had received the reft : But Old England to be fure, had loft them all. Vircrinia and Barbadoes were firft peopled by a Ibrt of loofe vagrant peo- ple, vicious and dcftitute of means to live at home, (being either unfit for labour, or fuch as could find none to employ themfclves about, or had fo milbchaved themfelvcs by whoring, tliicving, or other debauchery, that none would fet them on work, which Merchants andMaftersof Ships,by their Agents, or Spirits, as they were called, gathered up about the ftreets of Lon- don, and other Places, clothed and tranfponcd, to be employed upo^ Plan- cations i and thcfe, I fay, were fuch, as liad there bjen no Englilh foreign Plantation in the World, could proba- bly never have lived at home to do fer- vice to their Country, but muft have come to be hanged, or ftarvcd, or dieduntimely of fome of thofe niifcra* ble difeafes, that proceed from want „_ 1 _ • .^ „ii-- I ^ iUi.J ^1-^ r,i.-„- UllCl vice } Ol CiiC iiii»*- i^iiU «.ii\ v« for foldiers, to be knocked on the head, L 2 o;* x Ku :k '^ 1 . 1 ' * t ■i^' . Ai^JJ j 5"^ .■..«t r 198 ] or ftarvcd, in the quarrels of our neigh- bours, as many thoufands of brave En- glifhmen were in the low Countries, as alfo in the wars of Germany, France, and Sweden, £5f<:. or eife if they could, by begging, or otherwife, arrive to the ^ocks of 2 J. and 6 d. to waft them over to Holland, become fervants to the Dutch, who refufe none. But the principal growth and ircreaf^ of the aforcfoid Plantations of Virgi- nia and Barbadocs happened in, or inir mediately after our late Civil Wars, when, the worfled party, by the fate of war, being deprived of their eftates, and having fome of them never been bred to labour, and others made unfit for it by the lazy habit of a foldier's life, there wanting means to maintain them all abroad with his Majefty, ma- ny of them betook themfelves to the a- forefaid Plantations, and great numbers of Scotch Soldiers, of his Majefty's ar-^ my, after Worcefter-Fight, were by the then prevailing powers voluntarily fent in thither. Another great Xwarm, or acceflion of '^w inhabitants to the aforefaid Plan- tations, as alfo to Ncw-England, Ja- maica, and all other his Majelly's Plan- tatioiis in the Weft-Indies, enfued upon ills ^m [ 199 I his Majefty*s Rcftoration, when the former prevailing party being, by a di- vine hand of providence, brought un- der, the Army dilbanded, many Officer* difplaced, and all the new Purchafers '^f publick Titles, dirppffeffed of their retended Lands, Eftates, i^c. many became impoverifhed, and deftitute of employment •, and therefore, fuch as could find no way of living at home, and fome who feared the re-eftabli(hment of the ecclefiaftical laws, under which they could not liv«> were forced to tranfport themfelves, or fell thcmfelves for a few years, to be tranfported by others to the foreign Englilh Planta- tions. The conftant fupply that the iaid Plantations have fince had, has been by fuch vagrant loofe people, as I be- fore mentioned, picked up, efpecially a- bout the ftreets and fuburbs of London, and Weftminfter, and by Malefaaors condemned for crimes, for which by the law they dcferved to die ; and fome of thofe people called Quakers, banifhed for meeting on pretence of religious worfhip. Now, if from the premifes, it be duly confidered, what kind of perfons fUrtiH hav'e b**?n* Hv whom our Planta- tions have at all times been rep' " "" -^i:- L3 Ifup- [ aoo ] I fuppofe it will appear, that fuch they have been,and under fuch circumftances, that if his Majefty had had no foreign Phintations, to which they might have reforted, England however mufthave loft them. To illuftrate the truth thereof a lit- tle further, let us confider what Cap- tain Graunt, the ingeneous author of the obfervations upon the Bills of Mor- tality, has faid, p. 76. and in other pla- ces of his book, concerning the City of London •, and it is not only faid, but undeniably proved, viz, that the City of London, let the mortality be what it will, by plague, or otherwife, repairs its inhabitants once in two years. And p. lOi, again, if there be encourage- rhwrt for a htindred perfons in London, (that is, a way, how a ht?ndred may live better than in the Country) the e- vacuating of a fourth or third part of that number, muft foon be fupplied out of the Country, who in a fhort time remove themfelves from thence hi', ther, fo long, until the City, for want of receipt and encouragement, regurgi^ tates, and fends them back. I. What [ 20t ] I. What he has proved concerning London, I fay of England in general •, and the fame may be faid of any King- dom or Country in the World. Such as our employment is for people fo many will our people be j and if w^ rhould imagine, we have in England employrr °nt but for one hundred peo- ple, and we have born and bred a- mongft us one hundred and fifty people ; I fay, the fifty muft away from us, or (larve, or be hanged, to prevent it, whether we had any foreign Plantations, Ornot. J - ^. If by reafon of the ^ccommoai- tion of livir^g in our foreigj PUnt% tions, we have ev^q^ated moi::p pf our people than we Ihould have doae, it we had no fueh Planutions, 1%, f^^ the aforefaid Author, in the cafc^Pf London ; and if that c/acuation be growa to an excefs (which I believe it never did barely on the aeccunt of the Plantations) that decreafe wou|d pro- cure its own remedy j for much want of people would procure greater and greater wages, if our Laws gave encouragement, would procure us a fupply of people, without the charge of breeding them, as the Dutch afe, f ' aiui ! ', a; m 21 [ 202 J ftnd always have been fupplied in their greateftextremitics. Objed. But it may be fa id, Is not u i^t^ ""^ ^"'"'^ tranfported mto the PJantations, together with the en- ticing methods cudomarily uicd ro per- fuadc people to go tliither, and the en- couragement of living there with a peo- pie that fpeak our own Language, ftrong motives to draw our people froiu us i and do they not draw more from us, than other wife would leave us, to go into foreign Countries, where they undcrftand not the Language ? I ^nfwcr I ift, it is much more diffi- cult to get a paffage to Holland, than u^s to our phntatiofts. adly, Many of thofc th?t go to our plantuticiis; if they could not go ^hi- ther, would and muft go into torcign countries, though it were ten times more difBcult to get thither than it is j or clfc, which is worfe, as has been liiid would adventure to be hanged, to prevent begging or ftarving, as too ma^ ny have done. 3. I do acknowledge, that th« faci- lity of getting to the Plantations, may eaufe fome more to leave us, than would do, if they had none but foreiffri coontrles lor refuge : But then, if "it be r 203 1 be confidercd, that our plantatibrt's /pending moftly our Englilh manufac^ tures, and thofe of all forts alnioft ima^ ginable, in egregious quantities, and employing near two thirds of all our EngliHi Shipping, do therein give a conllant fiiilenance to ir, may be two hundred thoufand perfons here u omei then I muft needs cora hide upon the whole matter, that we h. j not the fewer, bwt the more people in England, by rcafon of our Englifl. plantations in A. m erica. Object. ^. But il may be faid; is not? this referring and arguii g againft ki\f& and experience!* Does not all the World fee thai the many noble King- doms of Spain in Europe, are almoit depopulated aRd ruinated, by realbn of their people's flockin ' " co the Weft- Indies ? And do n other nations; diminifli in people, atcer they become ponfeffed of foreign plantations ? Anfw. I. I anfwer, with fubmilTion to better judgments, that mmy opinion, contending for uniformity in religion, has contributed tcr. times more to the depopulating of Spain, than all the American plantations ? What was ir, but that, which caufed the expulfion of thoufand Moors, wl many L5 ihadi built ^\ 1' 15 . 1,. r-\ MM ^W-" * C ao4 ] built and inhabited mod of the chici" cities and towns in AndaKizi.i, Grana- da, Arragon, and other pArts ? What "WAS it but that, i^ixd the Inquificioii) that has and docs cx|>cl fuch vaft nuin- ' bcrsoF rich Jews, with their Families and cftatcs, into Germany, Italy, Tur- key* Holland, and Knjjland? Wh;it was it but that ^hicii cauied thofe vail and long wars between that King aiui the Low Countries, and the efTuhon fo much Spanifli blood and trcafur , and the final lofs of the Seven Provin- res, which wc now ice fo prodigious rich, and fuli of people, while Spain is empty and poor, and Flanders thin and weak, in continual fear of being made a prey to thcis neighbours. 2. I anfwer ♦, wc muft warily diftin- giiifh between country and country i lor though plantations may have drain- ed Spain of people, it does not follow, that they ha\e or will drain ^.ngland, or Holland, becaufc where liberty and property are not fo well preferred, and where interc^ of monev is permitted to go at l^^Jrce%t, there can be no confidcrable manufa(fl:uring, ajid no more of tillage and grazii.g, than, as wc proverbially fay, will keep lite and foul logcihcr \ und where there i^i iunc manu- J 20S ) nwnufuauring, and us little lausbAndry of hiptls, the profit of plantations, the grcatcft part of tlicm will not rcdpund to the Mother-Kingdom, but toother countries, wherein there are more ms- i>iifa<5lurcs ai\d more produ(flions from t! c earth : From hcnt'e it follows, plan- t.uions thus managed, prove drains of the people, from their Mother-King- dom i whereas m plantalioni belorjjj- in^r to Mother- K ingdoms, or CountriCT, where liberty aiul proptrty is better MrclL-rved, aiul iiuercU of money rp- itraincd to a low rare, the confeqticnce IS, that every ptrfon fi nt abroad "^ith the Ncjjroes and Utenf)!!., ho i? Con- ftrained to employ, or thai arc employ- ed With him, it bcini!; ci'ftoraafy m Hiofl of our inancis in Aperic;*, i^pon every plantaion, to employ <:ight ^ .>r ten blacks for one white Icrvant i I lay, in this cafe we n y reckon, that foV provifions, clothe , andUou{holdgooUs, feamcn, and all others imployed, about materials for building, Cr.i'm^, and vic- tualling of Ships, ^:>'cry Engliintnanin Barbacf()e3, or Jamaica creates employ- m^nt for tour men at home. 3dly, I anlwcr, Tliat Hollan^l new fends as many, and mo.e pecple,ycarly, fortfcrtcs, ar4 •ii V . ,1 '•I « ••f-vt'*. ^ f 206 } and Ships, in the Eaft-Ir.dles, (befidcs many into the Weft-Indies; than Spain, and yet are fo far from declining iji the Burnber of their people at home, that It i^ evidently they do monftroufly in- creafe; and fo 1 hope, under the next head, to prove, that England has con- .ftantly increafed in people at home, fmce our fettJemcnt upon plantations in iHmerica, although not in fo great a- l^oportion as the Dutch, , V. I am of opinion, tiiat we had im- ^^.^.mediately before the latp pljgue, ,, more people in England, than we . ,^had before the inhabiting of New- _.; England, Virginia, Barbadoes, ^c. ':? The proof of this, at bed, I know can but be conjeaural ; but inconfir- niation of my opinion, I have, I think, oCjny miiid the mod induftrious Er- ghdi Calculator this age has produced in publick, viz. Captain Graunt, In the foremehtj^ned rrcatife, p. 88. his words 3re : *' Upon the whole matter wc may 1^ therefore conclude, that the people v.?^ ^^^^ whoI<:* nation do increafc, and * vfonfequtntly the dccreafe of Win, ^_;«hcllcr, Lincoln, and other like j-A " Peaces, r ' [ -07 ] " places, muft be attributed to other " rcalbnsthan thatof returniihlngLoa- " don only.** 2. It is manifeil by the aforefaid wor- thy Author's calculations, that the in- habitants of London, and parts adja- cent, have increafed to alnioil double, within this fixty years, and that city has ufually been taken for an index of the whole. I know it will be faid, that although London har fo increafed, other parts have as much diminfhcd, of which fome are named before •, but to an- fwer the diminution of inhabitants in fome particular places, if it be confider- ed how others arc increafed, viz. Yar- mouth, Hull, Scarborough, and other ports in the North i as alfo Liverpool, Weftchefter, and Briftul, Portfmouth, Liire, and Plimouth -, and withal, if it be confidcred, what great improve- ments have been made thefe laft fixty years, upon bn.iking up and enclofina of waftes, forcOs, and parks, and draining of t!ie fens, and all thofe places inhabited and furnifhed with husbandry, '^fc. I think it will ap- pear prob.ibl , '-'^.at we have in Eng' uid now, at \cv. \ h.' i before the late plague^, more people ilian wc had before we firlt entered ^ ''■i\ I 4i HI I' ^-^ .^fi ^t IT' [ 208 ] entered upon foreign PJ^mtitions, not- withftanding likewife the great num- bers of men which have iflued from us into Ireland ; which country, as our Jaws now are, I reckon not among the number of plantations profitable to En- gland, not within the limits of this dif- courfe, although peradventure fome- thing may be picked outof thefe papers which may deferve confideration, in re- lation to that country. But it may be faid, if we have more people now than in former ages, how came if to pafs, that in the times of King Henry IV. and V. and other times formerly, we could rnife fuch great armies, and employ them in fo- reign wars, and yet retain a fufficient number to defend the Kingdom, and cultivate our lands at home ? J anfwer ; firfl. The bignefs of ar- mies is not always a certain indication of the numeroufnefs of a Nation, but fometimcs rather of the nature of the government, and diftribution of the lands ; as for in fiance, where the Prince and Lords are owners of the whole ter- ritory, although the people be thin, the armies, uponoccafion may be very great, as in Eaft-Ir. )ia,Turkey, and the King- OQrnS Or Fl*Z inrl ^Af\mrrr\ •ssfc^t-^ Taffelcc ; .i [ 209 ] TafTelct was lately Hiid to have an af- my of one hundred and fifty, or two hundred thoufand men, although eve- ry body knows that country has as great a fcarcity of people, as any in the world: But fince Freeholders are fo much in- crealed in England, and the fervile te- nuies altered, doubtlefs it is more dif- ficult, as wt.l as more cheargeable, to draw great numbers of men into fo- reign wars. a. Since the introdudion of the new artillery of powder, fhot and fire-arms, in the world, all war is become much ra- ther anexpenceofmoney than men, and fucc -fs attends thofe that can moft and longed fpend money, rather than men ; and confequently Prmces armies m Eu- rope are become more proportionable to their purfes, than to the numbers ot their people^ VI That all colonies and foreign plan- tations do endamage their Mother- Kingdoms, when the trades of fuch plantations are not confined to their faid Mother-Kingdom?;, by good laws, and the feverc execution of thofe laws. a t i., A;, *■' • \ XI The s [ 210 J ** . I. "1 ne praaice of allthc governments of Luropc v.'itncfs to the truth of this proDofition : The D.mcs keep the trade of Iceland to themrdvcs : The Dutch, Surinham, and all their fettlements in K:i(!-I-.dia : The French St. Chriao- phers, and tiieir other plantations in the Well- Indies : The Portuguefe, Brazil, ■'^nd all the coafts thereof : The Spa- niards, all their vafl territories upon the mam, in the Wc(Klndies, and ma- ny Iflands there j and our own laws feem to defign the like as to all our plantations in New- England, Virginia, Barbadocs, (^'c. although we have not >ct arrived to a compltat and elfe(5lual execution of thofe laws. 2. Plantations being at firft furnifhed, and afterwards fuccefTivcly fupplied with people from their Mother-King- doms, and people being riches, that lofs of people to the Mother-Kingdoms, be Jt more or lefs, is certainly a damage, except the employment of thofe people abroad do caufe the deployment of fo many more at home in their Mother- Kingdoms, and that can never be, ex- cept the trade be reflraincd to their Morhcr-Kingdoms, which will not be doubt.ci Ky an> that undcrftand the next propolinoii, viz. VII. That [ 2.1 ] !';'!| i',:l VII. That, the Dutch will reap the greateft advantage by all Colonics, iiTuingfrom any Kingdom in i'Airope, whereof the Trades arc notfo firidly confined to their proper Mother Kingdoms. This Proportion will readily be af- fented to by any that underftand the nature of Low Intereft aad Low Ciiftoms i wliere the Market is free, they fliall be fare to iuivc the Trade that can fell the beft Pennyworths, that buy dcarcft and fell chcapeft, which, nationally fpcaking, none can do but thofe that have Money at the lowert rate of Intereft, and pay the Icaft Cuftoms, which are the Dutch j and this is the Caufe why, before the A61 of Navigation, there went ten Dutch Ships to Barbadoes for one Englilh. VIII. That the Dutch fthough they thrive fo exceedingly in Trade) will in all probability never endamage this Kingdom by the growth of theirplan- tation;;. » In fn^V fh^ D'^^^h never did much thrive in planting j for I remember they " 'i Ht : I • t m* [ 212 J they had about twenty Years pad, To- bago, a mofl fruitful IQand in the Weft- Indies, apt for the produ^ion of Sugars, asd all other Commodities that are pro- pagated in Barbadocs, and, as I have heard Planters affirm, better accomo- dated with rivers for water-mills, which are of great ufe for grinding of the Canes ; this Ifland is ftill in their pof- feflion, and Corafoa, and fome others, and about fixteen or fcverteen years paft they were fo eager upon the improve- ment of it, that befides what they did in Holland they ftt up bills upon the Exchange of London, proffering great privileges to any that would tranfport themfelves thither. Notwithftanding all which to this day, that Ifland is not the tenth part fo well improved as Ja- maica has been by the Englifli within thefe five years •, neither have the Dutch at any other time, or in any other parts of the World, made any improvement by planting; what they do in the Eaft- Indies being only by War, Trade, and building of fbrtified towns .md callles upon the Sea-coaf^s, to fecure the fole commerce of the Places, with the people, which they conquer, not by clearing, breaking up of the Grounds, arm planting, as ihc EngJiih have done. This 3*- 4" [ 213 ] This I take to be a ftrong Argument of fad to my prefcnt purpofe. X. The fecond argument to prove this propofition is from reafon : I have before-mentioned the feveral accidents and methods by which our foreign Plan- tations have from time to time come to be peopled and improved. Now the Dutch being void of thole accidents, are deftitute of the occafions to improve foreign plantations by dig- ing and delving as the Englifh have done. . . n \ For firft,InHolland their mtereft and Cuftoms being low, together with their other encouragements to Trade, men- tioned in the former part of this Trea- tife, gives employment to all their peo- ple born and bred amongft them, and alfo to multitudes of Foreigners. ^ 2. Their giving liberty, or at leaft connivance to all Religions, as well Jews and Roman-Catholicks, as Scdanes, gives iccurity to all their Inhabitants at home, and expels none, nor puts a ne- ceflity upon any to banifli themfelves upon that account. 3. Their careful and wonderful pro- viding for and employing their poor at home, puts all their people utterjy out of danger of ftarving, or nccellicy or t.J'* . , ■ • ■ . ^:!::| m i 2H I jtealing, and confcquently out of fear of hanging. I might add to this, that thev bave not for a longtime had any civil war among them •, and from the whole conclude, that the Dutch as they did never, fo they never can or will thrive by planting ; and that our Snglifli Plan- tac-.ons abroad are a good effea, pro- ceeding from maijy evil caufes. IX. Thatncither tSe French, Spaniards, nor Portugucfe, are much to be fear- ed on the account of Planting, not for the Umc, but for other teafons. 1. T!?r*V^^ ^^^^^^ ^*^« ^a^ footing in the Weft-Indies almoft as longas the £«- gltjb IS certain, and that they have made no confiderable progrcfs in Planting is as certain; and finding it fo in faft, I have been often exereiOng my thoughts about enquiry into the reafons of it, which I attribute idpecially to two. Firfl, bccaufe France being an abfo- Jute Government, has not but till very lately given any countenance or encou> ragement to Navigation and Tradr Secondly and principally, bccaufe the French Settlements in the We(l-Indics have nor hp.'^n nnr>!-. !?;-=.-.!-.-.!.? i VV,liUll.lV,l S »li Luv; Englifli are, but in fubiedion co t\ le French I 215 ] French Well-India- Company, wKicIi -company being under the French King, as Lord Proprietor of the places they fettle upon, and taxing the inhabitants at plealure as the King doc? them, it is not probable they fhould make that fuccefsful progrefs in Planting iProprie- ty, Freedom, and inheritance, bsing the nioft effedual ft^ps to Induflry. 2. Though feme, who have not look- ed tar into this Matter, may think the Spaniards have made great progrefs in Planting, I am of opinion, that the Englifh fince the time they fet upon this work, have cleared and improved fifty plantations for one, and built as many Houfes for one the Spaniards have built ; this will not be very difficult to imagine, if it be confidercd. Fir ft, that it is not above fifty or fix- ty years fince the Engliih intended the propagating foreign Plantations. Secondly, that the Spaniards were p flclTcd of the Weil-Indies about our King Henry the VH's time, which is near tuo hundred years paft. Thirdly, that what the Spaniard has done in the Weft-Indies, has been ten times more by Conqucft than by Plant- ing. ''" : I' !♦•' UN' hi * ,;;,»•' Fourthly, wm^ ^ ,^,'a' H^^B^^^*fr^' .r*^^^ Sl^ffl ^^RBm^iif .if.' [ 216 ] Fourthly, That the Spaniards found in the Welt-Indirs moll of the C" " and Towns ready built and iJ:^ .bit."'., and much of the ground impro' * nd cultivated before their coming tr.a . . Fifthly, That the inhabitan.s v. '-'ch they found there, and fubdueu, »vere fuch a People with whom fomc of the Spaniards could and have mixed, from ^v hence has proceeded a Generation of People which they call Mcftifes •, where- as the Englifli, where they have fct down and planted, either found none, or fuc. as were meer wild Heathen, with whom they could_ not, nor ever have be m i^nown to mix. Sixthly, That now, after fuch a long Series of time, the Spaniards, are fcarce fo populous in any part of the Weil-In- dies, as to be able to bring an Army of ten thoufand ^len together in a m.onth's time. From fill which I conjedure •, I ft. That h.s r.L.jeily has now more Englifh fJjjec^ts in all his foreign Plan- tations, in '^xty yep^j, than the King of Spain has Spaniards in all his, in two hundred years. ad. That the Spaniards progrjfs in olanting bears no pro})urLiun lu ihccii- creafe of the Englifh Plantadon. qd. fWl [ 217 ] 3d. That feeing the Spaniards, in the time of their greateft profperity, and under fo many advantages, have been fuch indifferent planters, and have made fuch flow progrels in peopling thofe parts of the \^/ eft -Indies which they poffefs, it is not much to be feared that ever the Englifh will be mated by the Spaniards in tllcir foreign Plantations, or produ(5lion of the native commodities of thofe parts. Now the reafons why the Spaniards are fo thin of people in the Weft-Indies, I take to be fuch as thefe following, Firft and principally, becaufe thsy exercife the fame policy and govern- ments civil dnd ecclefiaftical in their Plantations, as they do in their Mo- ther Kingdom -, from whence it follows that their people are few and thin a- broad, from the fame caufes as they are empty and void of people at home ; whereas although we in England vainly endeavour to arrive at a uniformity of Religion at home, yet we allow an Ani- fterdam liberty in our Plantations. It is true, New-England being a more independantGove< .ment from this Kincrdom thnn pnv of our PlantnHnnQ and the people that went thither more one f . ' iX .« '■•■1 ^ n:tti i t ,111 . i ck.''* '?- -^ [ 2(8 ] on€ peculiar fort or fed, than thofe that Went to the reft of o'.ir Tlan rations, they c^id for ibnie years pall, excrcife Ibme le- verities againil the Quakers, but of late they have underllood their true interell better, infomuch tliat 1 have not heard of any act of that kind for theic five or fix years laft, notwithftanding I am well ii.formcd, that there art now amongil them n\:\.ny mor^ CKiakcrs and otherD;f- k-ntcrs Ironi tlieir toriiu of religious worlhij\ than were at the time of their greatetl fevcrity, which fcvi.rity had no other eBtct but to encrcafc the New- Englifli Non-conformifls. 2d. A ftcond reafon why the pro- dudions of thcSpaniili- Well-India com- modities are lo inconfidernble in rc- fped to the Enghfli, and conilquenrly v;hy th<:ir progrefs in pl.inting, has been, and is hke to be much kl's than the EngliHi, as alfo the cncreafc of their peopk, I take it to be the dearnefs of the freight of their Shii)s, which is four tmies more than ourKngliih freight and it you wouki know how that comes to be fo, twelve per cent, int.'rell will go a great way towards tlic fatislying you, although there are other concomitant ieller cauks, which whofotv>.i under- Hands [ 219 1 ll.md.s Spain, or fliall carefully rend cliij IVcatilc, may find out themlelvcs. 3d. A third n-albn I take to^bc the t^rcatncfs of the Cufloms in Old-Spain, tor undoubtedly high Cuiloms do as well dwarf Plantations as Trade. 4rh. The Spaniards intenfe and fingu- lar Iiuhillry in their T^'lines lor Gold and Silver, the v/orking wherein dt- ilroys abundance o\ their people, at leatl of .heir llav^es, and caui'es them to neg- K61 in griac incafure cultivating of the harth, and producing commodities from the growth of it, which miglit give employment to a greater Navy, as well a^ iuflenance to a far greater number of })vc)ple by S.a and 1 iancl. f^i'ii. Their multitude of Fryers, Nuns, and other reclufe and ecclefialU- cnl pv'.!ori'>., who are prohibited Mar* riige. 3. The third f'^rt of Peo])le I am to difcourfe ci, are the I'ortuguefe, and. them I muft acknowledge to have been p;reat Planters in the Brazils and other places ; but yet, if we jM'eferve our people and plantations by gootl Lavvs, i have realbi^ to believe, that the l^'ortu- guefe, except they alter their politicks, \v!i;v h is alinoil impjoulble iur them to M tlui r % 1 ■! « " -d 'i i i'i. *•' . 1 t i. V I*' m I 220 ] ,do, can never bear up with us, mucli Jefs prejudice our Plantations. That hitherto they have not hurt us, but we •them, is moft apparent, lor in my time we have beat their Mufcovado and Paneal Sugars quite out of ufe in England, their Whites wc have brought down in all thefe parts of Europe in price, from feven or eight pounds/;^r lb. to fifty (hillings and three pounds /)fr lb. and in quantity, whereas formerly their Brazil Fleets confined of one hundred, to one hundred and twenty thoufand Cherts of Sugar, they are now reduced to about thirty t-houfand Chells, fince the great encrcafe of Ba. badoes. The reafon of this Decay of the Por- tuguefe prouu6tion in Brafil, is certain- ly the betrer policy that our Englifli plantations are founded upon. That which piincipally dwarfs the Portuguefe Plantations is the fame be- fore-mentioned which hinders the Spa- niards, viz. extraordinary high Cufloms at home, high Freights, high Intcrctl of Money, ecclefiaftical perfor.s, ^V. From all that has been faid oncern- ing Plantations in gcnt-ral, I draw chefc two principal Conclufinns. ill. That ourF'nglifh PI tationsmay limvc beyond any other Plantations in the [ 521 J the World, though the Trades of all of them were more fcverely limited by Laws and good execution of thofe Laws to thei r Mother-Kingdom of England, cxclufive cf Ireland and New-England.' 2dly, That it is' hisMajefty's pow- er, and the Parliament's, if they pleafe, by taking off all charges from Sugar, to make it more intircly an Engiifli- commodity, than White-Herrings are a Dutch commodity, and to draw more ])rofit to this Kingdom thereby, ihan the Dutch do by that : And that in confcqucncc tliercof, .nil Ph.ntatioi.s of other Nations mud in a few years link to little or nothing. X. Tiiat it is more for the advantage of England that Ncw-tound-Land niouUl remain unplanted, than that Colonics fhould be feen or permitted to go thither to inhabit under a Go- vernor, Laws, ij'c. I have before difcounld of Planta- tions in general, mo<^ ot chc Englifh b- ingin their Natur ..jch alike, except This of New-iounJ-land, and that of New-England, of^^i.ichl intend next 1 fpcak. 4"\\ -J I !■ ill ' - ■» .»» iiiiii p. t ' M 4 T"! UC •ir^ m*' [ 22;t ] "Theadviinriipjc New-found- 1, and has 'l")i'oii<^lu to this K:n[!;il()in, is only by ihc Fillicry ther^', ami ot vviiat vail con- cernment tli.it i.s, is well known to moll Gentlemen and Merchants, efpccially thole of the Well parts otlMigland, from whence elpecially this Trade is driven. It is well known, upon undeniable Proof, that in the year 1605, the I'-n^:;- lifli empU)yed 250 lad oi'Shij)s, Itnali and great, m Fiihing upon that coall ; and it is now too aj)[)arenr, that we do not lb employ Irom all p.n ts, above eighty lail ol'Sliips. It is likewile genera'ly known and confefied, that when we employed Jo many Ships in that 'IVak, t!ie current price ot our Filh m that Country, was {^Conuciihus AiViis) few n teen ]vi;ds. whicb is eight llulhngs fix pence /jct Qii^iintal, and ih,»t fnice, as we have IrlTened in th.it Tradi, the I'V. nrii have cncreafed in it, and that we iiave an- nually proceeded to laife our Filh from fevenreen rials id twenty four rials, or twc'.v., iliillings, {Ccmunibus yinnis) as it .lOW fell<; in the Countiy. Thii Uinjz; the Cile of Fngland in relation to this Trade, it is certainly worth the enquiry. [ 223 ] i{\. How wcc.unc to decay in tliat Tr.ulc. I'lly, Wh.ir. rnciins in.iy he uicd to r^- cover our aiUiciu^^rc.Jncfs i.i tli.it Tratk:, or at -aft to prcvc-.t our lurihcr tl.mi- nutio,^ 'licrciii ? The cU ;iy of that Trado I artrlbute. Fir;' aiu; ^M-incipally, to the ^rowin^ liberty w'l,' ,i is uvcry year more and more ufed in .1 e Romifh countries, as well as others, of eating flefli in Lent, and on fi Ih-days. 1. To a late abufe crept into that Trade, which has much abated the cx- pence wirliin tliefc twenty years of that: commodMv, of fending over private Boat-keepers, which has mucii diminfli- ed thv" ni! 'liber of the fiHiing-fhips. Q. To ieii;reat encreafe of the French Fifhery of Placer tia and other ports on thebackfide of New-found-Land. 4. To th". f'^^veral Wars we have had at fea within ihcfe twenty years, which have much empoverilhed the Merchants •ofourwefUin parts, and reduced them to carry on a i^/cat part ol that Trade at bottomry, ^7z. n.oney taken upon ad- venture of the flup at iv^xvxy per ccnC, per annum. 2. What means may b.^ ufed to reco- ver our antient Ki'tratnefs in that Trade, ,' 1. tl' . \ y\ 'i H'S ■ < i» 1 1 • i « - i'4 Mj or E 224 ] or at lead to prevciit our further dimi- nution therein. For this, two contrary ways have been propounded. 1. To fend a Governor to refidc there, and toencourage people to inhabit there' as well for defenceot the country againft invafion, as to manage the Fiihcry^thcre by inhabitants upon the place ; this has often been propounded by the Planters and fome Merchants of London. 2. The fecond way propounded, and which is direftly contrary to the former, is, by the weft-country Merchants and Owners of the filhing-lhips ; and that is to have no Governor or inhabitants per- mitted to refide at New-found-Land, nor any paflenger, or private boat-keep crsfuffered to fifh at New-found-Land. This latter way propounded is moft agreeable to my propofition ; and if it could be efFeded, I am perfuaded would revive the decayed Englifh-Fifliing- Tradc at New-found- Land, and be o- therwife greatly for the advantage of this Kingdom, and that tor thefe follow- ing rcafons, I. Bccaafe moft of the provlfions the Planters, who arc fettled in New-found- Land, make ufe of, viz. bread, beef, porK, butter, cheefe, cIothei>, and Iriih- Bengal [ 225 1 Bengal cloth, linnen and woollen; Irifh-- flockings, asalfo nets, hooks and lines,. i!^c. they are fupplied with from New- Encrland and Ireland i and with wme, oil and linnen by the lalt ihips from France and Spain, in confequence ot which the labour, ab well as the feeding and clothing of fo many men is loft to England. . 2. The Planters fettled there, being mofily loofe vagrant people, and with- out order and government, keep dit- folute Houfes, which have debauched fca-men, and diverted them from their laborious and induftrious calling; where-' as before t' re were fettlements there,- the fca-mc iiad no other refort during the fifhing ieaion, being the time of their abode in that country, but to their fhlps, which afforded them convenient food and repofe, without the inconveni- encies ofexctfs. 3. If it be the ir-Teft of all trading; Nations principally to encourage navi- gation, and to promote ..*, t «»■•' h.^-'"i ft? ■, i ■ ,. . ^ ft? ■, •- [ 226 } fKouId encreafe, it would in a few yc^rs happen to us, in relation to tli.it coun- try, as it has to thefiihcry at New-En^T- iand, which many years fince was ma- naged by Englini ihips from the wefleni ports; butasplant.itions there encrca- ied, fell to be the fole employment of People fettled there, and nothing of t!iat Trade kk the j^oor old Engjifli- men, bc!t the liberiy of carrying^now and then by courtefy, or purchafe, a Ihip load of fifli to Bilboa, when their own Nev;-Englijfh fhipping are better employ^], or not at Icifure to do it. 4. It is manifeft that before there were Boat-keepers or Planters at New- found-Land, fifh was fold cheaper than now it is, by about forty per cent, and confequenLly more vended -, the reafon of which I take to be this : The Boat- keepers and Planters, being generally at firfl: able fifhermen, and being upon the place, can doubtlcfs afiord their fi/li Cheaper than t\\t nOiing fhips from Old "England ; fo doubtlefs they did at firll as well at New-England 'as at New- found-Land , till they had beat the Eiiglifli Hiips out of the Tiade ; after which being freed from that competi- tion, they became lazy as to tJiat labo- rious employment, having means other- wife f ^27 ] wife to live or employ themfelves •, and thereupon enhaunced the price of their fifh to fuch ancxcefs, as in effea proves the giving away of that Trade to th'e French, who by our aforefaid impolitick management of that Trade, have of lare years been able to underiell us at all markets abroad •, and moil certain it is, that thofe that can fell cheapcll; will have the Trade. 5. This Kingdom being an Illand, it: is our intereir, as well for our preferva- tion as our profu, not only to nave ma- ny fcamen, bat to have them as much ;is may be within cdi in t:m. .)f Danger. Now the fifning fhips go.rg out irt March, and returnip.g horn, iorl.ngiand in the month o*" September yearly, and therii being employed in that I'rade two hundred and rifty ihips, which might cirry about ten thoufand feamcn, fifh- errncn and Ihoremen, as they ufually call the younger perfons, w.o v/ere never before at Sea : I appeal to die reader, wherher fuch a year'v return of feanK,n, abiding at iiome wirh us all the winter, and fpendirg thei money here which they got in their fummer fiflicry, were not a^^rcat accefs of wealth and powa 10 this kingdom, and a ready) Us ^'^P^ !•::.•'■'' ill,; a li M'w- [ 2X8 ] fupply for his Majcfty's navy upon all Emergencies. 6. The fifliing Ships yet are, and al- ways have been the breeders of feamen ; the Planters and Boat-keepers are gene- rally fuch as were bred, and became ex- pert at the coft of the Owners of fill- ing ihips, which Planters and Boat- keepers enter rery few new or green men. 7. By the building,fitting, vidualling and repairing of fifhing-ihips,muhitudes of EngHfh Tradefmen and Artificers, befides the owners and feamen, gain their fubfiftence ; whereas by the Boats, which t^e Planters and Boat-keepers build or ufe at New-found-Land, Eng-* land gets nothing. Obje(5i:. But againft all that I h^vc faid, thofe that contend for a Governor at New-found-land, objed ; I. That without a Governor and Go- vernment there, that Country will be always expofed to the furprilal of the French, or any foreigners that fhali pleafe to attadl it. a. That the difordersof the Planters, 'which I complain of, and fome others, which for brevity's fake, I have not mentioned, cannot be remedied without fk Governor. To; r 22^ ] To which I anfwer, firft, that when we cannot prcferve our Colonies by our Shipping, or fo awe our Neighbours by our Fleets and Ships of war, that they dare not attempt them, our cafe will be fad, and our Propriety will be loft, or in eminent danger, not only abroad, but at home likewife. , ,. , ^.t 2. All the Filh that is killed at New- found-Land in a fummer, is not fuffici- entto maintain ftrength enough on fhore to defend two filhing harbours againlt ten men of war, whereas that Country has more haabours to defend than are to be found in Old England. 3 If a Governor be eftabhmed, the r ext confequence will be a Tax upon the Fiihing, and the leall Tax will encreafe th^ price of filh, and that unavoid; bly will give the Trade aw ly wholly nto the French hands. 4. A Governor there is already ot an- tient cuftom among the mafters of the filhincr fhips, to whom the filhermenare inured and that free from ©ppreffion, and adapted to the Trade, infomuch that although a better might be wilhed, I never hope to fee. XI. ThatNew-England is the molt pre- judicial Plantation to this Kingdom. I am now to writeof a people, whofe h'uga- •L -;!• i 1 s ' 1 A . [MAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) W ^ // *^ ^' %^s i/ .'%^' c-?, y. fA I.C I.I 1.25 1.4 11 : ^ _ f" - .^ ^ Ilia tii 112.0 1.6 V# /] c>>. V^ V^ s Photographic Sciences Coiponition -^ ^> ^^ iV ^^ \ \ ^. ^ ' ^fj^-*^ u "o N'^- 73 WIST MAIN STRitT WItSTIR NY MS 10 ( /1»1 877 4503 l^< 5= 1^ r 230 ] Frugalityjnduary anclTempcrance, and the happinels of whofc Jaws and infti- tution, promife to them Joncr jjfe with a wonderful encreafe of People' Kiches, and Power : and akhoucrh no inen ought to envy that vertue and wif- dom in others, which themf.lves either can or will not pradife, but rather to commend and admire it; yet I tliink it IS the duty of every good man primarily to refped the welfare of his native Coun- try ; and therefoi-e though I may offend lome, whom I would not wiJimgly dif- pleafe, I cannot omit in the progrefsof this dilcourle, to take notice of fome particulars, wherein Old lMi?i;land ful- fer3 diminution by the growth of tho'fe Colonies fettled in New-England, ■^.tv' how that Plantation differs from thofe more foutherly, with idpca to tlie gam or lofs of this Kingck)m, viz. I. All our^merican Plantations ex- cept that of New-England, produceCom- modifies of different nature^ from thofe ofthisKingdom,asfugar,t()bacco,cocoa, wool, gmger, fundry forts of dyinor Woods,^V. Whereas New-England pro^ . duces generally the fame we have here,; *yz. Corn and Cattle, fome quant. ty of hi(h they do likewifc kill,but that is ta- ken and faved altogether by tlidr own 111' hM " ] 231 ] Inhabitantr, which prejudices our Njvv- toundland Trade, wlicrc, as has been laid, very tew are, or ought according; .o pru- dence, tJ be emph)yed in thoie Fj!., cries, but the inhabitants of Old Eng'.nd, The other commodities we Jir/e from them, are fome few great nia..s, furs, and train-oil, ofwhicn the yeuly vidue amounts to very little, the mi.ch srcat- er ^^alue of returns from th<-nce Ix-ing made in iug:ir, cotton, wooi, tobacco, and fuch like commodities, wluch they nrll receive from fome other of his Majeib/'s Plantation?, in b-irtcr for dry cod- filh,l;i It mackerel, beef, pork, bread, beer, AowlT, pjafe, i^c. which ihey hipply Rarbad(>cs, Jamaica, i:c. with, to the diminution of the vent of thole commotlities from this Kingdom ; the great experience of whicli in our own Weft-India Plantations, would foon be found in the adv ntage of the value of our lands in England, were it not for the vafc and ;dnioil incredible fapplie;; thofe Colonies have from New-J''nglaiul. 2. The people of New -England, by virtue of t!ieir primitive Charters being not fo (Iricflly tied to the obfervation of the laws of this Kingdom, do fometimes aflumc the liberty of trading, contrary to the Ad of Navigation, by reafon of which "f. .,i i^ r f r, ft ■ ■ il ii i [ 232 ] Tvhich m:\ny of our American commo- ditics, efpccially Toh.icro, and fugar, arc tr.inrportod in Ncw-Llnglifli Sliip- ping, dircdly into Spain, and other fo- reign Countries, without iK-ing hindcd in Kno land, or paying any iluty to his MajciVy ; which is no! only a h)l.s to the King, and a prejudice to the Navigation of Old England ; bur alio a total exclu- fion of the old Kngiilli Mc rchant froin the vent of thofc coninK.diries in tliofe ports, where the N^w-lviglifh VcMels trade; becaule there being nocuftom on thofc commodities in Ncw-Kiigland, and a great cullom paitUipon ihcin in Old England, it mull- i cceniirily follow thAt the New-Englifli Merchant will be able to aft<)rd his commodity much cheaper at the Marker, than the Old Engli(h-Merchant : And thofe that can lelJ cheapeff, will infiliblo engrols the whole Trade fooner or later. 3. Of all the American Plantation, his Majelly's has none foj ;ipt [or the building of Shipping asNew.Enj;dand, nor none comparably fo qualified lor the bree»'!ingof ieamen, not only by rcafon of the natural Induflry of that people but principally by reafon of their Cod and Mackkerel Fiflierics ; And in my poor opiuign, there is nothing more pre. [ 233 1 prcjudical, and in profpccl more dange- rous to any Mother-Kingdom, rh;in the incrcafc ot Shipping in her Colonics, Plantations, or Provinces. J.. The people that evacuate from us to Barbatioes, and the other Well-India Plantations, as was before hinted, do commonly v/ork one Englifli to ten or eight Blacks -, and if we kept the IVaac ot our faid Plantations intirely to En- gland, England wouk' hav: no lefs in- habitants, but rather an encreafe of peo- ple by fuch evacuation, becaufe that one Engiilhman, w**' the ten Blacks that work with him, accounting what they eat, u(e, and wear, would make employment tor four men in England, as was faid before •, whereas, peradven- tureof ten men that ilTuefVomus to New- England and Ireland, what we lend to or receive from them, does not employ one man in England. To conclude this chapter, and to do right to that moll indullrious EngliOi Colony, I muft confefs, that though v/e loofe by their unlimited Trade with our foreign Plantations, yet we are very great gainers, by theirdiredl Trade to and from Old England. Our year- lyexportations of Englifh Manufag, with io much wifdom delivered to the houfe flit-; ■i;ii '. ijB'fi 3'i "If J mi U'> M, ■ It [ 238 ] houfe of Parliament, he committal to their condition the ballancing of Trade andComnu-rce, wherein there is nothing o greater confcquence, tlian the rate ot tJlury, which hohis no proportion with us and other Nations, to our dif idvan- tage as by experience we fee and feel Neitlier is the high rate of Ufury lefs' hurtful to Commerce within the land ; the gam by Uf.ry beingfo eafy, certain and extream great, a. they are not on! ly Merchants and Tradefiiien, but Landedmen, Farmers and men of Pro- teffion that grow Jazy in their profePions and become Ufurers ; for the rate of U- iury IS tlie meafure by which all men trade, purchaie, build, pLint, or any other ways bargain. ' It has been tiie wifdom and care of lormcr Parliaments to provide for the V^}^[y^^on of wood and timber ., for Which there IS nothing more available than the calling down the high rate of IJiury ; for as tlie rate of Mcncv now goes, no man can kt his Timber itand nor his wood grow to luch years growth as is bta lor the Commonwealth, but it Will be very lo/sfui to him ; the ftock of the vvoo:.s alter they are worth forty or fifty nulling, the acre, growing failer at ten in til. hundred, than the woods themfelvei UQ. ^^^^j [ 239 ] A nd forShipping,which is the ftrcngth and fatctybf this hind: Ihave heard divers Merchants of good credit iliy,that ifrhey would build a Ship, and let it to any o- rherto employ,they cannot make of their Money that way, counting all charges, tear and wearyibove lo or 12 in the hun- bred, which can be no gainful trade,Mo- ney itfclf going at ten in the hundred. Bit in tlu- I>ow-Countrics, wliere Monjygoesatrix, the biiildingof Ships, anil hiring them toothers, is a gainful Trade ; and fo the Stock of rich men, and the Indujlry of beginners, are well joinjd for the Piihhck. And yet that which is above all the reft, the greateft Hn againft the land is, that it makes the land itf^lf of frn;ill va- lue, nearer the rateof Nevv-foundl.ands, than (.[any other Country, where Laws, Governmcnr, and Peace, have fo long fiouriihcd ; for the high rate of U fury makes land kll cheap, and the cheap fale ot lands is the caufe Men fcek no longer by Induflry and Colt to improve them. And this is plain btoh by example, and demonflratioi):for we lee in otherCoun- tries, where the ufe of money it at low rate, lands arc generally IblJ for thirty, forty, in fomc for fifty years Purchafe. And wc know by the rule of Bargain- ing ■i 'Wi\ k .1 ll Ui |M|jl r, I! W 1 ; f 240 ] ing, that if the rate of Ufe- were not greater here, than in other Countries • lands were then as good a pennyworth at twenty years purchafc, as they are now at fixteen : for lands being the beft Affurance and fccureft Inheritance, will itiJl bear a rate above Money. Now, if lands were at thirty years purchafe, or near it, there were no pur- chafe fo cheap as the amendment ofour own lands ; for it would be much cheaper to make one acre of land, now worth five Ihillings by the year, to be worth ten fhillings, or being worth ten, to be worth twenty fliillings,and foin pro^^or- t ion; then to purchafe another acre worth five or ten ihillings. And in every acre thus purchafcd to the Owner, by the amendment of his own, there would be another purchafed to die Commonwealth. And it is the bleffing of God to this land, that there are few places of it to which he has not given means, by rea- ibnable Cod and induftry, greatly to a- mend it, in many to double the value, fo as in time, if for their own good, mens induftry were compelled that way, the Riches and Commodities of this Land would near be doubled. Then would all the wet land> in this King- 241 Kingdom foon be drained, the barren lands mendedbymarle,Qeech,Iimc,chalk, fea-fand, and other means, which for their profit,mens induftry would find out • We fee with how great induftry ancj charge our neighbours, the Dutch, drain and maintain their Lands againfl the Sea, which flows higher above them, than it does above the loweft parts of our drowned lands. I vvill admit a great deal to their In- duftry, but I fliould v^ry unwillingly grant, that thcyare fo much more inge- nious and induftrious than we, as that all the odds were therein. Certainly, the main caufe of it is, that with us Money is dear, and Land cheapo with them Land is dear, and Money- cheap •, and confequently the improve- ment of their Lands at fo great a charge with them, is gainful to the Owners, which with us would be lofsful j for U- fury going at ten in the hundred, if a man borrows five pounds, and beftowit on an acre of ground, the amendment ftands him in ten rtiillings the year, and being amended, the Land is not worth above fifteen years purchafe. Bu: if the IJle of Money went at no more with us, than in other places, then five pound b^ftowed upon an acre of ground. I ■fi 1! % ■i" 11*,: '■■,■1 ' '=11 1 ■ . k.l M h:. lr< [ 24^ ] ground, would Hand a man but in five K..: i\x Ihillings a year, and ihe acre of land io amended, v/oiild be worth, as lias been fl)ewcd, fix and twenty or thirty years purchafe. Wliereby it appears that as the rate of ' Ufe now goes, no man, but where the land hes extraordinarily happily for it, cm amend liis I-anc^ but lo liis own Jois ', whereas if Money were Jet as it is in other Countries, he might bv^llow more than double fo much as now he may, and yet be a great gaiiiu' !-' it ; ara coniajuerlly, as was beiore remeni- brul, fiiould to his own benefit purclialc I/and to th« Commonwealth. Neither would fuch purchafe of I.;ukI to tiie CommcMiwealth, be the beiieiii (o the landedmen only, the benefit Vvcnild be as much to the poor labourers c;i" rlie l>and : for now when curn and ()i\\cv fruits of the Land, v. hich grow In' la- bour,:ire eheap,the plough nnd marLoek are call into the hetige, ther^' is litile work for poor men, and that at a low rate-, whereas, if the mendmerr of iheir own Lands were the chcap.ll nuu {'..ifc to the Owners; it there wi!\^ many more people than there arc, they fliouki more readily be fet at work, at better rdtcs than they now are, and none that had [ 243 3 had tlieir health and limbs could be poor, but by their extreme lazincfs. And as the high rate of Ufury doth imbafe lands, fo it is as great a hin- drance to iJifcoveries, Plantations, and all good Undertakings, making it near double as chargeable to the Adventu- rers, fmoney being at ten in the hun- dred j as it is in other countries, where the ufe of Money is fo much lower. Now lei us fee by the contrary, and conceive if Ufury were tolerated at fifteen or twenty in the hundred (and I fear many borrowers, ail tilings con- fidercd, pay above ten) what the con- dition of things would then be ; and if it appear how defperatc the hurt would be which that would bring, it may (at leaR upon good reafon) perfuade us how great the good would be of call- ing it down. Certainly, it mufl: of neceflity come to pafs, that all Trades would in a fhort time decay : For few or none (and rec- kon the hazard at nodiing) yield fo great a gain as twenty in the hun- dred ; and all other Nations might with fo great gain out-trade* and under-fell us, that more than the Earth would of hcrlelt" bring forth, we fliould fcarcc lM';i i:i:^ H A 1 244 ] raife any thing from it, even for our own within the land j and land would be fo much imbafed, as men -might af- ford without lofs to themfelvcs, to car- ry the compofl out of their doles, up- on the next adjoining lands to mend them : fo far ihould we be from mar- ling, liming, draining, planting, and any other works of coft or Indullry, by which lands are purchafcd to the commonwealth. So tar from building, making of havens, difcoveries, new plantations, or any other acflions of vertue and glory to the State , tor pri- vate gain is the compafs men generally fail by. And fince we cannot, without extra- ordinary diligence, plant, build, drain, or iiny other way amend our lands, but it will be dearer to us, than the purchafe of others, money being at ten in the luindred ; ii money Ihould then go at twenty in the hundred, the charge of mending our land would be doubled, antl the land abafed to leven or cigiu years punhafe ; ai)d confequently all works of induHry and charge, for improving of lands, would be quite ne^M.iit i/s, fc.k I / ^^ 1 iwi ! I ;.^^ -)% N never I h \ 24^ never fo ncceflary and apparently good That it hath been fo a long time, and b^en well enough •, what will become of the alteration we cannot tell ; why then Ihould we make any change ? Secondly, That as in bodies natural, foin politick, great and fudden changes are moft commonly dangerous. Thirdly, That money will be fud- dcnly called in, and fo all borrowers greatly prejudiced. Fourthly, that money will be har- der to come by, and thereby commerce greatly hindred. LalUy, That much money of fo- reigners, by reafonof the high rate of Jfury, is brought over here to he ma- naged at intereft, which would be car- tied away again, if the rate of Ufury fliould be called down. To the Firfl, That Money has long gone at Ten, and things been well enough. It is anfwered. That it is not long that the praaice of Uiury hath been lo generally ufed, without any Icnfe or Icruplc of the unlawfulnefs of it •, for men's [ 247 ] men'? confclences were hardened to it with example and cuftom, by degrees and not upon the fuddcn. And ns the beginning of many dan- gerous clifcafos in healthful bodies, io The bL'^iy.'-.ing of many inconveniences in a ihtc, arc not prefently fdt. With us, afiior that with long civjl wars the land was half unpeopled, fo as till of late years, it came not to its full flock of people again, there being the fame quantity of laud to half the number of people, the furplufagc ot our inland commodities muft needs be fo great, that though trade were not equally ballanced with us and o- ther nations, we could not but grow rich. Befide, France and the Low- Coun- tries were for many years half laid wade with wars, and To did trade but little, nor maniige their own Kinds to their beft advantage •, whereby they did not only not take the trade and market fom us which now they do, hut they themfelves were Kd and clothed by us, and took our commodities from us at great high rates. Whereas now we fee the Dutch do N 3 French i'tfi '•> f ' '» i H V. T V> £ 348 ] French feed us with their corn, even in plentiful years. So now our land being full flocked with people, our neighbours induf- tnous and fubtle in trade, if we do not more equally ballance trade, and bring to pafs that we may aflford the fruits of our land as cheap as other countries afford the fame of the flime kind ; we nuifl (though we leave a number of ourlljperfluitic-;, as God forbid but we fhould) in a f!i j.t time grow poor and beggarly. And in this condition ten in the hun- dred, in a little more time, will as well ferve to do it, as if money were at twenty: For (as was before remem- bred) in mofl of the commodities the earth bringeth forth, the flock em- ployed in planting and managing of them, makes a great part of their price > and confequently, they may, with great gain t^ themfclves, under- fell us ; our flo^K with us going at double tJic rate that theirs goes with them. And this we fee and feel too well by experience at this prefent ; for having a great furplufage of corn, m cm find no vent for It; the French uj.h their own. [ M9 ] own, the Dutch with the corn of Po- Jandj every where fupplying the mar- kets at chc;ipcr rates than wc can afford it. ^ And even our clothes, which have hitherto been the golden mine in Eng- land, I have heard many merchants {liy, that (except it be in fome few of the fined fort of them, which is a riches peculiar to this nation) other countries begin to mrtke them of their own wool, and by affording them cheaper than we, may fo take our markets from us. Ar.d this I hope may in panferve for an anfwcr to the next objedion 5 that all great and fudden changes are com- monly dangerons •, for that rule holds true, where the body natural or politick is in pcrfeft flate of health, but where there is a declining, (as I have fome caufe to fear there is, or may foon be with us) thereto make no alteration is*a certain way to ruin. m It..' iHil u 1 i r„ I N To [ 250 ] To the Third, That money will be fuddenly called in, and fo all borrowers greatly prejudiced. For that there may be a claufe in the end of the flatute whenfoever it fhall be made ; that it Ihall be lawful tor all that have lent money at ten in the hundred, which is now forborn and owiug, to take for fuch money fo lent and owing, daring two years after this Ic/Tion ©f parliament, fuch ufe as they might have done if this aft had not been made: whereby borrowers fhall be in lefs danger of fuddcn calling in of their money, then now they irc •, for where the lenders upon continuance of their old fccurity, may take ten in the hundred, upon new fecurity they may be content with lefs, fo the calling in of their money will be to their ow% prejudice. And if there be any borrower to whom this giveth not fufficient fatif- faftion, if fuch borrower have lands of value to pay his debt, ihe worft condi- tion he can fear, is to have at the lead twenty years purchafe for his land, wherewith to clear his debts ; for as I faid faid before, land being the beft fecuri- ty, and fecureft inheritance, it will ftill bear a rate above money. And fo there being no ufe allowed for money above the rate tolerated in other countries, land will as readily fell at twenty years purchafe, as it does now at twelve. And I think there is no borrower that hath land of value to pay his debts, that doubts if he will now fell his Land at feven years pur- chafe, he might foon be out of debt. ■iwi To the Fourth Objeftion. That Money will be hard to be borrow- ed, and fo commerce hindred, I anfwer, that it were true ; if the- high rate of Ufury did increafe money within this Land v but the high rate of Ufury, does enrich only the Ufu-er, and impoverifh the Kingdom, as hath been ihewcv , and it is the plenty of money within the land that maketh mo- ney eafy to be borrowed, as we fee by the examples of other countries, where Money is cafier to be borrowed then it is with us, and yet the rate tolera- N c ted ni; ! I . f [ 252 ] ted for ufe, is fittle more than half fo ITiUCh. It is the high rate of Ufe that undoes fo many of the gentry of the land, which maketh the number of borrow- ers fo great ; and the number of bor- rowers muft of neceflity make money the harder to be borrowed ; whereas if ufe for money were at c lower rate, land, as hath been fhewed, would be much quicker to be fold, and at dearer rates, and fo the nobility and gentry wouid foon be out of debt', and confe- quently the fewer borrowers, and fo to tradefmen and merchants money eafy to be had. Further, let us confider if Money were called down, what Ufurers would do with their money : they would net I fuppofe long be fullen, and keep it a dead flock by them, for that were not fo much as the fafeft way of keeping it: They muft then either employ it in trade, purchafe land, or lend for Ihy at fuch rate as the law will tolerate : If it quicken trade, that is the thing to be defired, for that will enrich *^the kingdom, and fo make money plen- tiful And [ 353 J And yet need not any borrower fear that money will be fo employed in trade, as that there will not be fuffici- ent of money to parchafe land, where the purchafer may have as mach, or near fo much rent by the purchafe of land, as he can by putting hi? money to uie : for a great number of gentle- men and others in the country, know not how to employ any 'flock in Trade^ but with great uncertainty, and lefs fatisfadion to thcmfelves, then the let- ting of their money at a lower rate, or purchafing land at twenty years pur- chafe, or upwards. No doubt for the prefent there would be great buying and felling of land, till men had cleared themfelves, and payed their debts : but in a fhort time land, as it is Ihewcd before, would fell at fo dear a rate, that money lent at a ]ower rate of ufe, would bring in propor- tion as great a rate above the rent that would be made then by the purchafe of l?nd, as the rate of money now is above the rent of land purchafed at fourteen or fifteen years purchafe, and fo by con- fequence money would then as eafy be borrowid as it is now, and fo much ea- fier,. ■1 '■I 1 \'.\ iO-CL ficr, as it would be more plentiful^ and fewer borrowers. To the laft and weakell of Objeftions, T^at there is now much Money of foreigners in the land, to be mana- ged at ten in the hundred, which if Money fhould be called down,would be carried out of the land. There is no doubt it is true : But I defire to know, whether any man thinks it better for the (late, that they fhould now carry out one hundred pounds, or feven years hence, two ; or fourteen years hence, four •, or one and twenty years hence, eight : for lb in efFcdl upon the multiplying of intcreft they do. It will feem incredible v, fuch as- have not confidered it, but to any that will but caa it up, it is plainly manifeft,. that a hundred pounds managed at itxi in the hundred, in feventy years, multi- plies itfelf to a hundred the ."^rdpcunds. So if there fhall be a ^h^ino-.r' thou fand pounds of foreigners money now managed here at ten in the hundred, (and that doth feem no great matter) that a hundred thoufand pounds in tliree- [ ^55 ] threefcore and ten years, which is bac the age of a man, would cirry out ten millions, which I believe is mc>re than all the coin , at this prefcnt m the land. I know we cannot conceive h©w any fuch fum Ihould be managed atf Atisreft-, yet this is fufficient to make ur little to joy in foreigners money. Bcfides, we mail: not conceive that the money of foreigners which is here managed at Ufury, is-brought into the land in ready coin or bullion.: the courfe iny that merchants fend over bills of exchange to their fadors, for which they receive our money here j and this is the money they manage at Intcret^, and fo they cat us oot with our ovm money. The old comparifon, which compares Ufury to the butler's box, deferves to be remembred ; whilil men are at play, they feel not what they give to the box, but at the end of Chriftmas it makes all, or near all, gamefters lofe : and I fear the comparifon holds thus much far- ther, that there are as few efcape that continue in Ufury, as that continue eamcfters -, a man may play once or ° twice ! ( H f 35^ J or It IS fcuiom without mil,, tercflrsdoth many times blind, tluir id foTr* ''"^ '•='* ^"y "'-^ be ten;; - Eood r ,r7; ''S'iMll the publiVk fhat if i""'! ^^fi^^ them to remember. nev' rl n'' n ''"^y '"'"^- ''' ti'ar mo- h.7'l /y '^^" 8" '" their land ^ for agamlUhe other sand where money is «ca, land IS cheap; and where money li Clieap, lanti is dear. ' 7h!!'u aZ '."■ '" '" '''^ hundred, as ^>« be ftillthmkc it fit to be continued my vvifl, ,s mat he and his pofterity T^/.T'}^' Pi-i^-ilegc to borrow, but not to lend at that rate. ^■ulVr, .beginning of this treatilc, I f> Inefs of Ufury, leaving tliem to Di- fh, Tl"^ ^h'^h may ferve for all, I think ht tofetdown. It is agreed by all the Divines that ever where, without exception of any. yea, and by the Uliirers thcmlelves, that biting UlLiry is unlawful : now llnce finccir hath bjcn provcii that ten In the hundred docs bite the hindcd men, does bite the poor, dc^.s bite trade, does bite the Kinf', w\ his cullonis, docs bite the fruits oi'tiu: l.md, 'x\\^\ mod of all the land itfeli -, docs bite all works of piety, ofveriUk.', and ^lory to ihe State •, po man can deny but ten in the hun- dred isabfohiuly unlawful, howioeycr happily a Kiu r wW'^- may be oiherwifc. To the Kiny, inereafe of his cuf- toms. To the Kingdop.i, inereafe of land, by enrichinp; of this. To the Nobility and G.ntry, delive- rance from bonda^^e and debt. To Merchants, continuance andflou- riihing in their trade*, To young B.j^iniitrs in trade and commerce, the fruits of their own \^ bours. To Labourers, quick employment. To Ufurers, lai\d for their money. V O S T [2S8] POSTSCRIPT. SINCE the foregoing papers were delivered to the Prefs, Mr. Henry Dakers Merchant, fent me a moll ra- tional and admirable treatile concerning Trade, called England's Interefl and Improvement, writ by Samuel For- trey, Efq; one of the Gentlemen of his Majelly's privy chamber, in which he mentions fomething concerning the interefl of money, in the following words, pag. 42. viz. In the lad place, concerning the ufe of Money, which being the life and finews of Trade, it hath been :he opinion of ibmc, that the greater ufe were allowed for money, the more would be the profit of the publick ; for that ilrangers finding a greater be- nefit to be made of their money here, than any other where, would fend it hi- ther, v/hereby money would be much more plentiful amongll us. Indeed I fliould be of their opuiion, if as foon as by this means great fums of of mone, were tranfported hither, all their money fhould be confifcate to the p.blick-, but if otherwiic, fure jt can- not be -enied, but the greater the Ufe, the more the, profit to the Ufurer, and lofs to the Debtor •, fo as in a few years we fhould find ourfel ^o little enrich- cd thereby, that wh... the principal Ihould again be recalled, we fhould find but little Money left -, all our own being wafted in Ufe. Wherefore in- deed the true benefit to the public, is, . to fet the Ul« of money as low, or ra- ther lower than in our neighbouring countries it is-, for then they would make no profit out of us by that means, but rattier we on them. And it is the clear profit that we get of our own, that will make this Nation rich, and not the great fums we are indebted to Which I have here inferted for fuch likereafon; Firft, That the world .uay fee I am not fingular in this Opinion, although I thought I had been fo, when firlt 1 wrote the afbrefaid Obfervations. Secondly, For confirmation of the Truth, by the authority of a perlon of fuch known abilities. Thirdly^ [ 26o ] Thirdly, To give the Author his due honour of being the iirft Obfer- ver, ^c. And I am forry I know not the inge- nious Author of the former tracl, that I might do right fo his memory ; who hath done more for his country than would have been the gift of fome milli- ons of pounds fterJing, into the publick Exchequer. F I JV I s. [ Juf Publifo'd ] TH E Inftrudor : Or, the Young- Man's beft Companion. Con- taining Spelling, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetick, in an eafier Way than any yet Publifhed ; and how to qualify any onforBufinefs, without the Help ol a iVxafter. Inftrudlions to write Variety of Hands, with Copies both m Prole and Verfe. How to write Letters on BufmefsorFriendlliip.Forms of Indentures, Bonds, Bills of Sale, Re- ceipts. Wills, Leafcs, Releafes,' ^r, Alfo Merchants Accounts, and a ihort and eafy Method of Shop and Book- keeping, with a Defcription of the Pro- dud, Countries, and Market Towns in England and Wales. Together with the Carpmter's plain and exad rule: Shew- ing how to meafure Carpenters^ Joyners^ Sawyers, Bricklayers, Plaijierers, Plum- mers, Mafins, Glaziers, and Painters, Work. How to undertake each work) and at what Price ; the Rates of each Commodity, and the common Wages of Journeymen, with Gunter'^ Line, ^d Coggcjbain Defcription of the iliding Rule. Likcwife the pradical Gauger made caf/, the Art of Dialling, and how how to ered and fix any Dial, with In- ftti:(5lions for dying, colouring, and ma- " king Colours, and Ibme general Obfer- ' vations for Gardening every Month in the Year. To which is added. The Family' beft Companion, with In- ftrudions for marking on Linnen, how to pickle nnd preferve, to make divers Sorts of Wines, and many excellent Plaifters and Medicines, neceflary in all Families. By George Fijher, Ac- comptant. Printed for y. Hodges, on London- Bridg$. f^