—_— PS LE i. We - VE | |\\SEVERAL >}. ESSAYS | Relating to | decademies, 2 ( Friendly-Socities, Banks, || High. ways, Bankrupts, | Penſun-Office, Charity-Lotteries, Seamen, Courts of Enquiries, | | Wagering, &C. Court Merchants, I Now Communicated to the i World for Publick Good. | — = | LONDON, Printed for Thomas Cockerill, at the # % Bible and T hree Leggs againſt Grocers-" Hall in the Poultrey, 1700. | Price Three Shillings. M1 ec —_—_ ted WV hs. Aa. Ms. ft... 4 ac. 4 __ ! | —_— 9 -- ; PREFACE — TO Dalby Thomas, Eq; ; One of the GCommiss1OnEeRS for Managing His Majeſty's Duties on Glafs, &c. - + 41x © EF, HIS Preface comes Direfted to you, not as Commiſſioner; &E. under whom T have the Honour to ſerve his Majeſty; nor as @ Friend ; though TI have_ great Obligations of that fort alſo; but .as the -moſt proper Judge of the Subjefts Treated of, and more Capable than the greateſt part of Man- kind to Diſtnguiſh and Underſtand them: Books are uſeful only to ſuch whoſe Genia: + 4s are ſuitable to the SubjeFt of them: Andto* —"142 ” a_ A Aa 47, Se” ' : | : I The Preface. Dedicate a Baok, of Projefts to a Perſon who had never concern'd himſelf to Think that way, would be like Muſick to one that has no Ear. And yet Vour having a Capacity to Judge | of mrs things, no way. brings You under the Deſpicable Title of- a Projector, any more than knowing the Prattices and Sub- tleties of Wicked Men, makes a Man omwlty of their Crimes. The ſeveral Chapters of this Book, are the reſults of particular T houghts, occae fi on'd by Converſmg with the Publick Af- fair ( during the preſent War with France. The Loſſes and Caſualties which attend all Trading Nations m the World, when in- volved in fo Cruel a War as this, have reach'd us all, and T am none of the leaſt Sufferers ; if this has put me , as well as others, on Inventions and Projetts, fo much the Subjeft of this Book, 'tis no more than a proof of the Reaſon Fd give for the general ProjeFtins Humour of the Metin, One ThePreface. Il One unhappineſs T lie under in the fol- lowing Book, viz. That havmg kept the greateſt Part of it by me for near Five Years, ſeveral of the Thoughts ſeem to be hit by other Hands, and ſome by the Pub- lick; which turns the tables upon me, asif Thad Borrow'd from them. As particularly that of the Seamen , which you know well 1 had contriv d lono wes; the AF for Regi ring Jeamen was Proposd. And that of Educatmg Women, which 1 think my ſelf bound to Declare, was form'd long before the Book. call d Advice to the Ladies, was made Pub- lick; and yet T do not Write this to Mag- nify my own Invention, but to acquit my ſelf from Grafting on other People's Thoughts. If I have Treſpaſs d upon any Perſon m the World, 'tis vpon Your ſelf, from whom T had ſome of thigNoti- ons about County Banks , and Pals for Goods , in the Chapter of T, and yet I do me think that my Propo- ps "3 fal Iv T he Preface. ſal for _ Women , or the Seamen , claſhes at all, ich with that Book, or the Publick method of Regiſtring Seamen. I have been told ſince this was done, That my Propoſal for a Commiſſion of Enquiries into Bankrupt Eſtates, is Borrow'd from the Dutch ; if there is any thing like it among the Dutch, more than ever 1 bw. or know yet ; "1 if ſo, I hope tis no Objeftion againſt our having the ſame bere, eſpecially if it be true, that 'twou d be ſo publickly Beneficial as 1s expreſs d. What is ſaid of Friendly Socierics, Tthink no Man will Diſpute with me, face one has met with ſo much Succeſs already in the Praftice of it, T mean, The Friendly Society for Widows, of which you have been pleas d to be a Governor. ' Friendly Societies are very extenſ ve, and as I have binted, might be carrid on - to many. Panienior, I have omitted one which was mentwn'd in Diſcourſe with The Preface. v with your felf; where a Hundred Tradeſmen, all of ſeveral Trades, Agree together to Buy whatever they want of one another, and no where elſe, Prices and Payments to be ſettled among them- ſelves ; whereby every Man is ſure to have Ninety nine Cuſtomers , and can never want a Trade: And 1 cond have fill d up the Book with Inſtances of like nature , but T never deſign d to tire the Reader with Particulars. The Propoſal of the Penſ1on-Office you will ſoon ſee offer d to the Publick,, as an Attempt for the Relief of the Poor ; which if it meets with Encouragement, will every way my all the great Things T have ſaid of it. T had Wrote a great many Sheets ahond the Coin, about bringing mn Plate 40 the Mint, and about our Standard ; but ſo many great Heads being upon it , with ſome of whom my Opinion does not agree, I wou'd not adventure to appear in Print pon that Subjett, Ways v1 The Preface. Ways and Means alſo T have laid by on the ſame ſcore. Only adhering to this one Point, That be it by Taxing the Wares they Sell, be it by Taxing them in Stock, be it by Compoſit ttion, which, by the way, ] believe is the beſt; be it by what way ſ0- ever the Parkement pleaſe, the Retailers are the Men who ſeem to call upon us to be Taxd; if not by their own extraor- dinary good Circumſtances , though that might bear it, yet by the contrary m all other Degrees of the Kingdom. Beſides, the Retailers are the only men who cou:d pay it with leaſt damage, becauſe it is in their power to levy it again upon their Cuſtomers in the Prices of their Goods, and is no more than paying « a bigher Rent for their Shops. The Retailers of Manufa&ures, eſpe- cially ſo far as relates to the Inland Trade, have never been tax'd yet , and their Wealth or Number is not eaſily calcula- ted : Trade and Land has been handled ronghy 9 The Preface. vii roughly enough ; and theſe are the men who now lye as a Reſerve to carry on the Burthen of the War. Theſe are the Men , who, were the Land-Tax colleted as it ſhoud be , ought to pay the King more than that whole Bill ever producd ; and yet theſe are the men who T think, I may venture to ſay, do not xc a Twentieth part in that ms Shou'd the King appoint a Saris over the TT , and Ihdift all thoſe who were. found faulry ; allowing a Re- ward to any Diſcoverer of an Aſſeſqment made lower than the literal Senſe of the Aft implies, What a Regiſter of Frauds and Connivances wou d be found out ! Tn a General Tax , if any ſhoud be excusd, it ſhou d be the Poor, whoare not able to pay, or at leaſt are pinch'd in the neceſſary parts of Life by paying : And yet. here a poor Labourer who works for Twelve- Pence 'or Eighteen-Pence a Day, does not drink wii The Preface. drink a Pot of Beer, but. pays the King a Tenth part for Exciſe ; and really pays more tothe King s Taxes in a year, thana Coun- trey Shopkeeper , who is Alderman of the Town, worth perhaps Two or T hree T hou- ſand Pounds, brews his own Beer, pays no Exciſe, and in the Land-Tax is rated it may be 100 |. and pays 1 1. 4s. per Annum :- But ought , if the AF were put mm due execution, to pay 36 |. per Ann. to the King. If T were to be ask&d how T wou'd re- medy this? T wou'd anſwer, It ſhou'd be by ſome Method in which every man may be tax d in the due proportion to his Eſtate, and the AF put in execution, according to the true Intent and Meaning of it; in order to whicha Commiſſion ofAfſelsment ſhou'd be granted toTwelve Men, ſuch as His Ma- Jeſty ſhou'd be well ſatisfied of, who ſhou d £0 through the whole Kingdom, Three mn a Body, and ſhoud make a new Aſ- ſeſgment of Perſonal Eſtates, not to meddle with Land. To To theſe Aſſeſſors ſhoud all.the Old Rates, al, . Ps , and Highway-Rates alſo be delivered ; and upon due Enquiry to be. made mto the Man- ner of Living, and reputed Wealth of the People, the Stock .or Perſonal Eftate of every man ſhou'd be afſeſs d, without Coannivance ; and he who ts reputed to be. worth a T houſand Pound, ſhou'd be tax'd at 4 Thouſand Paund; and ſo on : And he who was an over-grawa Rich Tradeſ- man of Twenty or T hirty thouſand Pounds Eſtate, ſhoud be taxd ſo, and Plain Engliſh and Plam Dealing be prattis d indifferently throughout the Kingdom ; Tradeſmen and Landed men ſhou d have Nerghbours Fare , as we call it ; and a Rich Man ſhou'd not be paſs d by when a Poor Man pays. We read of the Inhabitants of Con- ſtantinople, that they ſuffer d their City to be loſt, for want of contributing in time for its Defence ; and pleaded Poverty to their X The Preface. their Generous Emperor , when he went from Houſe to Houſe to perſuade them, and yet when the Turks took it, the Prodigious Immenſe Wealth they found in it, made 'em wonder at the ſordid Temper of the Citizens. England ( with due Exceptions to the Parliament, and the Freedom where- with they have given to the Publick Charge ) is much lize Conſtantinople ; we are involvd m a Dangerous, a Chargeable, but withal a moſt Juſt and Neceſſary War, and the Richeſt and Mo- neyd Men m the Kmegdom plead Poverty; and the French , or King James , or the Devil may come for them, if they can but conceal their Eſtates from the Publick Notice, and get the Aſſeſſors to tax them at an Under-Rate. : T beſe are the men this Commiſſion wou 'd diſcover ; and here they ſhou d find men taxd at 5ool. Stock, who are worth 20000 |. Here they ſhou'd find a certain Rich Man near Hackney, rated to day in The Preface. XI in the Tax-Book at 1000 |. Stock,, and to morrow offering 2.7 000 |. for an Eſtate. Here they ſhou'd find Sir J---- C--——- perhaps tax'd to the King at 50o0ol. ſtock, perhaps not ſo much , whoſe Caſh no man can gueſs at : And multitudes of Inſtances 1 coud give by name , without wrong to the Gentlemen. And not to run on in Particulars , I affirm, T hat m the Land-Tax Ten certam Gentlemen in London put together , did not pay for half ſo much Perſonal Eſtate, call d Stock , as the pooreſt of them is reputed really to poſſeſs. do not enquire at whoſe door this Fraud muſt lye , tis none >, my buſmeſs. I wiſh they wou'd ſearch into it, whoſe Power can puniſh it. But this with Sub- miſſion 1 preſume to ſay ; T he King is thereby defrauded and hor- ribly abusd ; the true Intent and Mean- ing | ts of Parlament evaded ; the At, 11-0lvd m Debt by fatal Deficien- CES Xit The Preface. cies and Intereſts ; Fellow-Subjefts abus'd; and new” Inventions for Taxes occaſion'd. Thelaſt Chapter in this Book. is a Pro- pofal about-entring all the Seamen m Eng- land "into the ' King's Pay; a Subjet which: deſerves to be enlarg'd into a Book it ſelf; and T have a little Volume of Cal- culations and Particulars by me on that Hedd; bit T thought them tov lojio to pub- liſh. In ſhort, Tam perſuaded, was that Method propos d to thoſe Gentlemen to whom ſuch things belong; - the greateft Sum of Money might be rais d by'it , with the leaft Injury to thofe 'who' pay it, that ever ' was or will be during the War. + Projefors, they ſay, * are zenerally to be taken with allowance of one half at leaſt; they always have their mouths full of Mil- lions, and talk big of their wn Propoſals; and therefore T have not expos'd the vaſt Sams my Caleulations amount to, but I venture to ſay I could procure aFarm on ſuch a Propoſal asthis at T hreeMillions perAnn. and The Preface. Xill and give very good Security for Payment ſuch an Opinion T have of the. Value of ſuch a Method ; and when that is done , the Nation wou-d vet T hree more by pay- ing it ; which is very ſtrange , but might eaſily be made out. In the Chapter of Academies, ' T have ventur d to reprove the Victous Cuſtom of Swearing : T ſhall make no- Apology for the Fatt , +2 no man ought to be rs of expoſing what all men ought to be aſham'd _ praftifſms-: But methinks T ſtand cor= refted by: my -own Laws a little, in forcing the Reader to repeat ſome of the: worſt of our Vulgar Inprecations , in readms my Thoughts againſt it : To which, however, I have this toreply ; Firſt, I did not find it: eaſy to-expreſs what I mean, without putting down the very Words, at leaſt not fo as to be very Intelligible. Secondly; Why-fhould Words repeated only to expoſe the Vice , taint the Reader, more Kiv The Preface. more thait a Sermon preach'd agamſt ſt Lewd- neſs ſhould the Aenbh : 3 for of neceſſity it leads the Hearer to the Thoughts of the Faft ; but the Morality of eve ion bes in the End; and if the Reade er by ill uſe renders bimſelf guilty of the Fatt in Reading , which 1 "deſign d to expoſe by Writmg, the Fault is his, not mine. T have endeavour d every where in this Book to be as Conciſe as po ible , ex=- cept where Calculations obligd me to be particular 3 ; and having avoided Imperti- nence in the Book, I wou'd avoid it tos mn the Preface ; and therefore ſhall break, of with Jubſeribin my ſelf, SIR, Your moſt Obliged, Humble Servant, D. F. Introdudtion. INNS TY + WR is js : co be the Mo- 41S (0 violently ,| agitated Q the Wits of men at MaermaneTY hi ume, that jc ſeems not at all improper , by WAY. of di- ſtinction, to call it, The Projecting e. \For tho in vintich of-.War and Publick Confuſjons, the like Humour of Invention. has ſrern'd to {tir ; yet; wichour being; partial to tho prelenty it1s; I think,. no {njury to ſay, the paſt Ages have never\ come up to the de- gree of, Projecting and Inventing, as It refers ro Matters of Negoce ,. and | B | Me- 4 Introdufion. | Methods of Civil Polity , which we ſee this Age arriy d to. — Nor is it a hard matter to aſſign probable Cauſes of the Perfection in this Modern Art. F am not of their melancholy Opinion , who aſcribe it eo the general Poverty of 'the Narjon.; fince I believe 'tjs caly £9 prove; ahe Nation it felf, caking if 3s ane Gepe- ral. Stock , 18 not at all:diminifhq: or; impoveriſhid by this Long,” this Chargeable: Wat ; bur 6f"the contra- ry, way never Richer, fince it was in- habired, | ' Nor am I abſolutely of the 'Opini- on, that we are ſo happy as to. be Wifer in' this Age, than our Fore- fathers ; tho' at the ſame cime'F muſt own, ſome parts -of -Knowledge- in Science as well as Arr,- has received Improvements in this Age, altogether conceal d trom the Dorn 42 The Initrodudion. 3 The Art of War, which I take to be the higheft Perfetion of Human | Knowledge, is a ſufficient Proof of _ what I ſay, eſpecially in conducting Armies, and in offenfive Engines ; witneſs the new ways of Mines, Fou- gades , Entrenchments, Attacks, E- lodgments, and along Et Cetera of New Inventions which want Names, pra- ctiſed* in Sieges and Encampments ; witneſs the new forts of Bombs and unheard-of Mortars, of Seven to Ten Ton Weight, wth which our Fleets ſtanding two or three Miles off at Sea, can imitate God Almighty him- felf, and rain Fire and Brimſtone out of Heaven, as it were, upon Towns budge on the firm Land ; witneſs alſo our new-invented Child of Hell , the Machine ,, which carries Thandetr , Lighening , and Earthquakes in its * Bowels, 4 IntroduGion. Bowels , and tears up the moſt im- pregnable Fortifhcations. * Burif I would ſearch for a Cauſe from whence it cames to pals that this Age {warms with ſuch a multitude of Projectors more than uſual ; who be- ſides the | Innumerable Conceptions which dye.in the bringing forth, and (like Abortions of the Brain)only come _ Into the Air, and diflolve, do really every day produce new Conerdivandes. Engines, and Projects to get _— never before thought of; if, I lay, I would examine-whence hs Comes to paſs, it muſt be thus : The Lofles and Depredations which this War brought with it ar firſt, were exceeding many , ſufferd chiefly by the 111 Conduct of Merchants them- ſelves, who did not: apprehend the Danger to be really what it was: For betore our Admiralty could poſhibly ſettle Introdufion. 5 ſertle Convoys, Cruiſers, and Stations for Men of War all over the World, the French cover d the Sea with their Privateers, and took an incredible number of our Ships. [I have heard the Loſs computed by thoſe who pre- rended they were able to guels, at above Fifteen Millions of Pounds ſter- ling, in Ships and Goods, in the firſt two or three Years of the War: A Sum, which if put into French, would make ſuch a rumbling Sound of great Numbers , as would fright a weak Accomptant out of his belief, being no leſs than One hundred and Ninety Millions of Livres. The weight of this Lols fell chiefly on the Tra- ding Part of the Nation; and amongſt them, on the Merchants; and amongſt them again upon the molt refin'd Ca- pacities , as the Inſurers, &xc. And an incredible number- of the beit Mer- . chants - ep 6 Introduion. = chants in the Kingdom ſunk under the Load ; as may appear a little by a Bill which once paſs'd the Houle of Commons, for the Relief of Mer- chant-Inſyrers, who had ſuffered by the Wax with France. If a great ma- ny fell , much greater were the num- ber of thoſe who felt a ſenſible Ebb of their Fortunes, and with difficulty bore up under the Lols of great part of their Eſtates. Thele , prompted by Neceſlity, rack their Wits for New Contrivances, New Inventions, New Trades , Stacks, Projects, and any thing to retrieve the deſperate Credit of their Foxtunes, Thar this 1s-pro- | bable to be the Cauſe, will appear further thus ; France, tho' I do not believe all the great Qutcries we make of their Miſery and Diſtreſs, if one half of which þe true, they are cer- tainly the beſt SubjeQs in the world ; T7 ; yet Introdudion, 7 yet without queſtion has felt ics ſhare of the Lofles and Damages of the War ; Bur the Poverty there falling chiefly on the Poorer forr of People, they have not been fo fruitful in In- ventions and Practices of this nature, their Genius being quire of another ſtrain. As for the Gentry and more capable fort, the firlt thing a French man flies to in his diſtreſs, is the Ar- my ; and he ſeldom comes back from thence to Get an Eſtace by painful Induſtry , bur either has his Brains knock d out, or makes his Fortune there. If Induſtry be in any Buſineſs re- warded with ſucceſs, 'tis in the Mer- chandizing Part of the World, who indeed may more truly be ſaid to live by their Wits than any people whatſo- ever. All Foreign Negoce, tho to ſome 'tis a plain. road by the help of .B 4 Cu- 8 Introdudiou. Cuftom, ' yet it 1s in its beginning all Project, Contrivance, and Invention. Every new Voyage the Merchant con- crives, is a Project ; and Ships are fent from Port to Port, as Markets and Merchandizes difter , by the help of ſtrange and Univerſal Intelligence ; wherein ſome are ſo exquilite, ſo {wift, and ſo exact, that a Merchanr futing at home in his Counting-houſle , at once converſes with all Parts of the known World. This,” and Travel, makes a True-bred Merchant the moſt Intelligent Man in the World, and conſequently the moſt capable , when urg d by Neceſſity, to Contrive New Ways to live. And from hence, [ humbly conceive, may very properly be derivd the Projefts, fo much the Subject of the preſent Diſcourſe. And ro this ſort of men 'tis eaſy to trace the Original of Banks , Stocks , Stock- __ jobbing, ' Introduion. g | jobbing, Aſſirances, Friendly Socie- ries, Lotteries, - and the like. . Fo this may be added, the long annual Enquiry in the Houfe of Com- . mons for Waysand'Means, which has been a particular movement to fer all the Heads of the Nation at work; and I appeal, with ſubmiſſion,cothe Gencle- men of that Honourable Houſe, if the greateſt part of all the Ways and Means, out of the common road of Land-Taxes, Polls, and the like, have not been handed to them from the Merchant, and in a great meaſure Paid by 'em too. ; However I offer this but as an Eſlay at the Original of this prevaling -Hu- mour of the People; and as 'tis pro- bable fo, 'tis alſo poſſible ro be _ wiſe ; which I ſubmit to future de- montſtration. Of wo introdudtun. Of the ſeveral ways this Faculy of Projecting have exerted it ſelf, and-of | the various Methods, as the Genius of the Authors has inclin'd, I have been ihe diligent Obſerver, and in moſt an unconcernd Specator; and, perhaps, have ſome advantage from thence more eaſily to diſcover the faux Pas of the Actors. If I have given an Eflay rowards any thing New, or made Diſcovery to advantage of any Con- trivance now onfoot, all Men are at the liberty to make uſe of the Improve- ment ; if any Fraud is difcover'd, as now practis d, tis without any parti- | cular Refle&tion upon Parties or Per- ſons. Projets of the nature I Treat about, aredoubtleſs ingeneral of pub- lick Advantage, as they tend to Im- provement of Trade, and Employ- ment of the Poor, and the Circulati- on Introdultion. 1 on and Increaſe of the publick Stock of rhe Kingdom ; but Nis is ſuppos'd of ſuch as are bude on the honeſt Ba- ſis of Ingenuity and Improvement ; in which, tho' Ile allow the Author to aim primarily at his own Advantage, yet with the circumſtances of Publick Benefit added. Wherefore 'tis neceſſary to diſtin- guiſh among the Projetts of the pre- ſent times, berween the Honeſt and the Diſhoneld.. There are, and that too many, fair pretences of fine Diſcoveries, new Inventions, Engines, and [ "a not what, which being advanc'd in Noti- _ id calk'd u things to perform'd ay th _ and Sch _ of Money ſhall be advanc'd;:" and {uch and ſuch Engines are made, have raisd the Fancies of Crodalous _—_— to fuch height, thar meerly , ON 12 Introdu@ion.' on the ſhadow of Expe&arion, they have form'd Companies, choſe Com- mittees, appointed Officers , Shares, and Books, raisd great Stocks, and crid up an empty Notion to that de- gree, that People have been berray d to part with their Money for Shares in a New-Nothing; and when the In- ventors have carrid .on the Jeſt till they have Sold all their own Intereſt, they leave the Clond to vaniſh of it ſelf, and the poor Purchaſers ta Quar- rel with one another, and go to Law about Settlements, Transferrings, and ſome Bone or other thrown among _ 'em by the Subtlety of the Author, ro lay the blame of the Miſcarriage upon themſelves. Thus the Shares at hrit begin to fall by degrees, and happy 1s he that Sells in time; till | like Braſs Money it will go ar laſt for nothing at all. So have I ſeen Shares in IntrodufGion. 12 in Joint-Stocks, ' Patents, Engines, and Undertakings, blown up by the air of great Words, and the "Name of ſome Man of- Credit concerned, to 100'l. for a 5ooth. Part, or Share , ſome ' more, /and at laſt dwindle a- way, till it has'' been Stock-Jobb'd down to 10, 12,9, 81. a Share, and at laſt no Buyer; "that 1s, in ſhort, the fine new word for Nothing-worth, and many Families: ruind by the Purchaſe. It I ſhould name' Lamen- Manufa&tures, Saltpeter-Works ,” Copper= Mines, Diving-Engines, Dippmg, and the like, for inftances of this, I ſhou'd, | believe, do.no wrong to'Truth, or to ſome Perſons too viſibly guilty. I might go on upon this Subject to expoſe the. Frauds and Tricks of Stock- Fobbers, Engmeers,: 'Patentees , Commut= tees, with thole Exchange-Mountebanks wevery properly call Brokers; butThave nor 14 Intros not Gaul enough for ſuch a work; but as 2 general rule of cautionto thoſe who | woud not be TFrickd out of their | Eſtates by ſuch Pretenders ro New Inventions, let them obſerve, That all fach People who may be fuſpected of Deſign, have aſluredly this in their Propoſal, Your Money to the Author ee un Foe the Experiment : And here I could give a very diverting Hi- | ſtory of 'a Patent-Monger , whoſe Cully was no body but my felt; bar [ refer jt. to another occaſion. Bur this is no reaſon why Invention upon honeft foundations, and to fair purpoſes, ſhon'd nor be encourag'd ; no, nor why the Author of ok fair Comtrivances ſhould. not reap the | harveſt of his own. Ingenuiry ; our Acts... of Parhament for granting Patents \ to firſt Inventors for Four- rcerr years, ' is a fuſlkcient acknowledg- | ment | 15 ment of the due regard which oughr to be had to ack as find out any thing which may be of pnblick Ad- vantage; new Diſcoveries in Trade, in 'Arts .and Myſteries, of Manufa- &uring Goods, or Improvement of Land; are without queſtion of as grear benefit, as any Diſcoveries ſong in the Works of Nature by all the Aca- * demies and Royal Societies in the world. - :\T here is, tis | true, a-preat differ- ence berween New Iiventions and Pro- jefts, berween Improvement of Ma- aufaftures or Lands, which tend to the immediate Benehe of the Publick, and Imploying of the Poor; and Projects fram'd by ſubtle Heads, with a ſort of a Deceptio Viſus, and Legerde- miin, to bring People to run needles | and unuſual hazards : I grant it, and give a due preference to tha firſt, and yet Succeſs has ſo ſanctifid ſome of bh, thoſe 16 Introatzon. thoſe other ſorts of- Projects, thar 'twou'd be a kind of Blaſphemy A- gainſt Fortune to diſallow 'em; wit- neſs Sir Wilkam Phipss Voyage to the Wreck'; 'twas a mere Project, a-Lot- rery of a Hundred thouſand ro One odds ; a hazard, which if it had faild, every body wou'd have, been aſham d to have. own'd themſelves concern'd in; a Voyage that wou'd have. been as much_ridicul'd as Don Quixot s 'Ad- venture, upon. the Windmill : Bleſs us ! that Folks ſhould go Three thouſand Miles tro Angle in. the open Sea for Pieces. of. Eight ! why, they wou'd have made Ballads of. it, and the Merchanes:wou'd have ſaid of every unlikely, Adventure, Twas like Phips his Wreck-Voyage ; but it had Suc- cels, and who refle&s upon the, Pro- ject ? -: + os | Nothing s IntroanTien. x7 Nothing's ſo partial as the Laws of Fate, Exefting Blockbeads to ſuppreſs the Great. ' Sir Francis Drake the Spamiſh Plate- Fleet Won, | He had been a Pyrate if he had got none. Sir Walter Rawleigh ſtrove, but miſs d the Plate, And therefore Did a Traytor to the State. Endeavour bears a Value more or leſs, Juſt as tis recommended by Succeſs : The lucky Coxcomb ev'ry Man will prize, And Proſp rous Aftions always paſs for Wiſe. However,this fort of Projects comes under no Reflection as ro their Ho- neſty; ſave that there is a kind of Ho- neſty a Man owes to himſelf and to his Family, that prohibits him throw- ing away his Eftate in impracticable, improbable Adventures; bur ſtill ſome hit even of the moſt unlikely, of which this wag one, of Sir William Phaps, who G brought 18 Introdufion, brought home a Cargo of Silver of near 200000 |. ſterling, in Pieces of Eight, h{h'd up out of the open Sea remote from any ſhore, from an old Spaniſh Ship which had been funk above Forty Years. ——_— ——_— 3 Fe E Hiſtory of Projects. HEN I ſpeak of Wri- ting a Hl 700 of Projetts, I do not mean either of the Introduction of, or Continuing neceſſary Inventions, or the Improve- ment of Arts and Sciences before known ; bur a ſhort Account of Pro- jects, and Projecting, as the Word 1s allow'd in the general Acceptation at this preſent time, and I need not go far back for the Original of the Pra» Ctice. Invention of Arts with Engines and Handycraft Inſtruments for their Improvement, requires a Chronology | EI AS 20 An Eſfjay as far back as the Eldeſt Son of Adam, and has to this day afforded ſome new Diſcovery in every Age. The Building of the Ark by Noah, ſo far as you will allow it a human Work, was the firſt Project I read of; and no queſtion ſeem'd fo ridiculous ro the Graver Heads of that Wiſe, tho' Wicked Age, that poor Noah was ſufficiently banter'd for it; and had he not been ſer on work by a very pc- culiar Direction from Heaven, the | Good old Man would certainly have IU been laugh'd our of it, as a moſt ſenfe- leſs ridiculous Project. The Building of Babel was a Right Project ; for indeed the true definition of a Project, according to Modern | Acceprtation, is, as is ſaid before, a vaſt Undertaking, roo big to be ma- nagd, and therefore likely enough to come to nothing ; and yet as great as they are, tis certainly true of 'em all, even upon Projets. 21 even as the Projectors propoſe ; thar according to the old tale, It fo man Eggs are hatch'd, there will be ſo ma- ny Chickens, and thoſe Chickens may lay ſo many Eggs more, and thoſe Eggs produce ſo many Chickens more, and ſo on. Thus 'twas moſt certain- ly true, That if the People of the Old World cou'd have Buile a Houſe up to Heaven, they ſhoud never be Drown'd again on Earth, and they on- ly had forgot to Meaſure the Heighth, that is, as in other Projects, it only Miſcarri'd, or elſe 'twou'd have Suc- ceeded. | And yet when all's done, that ve Building, and the incredible Heighth it was carrid, is a Demonſtration of the vaſt Knowledge of that Infant- Age of the World, who had no ad- vantage of the Experiments or Inven- tion of any before themſelves. \S Z Thus | 22 An Efjay Thus when our Fathers touch d with Guilt, That Huge Stupendious Srair-Caſe Bullt ; We "IY indeed the fruitleſs Enterprize, For fruitleſs Aftions ſeldom paſs for Wiſe But were the Mighty Ruins left, they'd 20w, To £5" Degree that Untaught Age did Know. | ] believe a very diverting Account might be given of this, but [ ſhall not attempt It. os are apt ro lay with Solomon, No new thing happens —_ the Sun, but what 1s, bs been yet | make no queſtion i {ome ==Li {1derable Diſcovery has been made in theſe latter Ages, and Inventions of Human Original produc'd, which the World was ever without before, ei- ther in whole, or in part; and I 2M only to two Candi Points, the uſe of the Load-ftone at Sea, and the ule upon. Proje&s. 23 uſe of Gunpowder and Guns ; both which, as to the Inventing-part, I believe the World owes as ablolutely to thoſe particular Ages, as it does the Working in Braſs and Iron to Tu- bal Cain, or the Inventing of Muſick to Jubal his Brother. As to Engines and Inſtruments for Handycratt-Men, this Age, I dare ſay, can ſhow ſuch as never were {o much as thought of, much leſs imitated before; for I do not call that a real Invention which has ſomething before done like ic, I account that more properly an Im- provement. For Handycratt Inſtru- ments, I know none owes more to _ true genuine Contrivance, without bor- rowing from any former uſe, than a Mechanick Engine contrivd in our time,call'd,4 Knitting Frame,which built with admirable Symetry, works really with a very happy Succeſs, and may be obſerv'd by the Curious to have a C 4 more 24 An 'Eſfny. more than ordinary Compoſition; for which I refer totheEngine it ſelf, to be ſeen in &very Stocking-Weaver's Garrer. I ſhall trace the Original of the Projecting Humonr that now reigns, no farther back than the Year 1 680. dating its Birth as a Monſter then, tho' by times it had indeed fome- thing of life in the time of the {ate Civil War. I allow, no Age has been altogether without ſomerhing of this nature; and forne very hap- py Projects are left to us as a tafte of their Succeſs ; as the Water-houfes for fupplying of the City of London with Water ; and ſince that, the New- Amer, both very Confiderable Under- takings, and Perfect Projects, adven- rur'd on the riſque of Succeſs. In the Reign of King Charles the Firſt, infinite Projects were ſeton foot forRaiſingMo- ney without a Parliament; Oppreſling by Monopolies, and Privy Seals; but 3 theſe upon \ Projects. 25 theſe are excluded'our Schene, as Irre- owlarities ; fot thus the French are as fruitful in ProjeCts as we; and theſe are rather Stratagems than *Projedts. Afffeer the Fire of London , the Contri- vance of an Engine to Quench Fires, was a Project the Author was ſaid to get well by, and we have found to be very uſeful. But about the Year 1680. began the Art and Myſtery of Proje- cting to creep into the World. Prince Rupert, Uncle to King Charles the Se- cond, gave great Encouragement to that part of it that reſpe&s Engines, and Mechanical Motions; and Biſhop Wilkins added as much of the Theory to it, as writing a Book could do: The Prince has left us a Metal call'd by his Name; and the friſt Project upon thatwas, as I remember, Caſting of Guns of that Metal, and boring them; done both by a peculiar Method of his own, and which died with him, ro to the great loſs of the Undertaker, who to that purpoſe had, with no ſmall Charge, erected a Water-Mill at Hack- ney-Marſh, known by the name of the Temple-Mill : Which Mill very happily perform'd all pore of the Work; and I have ſeen of thoſe Guns on board the Royal Charles, a Firlt-rate Ship, being of a Reddiſh Colour, different either from Braſs or Copper. I have heard ſome Reaſons of State aſſign'd, why that Project was nor permit- ted to- go forward ; but I omir them, becauſe I have no good Au- thority for it : After this, we law a Floating Machine, to be wrought with Horſes for the Towing of Great Ships both againſt Wind and Tide; and another for the railing of Ballaſt which, as unperforming Engines, had the honour x being Made, Exposd, Trid, and laid by, before the Prince died. | " upon Projefts. 27 If thus we introduce it into the World under the Conduct of thar Prince ; when he died, 'twas left a hopeleſs Brat, and had hardly any Hand to own it, , till the Wreck-Voy- age before-noted, perform'd ſo happily by Captain Phips, afterwards Sir Wil- liam; whoſe ſtrange Performance ſet a great many Heads on work to contrive omething for themſelves; he was im- mediately follow'd by my Lord Mor- dant, Sir John Narborough, and others from ſeveral Parts, whoſe Succeſs made 'em ſoon weary of the Work. The Project of the Penny-Poſt, lo well known, and ſtill practis'd, I can- not omit ; nor the Contriver Mr.Dock- wra, who has had the honour to have the Injury done him in that Affair, re- paird in ſome meaſure by the publick Tuſtice of the Parliament. And the Experiment proving it to be a Noble Ko Uſeful Deſign, the Author muſt be 28 - AnFEſwy. be remembred, where-ever mention 1s made of that Affair, to his very great Reputation. Twas no queſtion a great hardſhip for a man to be Maſter of fo fine a Thought, that had both the Eſſential Ends of a Proje& in it, Publick Good, . and Private Advantage : and that the Publick ſhou'd reap the benefit, and the Author be left. out; the Injuſfice of which, no doubt, diſcourag d many a. Good Deſign : Bur ſince an Altera- tion in Publick Circumſtances has re- cover the loſt Attribute of Juſtice, the like is not to be fear d. And Mr. Dock- wra has had the ſatisfaftion to ſee the | former Injury diſown'd, and an ho- nourable Return — even by them who did not the Injury , in bare re- ſpect to his Ingenuity. A while before this , ſeveral Peo- ple, under the Patronage of ſome great Perſons, had engagd 1 in Plant- ing upon Projedts. 29 ing of Forcign Collonies ; as William Pen, the Lord Shaftsbury, Dr. Cox , and others, in Penfilyama, Carola , Eaſt and: Weſt Jerſey , and the like places; which I do not .call Pro- jects, becauſe 'twas only profecu- ting what had been formerly be- gun : Burt here began the form- ing of publick Joint-Stocks, which , rogether with the Eaſt-India, African, and Hudſon's-Bay Companies, before eſtabliſh'd, begot a New Trade, which we call by a new Name, Stock-Jobbing, which was at firſt only the {1mple Occa- ſional Transferring o Intereſt andShares from one to another, as Perſons alie- nated their Eſtates ; bur by the Indu- ſtry of the Exchange-Brokers, who got the buſineſs into their hands, it became a Trade; and one'perhaps manag'd with the greateſt Intriegue, | Artifice, and Trick , that ever any thing that appear'd with a face of Ho- neſty \. 30 An Eſſay neſty could be handl'd with ; for while the Brokers held the Box, they made the whole Exchange the Game- ſters, and rais'd and lower'd the Prices of Stocks as they pleasd; and always had both Buyers and Sellers who ſtood ready innocently to commit their Money to the mercy of their Mercenary Tongues. This Upſtart of a Trade having taſted the ſweetneſs of Succeſs which generally attends a No- vel Propoſal., introduces the Illigiti- mate wandring Object I ſpeak of, as a proper Engine to find Work for the Brokers. Thus Stock-Jobbing nurs'd: Projecting, and ProjeCting in return has very diligently pimp'd for its Foſter- parent, till both are arriv'd to be Pub- lick Grievances; and indeed are now almoſt grown ſcandalous. of upon" Projes. 31 Of PRojEcTORS. AN is the worſt of all God's Creatures to ſhift for himſelf; no other Animal is ever ſtarvd to death ; Nature withour, has provided them both Food and Cloaths ; and Nature within, has placd an Inſtin&t that never fails to direct them to pro- per means for a ſupply ; but Man muſt either Work or Starve, Slave or Dye; he has indeed Reaſon given him to dire&t him, and few who follow the DiCtates of that Reaſon come ro ſuch unhappy vw A but when by the Errors of a Mans Youth he has reducd himſelf to ſuch a degree of Diſtreſs, as to be abſo- lutely without Three things, Money , Friends, and Health, he Dies in a Dirch, or in ſome worle place, an Hoſpital. Ten 32 -Ahſo.: Ten thouſand ways there are to bring a Man to. this, and but, very tew to bring him out again. Death. is the univerſal Deliverer, and therefore ſome who. want Courage to bear what they ſee before 'em, Hang themſelves for fear ; for certainly Self- deſtruction is the effe&t of Cowardice in the higheſt extream. Others break the Bounds of Laws ro ſatisfy that general Law of Nature, and urn open Thieves, Houſe-breakers, Highway-men, Clippers, Coiners, exc. till chey run the length of the Gallows, and ger a Deliverance the neareſt way at St. Tyburn. Others being maſters of more Cun- . o O . o ning than their Neighbours, turn their Thoughts co Private Methods of Trick and Cheat, a Modern way of Thieve- ing, every. jot as Criminal, and in lome degree worle than the other, by which honeſt men are gulls | Wit upon Projects. 33 with fair pretences ro part from 'their Money, and then- left ro take their Courſe with' the Author, who ſculks behind the curtain of a Protection, or in the Mint or Friars, and bids defi- ance as well to Honeſty as the Law: Others yet urg'd by the ſame ne- ceſſity, turn theif;thoughts to Honeſt Invention , founded upon the Plat- form of Ingenuity and Integrity. Theſe _two laſt forts are thoſe we call Projeors; and as there was always more Geeſe than Swans, the number of the latter. are very” inconfiderable in compariſon of the former ;- and as the greater number denominates the leſs, the juſt Contempt we have of the former ſorr, beſpatters the other, who like Cuckolds bear the reproach ot other Peoples Crimes. A meer Projector then is a Con- remptible thing, driven by his own deſperate Fortune to ſuch a Streight, | D that 34 An Eſſay that he muſt be deliver d by a Mira- cle, or Starve ; and when he has bear his Brains for ſome ſuch Miracle in vain, he finds no remedy but to paint up fome Bauble or other, as Players make Puppets talk, big , to ſhow like a ſtrange thing, and then cry it up for a New Invention, .gets a Patent tor 1t, divides it mto Sharts,-and they muſt be Sold; ways and means are not wanting to Swell the new Whim to a vaſt Magnitude; Thouſands, and Hundreds of thouſands are the leaſt of his-diſcourſe, and fomerimes Mil- lions; till-che Ambition of ſome ho- neſt Coxcomb , ts wheed['d to part with his Money for it, and then * z -==<=-- Naſcitur ridiculus mus. the Adventurer 1s left to carry on the | Prajxe&, and the Projector laughs ar him. The Diver {hall walk at the bottom upon Projects. 35 bottom of the Thames z the Saltpeter- Maker ſhall Build Tom. T---ds Pond into Houſes; the Engineers Build Mo- dels and Windmills to draw Water, till Funds are rais'd to carry it on, by | Men who have more Money than Brains, and then good might Patent and Invention; the Projector has done his buſineſs, and is gone. But the Honeſt Projector is he, who _ having by fair and plain orinciples of Senſe, Honeſty, and Ingenuity, brought any Contrivance to a ſuitable Perte- tion, makes out what he prerends to, picks no body's pocket, puts his Pro- ject in Execution, and contents him- ſelf with the real Produce, As the pros fr of his Iavention: 36 An Eſſay Of Banks. B ANKS, without queſtion, if rightly managd, are, or may be, of great Advantage, eſpecially to a Trading People, as the Engliſh are ; and among many others, this is one particular caſe in which that Bene- hr appears, That they bring down the Intereſt of Money, and take from the Gold{miths, Scriveners, and others, who have command of running Cath, their moſt delicious Trade of making advantage of the neceſſities of the Merchanc , in extravagant Diſcounts, and Premio's for advance of Money, when either large Cuſtoms or Foreign Remitrances, call for Disburſements be- yond his common Ability ; for by che eafincls of Terms on which the Merchant may have Money, he is en- courag d to vehture further in "Trade than upon Projects. 37 than otherwiſe he would do ; not but that there are other great advantages a Royal Bank might procure in this Kingdom, as has been een in part by this, As advancing Money to the Ex- chequer upon Parliamentary Funds and Securities, by which in time of a War our Preparations for any Expedition need not be in danger of pion for want of Money, though the Taxes raisd be nor Tpeedily paid , nor the Exchequer burthen'd with the exceſſive Interelts paid in former Reigns upon Anticipations of the Revenue ; Land- ed Men might be ſupplied with Mo- neys upon Securities on eaſter Terms, which would prevent the Loſs of mul- ticudes of Eſtates, now ruin'd and de- vourd by inſolent and mercileſs Mort- oacees and the like. But now we un- happily ſee a Royal Bank Eftabliſhd by A& of Parliament, and another with a large Fund upon the Orphans D}; Stock ; 39 An Eſſay Stock; and yet thele Advantages, or others, which we expected,not anſwerd, tho' the pretenſions in Both have not been wanting at fuch' time as they found it needful ro. introduce them- ſelves into publick Eſteem, by giving. out Prints of what they were rather able to do, than really intended to practice. * So that our having Two Banks at this time fettl'd, and more Erecting, has not yet been able to re- duce the Intereſt of Money ; not 'be- cauſe the Nature and Foundation of their Conſtitution does not tend to- wards it; but becauſe, finding their Hands full of better buſineſs, they are wiſer than by being ſlaves to old ob- ſelece Propoſals, to loſe the advan- tage of the great Improvement they can, make of their Stock. © This however , docs not at all re- fleet on the Nature of a Bank, nor of the Bencht 'it wonld be to. the pub- upon Projeds. 39 publick Trading-part of the King- dom , whatever it may feem'to do on 'the practice of the preſent. We find Four or Five Banks now in view ro be ſertl'd; I confeſs 3 expe&t no more 'from thoſe. to come , than we have found from the paſt ; and I think I make no breach en either my Charity or good - Manners, in laying ſo; and1I refle&t not upon any of the Banks that are or ſhall be Eftabliſh'd | for not doing what I mention, but tor making ſuch publications of what they would do. I cannot think any Man had expe&ted the Royal Bank ſhoud Lend Money on Mortgages at 4 per Cent. nor was it much the bet- ter for them to make publication they wou'd do ſo, from the beginning of January next after their Settlement; Ince to this day, as I am inform, they have not- Lent one Farthing in that manner. D 4 Our 49 An Eſſay Our Banks are indeed nothing | but ſoa many. Gold{miths Shops, where the Credit being high ( and che Dire- ors as high) People lodge their Mo- ney; and They, the DirectorsI mean, make their advantage of it; if you- lay it at Demand, they allow you ho- thing ; if at Time, 3 per Cent. and lo wou'd any Goldimith in Lombardſtreet have done belore;- but the very Banks themſelves are ſo. aukward in- Lend- ing ; ſo ſtrict, ſo tedions, lo inquiſitive, and withal ſo: publick in their taking Securities, . that Men. who are any thing tender, won't go to them; and ſo the eafinels of Borrowing Money, ſo much delign'd, is defeated ; for here is a private Intereſt to be made, tho it. be a publick one; and, in ſhort, 'tis only a'great "Trade carrid on for the private Gain of a few con- cernd in the Original Stock; and to we are to hope for great things, a— OY upon Projefs. 41: becauſe they have promis'd them; yet they are all Future that we know of. And yet all this while aBank mighr be very beneficial to this Kingdom and This might be ſo, if either thei own Ingenuity, or Publick Authority, would oblige them to take the Publick Good into equal Concern with their + Private Intereſt. | To explam Ss TI mean ; Banks being eſtabliſhd by Publick Authority, ought alſo, as all Publick things are , to be nds Limitations and YH Vs from that Authority ; and thoſe Limitations being regulated with a proper regard to the Eaſe of Trade in General, and the Improve- ment of the Stock in Particular, would make. a Bank a Ulſetul , Profitable Thing indeed. Firlt, A Bank ought to be of a Magnirude proportion d to the Trade of the Coun: rey it is in ; which this Bank w 42 An Eſſay Bank is ſo far from, that 'tis no more to the Whole, than the leaſt Gold- {mich's Caſh in Lombardſtreet 1s'to the Bank : From whence it comes to pals, that already more Banks are contri- ving ; and I queſtion not but Banks | in London will ere long be as frequent as Lotteries : The Conſequence of which in all Probability will be , the diminiſhing their Reputation , or a Civil War: with one another. - Tis true, the Bank of England has a Ca- iral Stock ;* but yer was that Stock wholly clear of the Publick Concern of the Government, it is not above a Fifch Part of what would be neceſſary ro manage the whole Buſineſs of the O Town ; which it ought, tho not to do, at leaſt to be Able to do: And I ſuppoſe I may venture to ſay, Above | one half of the Stock of the preſent Bank 1s taken up IN the Afffairs of the Exchequer. [ (up- upon Projells. — 43 I ſuppoſe no body will rake this Diſcourſe for an Invective againſt the Bank of England ; I believe it is a ve- ry Good Fund, a very Uſeful one, and 2 very Profitable one : It' has been - Uſeful to the Government, and i is Profitable to the Proprietors ; and the eſtabliſhing it at ſuch a Junure; when our Enemies were making great boaſts of our Poverty and Want of Money, was a particular Glory to our Nation, and the City in patticular. That when the Paris Gazette inform'd the World, Fhar the Parliament had indeed given the King Grants for raiſing Money in Funds to be paid in remote Years ; but Money was fo ſcarce, that no An- ticipations could be procured : Thar juſt then, beſides Three Miltions paid into the Exchequer that Spring on other Taxes by way of Advance, there was an Overplus-Stock to be found of 1200 000 Pounds ſterliniger (romake | It 44 -AnEfo. it ſpeak Fr wich ) of above Fifteen Mil- lions, which was all paid Voluntarily - Into the Exchequer, in leſs than . -.+., . Befides this , I believe the preſent Bank of England has been ve- ry uſeful ro the Exchequer , and to ſupply the King with Remittances for che Payment ot - rhe Army in Flanders ; which'has alſo, by the way, been very profitable | ro it ſelf. But ſtill this Bank is not. of that Bulk that the Buſineſs done - here requires 3. nor 1s 1t able, with all the Stock it has, to -procure the great propos d Benefir the low 'r- ing the Intereſt of Money : Whereas all Foreign Banks abſolutely govern the-Intereſt , both at Anſterdam Ge- 10a, and; acher places.” And chis De- fe&t I conceive the Mulciplicity of Banks cannot ſupply, unleſs a- perfect Underſtanding could be ſecur'd be- tween them. To remcdy this Defect , yoral Mechods upon Projefts. 45 Methods might be propos d: Some [ ſhall rake the Freedom to hint ar. Firſt, "That the preſent Bank in- creaſe chant Stock to art leaſt Five Mil- lions ſterling, to be ſertled as they are already, with ſome ſmall Limitations to make the Methods more beneficial. Five Millions fterlig is an immenſe Sum ; to which add the Credit of their Caſh, which would lupply them with all the Overplus-Money in the Town, and probably might amount to half as much more ; and then the Credit of Running-Bills, which by circulating would no queſtion be an Equivalent to the other half : So thar in Stock, Credit, and Bank-bills, the Balance of their Cath:would be ub ways Ten Millions ſterling : A Sum that every body who can talk of, does nat underſtand. - But then to find Buſineſs for all chis Stock ; which though it be a ſtrange 46 An Eſſay ſtrange thing to think of, is neverrhe- leſs caly when it comes to be exa- min'd. And firſt for the Buſineſs; "This Bank ſhou'd enlarge the Number of their Directors as they do of their Stock ; and ſhould then eſtabiſh ſeve- - ral Sub-Committees, composd of their own Members, who ſhou'd have the directing of ſeveral Offices rela- ting to the diſtinct ſorts of Buſineſs they referr'd to ; to be over-ruld and governd. by the Governor. and 'Di- reftors in a Body , bur to have a Concluſive Power as to Contracts; Of theſe there ſhould be One Office for Loan of Money for Cuſtoms of Goods; which by a plain Method might be fo order'd, thac the : Merchant might with eaſe pay the higheſt Cuſtoms down ; LE 'S al- lowing the Bank 4 per Cent. Advance, be firſt ſure co fecure the 1 0 1. per Cent. which the King allows for Prompr Pays upon Projefls. * 47 Payment at the Cuſtom-houſe ; ' and be alſo freed from the troubleſome work of finding Bonds-Men , and Securi- ties for the Money; which has expos'd many a Man to the Tyranny of Ex- tents either for himſelf or his Friend , to his utter Ruin ; who under a more moderate Proſecution, had been able to pay all- his Debts ; and by this Method has been torn to pieces, and diſabled from making any tolerable Propoſal to his Creditors. This is a Scene of Large Buſineſs, and would _ in proportion employ a Large Cath : Al El the cabeſt lo ;:n the world to make the Bank the Paymafter of all the Large Cuſtoms, and yer the Mer- chant have fo honourable a Pofleflion of his Goods, as may be neither any Diminution to his Reputation, or any Hindrance to their Sale. 4s for Example : Suppoſe I have 100 Hogfſheads of = | Tobacco as - An Eſoy Tobacco to Import, whoſe Cuſtoms by ſeveral Duties comes to 1000 |, and want Caſh ro clear themt:; 1 go with my Bill of Loading to the Bank, who appoint their Othcer to | Enter the Goods, and pay the Duties ; which Goods lo entred by the Bank, ſhall give chem Title enough to any art, or the whole, without the trou- ble of Bills of Sale, or Conveyances, Defeazances, and the like. "The Goods are carried to a Warehouſe at the Wa- terfide, where the Merchant has a Free and Publick Acceſs to them, as if in his own Warehouſe, and an ho- nourable Liberty to ſell and deliver either the Whole ( paying their Diſ- burſe) .or a Part withour it, leaving bur ſufficient for the Payment; and our of that Parr delivered , eicher by Notes under the Hand of the Parcha- ſer, or any other way, he may clear the ſame, without any Exactions, bur of uped. Projetts. = of::4 1. per Cent. and the :xeſt are his - The caſe this wou'd;bring to Trade, the: deliverance it won'd/ bring to the Merchants from :the inſults of -Gold- ſmiths; ec. :and the honour, ic wou'd give to our-management of Publick Impoſts, with the advantages to the Cuſtom-Houfe it. felf, and' the utrer deſtruction of-;Extottion;; .wou'd be ſuch as wou'd give a due, value to the Bank; and make all Mankind acknow- ledge it to be a-publick good. The Grievance , of ExaCtions. upon Mer- chants in this caſe is very- great ;. arid when I lay the blame on che Gold- {michs, becauſe they are the principal People made ufe of in {uch occations, I include a great many other ſorts of Brokers; and Money-jobbing Arrtiſts, who all get a ſnip out of the Mer- chant: I my ſelf have known a Gold- ſmith in Limbardſtreet Lend a Man E -00 l. 5o An Efig. 7001. topay the Cuſtoms of a Hun- dred Pipes of Spaniſh Wines ; '- rhe Wines were made over to him for Se- curity by Bill of Sale, and put into a Cellar, of 'which the. Goldfmich kept the Key'; -- "the "Merchant was to pay 6 [.' per 'Cent. "Ifitereſt on the Bond, and to! allow 'To 'l..per Cent. Premio for advancing che Money: When he had'the Wines in Pofleſſion, the Owner cou'd: not'{end his Cooper to look after them, 'bur the Goldfmirh's Man muſt arterid all the while, for which he wou'd be'paid 5 5. a day. 'If he brought /a Cuſtomer to fee them, the Goldſrfiith's Man muſt ſhow them ; the Money was Lent'for Two Months; he cou'd not'be 'admitred 'to Sell or Deliver 'a Pipe of Wine out fingle, or Two or Three at a time, as he might have Sold them ; 'but on a word or ewo ſpoken afriif to the Goldſmith, or which he was pleaſed 'to take ” , e upon Pojeds. $1 he wou'd have none Sold, but the whole Parcel rogether ; by this uſage the Goods lay on hand, and eve Month the Money remain'd,the Gold- ſmith demanded a Guinea per Cent. forbearance, beſides the Intereſt, ill at laſt by Leakage, Decay, and other Accidents, the Wines began to leſſen : Then the Goldſmith begins to tell the Merchanr, he.is afraid the Wines are not worth the Money he has Lent, and demands further Security; and in a lictle while growing higher and rougher, | herells him, he muſt have his Money ; the Merchant too much at his Mercy, becauſe he cannot provide the Money, is forcd to conſent to the Sale, and the Goods being reduc'd to Seventy Pipes found Wine, and Four un- found { the reſt being funk for filling up) were Sold for 13 |. per Pipe the Sound, and 3 !. the Unſound, which amounted to 92 2.1. together : _ E: 1 - Fa 52 An Eſjay ht 4. T he Coopers Bill came to —30 '0 © The Cellerage a Tear and Half to--18 © © Intereſts on the Bond to —<—— — 63 © © The Goldſmith's Men for Attendanceo8 © © Allowance for Advance of my Money, and Forbearance -— $/* © © 193 © © Principal Money Borrow'd 700 © © - =2Y 93 © Oo Due to the Merchant - -— 20 © 0 QO022 © ©9 By the modetateſt Computation that can be, theſe Wines Coſt the Merchant as follows : Firſt Coſt with Charges on Board 1, s. 4d, 1: Lisbon 15 Mille Reis per Pipe zs 1500 Mill. Re. Exchange 47 0-0 at 6 s. 4 d.- per Mille Ret Freight to London — then at .. 34. per Ton - —— {0 F : Aſſurance on 5001. at 2 per C.-—10 © © Feity Charges mn > — De..0 -0 640 © © So upon Projects. 53 So that 'tis manifeſt by the Extorti- on of this Banker, the poor Man loſt the whole Capital with Freight and Charges, and made bur 29 /. produce of a Hunderd Pipes of Wine. One other Office of this Bank, and which woud take up a conſiderable branch of the Stock,is for Lending Mo- ney upon Pledges, which ſhou'd have annex d toita Warchoule and Factory, where all ſorts of Goods might pub- lickly be Sold by the Conſent of the Owners, to the great Advantage of the Owner, the Bank receiving 4 [. per Cent. Intereſt, and 2 per Cent. Com- miſſion for Sale of the Goods. A Third Office ſhoud be appoint- ed tor Diſcounting Bills, Tallies, and Notes, by which all Tallies of the Exchequer, and any part of the Reve- nue, ſhou'd at ſtated Allowances be ready Money to any Perſon, to the great Advantage of the Government, E 2 and 54 +4» Ef and eaſe of all ſuch 'as are any ways concern in publick Undertakings. A Fourth Office for Lending Mo- ney upon Land-Securities at 4 per Cent. Intereſt ; by which the Cruelty and Injuſtice of Mortgagees 'woud be wholly reftraind, and a Regiſter of Mortgages might be very well kept, to revent Frauds. ' 1 A Fifth Office for Exchanges and Foreign Correſpondences —o— © | A Sixth for Inland Exchanges , where a very large Field of Buſneſ | hes before them. OM Under this Head twill not be impro- per to conſider, that this Method wall moſt effetually anſwer all the Noti- ons and Propoſals of County-Banks; for by this Office they wou'd be all render d uſeleſs and unprofitable; ſince One Bank, of the Magnitude I men- _ tion, with a Branch of its Office ſet apart for that Buſineſs, might with T | eaſe upon Projeds. 55 caſe Manage all the Inland-Exchange of the Kingdom. | By which ſuch a Correſpondence with all the Trading-Towns in Eng- land might be maintain'd, as that the whole Kingdom ſhoud Trade with the Bank. Under the Direction of this Office a Publick Caſhier ſhou'd be appointed in every County, to reſide in the Capital Town as to Trade, and inſome Counties more, through whole Hands all the Caſh of the Revenue of the Gentry, and of Trade, thou'd be return d on the Bank in London, and from the Bank agam on their Caſhier in every reſpective County or Town, at the ſmall Exchange of 2 per Cent. by which means all loſs of Money carrid upon the Road, to the encouragement of Robbers, and Ruin- ing of the Countrey, who are Sud tor thoſe Robberies, wou'd be more efteftually prevented, than by all che E:4 Sta- 56 An Eſſay Statutes againſt Highway-Men that are or can be made. © | As to Publick Advancings of Mo- ney to the Government, they may be [ef to the Directors in a Body, as all other Diſputes and Contingent caſes | are; and whoever examines theſe Heads of Buſineſs apart, and has any Judgment in the Particulars, will, I ſuppoſe, allow, that a Stock of Ten Millions may find Employment in them, thoigh it be indeed a very grant Sum: £1 077 . I coud offer ſome very good Rea- ſons, why this way of Management ' by particular Offices for every particu- Jar fort of Buſineſs, is not only the ealieſt, but the ſafeſt way of execu- - ting an Affair of ſuch variety and conſequence ; alto I cou'd ſtate a Me- thod for the Proceedings of thoſe private Offices, their Conjunction with, and Dependance on the General _ | Court upon Projefs. 57 Court of the Dire&ors, and how the various Accomprs ſhoud Center in one General Capital account of Stock, with Regulations and Appeals; but believe them to be needleſs, ar leaſt in this place. If it be Objected here, Thar it is impoſſible for One Joint Stock to go thorough the whole Bulineſs of the | Kingdom. I Anſwer, 1 believe it is not cake impoſlible or impracticable, particularly on this one account, that almoſt all the Country Buſineſs wou'd be Manag d by running-Bills, and thoſe the longeſt. abroad of any, their diſtance keeping them our, to the In- crealing the Credit, and conſequently the Stock of the Bank. Of the Multiplicity of Banks. What is rouch'd at in the foregoing part of this Chaprer, refers to One Bank- 58 An Ef Bank-Royal, to Pretide, as it were, over the whole Cafh of the NO But becauſe ſome People do ſuppoſe this Work fitter for many Banks than for One; I muſt a little conſider thar Head : And hrſt, allowing thoſe ma- ny Banks cou'd without clathing main- train a conſtant Correſpondence with one another, in paſſing each others Bills as Current from one to another, I know-not but it might be better per- form'd by Many, than by One ; for as Harmony makes Muſick in Sound, ſo it produces Succeſs in Bulinels. A Civil War among Merchants is always the Ruin of Trade : I cannot think a Multitude of Banks cou'd ſo conſiſt with one another in England, as to join Intereſts, and uphold one ano- ther's Credit, without joining Stocks 'to0; I confeſs, if it cou'd be done, the Convenience to Trade wou'd be Viſible. It - upon Projedls. 59 If 1 were to Propoſe which way theſe Banks ſhou'd be Eſtablifh'd ; I anſwer , Allowing a due regard to ſome Gentlemen who have had thoughts of the ſame, whoſe Methods I ſhall nor fo much as touch upon, much leſs diſcover; My thoughts run upon quite different Methods, both for the Fund, and the Eftabliſhmenr. Every principal Town in England is a Corporation , upon which the Fund may be ſettled ; which will ſuf- ficiently anſwer the difficult and charge- able work of Suing for a Corporation by Patent or Act of Parliament. A general Subſcription of Stock be- ing made, and by Deeds of Setcle- ment plac'd in the Mayor and Alder- men of the City or Corporation for the rime being, in Truſt, to be de- clared by Deeds of Uſes, ſome of the Dire@ors being always made Mem- bers of the ſaid Corporation , and MAD join d 60 An Eſſay joind in the Truſt, the Bank hereby becomes the Publick Stock of the Town, ſomething like what they call the Rents of the Town- Houſe in France, and is Manag d in the Name of the ſaid Corporation, to whom the Directors are Accountable, and they back again tothe General Court. _ 1:1; Por Eanne : | Suppoſe the Gentlemen, or Tradeſ- men, of the County of Norfolk, by a Subſcription of Caſh, deſign ro Eſta- bliſh a Bank : The Subſcriptions be- ing made , the Stock is paid into the Chamber of the City of Norwich, and manag'd by a Court of Directors, as all Banks are, and choſen out of the Subſcribers, the Mayor only of the City to be always one; to be mana- ged in the Name of the Corporation of the City of Norwich , but for the Utes in a Deed of Truſt to be made by tic Subſcribers, and Mayor and Alder- upon. Proje&s. 61 Aldermen, at large mentioned. I make no queſtion bur a Bank thus ſettled, wou'd:have as firm a Foun- dation as any Bank need to have, and every way an{wer the Ends of a Cor- poration. 1 __ Of'* theſe ſorts of Banks England might very well eſtabliſh Fifteen, at _ the ſeveral Towns hereafter mention'd. Some of which, tho they are nor the Capital Towns of the Counties, yet are more the Center of Trade, which in England runs in Veins , like Mines of Metal in the Earth. Canterbury. Leeds, or Halifax, Salisbury. or Jork. Exeter. Nottmgham. Briſtol. Warwick , or Bir- Worceſter. mingham. Shrewsbury. Oxford , or Rea- Mancheſter. Bedford. (ding. Newcaſtle upon Norwich. Thne, Colcheſter. Every 62 An Efſay Every one of theſe Banks to have a Caſhier in London, unleſs they cou'd all have a general Correſpondence and Credit with the Bank-Royal: | Theſe Banks in their reſpective Counties ſhould be a General Staple and Factory for the Manufactures of the 1ſaid County ; where every man that had Goods made , might have Money at a ſmall Intereft tor Ad- vance :; the Goods in the mean time being fem forward ro Market ; to a Warehouſe for that purpoſe erected in London, where they thou'd be diſposd of to all the Advantages the Owner cou'd expect, paying only 1 per Cent: Commiſſion. Or if the Maker want- ed Credit in London either for.\Spaniſh Wool, Cotton, Oyl, or any Goods , while his Goods were in the Warehoule of .the ſaid Bank , his Bill .ſhou'd be paid by the Bank to the full Value of his Goods , or at leaſt within a fmall | | = marcrer: upott: Projetts. 65 matter. Thiele-Banks, either by Cor- reſpotdence with! each other, or an Order to their Caſhier in London., might with-eaſe ſo paſs each other's Bills, that-a man who has Caſh ar Phmouth , and wants Money at Ber- wick, -may. transfer his Caſh at'Ph- mouth to Newcaſtle -in . half. an hours time , Without either Hazard , or Charge, or Time, allowing only ; per Cent.Exchange ; and ſoof all-the moſt diſtant parts of the Kingdom. Or if he wants Money at Newcaſtle, and has Goods at Worceſter, or at any other Cloathing-Town, ſending his Goods to be ſold bythe Factory of the Bank of Worceſter , he may '\remit by the Bank to Newcdſtle, or any where elle, as-readily as if his Goods were fold and-paid for ; and no Exactions made upon him'for the Convenience he en- Joys. "This Diſcourſe of Banks the Rea- or _ 64 An Eſſay" der is to' tinderſtandiro have no-relas tion to the preſent Poſture-of -Affeairs, with reſpe& to the Scarcity of - Oarrarit Money, which feems'to' have put a ſtop to! that part of '# Stock we-call "Credit ;' which always is; and indeed muſt be 'the moſt -eflential part of a Bank ;-and without which no Bank can pretend to ſubſiſt, 'at leaſt ro Ad- vantage. ' | A Bank is only a Grear: Stock of Money put together, to be employ d by re of oe Subſcribers, br He name of the'reſt , for the'Benehit of | the Whole; This- *Stock- 'of Money ſubſiſts noe barely on the Profits of its own Stock; 'for that'wou'd be:incon- ſiderable; but upon the'Contingences and Accidents which 'Maltipliciry of Buſineſs occaſions : As. for Inſtance ; "A man that comes for ' Money, -and knows he may have it To-morrow, perhaps he is in haſte, and won't take It a , 1 - « « *A +» 4 - Loy Salts 4 PTE a eos. Fu" SIT WO GS "OR My" ap © One. fs. 4: ns 12 " $5.8 de Spa , RR EOS SEN & MARIST wo ton 7.» /, to es Ate: 3 Ewan i en ono oa be AEGIS {© 4, NR g = = 5 Ore Woe. © u y i 4 4 % Af x6 XX At Pane” > > 2: Fg \ © OS 9 0. "Ie » 6 & FA ” wv vw SS Ss > —=Y T% Wt Ct. PA "4. OO , $ a Fg TY LOC SY A >} a 7 Ge Rt | *; 8 » Z AS ct” a. PF . A > We 2, : : —_ 4 - o OE WS Sa 0 k y S - LEE ud 5. . - > 4 won Projetts. 65 it to day : Only that he:miy be ſure of it to- morrow, he:takes' a Memo- randim_ under the Hand ofthe Offi- cer, That he ſhall have it whenever he calls' for itz and this: Memorandum we call a Bill: To morrow when he Intended to fetch. his Money, comes a Man to him for Money; and. to ſave himſelf the labour of Telling, he gives! him the Memorandum or Bill aforeſaid for his Money; this Second- ' Man does as the Firſt, and a Third does as he did, and fo the Bill runs about a Month, "Two or Three; and this is that we. call Credit; for by the Circulation of a quantity of theſe . Bills, the Bank enjoys the full Bene- fit of as much Stock in real Value; as the ſuppoſititious Value of the Bills amounts to:z and where-ever this Cre- dit fails, this Advantage fails ; for im- mediately all men come for their Money, and the Bank muſt die of it 0 ſelf 5 66 An Eſſay felf; for I'am ſure no Bank by the ſimple Improvement of their { ingle Stock, can-ever- make any conlider- able Advantage. I confels. a Bank who can lay pl Fund for.-tche Security of their Bills, which ſhall produce, firſt an Annual Profit to'' the Owner, and yet make good the Paſlant-Bill, may ſtand, and be advantageous too, becaule he Is a Real and a Suppolititious Value both, and the Real always ready to make oood the Suppolititious ; and this [ know no way to bring to pals but by Land, which at the ac cime thar it lies Transfeir'd to fecure the Value of every Bill given out, brings in a ſeparate Profit to the Owner; and this W: ay no queſcion bur the whole King- dom might be a Bank to it ſelf, tho' no ready Money were to be und In It. | | had gone on in ſome Sheets with upon Projedts. 67 with niy Notion of Land; being the beſt botrom-for Publick Banks, and the eaſineſs of bringing it co anſwer all the Ends of Money depoſited, with double Advantage ; but I find ' my ſelf happily prevented by a Gen- _ tleman, who has publiſh'd the very ſame, tho' fince this was Wrote ; and | was always Maſter of ſo much Wir, as to hold my Tongue while they ſpoke who underſtood the thing ber- ter than my ſelf. Mr. John Aſeill of Lincolns-Inn , in a ſmall Tra&, Entituled,- Seve- ral Affſertions provd, im Order to Create another Species of Money than - - Gold and Silver, has fo diſtinctly hand- | led this very Caſe, with ſuch ſtrength _ of Argument, ſuch clearneſs of. Rea- ſon, ſuch a Judgment, and ſuch a Stile, as all the Ingenious part of the World muſt acknowledge themlelves extremely Oblig'd to him for tha: Piece: OP 2 _ 68 An Eſſay At the ſight of which Book I laid by all that had been written by me on char Subject ; for I had much rather confeſs. my ſelf incapable of handling that Point like him, than have con- vinc'd the World of it by my imper- tinence. ———— & hr _tcoacw. D— Of the Hicn-Wayrs. T is a prodigioys Charge the whole Nation groans under. for the Repair of High-Ways, which, after all, lie in a very ill Poſture too ; I make no queſtion but if it was taken into Conſideration by ' thoſe who have the Power to Direct it, the . Kingdom might be wholly eas'd of that Burthen, and the High-Ways be kept in good condition, which now lie in a moſt ſhameful manner in moſt | parts upon Projeds. 69 parts of the Kingdom, and in many places wholly unpaſlable; from whence ariſe "Tolls and Impoſitions upon Pal- , ſengers and Travellers; and on the other hand, Treſpaſles and Incroach- ments upon .Lands adjacent, to the great Damage of the Owners. The Rate for the High-Ways is the moſt Arbitrary and Unequal Tax in the Kingdom ; in ſome = 12 ewo or three Rates of 6 d. per |. in the year, in others the whole Pariſh cannot raiſe wherewith to defray the Charge, either by the very bad condition of the Road, or diſtance of Materials ; in others the Surveyors raiſe what they never Expend ; and the Abules, Ex- actions, Connivances , Frauds, and Embezlements, are innumerable. The Romans, while they Govern'd this Iſland, made it one of their prin- cipal cares ro Make and Repair the High-Ways of the Kingdom, and the F'2 Chief 75 wn tſy. Chicf Roads we .now ule, are of their Marking. out ; the. Conſequence of maintaining them was ſuch, or ax jeaſt ſo cſteem'd, - that: they chought 1t - ot below: them to Enloy their: Le- 9ionary Troops in. tne Work; and it was ſometimes the Bulinels of whole Armies, either when in Winter-quar- ters, Or in the intervals of. Truce or Peace with the Natives. : Nor have the Romans left us any greater tokens of their Grandeur and Magnificence, than the ruins of thoſe Cauſways and Street- ways which are at this day to be {cen in many parts of the Kingdom ; fome ot which has by the viſible Remains been diſcover'd to traverſe the whole Kingdorht ; and others for more than an Hundred Miles are to be trac'd from Colony to Colony, as they had particular occaſion. The famous High-Way, or Street, call'd Watling- ftreet, winch ſome will cell you began at / upon Projedts. 71 at London-ſtone, and paſſing that very Street in. the Ciry, which we ro this day call by that Name, went on Weſt to that ſpot where Tyburn now ' ſtands, and then turn'd North-Weſt in ſo ſtraight a line to St. Albans, that 'tis now the exacteſt Road ( in one Line for Twenty Miles) in the King- dom; and tho' diſusd now as the Chict; yet is as good, and. I believe the -beft Road to St. Albans, and is {till - calld the Street-way : From whence it is trac'd into Shropſhire above an Hundred and {txty Miles, with a mulritude of viſible Antiquities upon it, Diſcoverd and Delcrib'd very A- curately by Mr. Cambden. The Foſſe, another Roman Work, lies at this day as viſible, and as plain a high Caul- way , of above Thirty Foot broad, Ditch'd on either ſide, and Cop'd and Pav'd where need is, as exact and eve- ry jot as beautiful as che King's new | F-4 Road 722 An Eſſay Road through Hide-Park; in which figure it now lies from near Marſhfield _ to Cirenceſter, and again from Cirenceſter rothe Hill Three Miles on this {1de Glou- ceſter, which is not leſs than Twenty {ix Miles, and is made uſe of as the reat Road to thoſe Towns, and 4 bably has been ſo for a Thouſand Years with little Repairs. | It we ſet afide the Barbarity and Cuſtoms of the Romans, as Heathens, and take them as a Civil Government, wemuſt allow they were the Pattern of the whole World for Improvement and Increaſe of Arts and Learning, Civilizing and Methodizing Nations and Countries Conquer'd by their Valour; and if this was one of their great Cares, That conſideration ought ro move ſomething. But to the great Example of that Generous People, Fle add Three Arguments. TRAST upon Projets. 73. (1.) "Tis Uſeful, and that as 'tis convenient for Carriages, which ina - Trading, Countrey 1s:a great-help to Negoce, 'and promores univetſal Cor- reſpondence, without which our Inland Trade cou'd not be manag'd. And un- der this Head I cou'd name a thouſand Conveniences of a ſafe, pleaſant, well- Repair d High-Way, both to the In- habitant and the Traveller; but I think 'tis needleſs. (2.) "Tis caly. I queſtion not to make it appear 'tis*caly, to put all the High Roads, eſpecially in Englayd, in a noble Figure, Large, Dry, and Clean, well Dreind and free from Floods, unpaſſable Sloughs, deep Cart- routs, high Ridges, and all the Incon- veniences they now are full of; and when once .done, much eafier ſtill to be maintaind fo. (3.) It may be Cheaper, and the whole Afleſsment for the Repairs of 74 An Efoy High-Ways for ever be Dropd, or Appli'd to other uſes for the Publick Benefit. | OE Here I beg the Reader's Fayour for a ſmall Digreſſion. I am nor Propoſing this. as: an Undertaker , - or forind a Price to the Publick , for which I will- per- form it like one of -/ the Projettors 1 freak of ; but laying open a Project for the Performance , which when- ever the Publick Afffairs will .admir our Governors tv Confider of, will be found fo feafible, that no queſtion they may find Undertakers enough for the Performance ; and in this Under- taking-Age I do not doubt but 'twou'd be eaſy ar any time to procure Per- fons at their own Charge to perform it for any fingle County, as a Pattern and Experiment for the whole King- dom. The upon Projets. 75 The Propoſal is as follows. Firſt, That an Act of Parliament be made, with Liberty for the Under- takers to Dig and Trench, to cut down ; Hedges and Trees, or whatever isneed- ful for ditching, dreining and carrying off Water, cleaning, enlarging and le- velling the Roads, with Power to lay open or incloſe Lands; to incroach in- to Lands, dig, raiſe, and level Fen- ces, plant and pull up Hedges or Trees, for the enlarging, widening, and dreining the High-Ways , with Power to turn either the Roads, or Water-Courſes, Rivers and Brooks, as by the Directors of the Works ſhall be found needful , always allow- ins ſatisfaction to be firſt made to the Owners of ſuch Lands; either by aſ- 110ning to them equivalent Lands, or Payment in Money , the Value to hh 75 - Mbſy | be adjuſted, by Two indifferent Per- ſons, to -be Named by the Lord Chan- .._ cellor, or Lord Keeper for the time. being; and no 'Water-Courle .to be turn'd from any Water-Mill, -without | Satisfaction firſt -made both to -the Landlordand Tenant. But before I proceed, 'I muſt ſay a word or two to this Article. - The Chief, and almoſt the Only Cauſe of the deepnels and foulneſs of the Roads, is occaſton'd by the ſtand- ing Water, which for want of due care to draw it oft by ſcouring and opening Ditches and Dreins, and 0- ther Water-Courſes, and clearing of Paſſages, ſoaks into the Earth, and ſoftens it to ſuch a degree, that it can- not bear the weight of Horles and Cargiges; to prevent which, the Pow- | er to Dig, Trench, and Cut down, exc. mention'd above, will be of abſolute neceſſity : But becauſe the liberty ſcems * upon Projetis. gy ſeems very large, and ſome may think + 'tis t0O great a Power to be granted to any Body of Men over their Neigh- bours : "Tis an{wer'd; (1.) 'Tis abſolutely :neceffary , or the Work cannot be done; and rhe do- ing of the Work is of much greater Be- nefit than the Damage can amounr to. (2.) Satisfaction to be made to the Owner, and that firſt too, before the Damage be done, is an Unqueſtiona- ble Equivalent ; and Both together, [ think, are a very full Anſwer to apy Obje&tion in That caſe. DO | Beſides this A&t of Parliament, a Commiſſion muſt be granted to Fifteen, at leaſt, in the Name of the Undertakers, to whom every County ſhall have Power to join "Ten, who | areto Sit with the ſaid Fifteen, ſo often and fo long as the ſaid Fifteen do Sit for Affairs relating 'to that Counry ; which Fifteen, or any Seven of them, {hall 78 An Eflay ſhall be Directors of the Works, to be advis'd by the ſaid Ten, or any Five of them, in matters of Right and Claim; and the ſaid Ten to adjuſt Differences in the Countries, and to have Right by Proceſs ro appeal in the name either of Lords of Man- nors, or Privileges of Towns or Cor- porations, who ſhall be either damag'd or encroach'd upon by the ſaid Work: All Appealsto be heard and determind immediately by the ſaid Lord Chan- cellor, or Commiſſion from him, that the Work may receive no Interruption. This Commiſiton ſhall give Power _ to the ſaid Fifteen to preſs Wagons , Carts, and Horſes, Oxen, and Men, and detain them to work a certain Lt- muted Time, and within certain Lim!- ted Space of Miles from their own Dwellings, and ar a certain Rate of Payment : No Men, Horſes, or Carts, ro be preſs'd againſt their Conſent, du- ring. upon Projets. * 79 nog the times of Hay-time, or Har- veſt; or upon Market-days, if the Perſon aggrievd will make. Afffidavir he is oblig'd to be with his Horſes or Carts at the ſaid Markets. It is well known to all who have any knowledge of the Condition the High-Ways in England now lyein, that in moſt places there is a convenient diſtance of Land left open for travel- ling, either for driving of Cattel , or marching of Troops of Horſe, with perhaps as few Lanes or Defiles, as in any Countries: The Croſs-Roads , which are generally Narrow, are yet Broad enough in moſt places for two Carriages to paſs; but on the other hand, we have on moſt of the High- Roads a great deal of waſte-Land thrown in as it were for an Overplus co the _— which though it be usd of. courſe by Cattle and T ravel- lers on occaſion, is indeed no Benefir Al -. or to the Podr as a Common, or to _ - Graſs, in any quantity anſwerable to at all cither to the Traveller as a Road, the Lord of the Mannor as a Waſte, upon it grows neither Timber. nor the Land; but, tho to no purpoſe, is \ trodden down, poachd, and over- run by Drifts of Cattle in the Winter, or ſpoil'd with the Duſt in the Sum- mer: And this I have obſerv'd in ma- ny parts of England to be as good Land asany of the Neighbouring Encloſures, as capable of Improvement, and to as good purpoſe. Theſe Lands only being enclos'd and manurd , leaving the Roads to Dimenſions without meaſure ſufficient, are the Fund upon which I build the Prodigious Stock of Money that muſt do this Work. Theſe Lands, which I ſhall afterwards make an Eflay to va- lue, being enclos'd, will be either ſale- able to raiſe Money, or fit to exchange | with upon Projetts. 31 wich thoſe Gentlemen who muſt parr with ſome Land where the Ways are narrow : Always referving a quantiry of- theſe Lands to be Let our to Te- nants ; the Rent to be paid into the Publick Stock or Bank of the Under- takers, and to be reſerv'd for keeping the Ways inthe ſame Repair ; - the ſaid Bank to forfeit the Lands if rhey are not ſo maintained. | Another Branch of the Stock muſt be Hands ; for a Stock of Men is a Stock of Money z to which purpoſe every County, City, Town, and Pa- riſh, ſhall be Rated ar a Ser Price, equi- valent to Eight Years Payment for the | Repair of High-ways ; which each County, ec. 1hall raiſe, :nor by Af- ſelsment in Money, but by preſſing of Men, Horſes, and Carriages for the Work ; the Men, Horles,: cc. to be employ d : by the Directors : In which caſe all Corporal Punithments, 82 An Eſſay as of Whippmgs, Stocks, Pillories , Houſes of Correftion , ec. might be _ caſily tranſmitted to a certain Number of Days Works on the High-Ways, and in Conſideration of this pro- viſion of Men, . the Country ſhou'd for ever after be acquitted of any Contri- bution, either in Money or Work, for Repair of the High-Ways, Building of Bridges excepted. There lies ſome Popular Objedtion againſt this Undertaking ; and the firſt is, the great Controverted Point of England, Encloſure of the Common , which tends ro Depopulation, arid In- jures the Poor. | (2.) Who ſhall be Judges or Sur- veyors of the Work, ro Oblige the Undertakers to perform to a certain limited degree. For the Firſt ; The Encloſure of the Common ; A Clauſe thar runs as far as to an Incroachment upon Magna Charta, pots Projetfe., 3$5 Chartd, and a moſt conſiderable branch of the Property of the Poor : I An- {wer it thus. ER. {1i.) The Lands we Encloſe, ate not ſuch as from which the Poor do inz deed reap any Benefit, or at leaſt any that is conſiderable. Ss (2.) The Bank and Publick Stock, who are to Manage this great Underta- king, wall have p many little Labours to perform, and Offices to beſtow, that are fir only for Labouring Poor Perſons to do, as will put theni in a condition to provide for the Poor who are ſo Injur'd, thar can work; and to thoſe who cannot, may allowPenſions for Overſceing, Superviſing, and the like, which will be more . os Equi- valent. £ (3.) For eons the con- trary ſhou'd beſecur'd, by obliging the Undettakers; at ſuch and fuch certain diſtances,to erect Corrages, Two at leaſt G z in 7 Aw Bfuyi in a place, -which wou'd: be uſeful to the Work; and ſafery- of the Traveller; - to which ſhou'd be an Allormenrt of Land, always ſufficient 'ro invite: the Poor Inhabitant, in- which the Poor {hou'd be Tenant for. Life Gratts, : do» ing Duty upon the. High-Way, as ſhou'd be appointed 5; by which, and many other Methods, the Poor ſhou'd be great Gainers by the Propoſal, in- ſtead of being Injurd. z (4.) Bythis erecting of Cottages at proper diſtances, a Man might:'Tra- vel over all England as through a Street, where he cou'd never want, either Re- ſcue from Thieves, or Directions for his way. 2c 7 | (5.) This very Undertaking once duly ſettled, might in a few Years fs order it, that there ſhou'd be no Poor for the Common; and if ſo, What need of a Common for the Poor? Of which in its proper place, - Ag upon Projetts. 85 As. to the ſecond Objection, Who ſpy! d oblige the Undercaker to the Performance 2. L- (1) I Anſwer, Their Crmmulliel and. Charter ſhou'd become Void, and all their Stock Forfeit, and the Lange Encloſed and. Unſold , remain as a Pledge, which wou'd be Security ſuffi- cient. - (2.) The Ten Perſons choſen out of every County, ſhou'd have Power to Inſpet and Complain ,, and the Lord Chancellor upon: ſach Com- plaine, to make a Survey, and to de- termine by a Jury, in which caſe on Defaulr, they ſhall be oblig'd co pro- ceed;: ... | (3 ) The Lands/ſettled on the Bank ſhall be liable ro be extended for the Uſes mentioned, if the ſame ar any. time be nor tned | in the conditi- onat firſt provided, and the Bank to be amerc'd upon Complaint o of rhe Coun- trey. : G& } -Thele 86 An Eſſay Theſe and other Conditions, which ON a Legal Settlement to be' made by Wiſer Heads than mine , might «a tho ht on, do believewou'l Conllirurion fo firm, fo fair, and 46 equally Advantageous to te Coun- try, to the Poor, and-to the Publick, as has nor been pur in practice :ohieſ> latter Ages of the World, To Di- {courſe > this a little in general, -and co inſtance m a Place, crhaps, that has not its fellow in "s dom, the Pariſh of J/lington in M iddleſex ; there lies dough this oo Pariſh the rae Road in England, and the | frequented, eſpecially by Carrle for Smith field-Marker ; this great Road has fo many Branches and lies for fo long a way chrough the Pariſh, and withal has the inconvenience & l Clayey Ground, and no Gravel athand, that, modeſtly ſpeaking, the Pariſh is not x able to keep It in Repair, by which | means upon Projetts. 87 means ſeveral Croſs-Roads in the Pa- riſh lie wholly Unpaſſable, and Carts and Horſes, and Men too, have been almoſt Buried in Holes and Sloughs, and the main Road it ſelf has for ma- ny Years lain in a very ordinary con- dition, which occaſton'd ſeveral Mori- ons in Parliament to Raiſe a Toll ar Highgate, for the # ppg of whar it was impoſſible the Pariſhſhou'd do, and yet was of ſo abſoluteneceſſity tobe done;. And is it not very probablethe Pariſh of I/lmgton wou'd part with all the waſte Land upon theirRoads, to be eas'd of the intolerable Afeſsment for Repair of the High-Way, and anſwer the Poor, who reap bur a ſmall Bene- ft from it, ſome other way? And yet I am free to affirm, Thar for a Granc of Waſte, and almoſt uſeleſs Land, lying open to the High-Way, thoſe Lands to be improv'd, as they might eaſily be, rogerher with the Eight | G 4 Years 88 An Eſſay Years Aſſeſsment to be; provided in WW orkmen, 2 noble Magnificent Cauſe- way might be Erected, with Dirches on either fide deep enough to receive the Wacer, and Dreins ſofficicat rocarry ic.off, .which Cauſway fhou'd he Four Foot High at leaft, and from Thirty to Forty Foot Braad, to reach. from London to Barnet, Pay' 'd in the middle, to keep it Cop 'd; and fo ſupplid with Gravel, and. hes proper Materials, 23 thou'd ſecure it trom Decay with ſmall Repairing, I hope no Man wou'd be ſo weak now, asto imagine that by Lands ly- ing opentotheRoad, to be Aſſign'd to the Undertakers, | {hou 'd mean that all Finchly on ſhou'd be Enclos'd and Sold. for this W ork; bur leaft ſomebody {hou'd ſtart "WP bl prepoſte- rous Objection, I think 'tis not im- proper. to: mention, Thar where-ever a High-Way is to. bc carrid over 2 Large upn Projetts. 8g Large Common , Foreſt, or Waſte withoyt a Hedge on either hand for a certain diſtance, there the ſeveral Pa- riſhes ſhall allot the Dire&ors a certain quantity -of the Common to lie Pa- raile} with the Road, art, a propor- t0:2d number of Feet to the: Length and Breadth of the ſaid Road; con- ſiderarion alſo to be had.to the Nature of the Ground, or elle giving them only room for the Road direly, ſhall ſuffer them to Encloſe in any one Spot ſo much of the {aid Common, as ſhall be equivalent to the like quantity of Land lying by the Road ; thus where the Land is good, and the Materials for erecting a Cauſway near, the leſs Land may lerve; and on the contra- ry the more; but in general, allowing them the quantity of Land propor- tioned to the length of the Cauſway, and Forty Rod in Breadth, tho' where the Land is poor, .as on Downs and So rm +: Plains go An Efſoy Plains, the go muſt be con- juſted. by the Coun- fiderd to be a Another Point for the Dimenſions of Roads, ſhou'd be adjuſted; and the Breadth of them, I think, cannot be leſs than thus : From London every way 10 Miles che High. Poſt-Road tro be Buile full 40 Foot in Breadth, and 4 Foot High, che Dicches $ Foot Broad, and 6 Foot Deep, and from thence onward 30 Foot, and fo in Proportion. | Croſs Roads to be 20 Foot Broad, and Ditches Proportion'd; no Lanes and Paſſes leſs than 9 Foot without Ditches. The Middle of the High Caulc- ways to be Pav'd with Stone, Chalk, or Gravel, and kept always 'T'wo Foot Higher than the Sides, that the Water might have a free courle into the Ditch- es, and Perſons kept in conſtant Em- ws ploy upay Projefts. gf ploy 'to fill up Holes, ler out Warer, open Dreins; andthe like, -as there Nou'd be occaſion: A proper Work for Highwaymen, and ſuch Malefa- ors, as night on- thoſe Services be exempt'd from the Gallows. _ It 'may here be Obje&ted, Thar Fight Years Affeſsmenr ro-be demand- ed down, is too much in reaſon to expect any of the Poorer ſort can pay; as for Inſtance; If a Farmer who | keeps 'a Team of Horſe be at the common Afeſsment, ro Work a Week, it muſt' not be-purt ſo hard upon any Man, as to Work Eight Weeks roge- ther. *'Tis eaſy to Anſwer this Obje- ction. So many as ate wanted, muſt be | had; if a Farmer's Team cannor be lpard- without prejudice ro him ſo long together, he may ſpare it at ſun- dry times, or agree to be Affſeſs'd, and pay the Aſſeſsment ar ſundry Pay- ments ; 92 An Eſſay ments; a the Bank may make it as ealy to chem As they pleaſe. Another Method, however, might be found to fix chis Work at once; As ſuppoſe 2 Bank be ſettled for the High- ways of the County of M iddleſex , which as they are, withour doubr, the moſt us'd of any in the Kingdom, ſo alſo they require the more Charge, and in ſome Parts lie in the worſt Condi- tion of any in the Kingdom, _ * If the Parliament FP the. Charge of the Survey of the High-Ways upon 2 Bank to be Appointed for that Pur- poſe, for a certain term of Years, the Bank Undertaking to do the Work, or to Forfeit the ſaid Settlement. As thus : Suppoſe the Tax on Land, and Tenements for the whole County of Middleſex, does, .or ſhou'd be ſo, or- derd, as it might amount to 290900. per Aur more or leſs, which it now does, upon Projetts. JJ does, and much more, inchiding the' Work of 'the Farmer's Teams, which muſt be accounted as Money; and is equivalent to it; with ſome Allowance to be Raced for the City of London, ec. who do enjoy the Benefit, and make the moſt uſe of the ſaid Roads, both for carrying of Goods, and bringing Proviſions to the Ciry, and therefore in reaſon ought to Contribute towards the High-ways ; for it is 2 moſt un- equal thing, that the Road from High- gate to Smithfield-Market, by which the whole City is, in a manner, ſup- plid with Live Cartel, and the Road by thoſe Cartrel horribly ſpoil'd, thou'd lie all upon thar-one Pariſh of Tſlinztrou to Repair z/ wherefore Tle ſuppoſe a Rate for the High-ways to be gather'd through the Ciry of London of 1 0000 |. per Ann. more; which may be Ap- pointed to be paid by Carriers, Dro- vers, and all ſuch as keep Teams , I ns 94 Ay Horſes, or Coaches, and the hke,- of miany ways,as is moſt Equal and Rea- Ce, the waſte Lands in the faid | County, whichby the Conſent of the Pariſhes, Lords of the Mannors,” and Proprietors, ſhall be allsw'd to the Undertaker when Enclosd and Let out, may (the Land in Middleſex _ generally Letting high ) amount co 5000 1. per Am. more. If then an A& of Parliament be procur'd to {ertle the Tax of 30000 |. per Ann. for Eight Years, moſt of which will be Levid in Workmen, ' and not in Money, and the Waſte Lands for ever : I dare be bold to offer, That the High-Ways for the whole County of Middleſex ſhou'd bepur into the following Form, | and the 50001. per. Amn.Land be bound to remain as a Security to main- tain them ſo, and the County be ne- ver Burthen'd with any furcher Tax for the Repair of the High-Ways, ; Fi} And upon Projeds. 95 And that I may not Propole a Mat- terin General, like begging the Que- ſtion, without Frets. x. I ſhall enter into the Particulars, How it ma be perform'd, and that under th following Heads of Articles. (1.) What IPropoſe to do to the Highs Ways. (2.) What the Charge will be. (3.) How to be Ras d. (4.) What Security for Performance. (5.) What Profit to the Undertaker. (1.) What I Propoſe to do to the High-Ways. I Anſwer Firſt, Not Repair: them ; And yet Secondly, Notalterthem, that _ ts, notalter the Courſe they run. | - Bur perfectly Build them'as a Fa- z brick. And todeſcend to the Particulars, | FOR — - 66 An Eſſay” 'is firſt neceſſary to Note, which are the Roads' x mean, and Jeks Dimen- flons. © Firſt ; The Hs þ PoſtRoads , and wy arc for. the County of M iddleſex as ollows. - | | Miles C Staxe;, «which is — Colebrook is from Heunflow « o5 Uxbridge — —— From Londen toC Buſby the Ola Street-1 -Way — 7 \ Barnet, Or near it — w—_— cg Waltham -Croſs i in Ware Road - —— 10 Bow = ——mum eh 02 67 Beſides theſe, there are Croſs-Roads, By-Roads, and Lanes, which muſt alſo be look'd after, St that ſome of them may be put into Condition , others may be wholly flighted and ſhut up, .or-made Drift-ways, Bridle-ways, or Foot-wags; 'as'may” be thought:cons wentertt m_—_ = MAIZE | <Q "5. tay [i YL 38345 4 - 03; SES: < \ The _ upon P rojedts. 97 The Croſs- Roads of moſt Repute are as follows : | Miles . ( London *Y FC Hackney, Old Ferd, and Bow os - | Hackney Dalſton and INingron —— — 02 Hernſy, Muzzlt»=Hill, to 4 8 Whetſfton ——_ " The Chaſe, South-Gate, &c. pe call'd Greenlanes ——— 1? Enfield-Town, Whetfton, Tot- Enfiela-Waſb | | teridge, to Egworth i NY H ad, Hendon, and From 4 London Stod, po amnds _ OO Co8 ——— — — Stanmore, to Pinner, to _—_ o8 bridge London Harrow and Pinner-Green — Ir London 1 Chelſea, Fullham O4+ Thiſtleworth , Twittenham, King fton ' St anes, Colebrook and Uxbridge 17 C Ditro J L Gherſey- Bridge ——- — — of ————— 90 Overplus Miles ———on————— E— 140 And becauſe there may be many Parts of the Croſs-Roads which can- | Not be accounted in the Number a- bove-mentiond , or may lip my knowledge or memory, I allow an overplus of 50 Miles, to be added to the 9o Miles above, which together makes the Croſs-Roads of Middleſex to be 140 Miles. H For 93 An Eſjay For the By-Lanes, . ſuch as may .be flighred need nothing bur to be ditch'd up; ſuch as arefor private uſe of Lands, for carrying. off Corn, and driving _ Cattle, are to be look'd after by pri- vate hands. Bur of the laſt fort, not to be ac- counted by. Particulars, in the fmalf County of Middleſex, we cannor al- tow leſs in Croſs By-lanes, from Village to Village, and from Dwell- ing-Houfes which ſtand out of the k way to the Roads, than 1000 Miles, So in the whole GCetnty I reckon up, Miles Of the High Poſt-Road------- 0067 Of Croſs-Roads leſs Publick --- 0140 Of By-Lanes and Paſſes ----- 1 000 b 207 Thefe are the Roads I mean, and thus divided under their ſeveral deno- minacions, _ To pon Proedts. 99 To the Queſtion, What I wou'd do to them ? I Anſwer, (1.) For the 67 Miles of High Poſt- Road, I Propoſe tothrow up. a frm ſtrong Cauſway well bottom'd, 6 Foor high in the middle, and 4 Foot on the ſide, facd with Kick os Stone, and crown'd with Gravel, Chalk, or Stone, as the ſeveral ric they are made chrough will afford, being 44 Foot in Breadth, with Dieches on wrt {ide 8 Foot Tina and 4 Foot Deep; ſo the whole Breadth will be 60 Foot, if the Ground will permit. 8 Art the end of every Two Miles, or ſuch like convenient diſtances, ſhall be a Cottage Erected, with Half an Acre of Ground Mow" d, which ſhall be oven Gratis, with 1 s. per Week Wages, to ſuch Poor Man of the Pa- riſh, as ſhall be approv'd, who ſhall Once at leaſt, every day, view his Walk, ro open Paſlages for the Water H 2 to - 160 . An Eſſay to run into the Ditches, to fill up Holes or ſoft Places. ” Two Riders ſhall be allow'd to be always moving the Rounds, to view every thing out of Repair, and make Report to the Directors, and to ſee that the Cotragers do their Duty. ' (2.) For the 140 Miles of Crofs- Road, a like Cauſway to be made, but of different Dimenſions, the Breadth 20 Foot, if the Ground will allow ir, the Ditches 4 Foot Broad, 3 Foot Deep, the Heighth in the middle 3 Foot, and on the fides 1 Foot, or 2 where it may be needful; to be allo crownd with Gravel, and 1 5s. per Week to be allow'd to the Poor of every Pariſh, the Conſtables to be Bound to find a Man to Walk on the High-Way every Divifion , for the ſame Purpoſe as the Cottagers do on the Greater Roads. Poſts to be ſct up at every turning to \ upou Projeds. 101 to Note whither it goes, for the Di- rection of Strangers, and how many Miles diſtant. (3.) For a 1000 Miles By-Lanes, only good and {ufhcient Care to keep them in Repair as they are, and to carry the Warer off by clearing and cutting the Dirches, and laying Ma- terials where it 1s wanted. This is what I Propoſe to do to them ; and whar if once perform'd, I ſuppoſe all People wou'd own to be an Undertaking both Uſeful and Honour- able. (2.) The Second Queſtion I Pros poſc to give an Account of, is, What the Charge will be. Which I account thus ; The Work of the great Cauſway I Propoſe, ſhall not Coſt leſs chan 10 5. per Foot, ſuppoſing Materials to be Bought, Carriage and Mens Lae bour to be all Hir'd, which for 67 H 3 Miles 102 An Eſſay Miles in Length, is no leſs than the Sum of 176880 Pounds; as thus, Every Mile accounted at 1760 Yards, and 3 Foot to the Yard, is 5280 Foot, which at 10 s. per Foot, is 2640 [. per Mile, and that again Multiplied by 67, makes the futm'of 176880, into which T include 'the Charge of Water-Courſes, Mills to throw off Water where needful, Dreins, Cc. ore? \ To this Charge muſt | be added, Ditching to Encloſe Land for 30 QCot- rages, and Building 3o Cottages at O . o 40l. each, which is 1200 [.- The Work of the fnaallet Canfway I Propoſe to fniſhar the Rate of 12 0. per Foot, which being for 140 Miles m Length, at- 5280 Foot per Mile, amounts to 36960 [. 2 ' Ditching, Dreining, and gu je ooo Miles, fugbor's at 3 s. per Rod, as for 3 20000R0od, is 486601. which added upos Projeds. 103 added to the T'wo former Accounts, is.tRus,. « Va The High Poſt- Roads, or the Great Cawſey — 1 18080 The ſmall Camſey ——— ——— —— —— 036960 By Later, CC. ——— ©45009 ' .,2263040 If 1 were to Propole ſame Mea- ſures for. the caſing this Charge, L cou:d, perhaps, lay a Scheme down how it may be'per orm d for-lels than one half . of this Charge. As firſt, By agranc of the:Coqurt at the 01d-Batly, ; whereby all: ſuch. Cri- mimals as 'are \Gondemn'd x0 Die tor {maller Crimes, may inſtead of Tran» {portation be Qrderd a Year's Work on:the High-Ways ; others inſtead of Whippings, -a proportion'd Time , andthe like ; which wou'd, by a mo- derate computation, provide us gene- H 4 rally 104 An Eſſay rally aſupply of zoo Workmen, and coming in as faſt as they go off; and ler the Overſeers alone to make them Work, ut Secondly, By an Agreement with the Guinea-Company to furniſh 200 Negroes, who are generally Perſons that do a great deal of Work ; and all theſe are Subſiſted very reaſonably out of a Publick Store-houſe. < Thirdly, By -Carts and Horſes to be Bought, not Hird, with a few Able Carters ;- and to the other a few Workmen that have Judgment to Di- re& the reſt ; and thus I queſtion nor the Great- Cauſway ſhall be done for 4 5. per Foot Charge z)bur of this by the by. 5 22 pn heunyt Fourthly, A Liberey to ask Chari rities and Benevolences to the Work. (3.) To the . Queſtion, How :this Money ſhall be Rais'd ? I think if the Parliament ſertle the Tax on the County upon Projeffs, 105 | County for Eight Years, at 30000 l. per Ann. no Man need ask, how it ſhall be Rais'd, ----- It will be eaſy enough to Raiſe the Money ; and no Pariſh can grudge to pay a little larger Rate for ſuch a Term; on condition never to be Tax for the High-Ways any more. Eight Years Aſeſsment at 3 00001. per Ann. 1s _— to afford to Bor- ' row the Money by way. of Anticipa- tion, if need be, the Fund being ſecur'd by Parliament , and appropriated to - thatUſe and no other. .. As. to what Security for Perform- ance : The Lands which are Enclos'd may be appropriated by the ſame Ac of Parliament to the Bank and Underta- kers, upon condition of Performance, and to be Forfeit to the uſe of the ſe- veral Pariſhes to which they belong, incaſe upon Preſentation by the Grand Juries, tos - An Eſſay. Juries, and reaſonable Time given, any part of the Roads in ſuck. and ſich Pariſhes , be not kept and main- caind in that- Poſture. chiey are-Pro- pos'd ro' be. Now'the Lands ichns ſettled '' are an eternal. Security to: the Country, for the keeping the: Roads in Repair ; becauſe they will always be of 16 Much Value over the need- _ ful Charge;' as wilt make: it* worth while to the Underakers to preſerve their Tile to-them ; and the Tenure of them'binp-ſo precatious, as to be liable to Forſinar. 'on Default, rhey will always* be careful 'to- uphold. the Cauſways. | 725768 -- Laſtly;"What Profitao theUnder- takers? -For: we maſbatlow them -co Gain, and that conſiderably, or-no Man wou'd: undertake ſuch a Work. -- To this] propoſe;- Firſt, | _ During the Work allow them ont of - che" Stock 30001. per Ann, for Ma- nagement, Affer won Projetts. 107 Afffer the Wotk is finiſh'd, ſo much. of the 5000l. per Ann. as can be ſav'd, and the Roads kept in g00d Repair, let be their own; and "If the Lands Secur'd be not of the Value of 5odo l. a Yeat,, let ſo, much of Ne Eioht Years Tax be ſet apart as may Pur- chaſe Land to make them up; if they come to more, let the Benefic b6 ro rhe Adveatuters. 3 It may be Objetted here, Thar 2 Tax of 3Zoooo!. tor Eight Years will come'in'as faſt as it can well be laid out, and fo rio Anticiparions will be requilite; te: for the whole Work Pro- os d catingt be Fobibly finiſhed if els Time ; and 1 tho . L. The Charge of the Country amnents 19 ——— 240000 The Fs Jon d Etgbt Tears Revenue —— 040000 - 250000 which is 1 2000 4: more than | the Charge ; 108 An Eſſay Charge; and if the Work be done fo " much Cheaper, as is mentioned, the Profit to the Undertaker will be Un- reaſonable. ER To this I fay,. I wou'd have the Undertakers bound to accept the Sal- lary of .3000 l. per Ann, for Manage- ment, and if a whole Years Tax can be ſpar'd, either leave it Unraisd up- On 8 ne or put it in Bank to be improv d againſt any occaſion, of Building, perhaps, a great Bridge; or ſome very wet Sealon, or Froſt, may ſo Damnify the Works, as to make them require more than x prac Re- pair. Bur the. Undertakers ſhoud make no private Advantage of ſuch an ' Overplus, there might be ways enough found for it, Another Objection lies againſt the Poſhbilicy of Encloſing the Lands up- on the Waſte, which generally belongs Mo upon ProjetFs: 10g to ſome Mannor, whoſe different Te- nures may be fo crofs, and fo other- wiſe encumbred, that even the Lord _ of thofe Mannors, though they were willing, cou'd not Convey them. This may be Anſwer'd in General, That an A& of Parliament is Omni- potent with reſpect to Titles and Te- nures of Land, and can Empower Lords and Tenantsto Conſent to what elſe they cou'd not; as to Particulars, they cannot be Anſwer'd nll they are Propos'd ; but there is no doubt bur an Act of Parliament may adjuſt it all in one Head. | What a Kingdom woud England be if this were perform'd in all the Counties of it | and yet I believe it is feaſible, even in the worſt. narrowly obſerv'd all the Conſiderable Ways in that unpaflable County of Suſſex, which efpecially in fome parts in the Wild, as they very properly call It, [ have EO + + . 110 An Eſſay it, of the County, hardly admits the Countrey People to Travel to Mar- kets in Winter, and makes Corn dear at Market becauſe it cant be brought, | and cheap at the Farmer's Houſe be- cauſe he cant carry it to Market; yet even in that County wou'd I une dertake tocarry on this Propoſal, and that to great Adyantage , if back'd with the Authorty of an Act of Par- liament, _ [ have ſeen in that horrible Coun- try the Road 60 to 100 Yards Broad, lie from fide to fide all Poachd with Cattel, the Land of no manner of Benefit, and yet no going with 2 Horſe, bur at every ſtep up to the Shoulders, full of Sloughs and Holes, and covered with {tanding-water. Ir coſts them incredible Sums of Money toRepair them; and the very Places that are mended, wou'd fright a young Traveller to go over them : The Re- E _ — upon Projeds. 111 mans Maſter'd this Work, and by a firm . Cauſeway, made a. High-way uice, through, this deep Country , Ho Darkin 1n Surry to Stanſted, and thence to Okeley, and ſo on to Arundel 5 its Name tells us what ir was made of ; for it was call'd Stone- | ſtreet, and many vilible parts of it re- - main to this day. Now would any Lord of a Mannor refuſe to allow 40 Yards in breadth out of that Road I mention, to have the other 2o made into a Firm, Fair, and Pleaſant Cauſeway over that Wilder- nels of a Countrey ? Or would not any man acknow- Jedge, That putting this Country into a condition for Carriages and Travellers to pals, wauld be a great Work? The Gentlemen would find the Benefic of it 1n the Rent of their Land, and Price of their Timber ; the Conntrey Peo- ple would find the diflerence in = : vale 112 An Eſſay Sale of their Goods, which now they | cannot carry beyond the firſt Market- Town, and hardly thicher; and the whole County would reap an Advan- tage an hundred to one greater than the Charge of it. And fince the Want we feel of any Convenience is gene- rally the firſt Motive to Contrivance for a Remedy, I wonder no man ever thought of ſome Expedientfor ſo con- {iderable a Defect. Q_—_—C____—_—_ tilt. FS, PS MLL CE Of ASSURANCES. ' AA SSURANCES among Mer- chants I believe may plead Pre- {cription, and has been of uſe time out of mind in Trade; tho perhaps never {ſo much a Trade as now. 'Tis a Compact among Merchants. Its beginning being an Accident to ger upon ProjeGts. 1i3 Trade, and aroſe from the Diſeaſe of Mens Tempers, who having run lar- ger Adventures in a ſingle Bottom than afterwards they found convenient, grew fearful and uneaſy ; and diſco- vering their uneaſineſs to others, who, perhaps, had no Effects ii the ſame Veſſel, they offer ro bear part of the Hazard for part of the Profit; Con- venience made this a Cuſtom, and Cuſtom brought it into a Method, till at laſt it becomes a Trade. I cannot queſtion the Lawfulneſs of it, ſince all Riſque in Trade is for Gain ; and when I am neceſſitated to have a greater Cargo of Goods in ſuch .or ſuch a Bottom, than my Stock | can afford to loſe, another may ſurely offer to go a Part with me; and _ as tisjuſt if I give another part of the Gain, he ſhou'd run partof theRiſque, ſo it is as juſt, that if he runs part of my Riſque, he ſhou'd have pou l © 114 An Eſſay of the Gain. Some Object the dif- parity of the Premio to the Hazard, when the Enſurer runs the Riſque of 1001. on the Seas from Jamarca to Lon- don for 40 5. which, ſay they, is pre- poſterous and unequal. "Though chis Objection is hardly worth Anfwering ro Men of Butinels, yer it looks lome- thing fair to them that know no bet- ter; and for the Information of ſuch, [ crouble the Reader with a tew Heads. Firſt, They muſt confider the Enſu- rer 15 Out no Stock. | Secondly, It is but one Riſque the Enſurer runs, whereas the Aſſured has had a Rilque our, a Riſque of Debrs abroad, a Riſque of a Market, and a Riſque of his Factor,” and has a Riſque of a Market to come; and therefore ought to have an an{werable Profzr. Thiraly, If it has been a Trading Voyage, perhaps, the Adventurer has Paid "Three or Four fuch Premios, winch upon Projefs. 115 which ſometimes make the Enfurer clear more by a Voyage, than the Merchant ; I my ſelf have Paid 100 [. Enſurances in thoſe ſmall Premio's on a Voyage I have not gotten 5o |. by ; and I ſuppoſe | am not the firſt that has done * neither. This way of Afluring has alſo, as other Arts of Trade have, fufferd ſome Improvement ( if I may be al- low'd that Term ) in our Age; and the firlt ſtep upon it, was an Enſurance- Office for Houſes to Enſure them from Fire; Common Fame gives the Pro- jet to Dr. Barebone ; a Man, I ſup- pole, better known as a Builder than a Phyſician. Whether it were his, or whole it was, I do not enquire; 1t was ſettled on a Fund of Ground-Rents, to Anſwer in caſe of Loſs, and mer with very good Acceptance. But it was ſoon follow'd by another, by way of Friendly Society; where every L 3 one 116 An Eſſay one who Subſcribe, pay their Quota to Build up any Man's Houſe who is a Contributor, if it ſhall happen to be Burnt. I won't decide which is the Beſt, or which Succeeded beſt, bur I believe the latter brings in moſt Money to the Contriver. Only one Benefit I cannot omit which they reap from theſe Two Socie- ties who are not concernd in either, Thar if any Fire happen, whether in Houſes Enſur'd or not Enſur'd, they have each of them a ſer of Luſty Fel- lows, generally Water-men, who be- ing immediately call'd up, where-ever they live, by Watchmen Appointed, are, it muſt be confeſs'd, very Active and Diligent in helping to pur out the Ty, As to any further Improvement to be made upon Aſſurances in Trade, ao queſtion there may, and I doubt got upon Projefs. 117 not but on Payment of a ſmall Duty ro the Government, the King might be made the General Enſurer of all Foreign Trade : Of which more un- der another Head. 2, [| am of the Opinion allo, that an Office of Enſurance Erected to Enſure the Titles of Lands, in an Age where they are {o precarious as now, might be a Project not unlikely to ſucceed, if Eſtabliſh d on a good Fund. Bur I ſhall ſay no more to that, becaule it ſeems to be a Delign in hand by ſome Perſons in Town, and is indeed no Thought of my own. Enfuring of Life I cannot admire, I ſhall ſay nothing to it; bur chat in Italy where Stabbmg and Poyſoning is ſo much in Vogue, ſomething may * be ſaid for ir, and on contingent An nuities ; and yet I never knew the thing much approv'd of on any aC- coQunr, I 3 of 18 An Efjay Of Fx1ENDLY-SOCIETIES, Nother Branch of Enſurance, is by Contribution, or ( to bor- row the Term from that before-men- tiond) Friendly-Socteties ; which , is in ſhort, a Number of People entring into a Mutual Compact to Help one another, in caſe any Diſaſter or Di- ſtreſs fall upon chem. If Mankind coud agree, as theſe might be Regulated, all chings which have Caſualty in them, might be Se- curd, But one thing is Particulatly requird in this way of Afſurances ; | None can be admitted, bur fuch whoſe Circumſtances are, ar leaſt in - ſome degree, alike, and ſo Mankind muſt be ſorted into Clafles; and as their Contingences differ, every dif- - ferentSort may be a Society upon even Terms; for the Circumſtances of Peo- ple, upon Projects. 19 ple, as to Life, differ extremely by che Age and Conſtirution of their Bodies, and difference of Employment ; as he that lives on {hore,2ga:nſt him thar goes roSea, ora Young Man againſt an Old Man; or a Shopkeeper agaimit a Soidier, are unequal ; I dont pretend ro detere mine the Controverted Point of Pre- deſtination,the Foreknowledge and De- crees of Providence; perhaps,ita Man be Decreed to be Kill'd in the Trenches, the ſame Foreknowiedge Orderd him to Liſt himſelf a Soldier thar it might come to paſs; and the like of a Sea- man; bur this I am ſure, ſpeaking of Second Cauſes, a Seaman or a Soldier is {lubje&t ro more contingent hazards than other Men, and therefore are nor upon equal Termsro form ſuch a So- ciety ; nor is an Annuity on the Life of ſuch a Man worth ſo much as ir is upon other Men; therefore if a So- ciery ſhou'd agree rogether to Pay the | + EX 120 An Eſſay Executor of every Member ſo muck after the Deceaſe of the ſaid Mem- ber, the Seamens Executors wou'd moſt certainly have an Advantage, and receive more than they Pay. Sa that 'ris neceſſary to fort the World in- to Parcels, Seamen with Seamen, Sol- diers with Soldiers, and the like, Nor is this a new thing; the Friend Society muſt not pretend to aſſume to themſelves the Contrivance of the Me- thod, or think us guilty of borrowing from them, when we draw this into other Branches; for I know nothing is taken from them bur the bare word, Friendly-Society, which they cannot pre- trend ro be any conſiderable piece of Invention neither. | | I can refer them to the very indivi- _ dual Practice in other things, which | claims preſcription beyond the begin- ing of the Jaſt Age, and that is in our Marſhes and Fens in Efſex, Kent, an upon Projets. 121 and the Iſle of Ely; where great Quantities of Land being with much Pains and a vaſt Charge recovered out of the Seas and Rivers, and maintain'd with Banks (which they call Walls) the Owners of thoſe Lands agree to Contribute to the | keeping up thoſe Walls, and keeping \ out the Sea, which 1s all one with a Friendly-Society; and if I have a Piece of Land in any Level or Marſh, tho' ir bounds no where on the Sea or Ri- ver, yet I pay my Proportion to the Maintenance of the ſaid Wall or Bank; and if at any time the Sea breaks in, the Damage is not laid up- on the Man in whoſe Land the Breach happened, unleſs it was by his neglect, but it lies on the whole Land, and is called a Level-Lot. Again, I have known it practiſed in Troops of Horſe, eſpecially when it was jo orderd that the Troopers Mounted i122 'An Eſſay - Mounted themſelves; where every pri- vate Trooper has agreed to Pay, per- haps, 24. per diem our of his Pay into 2a Publick Stock , which Stock was employed to Remounnt any of the Troop who by Accident ſhoud loſe | his Horſe. Again, The Sailors Contribution to the Cheſt at Chatham, 1s another Friendly-Society; and more might be nam d. To argue againſt the Lawfulneſs of this, wou'd be to cry down common Equity, as well as Charity ; for as tis kind that my Neighbour ſhoud Re- lieve me if I fall into Diſtreſs or De- cay ; fo 'tis bur Equal he ſhou'd doo if I agreed to have done the ſame for him ; and it God Almighty has Com- manded us to Relieve and Help one another in Diſtreſs, ſure it muſt be commendable to bind our ſelves by Agreement to Obey that Command ; nay, upont Proje&s. 123 nay, it ſ-ems co be a Project that we are led ro by the Divine Rule, and has ſuch a Latitude in it, that, for ought I know, as [ ſaid, all the DiC atten i in the W rogld might be prevent- ed by it, and Mankind be ſecur'd from all the Miſeries, Indigences, and Di- ſtreſſes that happen in the World. In which I crave leave to be a little Par- ticular. Firſt, General Peace might be ſe- cur d all over the World by it, if all the Powers agreed to ſupprels kien that Ulurpd or Encroachd upon his Neighbour. All the Contingences of Life might be tenc'd as by this Method, ( as Fire is already ) as Thieves, Floods by Land, pin by Sea, Lofles of all Sorts, anal Death it ſelf, in a manner, by makins | it up to te Survivor. | ſhall begin with the Seamen; for 35 their Lives are ſubject to more ha- zards 124 An Eſay zards than others, they ſeem to come firſt in view, Of Seamen. Sailors are Les Enfans Perdue, the Forlorn hope of the World ; they are Fellows that bid Defiance to Terror, and maintain a conſtant War with the Elements; who by the Magick of their Art, Trade in the very confines of Death, - and are always poſted within ſhot, as I may ſay, of the Grave: Tis true, their familiarity with Danger makes them deſpile it, for which, I hope, no body will ſay they are the wiſer; and Cuſtom has ſo hardend them, that we find them the worſt of Men, tho always in view of their laſt Mo- ment. - I have obſervd one great Error in the Cuſtom of England, relating 0 upon Projets. 125 to theſe fort of People, and which this way of Friendly-Society wou'd be a Remedy for. | If, a Seaman who Enters himlelf, or is Preſlsd into the King's Ser- vice, be by any Accident Wound- ed or Diſabled, to Recompence him for the Loſs, he receives a Penſion during Lite, which the Sail- ors call Smart-Money, and is pro- portioned to their Hurt, as for the Loſs of an Eye, Arm, Leg, or Finger, and the like; and as tis a very Honourable thing , ſo 'tis but reaſonable, That a Poor Man who Loſes his Limbs ( which are his Eſtate) in the Service of the Government, and is thereby diſa- bled from his Labour .to- get his Bread, ſhou'd be provided for, and not ſufferd to Beg or Starve for want of thoſe Limbs he loſt in the Service of his Country. But 126 An Eſſay Buc if you come. to the Sea- men in the Merchants Service, not the leaſt Proviſion is made ; which has been the Loſs of many a good Ship, with many a Kich Cargo, which wou'd otherwiſe have been. Savd. And the Sailors are 1n = | Right of it. to@: For | Inſtance ; Merchant Ship coming home from the Indies,” perhaps very Rich, meets with a Privatcer (nor 1o Strong bur that She might Fight him, and perhaps get off ); the Captain calls up his Cos, tells chem , Gentlemen, You ſee how -tis, 'T. don't queſtion bus! Wwe may Clear 'our felves of - this Caper, if _ will Sta 1d. by Me. One Crew , .as- willing to Fight as - relt, nd as far [rd 'OM- A Coward 4s the Caprain, bur.endow'd with a little more Wit than his: Fellows, Replies, Noble Captain, We are all willms to Fight, and dont queſtion but to Beat him off ; upon Projects. 127 : but here is the Caſe, If we are Token, we ſhall be ſet on Shore, and then ſent Home, and Loſe, perhaps, our Cloaths, and a little Pay ; but if we Fight and Beat the Pri tVvateer , perhaps. Half a Score of us may be Wounded and Loſe our Limbs, and then we are Undone and our . Families ; if you will Sign an Obligation to us, That the Owners, or Merchants, ſhall Fs low a Penſion to ſuch as are Maim'd, that we may not Fight for the Ship, and . go a Begging our ſelves, we wall brmos off the Ship, or Sink by her fide , otherwiſe I am not willing to Fight , for my part. The Captain cannor do <4} gy they Strike, and the Ship and Cargo is Loſt. It 1 ſhou'd turn this ſupposd Ex- ample into a real Hiſtory, _ Name the Ship and . the Caprain that did lo, it wou'd be roo plain to be contradicted. Where- 128 An Eſſay Wherefore, for the Encouragement of Sailors in the Service of the Merchant, I wou'd have a Friendh- Society Erected for Seamen ; where- ' in all Sailors, or Seafaring-men, Entring their Names , Places of Abode, and the Voyages they go upon , at an Offce of Enſurance for Seamen, and Paying there a cer- tain ſmall Quarteridge , of 1 s. per ' Quarter, ſhou'd have a Seal'd Cer- tiicate from the Governors of the ſaid Office, for the Articles hereafter mentioned. (1.) If any ſuch Seaman, either in Fight, or by any other Accident at Sea, come to be diſabled, he ſhou'd receive from the faid Office the fol- lowing Sums of Money, either in Penſton for Lite, or Ready Money, as he pleas d. For upon Projetts. I. l. ;\ An Eye 2363-2) Both Eyes 100 8 | One Leg 50. | 4 t. | Both Legs vo | 6 1 For the » Right Hand 80 6 | Pex Ann: Loſs of 3 Lett Hand 50? 4 4 bfor Life. Right Arm 100 | 8 | Left Arm $01 6 Both Hands 160 | 12 -{ LBoth Arms 200g {16z! Any Broken Arm, or Leg, or Thigh, towards the — 10oTl. If taken by the Turks, 501. towards his Ranſom: If he become Infirm and Unable to go to Sea, or Maintain himſelf, by Age or Sickneſs, 6 1, per Anu: To their Wives if they are Kill'd or Drowo'd, 5ol: In Conſ1deration of this, every Sea- man Subſcribing to-the Society, ſhall Agree to Pay to the Receipt of the {aid Office, his Quota of the Sum to be Paid, whenever, and as often as fuch Claims are made; the Claims | to be Emterd into. the Office, and upon ſufficient Proof made, the Gos K Vernors zo An Eflay vernors to Regulate the Diviſion, and Publiſh it in Print. For Example : Suppoſe 4000 Seamen Subſcribe to this Society, and after Six Months, for no Man ſhou'd Claim ſooner "wa Six Months, a Merchanr's Ship having Engag'd a Privazess, there comes {e: veral Claims cogether : As thus ; l A Was Wounded and Loft one Lez —— 50 B Blown up with Powder, and has Lo#), ax Eye C Had a ho Shot took off his ow —100 D With a Splinter had an Eye truck out 25 200 E Was K;lf'd with a Great Shot, to be . paid io his Wife ——- ct She robe], 250 The Governors hereupon ſettle the Claim of theſe Perſons, and make En, T hat whereas | ach and fuch Seamen, upon ProjeGs. 131 ' Seamen, Members of the Society, have in an Engagement with a French Priva- tcer, been ſo and ſo Hurt, their Claims wpon the Offce, by the Rules and Agree- ments of the ſaid Offce, being adjuſted by the Governors, amounts to 2501. which being equally divided among the Subs ſeribers, comes to 1 8. 3 d. each ; which all Perſons that are Subſcribers to the ſaid Office are deſired to Pay m, for their re- ſpeive Subſcriptions, that the ſaid Wounded Perſons may be Relievd ac- cordingly, as they expeft to be Relievd, if the ſame, or the like Caſnalty ſhou'd be- fall them. Tis but a ſmall matter for a Man ro Contribute, if he gave 15. 3d. out of his Wages to Relieve Five Wounded Men of his own Fraternity, but at the ſame time to be aflurd thar if he is Hurt or Maim'd he ſhall have the ſame Relief, its a thing fo ratio- nal, that hardly any thing buc a Hare- K 2 brain'd 132 An Eſſay brain'd Fellow that thinks of nothing, wou'd omit Entring himſelf into ſuch an Office. | I ſhall not enter further into this Afffair, becauſe, perhaps, I may give the Propoſal to ſome Perſons who may ſet 1t on foot; andthenthe World may {ce the Benefit of it by the Exe- cution. IL. For Widows. The ſame Method of Friendly-So- ciety I conceive woud be a very pro- per Propoſal for Widows. We have abundance of Women who have been Bred well, and Liv'd well, Ruind in a few Years, and, perhaps, left Young, with a Houle full of Chidren, and nothing to Support them ; which falls generally upon the Wives of the Inferior Clergy , or of Shopkeepers and Artificers. | They upon Projets. 173 They Marry Wives with perhaps 3001. to roool. Portion, and can - ſettle no Jointure upon them ; either they are Extravagant and Idle, and Waſte it, or 'T rade Decays, or Loſſes, or 4 dioukad Contingences happen ro bring. a Tradeſman to Poverty, and he Breaks ; the Poor Young Woman, it may be.has Three or Four « Childiva: and is driven to a thouſand ſhits, while he lies in the Mint or Friars un- der the Dilemma of a Statute of Bank- rupt ; bur if he Dies, then ſhe is ab- ſolurely Undone, antes ſhe has Friends ro 0 to. Suppoſe an Office to be Erected, to be call'd 4n Offce of Enſurance for Wi- dows, upon the following Condi- tions : Two thouſand Women, or their Husbands for them , Enter their Names into a Regiſter to be kept . for that purpoſe, with cthe Names, N 4 Age, 124 An Fay Age, and Trade of their Husbands, with the Place of their Abode, Paying at the time of their Entring 5 s. down with 1 s. 4 d. per Quarter, which is to the ſetting up and ſupport of an Office with Clerks, and all proper Officers for the ſame ; for there is no main- taininz ſuch without Charge ; they receive every one of them a Certih- cate, Seal'd by the Secretary of the Othce, and Signd by the Governors, for the Articles hereafter mentioned. If any one of the Women become a Widow at any time after Six Months from the Date of her Subſcription , upon due Notice given, and Claim made at the Office in form, as ſhall. be dire&ed, ſhe ſhall receive within Six Months after ſuch Clatm made, the Sum of 500 l. in Money, without any Deductions, ſaving fome fmall Fees to the Officers, which the Tru ſees upon Projects, 135 ſtees mult ſertie, thar rhey may be known. In Conſideration of this, every Woman ſo Sublcribing, Obliges her ſelf ro Pay as often as any Member of the Society becomes a Widow, the due Proportion or Share allotted to her to Pay, towards the 5 o0 |. for the ſaid Widow, provided her Share does not exceed the Sum of 5 5. No Seaman or Soldiers Wives ta be accepted into ſuch a Propolal as this, on the account before-mention'd, becauſe the Contingences of their Lives are not equal to others, unleſs they will admit this general Exception, ſuppoſing they do nor Die out of the Kingdom. Ic might alſo be an Exception, That if the Widow , that Claimd , had really, bona fide, left her by her Hul- band ro her own uſe , clear of all Debts and Legacies, 2000 |. ſhe K 4 ſhou'd - 136 An. Eſſay ſhou'd have no Claim ; the Intent be- ing to Aid the Poor, not add to the | Rich. But there lies a great many ObjcCtions againſt ſuch an Article: As (1.) It may tempt ſome to For- ſwear themlelves. (2.) Pcople will Order their Wills ſo as to Deiraud the Exception. One Exception mult be made; and that is, Either very Unequal Matches, as when a Woman of Nineteen Mar- "ries an Old Man of Seventy; or Women who have Infirm Husbands, I mean known and publickly ſo. To remedy which, T'wo things are .to be done. (1.) The Office muſt have moving Officers without doors, who ſhall in- torm themſelves of ſuch matters, and if any ſuch Circumſtances appear, the Office thou'd have 1 4 days time to res curn their Money, and declare their | Subſcriptions Void. - 1%} 9 port Proje&s. 137 (2.) No Woman whoſe Husband had any viſible Diſtemper , ſhou'd claim under a Year after her Sub- ſcription. One grand Objection againſt this Propoſal, is, How you will oblige People to Pay either their Subſcriptt- on, or their Quarteridge. To this I Anſwer, By no compill- ſion (tho' that mighr be pertorm'd roo ) bur altogether voluntary ; only with this Argument to move it, that it they do not continue their Pay- ments, they loſe the Benefit of their paſt Contributions. I know it lies as a fair Objection againſt ſuch a Project as this, That the number of Claims are ſo uncertain, That no Body knows what they en- gage in, when they Subſcribe, for fo many may Die Annually out of Two thouſand, as may make my Payment 20 Or 25 |. per Ann. and if a Woman happen 123 An Efjay happen to Pay thar for Twenty Years, though ſhe receives the 5 00 l. ar laſt ſhe is a great Loſer ; bur if ſhe dies before her Husband, ſhe has lef- ſened his Eſtate conſiderably , and brought a great Loſs upon him. Firſt, 1 ſay to this, That I wou'd kave ſuch a Propoſal as this be ſo fair and fo eaſy, that if any Perſon who had Subſcrib'd, found the Payments roo high, and the Claims fall roo of- ren, it ſhou'd be attheir liberty at any time, upon Notice given, to be Re- leaſed, and ſtand Oblig'd no longer); and if ſo, Yolenti non fit mjuria; every one knows beſt what their own Cir- cumſtances will bear. In the next Place, becauſe Death is - a Contingency, no Man can directly calculate, and all that Subſcribe muſt take the hazard ; yet that a Prejudice againſt this Notion may not be built on wrong grounds, let's examine a little the | uy Oz upon Projefls, 129 robable hazard, and ſee how many ſhall die Annually out of 2000 Sub- ſcribers, accounting by the common proportion of Burials, ro the number of the Living. Sir William Petty in his Political Arithmetick, by a very Ingenious Cal- culation, brings the account of Buri- als in London, to be 1 in 40 Annually, and proves it by all the proper Rules of proportion'd Computation ; and Fle take my Scheme from thence. It then One in Forty of all the People in England Die, that fup- poles Fifty to Die every Year our of our Two Thouſand Subſcribers ; and for a Woman to Contribute 5 s. | to every one, woud certainly be to Agree to Pay 121. 10s. per Ann. upon her Husband's Life, to receive 5 00 l. when he Di'd, and loſe itif ſhe Did tft ; and yer this wou'd not be a Ha- _ 2ard beyond reaſon too great for the ain. Bur 140 An Eſſay But I ſhall offer ſome Reaſons to prove this to be impoſſible in our Caſe ; Firſt , Sir Wilam Petty allows the City of London to contain about a Million of People, and our Yearly Bill of Mortality never yet amounted to 25000 in the moſt Sickly Years we have had, Plague Years' excepted, ſometimes but to 20000, which 1s but One in Fifty : Now it is to be confi- der'd here, that Children and Ancient People make up, one time with ano- ther, at leaſt one third of our Bills of Mortality ; and our Aſſurances lies upon none but the Midling Age of the People, which is the only Age wherein Life is any thing ſteady; and if that be allow'd, there cannot Die by his Computation, above One in Eighty of ſuch People every Year; bur becauſe I wou'd be ſure to leave room for Caſualty, Tle allow One in Fifty {ſhall Die out of our Number Sub- {crib'd. Secondly, upon Projefis. 141 Secondly, It mult be allow'd, that our Payments falling due only on the Death of Husbands, this One in Fifty muſt not be reckoned upon the T'wo thouſand; for 'tis to be ſuppos'd ar leaſt as many Women {hall Die as Men, and then there is nothing to Pay; ſo that One in Fifty upon One Thouſand, is the moſt that I can ſup- poſe ſhall Claim the Contribution in a Year, which is Twenty Claims a Year, at 5.each, and is 5 l. per Ann. and it a Woman Pays this for Twenty Year, and Claims art laſt, ſhe is Gainer enough, and no extraordinary Loſer if ſhe never Claims at all : And | verily believe any Office might Un- dertake to Demand at all Adventures not above 6 |. per Ann. and (ecure the Subſcriber 5001. in caſe ſhe come to _ Claim as a Widow. | forbear being more particular on tis Thought, having occaſion to be larger 142 An Eſſay | larger in other Prints; the Experiment | being reſolv'd upon by ſome Friends, who are pleas'd to think this too uſeful -2 ProjeCt-not to be put in execution ; and therefore I refer the Reader to the Publick Practice of 1t. Thavenam(d thele two Caſes as ſpe- cial Experiments of what might be done by Aſſurances in way of Friend- by Society; and I believe I might without Arrogance affirm, Thar the ſame Thought might be improv'd in- to Methods that ſhoud prevent the General Miſery and Poverty of Man- kind, and at once fecure us againſt Beggars, Pariſh-Poor, Alms-Houſfes, and Hoſpitals; and by which, not a Creature fo Miſerable, or ſo Poor, but {ſhould claim Subſiſtence as their Due, and not ask it of Charity. I cannot believe any Creature fo wretchedly baſe ,: as'to Beg of mere choice, upon Projefs. 143 choice , but either it muſt proceed from Want , or ſordid prodigious Covetoulneſs ; and thence I Fr a , There can be no Beggar, but he ought to be either Relievd, or Puniſh'd, or | both. If a man begs for mere Cove- | touſneſs, without Want, 'tis a baſeneſs of Soul ſo extremely ſordid, as oughr to be usd with the urmoſt Contempr, and puni{h'd with the Correction due twoa Dog. It he begs for Want, thar Want is procur'd by Slothfulneſs and Idleneſs, or by Accident ; if the latter, he ought to be relievd; if the for- mer, he ought to be punifh'd for the Cauſe, but at the ſame time reliey'd alſo ; for no man ought to ſtarve, ler his Crime be whar it will. _ - Iſhallproceedtherefore toa Scheme, by which all Mankind, be he never ſo mean, ſo poor, ſo unable, ſhall gain for himſelf a Juſt Claim to a comforta- ble Subſiſtence , whenfoever Age or | Calualry 144 An Eſſay Caſualty ſhall reduce him to a nece(- firy of making uſe of it. There is a Poverty ſo far from being Delpicable, that 'tis Honourable, when a man by _ direct Caſualty, ſudden Providence, and without any'procuring of his own, ts reduc'd to want Relief from others, as by Fire, Shipwreck, Lofs of Limbs, and the like. . . | -, Thele are ſometimes fo apparent , that they command the Charity of ocffers ; but there are alſo many Fa- milies redize:d to Decay, whole Con- ditions are not. ſo. publick , and yet their Neceſſities as great. Innumera- ble Circumſtances reduce men to want ; and preſſing Poverty oblige ſome people co make their Caſes pub- lick, or ſtarve; and from thence came the Cuſtom of Begging, which Sloth and Idleneſs has improv'd into a Trade. Burtthe Method I propoſe, thoroughly put in practice, would . remove the Caule; | upen” Projects. 145 Cauſe, and the Effect wou'd ceaſe of courle, - Want of Conſideration is the great reaſon why:.People do- not provide in their Youth and Strength for Old Age and Sicknets; and the enſuing Propoſal is, in ſhort, only this, That all Perſons in the time of their Health and Youth, while they are able to Work and {pare it, ſhoud lay up ſome ſmall inconi1derable part of their gettings as a depoſit in [FA hands, to lie as a Store in bank to relieve them, it by Age or Accident they come to be diſ- abled, or uncapable ro Provide for themlelves; and that if God ſo Bleſs them, thar they nor theirs never come to need it, the overplus may be em- ploy'd to relieve ſuch as ſhall. '|t an Office in the ſame narure with this, were appointed in every EL County 14.6 An Eſſay to County in England, I doubt not but Poverty might eaſily be prevented, and Begging wholly ſuppres'd. The Propoſal is for- A PexnsSilonOFFiLcey. HAT an Ofhce be erected in ſome convenient-place, where ſhall be a Secretary, a'Clerk,” and*a Searcher, always attending. | Thar all Sorrs of People, who are Labouring People, and of Honeſt Re- pute, of what Calling or Condition foever, Men or Women, Beggars and Soldiers excepted, who being ſound of cheir Limbs, and under Fifty Year of Age, ſhall come to the ſaid Office, and enter their Names, Trades, and Places of Abode, into a Regiſter to be kept tor that purpoſe, and ſhall Pay upon Projeds. 145 pay down ar the time of the ſaid En- ring, the Sum of Sixpence, and from thence One Shilling per Quarter ; ſhall every one have an Aſſurance under the Seal of the ſaid Office, for theſe following Conditions. (1.) Every ſuch Subſcriber, if by any Caſualty ( Drunkenneſs and Ouars rels excepted) they break their Limbs; diſlocate Joints, or are dangeroully Maim'd or Bruisd, able Surgeons appointed for that purpoſe ſhall rake Ku i1rito their care, and endeavour their Cure Gratis. a (2.) IF they-are at any time dange- rouſly Sick, on notice given to the ſaid Office, able Phyſicians ſhall be ap- pointed to Viſit them, and give their Preſcriptions Gratis. _ wm” (3.), If by Sickneſs or Accident, as atoreſaid, they loſe their Limbs Or Eyes; fo as to be viſibly diſabled to 2 Tu & 3 on i488 A» Pſth Work, ind are otherwiſe Poor and unable to provide for themſelves, they ſhall either be-Ciir'd at the Charge of the Office, of be allow'd a Penſion for Subſiſterice during Life. . (4.) If they become Lame, Aged, Bedrid, or by real Infirmiry of Bo- dy (the Pox excepted) are unable to Work, anddtherwiſe uncapabletopro- vide for themſelves, 6n "pet rhade ly ſo, they = that it is really and hone ſhall be taken ' into a College Hoſpital provided for that putpoſe, and be decently mainrain'd during life. (5:) If chey are Seamen, and die abroad on board the Merchants Ships they were employ:d in, *or are . caft away and & rownd, or raken and dic in flavery, their Widows ſhall receive a Penſion during their Widowhood. (6.) If they were Tradeſmen; and Paid the Pariſh Rates, if by decay arc upon Projects. 149 are put in Priſon tor Nebr, they ſhall receive a Penſion forSubliltence during cloſe Tupriſonment. (7.) It by Sickneſs or Accidents they are reduc to extremitzes of Po- verty for 2 ſeaſon, on a, truce repre- ſengation to the Office, they {hall be Reliev'd asthe Governors ſhall ſee cauſe. Tt is to be Noted, That in the 4th. Ar- ticle ſuch as by Sickneſs aug Age are diſabled from Work, and Poor, ſhall be taken into the Houſe and provided for ; whereas in the 3.d. Article, they who are Blind, or have loſt Lynbs, &c., ſhall have Penſions allow d them, The reaſon of this difference is this: A Poor Man or Womaa that has laſt his Hand, or Leg, or Sight, 1s viſibly diſabled, and we .cannot be deceivd, whereas other Infirmities are not ſo eaſily judg'd of, ang every bady L 2 _ woud wo An Efiy wou'd be claiming a Penſion, when but few will demand being taken into an Hoſpital but ſych as are really in m—_ OL ' And that this might be managd with ſuch ' Care and Candor as a De- ſign which carries ſo good a face ought to be, I Propoſe the following Method for putting it in Practice. I ſuppoſe every Undertaking of ſuch a magnitude muſt have ſome princi- pal Agent to puſh it forward, who muſt manage and direct every thing always with dire&tion of the Gover- Ry RT © And Firſt, Ile ſuppoſe One Gene- ral Office ere&ted for the great Pa- riſhes' of Stepney and Whrtechappel; and'as Tle lay down afterwards ſome Methods.'to oblige all People to come in and Subſcribe, ſo I may be allowd to ſuppoſe here, Thar all the Inhabi- cants upon Projeds. 151 tants of thoſe. Two large Pariſhes ( the meaner Labouring ſort I mean ) ſhou'd Enter their Names, and that the number of them hs be a 100000, as I believe they wou'd be at leaſt. Firſt, There ſhou'd be Nam'd 50 of the principal Inhabitants of Ls laid Pariſhes ( of which the Church- Wardens for the time being, and all the Juſtices of the Peace dwelling in the bounds of the ſaid Pariſh, and the Miniſters reſident Tor the time being, to be part ) to be Governors of che ſaid Office. The ſaid 50 to be firſt Nominated by the Lad bes of London for the time being, and every Vacancy to be lupplid 1 in 10 days at fartheſt, by the Majority of Voices. of the reſt, The 50 to. chuſe a Committee of 11, to ſit twice a week, of whom 3 to | be 152 An Eſſay” . be a Quorum ; with a Chief Governor, a Deputy-Governor, arid a Treaſuter, In the Office,a Secretary with Clerks of his own, a Regiſter, and 2 Clerks, 4 Searchers, 4 Meſſenger, one in daily attendance under Salary, a Phyſician, a Surgeon, and 4 Vilirors.. _ In the Hoſpital, more of leſs, accotd- ing to the Number of People eriter- taind, a Houlekeeper, a Steward, Nurſes, a Porter, and a Chaplain. For the SUP ort of this Office, and that the depo ite Money might FO to none but the Perſons and Utes for whom itis paid, and that it might not be ſaid Officers and Salaries was the chief end of the Undertaking, as in. many a Project it bas been ; [ pro- Pole, That the Manager, or Under- taker, who I mention'd befare, be the Secretary, who ſhall have a Clerk allow'd him, whoſe buſineſs it ſhall be ro keep the Regiſter, take the En- tries, pow Projeis. 153 tries and give out the Tickets Seal'd by the Governors, and Sign'd by him- ſelf, and to Enter always the Payment of Quatteridge of every Sublcriber. And thatthere may benno Fraud of Con- nivance, and too great Truſt be not re- pos'd in the ſaid Secretary, every Sub- {criber who brings his Qyarteridge, is to put it into a great Cheſt, lockt up with 11 Locks, every Member of the Committee to keep a Key, fo that it cannot be open'd but in the Preſence of them all ; and every time a Subſcri- ber pays his Quarteridge, the Secre- tary ſhall give him a Seald Ticker, thus [chime g6.| which ſhall be allow'd as the Receipt of Quarteridge for tha Quarter. | Note, "The reaſon why every Subſcri- ber fhall take a Receqpt or Ticket for his Quarteridge, is becauſe this muſt be the landing Law of the Ofce, 154 At Eſſay | | Ogre, | that if any Subſcriber fail | $0: pay. their. Quarteridge, they ſhall never. Claim after it, until double fo much be paid, nor not at all + that Quarter, whatever befalls them. The Secretary ſhou'd be allow'd to have 2 d. for every Ticket of Entry he gives out, and 1 d. for every Receipt he gives for Quarteridge, .to be ac- counted for as follows : Od oo Jl os hen of Salary, he being to Pay Three Clerks out of it. One Third to the Clerks, and other Officers among them. And One Third to defray the inci- dent Charge of the Office. Thus upon Projets., 155 Thus Calculated. Per Am. 1666 3 4 100000 Subſcribers paying 1 4. each Ly Quarter 1s = ; To the Secretary pcr Ann. | One Third 4 Thr Froheee Cints oF 555 7 9 L. Per Ann, To a Regiſter -——-100? Toa Clerk- ——-50 | | One Third To 4 Searchers —— --100 3 To a Phyſician too? $59 © @ To a Surgeon 100 } . CTo Four Viſitors 100 ” "O To Ten exch ring Men, 5s. each fi icing, twice per Week 1s dg: TRE. 2 To a Clerk of _ Oo Incident 4 mittees——e Ganges ſuch * To a Meſſenger —— 6 Z 360 IF 7 A Houſe for , Office 40 A : Houſe for _ Hoſpital he . x Contingencies "1666 3 4 All the Charge "Tos thus paid out of ſuch a Trifle as 1 d. per Quarter, the next Conſideration is 'to examine - what the Incomes of this Subſcription may be, and in time what may be the Demands upon It. | 8 It 156 . An Efay. \ » d. ; 6 2500 ©O og If 100 000 perſons ſubſcribe, they pay down at their enting, each 6 PF; which is. And the firſt year's OR 15 1N 1 Stock at 1. per [fe OR eg NY It muſt be allow'd, that under Three) Months the Subſcriptions will not be well compleat ; fo the Payment of Quarteridge ſhall not begin "but from the Day after the Books are full,pr fr up; and from whit ene year is to pals before any Claim can be ; made ; ; and T Money coming 3n at ſepa- þ rate times, ; ppc no Improvement ; upon it for the firft year, except of -the 2500, which lent to the King on ſome good Fund, at 7 /. per Gene. A SINE the firſt year, =——— — The Quartendge of the Second year, abating for 1900 Clatits, =———— 7 9 oo And the Intersſt of the firſt year's Mo-) ney, at the enfl of the (econd year, lent to ! _ King, as prcethid, at 7 26: -Cent. Jate- | 4 I774 10 oo TCit,. IS = -_ —— — The -Quarteridge of the Third year, abating for Claims, 7 19400 00 09 20000 0©o 09 The Intereſt of former Caſh, to the end? of the Third Vear, MEND AP, 3284 08 00 Income of {aye Years mmm Note, thy PIE may pay 2 S. up t0 '5 8. Guarterl, if they pleaſe, and upou« Clan, wil be allow d #1 proportion. To 66933 18 00 upott Projeffs: i'g7 To affign wharſhall be the Fry upon. this, where Contingency has fo eat a ſhare 1s hot to be'done; bit way of Policical Arichrnetick X pros bable Gueſs may be Fre Tis to be nored, Thit he Poms 7 ing by the. Third, Fifth; aitd Sixth | _ Articles , art thus : Every" Perſon who paid 1's. "Quarttvh : 'fhall ro ceive 19 d. Weekly, -and-fo tn prov Ker every -12 d. patd Onarterly by 'any one 'Ptrſon, to receive foma- ) * yy Shillings Weekh, if he cone ft ED -CHanhr a eos hl ET] Tick Yelr- no hana, i [allow Ll. ſo the Bank has: in Srock compleatly 22500 [. From thence” we \are to confider the Number of Claims. © * Sir William Petty, in ms Political A- Taktinetick, ſipoles not above one in 1 158 An Eſſay ... in 40 to dye per Ann. out of the whole number. of people; and I can by no means allow; that the Circumſtances of our Claims will be as frequent as Death ; for thele Reaſons: - | (1 i Our Subſcriptions reſpect all perſons 5grown, and in the Prime of their Age; alt the fiſt, and provi- ding againſt the laſt. part of Danger. Sir Wilkam's Account including Chil- dren and Old People, which always makes 1 up. One Third of the. Bills of Morality: (2.). Our Claims: cl ul thin at feſt , for. ſeveral Years; .and ler bur the Money increaſe; tie Ten Years, as it does in the Account for Three Years, .rwould be almoſt ſufficient to maintain the whole Number: ; (3+) Allow that Caſualty and. Po- verty are -our Debtor-lide ; Health, Proſperity , and Death, _ the Cre- ditor-lide of the Account ; ; and in all pro- upon Projedc. 159 probable'Accounts, thoſe Three Arti- cles will carry off Three Fourth Parts of the Number, as: follows: If 1: in 40 ſhall dye Annually , as no doubr they ſhall, and more, thar.is 2500 a year, which in 20 Years is.50009 of the Number, I hope-I may be allow'd One Third to be out of condition to claim, appparently living withour the help of Charity ; and One Third in Health of Body, and able to work ; which . put together.,-makes 83332 ; ſo it leaves 16668 to make Claims of _ Charity and Penſions in the firſt 26 years, and One. half of them muſt, according to Sir William Petty, Die+on our hands in 20 years; ſo there remains bue $4398 Se oro] Bur ro put it out of doubt, beyond the proportiorl to be gueſsd ar, Ile allow they ſhall fall thus; | The Firſt Vear, we are to note, none can claim, and the Second Near the Number ve Av Eſſay: '/ Number muſt be very IMs + creaſing ; — upp ve One in every 5 £4 " cheſecondyear, nee ook 509 . © ZThe Charge whereof 'is Onz" in revery 40s the third; R 500 "year, s 1000;-The Charge,! T hs Oar with the former 200, 500 { F * 7 * = %* - % x *h y i : P # L » —_ © , " . HTE INE. 7 3000 —_ Carry PRE Calculation Wekad hh Stock ath 1, 5. d. the ihe of the ;d year 66933 18 0 The: Quarteridge of FLY the 4th . Fear., abaring 1900000 5 as before,” - :* Intereſt of the Sock 4882" 17 6 The Quareridge of _— idg > 1 8600 00 0 Incereſt of the Stock, 6473 oo © 115879 15 6 ids The wipon Projetds. 161 be Lt a0 The Charge 3000 ©d © 00 to fall the 4thy ©. - -. Your » $ 5000 oo © And the Old con- ——. -- tinued C $900 00'Y 2000 the 5th Year 5006 Go © The Old continued 11000 60 o — 27000 00 9 - By this computation the Stock is increaſed above the Charge in Five years 893791. 15 5s. 6d. and yet here are ſundry Articles to be conſidered on both ſides of the Account; rhat will neceſſarily increaſe the Stock and diminiſh the Charge. M Firſt 62> An Ef [. Firſt, In the Five} years time 6200 ha- ving claim'd Charity, |. the:Number being a-]' bated forin the reckon-| ing above for Stock, it may be allow'd New | Subſcriptions will be taken in to keep the} Number full , which} in Five years amounts |: to 1400 00 © Their SIXPETICes 15 fp 155 00 6 1733 v0 0 Which added to 115879l. 15s. 6d. Augments the Stock 119434 15 6 ro upon Projedc. Six thouſand two}: hundred perſons claim-| ing *g , Which falls! to be ſure, on the| Aged and Infirm, I| chink,at a modeſt com- | putation, in Five years} 4000 oo @ time 5oo of them|; may be dead, which, without allowing an-|' nually, we take at an|: Abatement of 4000 oy out of the Charge g w——kKww ws fc. a. 4c. —"_ Hit... Which reduces the 23000 O00 Charge to e 3 O Beſides this, the Intereſt of the Quarteridge, which is ſuppoſed in the former Account to lie dead till the Year is- out , which caſt up from M 2 Quarrer 164 An Eſſay Quarter to Quarter, allowing it to be put out Quarterly, as it may well be, amounts to by computation for Five Year, 52507... From the 5th year, as near as can be computed, the Number of Penſio- ners being fo great I make no doubr bur they {hall Die off of the hands of the Undertaker as faſt as they ſhall fall in, excepting ſo much difference as the Payment of every Year, which the Intereſt of the Stock ſhall ſupply. _ For Example : [. _ d, At the end of the Fifth Year the Stocks 94629 15 6 in hand : The Payment of che Sixth Year | Intereſt of the Stock 5408 04 0 L— 120037 19 6 ow 20000 O00, upon Projects. 165 "3 Ss. > Allow an over-)} lus Charge for keep- R in : 4 Hou: COPE which will be dear-f 0 G0: er than Penſions , 1 0000 l. per Ann. J Charge of the 6th ' Year 0 22500 O00 © Balance in Caſh 87537 19 6 120037 19 6 This alſo is to be allow'd, That all thoſe Perſons who are kept by the Of- tice in the Houſe ſhall have Employ- ment provided for them, whereby no Perſons ſhall be kept Idle, the Works to be ſuited to every one's Capacity without Rigour, only ſome diſtincti- on to thoſe who are moſt willing to M b4 Work ; 166 An Eſjay Work ; the Profits of the ſaid Work to the Stock of the Houle. Beſides this there may great and very profitable Methods be found our to improve the Stock beyond the {et- led Intereſt of 7 per Cent. which PCr= haps may not always be to be had, for the Exchequer is not always bor- rowing Money; but a Bank of 80000 |. employ d by faithful hands, need not want opportunities of great and very conſiderable Improvement. Alſo.ir wou'd be a very good Ob- ject for Perſons who Die Rich to leave Legacies to, which in time might be very well ſuppos'd to raiſe a ſtanding Revenue to it. I won'c fay but various Contingen- cies may alter the Charge of this Un- dertaking, and ſwell the Claims be- yond proportion, further than I ex- tend it ; but all that, and much more, is ſuthcicntly anfwer'd in the Calcula- (10Ns, upon Prefs. 167 tions, by above 80000 l. in Stock to Provide for it. As to the Calculation being made on a vaſt Number of Subſcribers, and more than, perhaps, will be allowd likely to Subſcribe, I think the pro- portion may hold good in a few, as well as in a great many; and, per- haps, if 20000 Subſcrib'd, it might be as effectual; I am indeed willing to think all Men ſhou'd have 7 enough to ſee the uſctulneſs of ſuch a Deſign, and be perſwaded by their In- tereſt ro engage in it ; but ſome Men have leſs Prudence rhan Brutes, and will make no proviſion againſt Age till it comes; and to deal with ſuch, Two ways might be usd by Authori- ty to Compel them. 279 ( 1.) The Church-Wardens and Juſtices of Peace ſhou'd ſend the Beadie of the Pariſh, with an Officer belonging to this Office, about to the M 4 Poorer 168 An Eſſay Poorer Pariſhioners to tell them, That ſince ſuch Honourable Proviſion is made for them to ſecure themſelves in Old Age from Poverty and Diſtreſs, they ſhou'd expect no Relief from the Pariſh, if they refusd ro Enter them- ſelves, and by ſparing ſo ſmall a part | of their Farnings to prevent future My: (2.) TheChurch-Wardens of every Pariſh might refuſe the removal of Perſons and Families into their Pariſh but upon their having Entred into this Office. a ' (2.) All Perſons ſhou'd be pub- lickl; deftr'd to forbear giving any thing to Beggars; and all common Beggars {upprels'd after a certain time; for - this wou'd effectually ſuppreſs Beggery at laſt. ; > Andto oblige the Pariſhes ro do this on behalf of ſuch a Project, the Governor of the Houſe ſhou'd ſecure rhe pon ProjeGs. I 69 the Pariſh againſt all Charges coming. upon them from any Pim who did Subſcribe and pay the Quarteridge, and that wou'd moſt certainly oblige any Pariſh to endeavour that all the La- bouring Meaner People in the Pariſh ſhou'd enter their Names ; for in time 'twou'd moſt certainly take all the Poor in the Pariſh off of their hands. I know that by Law no Pariſh can _ refuſe to. Relieve any Perſon or Fami- ly fallen into Diſtreſs, and therefore to ſend them word they muſt expect no Relief, wou'd ſeem a vain threat= _ ning ; but thus far the Pariſh may do, they ſhall be eſteem'd as Perſons who pay di: no Relief, and ſhall be usd accordingly ; For who, indeed, wou'd ever pity that Man in his Diſtreſs, who at the expence of Tivo Pots of Beer a Month , might have prevented it, and wou d not ſpare it ? As to my Calculations, on which 1 do 170 An Eſſay do not depend neither, I ſay this, if they are probable, and. that in Five years time a Subſcription of a Hun- dred thouſand Perſons wou'd have 87537]. 19s. 6d. in Caſh, all Charges paid, I deſire any one bur to reflect what will not ſuch a Sum do; for inſtance, were it laid out in the Million Lottery Tickets , which are now Sold at 6. each, and bring in 1 L. per Ann. for Fifteen Years, every | 1 0001. folaid out, pays back in time 25001. and that time wou'd be as faſt as it wou'd be wanted, and there- fore be as good as Money; or if laid out in improving Rents, as Ground- Rents with Buildings to devolve in time, there is no queſtion but a Reve- nue wou'd be raisd in time to Maintain One third parc of the Number of Subſcribers, if they ſhou'd come to Claim Charity. And I delire any Man to con- {1der upon Projects. 171 ſider the preſent State of this King- dom, and tell me, it all che People of England , 'Old and Young , Rich and Poor , were to Pay into one common Bank, 4 s. per Ann. a Head, and that 4 s. duly and honeſtly ma+ nag'd, Whether the overplus paid by thoſe who Die off, and by thoſe who never come to Want, woud not in all probability Maintain all that ſhou'd be Poor, and for ever Baniſh Beggery and Poverty our of the Kingdom. — Of Wactkin, AGERING, as now pra- cis d by Polities and Con- tracts, is become a Branch of Aſſu- rances; it was before more properl a part of Gaming, and as it deſervd, had but a very low eſteem; bur ſhifting 172 An Eſſay ſhifting ſides, and the War providing proper ſubjects, as the contingences of Sieges,Bartels, T reaties,andCampaigns, it encreasd to an extraordinary Repu- tation , and Offices were erected on purpoſe which manag d ir to a ſtrange degree and with great Advantage , eſpecially tothe Office-keepers ; (ſo that as has been computed, there was not leſs Gaged on one fide and other upon the ſecond Siege of Limerick, than T'wo hundred thouſand Pound. How 'tis managd, and by what trick and artifce it became a Trade, and how inſen{1bly Men were drawn into it, an ealy Account may be - given. I believe Novelty was the firit Wheel that ſet it on work, and I need make no reflection upon the power of that Charm: It was wholly a new thing, at leaſt ' upon the Exchange of London ; and the = HR that gave It _ upon Projefis, 173 it a room among publick Diſcourſe, was ſome Perſons forming Wagers on the Return and Succeſs of King James, for which the Government took occa- fion to uſe them as they deſerv'd. I have heard a Bookleller in King James's time ſay, That if he wou'd have a Book ſell, he woud have it Burnt by the hand of the Common Hangman , the Man, no doubt, valud his Profit above his Reputation ; bur People are | ſo addicted to profecute a thing thar ſeems forbid , that this very practice ſcem'd to be encourag'd by its being Contraband. The Trade encreasd, and firſt on the Exchange and then in Coffee-houles it got life, till the Brokers, thoſe Ver- min of Trade, got hold of it, and then particular Offices were ſer apart for it, and an incredible reſort thi- ther was to be ſeen every day. Theſe Offices had not been long in CO being, in4 ArEſw_ being, but they were throng'd with Sharpers and Setters as much as the Groom-Porter's, or any Gaming-Or- dinary in Town, where a Man had nothing ro do, but to make a good Figure and prepare the Keeper of the Office to ove him a Credit as 4 good Man, and though he had not a Groat to pay, he ſhou'd take Guineas and ſign Polities, till he had receiv'd, perhaps 3 or 400 |. in Money on condition to pay great Odds, and then Succeſs tries the Man ; if he Wins, his Fortune is made ; if not, he's a better Man than he was before, by juſt ſo much Mo- ney, for as to the Debt, he is your Humble Servant in the Temple or Whitehall. | Bur befides rhoſe who are bur the Thieves of the Trade, there is a Me- thod as effectual to get Money as pol- ſible, manag'd with more appearing Honeſty, bur no leſs Art, by which the upon Projefs. 175 the Wagerer, in Confederacy with the Office-keeper, ſhall lay vaſt Sums, great Odds, - and yet be always ſureto Win. | For Example : A Town in Flanders, or elſewhere, during the War is beſteg'd ; perhaps at the beginning of the Siege the De- fence is vigorous, and Relief probable, and it is the opinion of moſt people, the Town will hold out /o long, or perhaps not be taken at all : The Wa- gerer has two or three more of his ſort in conjun&ion, of which always the Office-keeper is one ; and they run down all diſcourſe of the taking the Town, and offer great Odds it ſhall - Not be taken by ſuch a day: Perhaps this goes on a Week, and then the | Scale turns; and tho' they ſeem to hold the ſame opinion ſtill, yet under- hand the Office-keeper has Orders to | Take all the Odds which by their Ex- ample i76 An Eſſay ample was before given, againſt the taking the Town ;, and ſo all their firſt-given Odds are ealily ſecur'd, and et the people brought into a vein of ne againſt the Siege of the Town roo. Then they otder all che Odds to be Taken as long as they will tun, while they themſelves openly give Odds, and ſign Polities, and often- times take their own Money , till rhey have receiv'd perhaps double whar they at firſt laid. Then they turn the Scale at once, and cry down the Town, and lay thar it ſhall be taken, rill che length of the firſt Odds is fully run; and by this Manage, if the Townbe caken they win perhaps T'wo or Three Thouſand Pounds, and if it be not _ taken, they are no Loſers neither. Tis viſible by experience, not one Town in ten is befieg'd, but tis taken. The Art of War is ſo improv'd, and our Generals are ſo wary, that an Ar- ny upon Projetts. 197 my ſeldom attempts a Siege, but when they are almoſt ſure to go on with it ; and no Town can hold out, if a Re- lief cannot be had from abroad. Now if I can by firſt laying 500 l, _ to 200 |: with A, that the Town ſhall not be taken, wheedle in B to lay me 5000 |. to 2000 |. of thefame; and after that , by bringing down the | Vogue of the Siege, reduce the Wagers to Even-hand ; and lay 2ooo 1. with C that the Fown ſhall not be taken ; by this Method, tis plain, If the Town be not Faken, I win 22001: and loſe 2000 [. | If che Town be Taken, Iwin 50ool. and loſe 2500 |. This is Gaming by Rule, and in fuch a Knor 'tis impoſſible to loſe; for if it is in any Man's or Company of Men's power, by any Arrtifice to alter N _ 178 An Eſſay the Odds, * ris in their power to com- mand the Money out of every man's Pocket, who has no more Wit than to VENEUTC, —_ ak nth MF Tovurt s F all Perſons who are Objects of our” Charity, none move : my Compaſſion \ like thoſe whom u« has pleas'd God to leave in a full ſtate of Health and Strength, but deprivd of Reaſon to act for Shonldves. And it is, in my opinion, one of the great- elt Scandals upon the Underſtanding of others, to mock at thole who want ;t. Upon this accountI think the Ho- fpital we call Bedlam, to be a Noble Foundation ; a viſible Inſtance of- the fenſe our Anceſtor had of the greateſt Unhappineſ which can befal Human Kind : upon Projeds. —- 179 Kind : Since as the Soul in Man di- ſtinguiſhes him from a Brute, ſo where the Soul is dead ( for ſo it isas to act- ing ) no Brute ſo much a Beaſt as & Man. Bur ſince never to have it, and to have loft it, are ſynonimous 1 in the Effe®, I LK Ra how it came to pals, chat in the Settlement of chat Hofbicl they made no Proviſion for Perfons born without the uſe of their Reaſon, ſuch as we call Fools , or, more pro- perly, Naturals. We uſe fuch in England wiel chi laſt Contempt, which 1 chink iS A {range Error, Grew tho' they are uſeleſs to the Conimonwealth : they are only ſo by God's dire&t "Wis 1dence, and no pre- vious Fault. I think *twould very well Locda this Wiſe Age to take care of ſuch : And perhaps they are 4 rs Rent-Charge on the Great Family Mankind , Ickt by the Maker of us "- N 2 ke 180. Arn Efſay like a Younger Brother, who tho' the Eſtate be given from him, yet his Fa- ther expected the Heir ſhould take ſome care of him. If I were to be askd, Who ought in particular to be charg d with this Work? I would anſwer in general, Thoſe who have a Portion of Under- Randing extraordinary : Not thar I would lay a Tax upon any mans Brains, or diſcourage Wit, by appoint- ms Wiſe Men to maintain Fools : But ſome Tribute is due to God's Good- nels for beſtowing extraordinary Gifts; and who can 1t be better paid to, than ſuchas {uffer for want of the ſame Bounty ? For the providing therefore ſome Subſiſtence tor ſuch, that Natural De- tects may not be exposd : upon Projects. 131 It is Propos d, Thata Fool- Houſe be Erected,cither by Publick Authority, or by the City, or by an A of Parliament; into which, all that are Naturals, or born Fools, without Reſpect or Diſtinction, ſhould be admitred and mainraind. For the Maintenance of this, a ſmall ſtared Contribution, ſertl'd by the Au- thority of an Act of Parliament, with- out any Damage to the Perſons pay- ng the ſame , might be very eaſily raisd, by a Tax upon Learning, to be paid by the Authors of Books. Fyery Book, that ſhall be Printed 1n Folio, from 40 ſheets and | upwards, to pay at the Licenſmsg, ( for the whole Impreſſion. ) Under 40 ſheets, 40 s. Every Quarto, 182 An Eſſay Every Octavo of 10 ſheets and} upward, 5 Every Octavo under 10 ſheets, - and every Bound Book m 12*. res Every ſtitch d Pampblet, $$. nw Coptes the ſame Rates. This Tax to be paid intothe Cham- ber of London for the ſpace of T'wen- ty Years, © would without queſtion raiſe a Fund {ufficient ro Build and Purchaſe a Settlement for this Houle. ' I ſuppole this little Tax being to be raisd at fo few places as the Printiny- Prefles, or the Licenſers of Books, akd conſequently the Charge but very ſmall in gathering, might bring in a- bout 1500 |. per Ainum, for che rerm of Tw enty Years, M's would per- form the Work bs the degree follow- ing. "The Houſe ſhould be Plain and Decent, _ for I don't think the Oltenta- tion upon Projes. 183 tion of Buildings neceſſary or ſuitable ro Works of Charity ) ; and be builr ſomewhere out of Town, for the fake of the Air. The Building to coſt about 1 000. or if the Revenue exceed, to coſt 2000 |. at moſt, and the Salaries mean in proportion. In the Fuſe, ; A Steward , — 30 I. per Ann. A Purveyor, ——— 20 A Cook, — —20 A Butler, a— 20 Six Women to afliſt the Cook , and? _ clean the Houle, 4 }. each, Gm 24 Six Nurſes to Tend the Pcople,), 3 30. each, A Chaplain, 152 A Hundred Alms-People, at 8.) " per Ann. Dyet, &c. £ EO | ———— mn em 952 |. per Ann. The Table for tie Officers, and "oY Contingences , and Cloaths for the Alms-People, and Firing, put together, - An Auditor of the Accounts, a Committze of the Governors, and Two Clerks, N 4 Here 5OO 0. per Ant. 184 An Efſay Here I ſuppoſe 1500 Pounds per Ann. Revenue, to be ſerrl'd upon the Houſe, which 'tis very probable might be raisd from the Tax afore- ſaid. Bur fince an Act of Parliament is neceſſary to be had for the ColleCting this Duty , and that Taxes for keeping of Fools would be diffcultly obtam4d, while they are ſo much wanted for Wiſe Men; 1 would propoſe to raiſe the Money by voluntary Charity , which wou'd be a Work would leave more Honour to the Undertakers, than Feaſts and great Shows , which our Publick Bodies roo much diminiſh their Stocks with. Bur to pals all ſuppoſitious ways, which are cafily thought of, bur hard- ly procur'd ; I propoſe to maintain .Fools our of our own Folly : And whereas a great deal of Money has been thrown about in Lotteries, the following Propoſal would very cafily pertec&t our Work. A Cha- upon Proje&s. 185 A Charity-Lottery. Thar a Lottery be ſet up by the Authority of the Lord-Mayor and Court of Aldermen, for a Hundred chouſand Tickets, at Twenty Shillings each, to be drawn by the known Way and Method of drawing Lotteries, as the Million-Lottery was drawn ; in which no Allowance to be made to any body ; but the Fortunate to re- ceive the full Sum of One hundred thouland Pounds put in , without Diſcount; and yet this double Advan- rage to follow : (1.) That an immediate Sum of One hundred thouſand Pounds ſhall be raisd and paid into the Exchequer for the Publick Uſe. (2.) A Sum of above Twenty thouſand Pounds be gaind, ro be pur into the hands of known "Truſtees, to be 186 An Eſſay be laid out in a Charity for the Main. renance of the Poor. That as ſoon as the Money ſhall be come in, it ſhall be paid into the Ex- chequer, either on ſome good Fund, if any ſuitable, or on the Credit of Ex- _ thequer ; and that when the Lot- rery 1s drawn, the Fortunarte to receive T allies or Bills from the Exchequer for their Money , payable at Four Years. The Exchequer receives this Money, and gives out T allies according to the Prizes, when 'tis drawn, all payable at Four Years ; and the Intereſt of this Money for Four Years is ſtruck in Tal- lies proportion'd to the time, and gi- vento the Truſtees ; which 1s the Pro- ft I propoſe for the Work. - Thus the Fortunate have an imme- diate Title ro their Prizes, at Four Years, without Intereſt ; and the Ho- ſpital will have alſo an immediate Title to 6000 l. per Ann. for Four Years, upon Projelts. 187 Years, which is the Intereſt at 6 per ' Cent. per Ann. If any ſhould object againſt _ Time of ſtaying for their Prizes, i ſhould be anſwer'd thus, Thar — ; ever did not like to ſtay the Time for the Money , upon diſcounting Four Years Intereſt at 8 per Cent. ſhould have their Money down. I think this Specimen wall inform any body what might be done by Lot- teries, were they not hackney'd abour in Prionel Hands, 'who by Fraud and 1!l Management put them out of Re- pute, and ſo neither gain themſelves, nor ſuffer any uſeful handſome Defign to ſucceed. 'Twould be needleſs, I ſuppole, to mention, Thar ſuch a Propotal as this oughr to be {et on foot by Publick Approbation, and by Men of known Integrity ZE Eſtates, that there may be no room left Fa# a ſuſpicion of private advantage. It 188 An Eſſay If this or any equivalent Propoſal | ſucceeded to raiſe the Money, I would have the Houſe eſtabliſh'd as aforeſaid, with larger or ſmaller Revenues, ag - neceſſity oblig'd ; then the Perſons to be receiv'd ſhould be without diſtini- on or reſpe&t, but principally ſuch as were really Poor and Friendleſs ; and any that were kept already by any Pa- _ riſh-Collection, the ſaid Pariſh ſhould allow Forty Shillings Yearly cowards their Maintenance ; which no Pariſh would refuſe that ſubſiſted them whol- ly before. I make no queſtion bur that if ſuch an Hoſpital was erected within a Mile or two of the City, one great Circum- ſtance would happen, (v:z,) That the common ſort of people, who are ve- ry much addicted to rambling in the Fields, would make this Houſe the cuſtomary Walk, to divert themſelves with the Objects to be ſeen there, and co upon Projets. 189 ro make what they call Sport with the Calamity of others; as is now ſhame- fully allow'd in Bedlam. To prevent this, and that the con- dition of ſuch, which deſerves Pity, not Contempt , might not be che more exposd by this Charity, it ſhould be order d, That the Steward of the Houſe be in Commiſſion of the Peace within the Precincts of the Houle only, and authorizd to puniſh by limited Fines, or otherwiſe, any perſon that ſhall offer any Abule tothe poor Alms- people, or ſhall offer to make Sport at their Condition. It any perſon at Reading of rhis, ſhoud be ſo impertinent as to ask, To what purpoſe I wou'd appoint a Chaplain in an | Hoſpital of Fools? I could anſwer him very well, by ſay- ing, For the uſe of the other Perſons, Othcers and Attendants in the Houle, But 190 An Eſſay But beſides chat, Pray, Why not 4 Chaplain for Fools, as well as for Knaves, fince both, tho' in a different manner, are uncapable of _—_ any benefit by Religion , unleſs by ſome inviſible Influence they are made do- cible; and fince the fame Secret Power can reſtore theſe to their Reaſon, as muſt make the other Senſible ; Pray, Why not a Chaplain ? Ideors indeed were denied the Communion in the Primitive Churches ,- but I never read they were: not to be pray d for, or were not admitted to hear. If we allow any Religion, and a Divine” Supreme Power , whoſe In- fluence works invifbly on the hearts of men ( as be mnſt be wor ſe than the people we talk of , who denies it ), we mult allow at the ſame time, that Power can reſtore the Realoning-Fa- eulry to an Ideot ; and tis our part to ufe the proper means of ſupplicating Heaven | upon Proje@s. 191 Heaven to that end, leaving the diſpo- ſing-part to the Iflue of unalterable Providence. The Wiſdom of Providence has not left us without Examples of ſome of the moſt {tupid Natural Ideots in the world, who have been reſtor'd to their Reaſon, or as one would think; had Reaſon infus'd after a long Life of Ideotiſm ; Perhaps, among other wile ends, to confure that ſordid Suppoſiti- on, That Ideots have no Souls. — > ——— - = — — Of BANKRUPTS. "THis Chapter has fome Right to Rtand next to that of Fools; for beſides the common accepration of late, which makes every Unfortu- nate Man a Fool, I think no man ſo much made a Fool of as a Boney | | [ 92 © An Eſſay If I may be allowd ſo much lj: berry with our Laws, which are gene- - rally good, and above all things are temperd with Mercy , Lenity , and Freedom, This has ſomething in it of Barbarity ; it gives a looſe to the Ma- lice and Revenge of the Creditor, as well as a Power to right himſelf, while it leaves the Debtor no way to ſhow himſelf honeſt : It contrives all the _ poſſible to drive the Debtor to deſpair, and encourages no new [n- duſtry, for it makes him perfectly un- capable of any thing but ſtarving. This Law , eſpecially as it is now frequently executed, tends wholly to the Deſtruction of the | Debtor, and yer very little to the Ad- vantage of the Creditor. (1.) The Severities to the Debtor are unreaſonable, and, if I may fo ſay, a little inhuman ; for it not only ſtrips him of all in a moment, but | renders — tipon Projefls, 193 renders him for ever incapable of helps ing himſelf, or relieving his Family by future Induſtry. If he '{capes frorh Pri» ſon, which is hardly done too; if he has nothing lefr, he muſt ſtarve, ot live on Charity ; if he goes to work; no mari dare pay him his Wages, but he ſhall pay it agaui co the Creditors; if. he has any private Stock left for a Subſiſterice, he can put it no where z every man is bound to be a Thief; and take it from him : If he truſts it itt the hands of a Friend, he muſt receive It again as a preart Courteſy; for thar Friend is liable to account for it: TI have known a poor man proſecuted by a Statute to that degree, that all he had left was a little Money, which he knew not where to hide ; art laſt, that he might not ſtarve, he gives ir to his Brother , who had entertain'd him ; the Brother, after he had his Money;. quarrels with him to get him our of ECO 'S, tis —_ —_ —— 94 An Efwy his Houſe ;, and when he deſires him co let him have the Money lent him, gives him this for Anſwer, I cannot pay you ſafely, for there is a Statute againſt you ; which run the poor man to ſuch Extremiries, that he deftroy'd himſelf, Nothing is more frequent, than for men who are reducd by Miſcarriage in Trade, co Compound and Ser up again, and get good Eſtates ; but a Statute, as we call it, for ever ſhurs up all doors to the Debtor's Recovery ; as if Breaking were a Crime ſo Capital, that he ought to be caſt out of Hu- man Society, and exposd to Extremi- ties worle than Death. And, which will further expoſe the fruitleſs Severity of this Law , 'ris eafy ro make i ap- pear, Thar all this Cruelty to the Debtor is fo far (generally ſpeaking ) from advantaging the Creditors, that it deſtroys the Eſtate, confumes it n extravagant Charges , and unleſs the . Debtor upon Projefis. 195 Debtor be conſenting, ſeldom makes any conſiderable Dividends, And I am bold to ſay, There is no Advari- tage made by the proſecuting of a Statute with Severity, but what might be doubly made by Methods more merciful. And tho'I am not to pre- ſcribe ro the Legiſlators of the Nation, yet by way of Eſlay I take leave to give my Opinion and my Experience Mm the Methods, Conſequences, and Remedies of this Law. All people know , who remember any thing of the Times when that Law was made, that the Evil it was point- &d at, was grown very rank,and Break= ing to defraud Creditors ſo much a Trade, that the Parliament had good reaſon to ſet up a Fury ro deal with it 3 and I am far from refle&ting on the Makers of thar Law, who, noqueſtt- on, ſaw 'twas neceſlary at that time : But as Laws, tho' in themſelves good, © 3 _ r96 *' An Eſlay are more or leſs ſo, as they are more or leſs ſcaſonable, ſquar'd, and adapr- ed to the Circumſtances and Time of the Evil they are made againſt ; fo 'twere worth while ( with Submiſſion ) for the ſame Authority to examine : (1.) Whether the Length of Time ſince that Act was made, has not gi- ven opportunity to Debtors, 3}. To evade the Force of the At by Ways and Shifrs to avoid the Power of it, and ſecure their F- Rates our of the reach of it ? 2. Toturn the Point of « againſt thole whom it was made to re- lieve? Since we ſee frequently now, that Bankrupts deſire Statutes, and - procure them to be taken out a- gainſt themſelves. (2.) Whether the Extremities of this Law are not often carried on be- yond the true Intent and Meaning of the At it ſelf, by Perſons, who ral - =” oO. ond upon Projetts. 197 ſides being Creditors, are alſo Malici- ous, and gratify their private Revenge, by proſecuting the Offender, to the Ruin of his Family. If theſe Two Pointsare to beprov'd, then I am ſure 'rwill follow, Thar this A& is now a Publick Grievance to the Nation; and I doubt not but will | be one time or other repeal'd by the lame Wiſe Authoriry which made it. (1.) Time and Experience has fur- m{h'd the Debtors with Ways and Means to evade the Force of this Sta- tute, and to ſecure their Eſtate againſt the reach of it; which renders it often inſignificant, and conſequently , the Knave, againſt whom the Law was particularly bent , gets off ; while he only who fails of mere Neceſſity, and whoſe honeſt Principle will not permit him to practice thoſe Methods , is ex- posd to the Fury of this At: And as things are now orderd, nothing is O 3 more 198 An Eſſay ' more eaſy, than for a man to. order his Eſtate ſo, that a Statute ſhall have no power over it, or at leaſt. but a little, If the Bankrupt be a Merchant, no Stacute can reach his Effe&ts beyond the Seas; fo that he has nothing to ſe- cure but his Books, and away he goes into the Friars. If a Shopkeeper, he has raore difficulty; but that is made eaſy, for there are Men (and Carts) to be had, whoſe Trade it is, and who in One Night ſhall remove the greateſt Warehouſe of Goods, or Cellar of Wines in the Town, and carry them off into choſe Nurſeries of Rogues, the Mint and Friars; and our Conſta- bles and Watch, who are the allow'd- Magiſtrates of the Night , and who ſhall ſtop a poor little lurking Thiet, that it may bi has ſtole a bundle of old Cloaths, worth 5 s. ſhall lerthem all paſs without any diſturbance, _— Pet ee upon ProedGs. 199 ſce a hundred honeſt men robb'd of cheir Eſtates before their faces, to the Erernal Infamy of the Juſtice of the Nation. | And were a man bur to hear the Diſcourſe among the Inhabitants of thoſe Dens of "Thieves, when they firſt ſ\warm about a New Comer , to comfort him ; for they are nor all harden'd to a like degree at once. ----. Well, ſays the firlt, Come, don't be con- cern'd, you have got a - good Parcel of | Goods away, T promiſe you ; you need not value all the World. Ab! woud T had done ſo, lays another, T'de a laugh'd at all my Creditors. Ay , ſays the young Proficient in the harden'd Trade, but my Creditors ! Damn the Creditors, ſays a Third, Why, there's ſuch a one and ſuch a one, they have Creditors too, and they won t agree with them, and here they live like Gentlemen , and care not a farthing for them, Offer your Creditors Half a O 4 Crown 200 An Eſſay Crown in the Pound, and pay it them in Old Debts, and if they won't take it , let them alone, they ll come after you, never fear it. O! But a Statute, lavs he a+ gain, 0! But the Devil, cries the Minter. Why, tis the Statutes we live by , ſay they : Why, if 'twere not for Statutes, Creditors would comply , and Debtors wou-d compound, and We Honeſt Fellows here of the Mint wou'd be ſtarvd. Prithee , What need you care for a Sta- tute? A Thouſand Statutes can't reach You here. This is the Language of the Countrey , and the New Comer ſoon learns to ſpeak it; (for I think I may ſay , without wronging any man, [ have known many a man go in a- mong tem Honeſt, chat is, -without _ NM Defign, but I never knew one come away fo again, ) -----Then comes a Graver Sort among this Black Crew, ( for here, as in Hell, are Ficnds of Degrees A and diffexent Magnicude ), and upon Projeds. 201 and he falls into Diſcourſe with the New Comer, and gives him more ſo- lid Advice. Look you, Sir, Tam con- cern'd to ſee you melancholy, I am in your Circumſtance too , and if youll accept of- it, Ile give you the beſt Advice I can ; and ſo begins the Grave Diſcourſe. The man is in too much trouble, not to want Counſel, ſa he thanks him, and he goes on : Send a Summons ta your Creditors, and offer them what you can prapoſe in the Pound ( always reler- Ving a good Stock to begin the World again ), which if they will take, you are a Freeman, and better than yau were be- fore; if they won't take it, you know the worſt of it, you are on the better a tbe hedge with them : If they will not take it, but will proceed ta a Statute, you have nothing to do, but to oppoſe Force with Force ; for the Laws of Nature tell you, ou muſt not ſtarve 5 and a Statute : ſo : | ar- 202 An Eſſay barbarous, ſo unjuſt , fo malicious a way of proceeding againſt a man, that Ido not think, any Debtor oblig d to conſider any thing but his own Preſervation, when once 0 on with that. ----= For why, lays the old ſtudi'd Wretch, ſhould the Creditors ſpend your Eſtate in the Com- miſſion, and then demand the Debt of you too * Do you owe any thing to the Commi|ſ- fion of the Statute ? ( No, ſays he); Why then, ſays he, I warrant dds Charges will come to. 200 four of your Eftate, and they muſt have 10 s. a day for ſtar- ving you and your Family. TI cannat ſee why any man ſhould think T am bound im | Conſcience ts pay the Extravagance of other men. If myCreditors ſpend 5-001. in getting m my Eſtate by a Statute, which T offer d to ſurrender without it , T'le reckon "that 5a |. paid:them, let them take it among them ; for Equity is due to a Bankrupt as wel as to any man ;, and if the Laws do not give it us, we muſt take it. This upon Projefts. 203 This is too rational Diſcourſe nar to pleaſe him, and he proceeds by this Advice; the Creditors cannot agree , bur take our a Statute ; and the man that offer d ar firſt, ic may be, 10 s. in the Pound, is kept in that curſed place till he has ſpenr it all , and can offer nothing, and then gets away beyond Sea, or after a long Conſumption gets off -by an At of Relict to poor Debtors, and all the Charges of the Statute falls among the Creditors. Thus I knew a Statute taken out a- gainſt a Shopkeeper in the Countrey, and a conſiderable Parcel of Goods too ſcizd, and yet the Creditors, what with Charges, and ewo or three Suits at Law, loſt their whole Debts, and $ 5s. per Pound Contribution-Money for Charges; and the poor Debtor, like a man under the Surgeon's hand, died in the Operation. (2.) AnO- 204. An Eſſay (2.) Another Evil that Time and Experience has brought to light from this Act, is, when the Debtor himſelf ſhall confederate with ſome particular Creditor to take out a Statute; and this is a Maſter-piece of Plot and In- triegue: For perhaps ſome Creditor ho- neſtly receivd in the way of Trade a large Sum of Money of the Debtor for Goods fold him when he was ſui Juris; and he by conſent ſhall own himſelf a Bankrupt before chat time, and the Statute ſhall reach back to bring in an Honeſt Man's Eſtate, to help pay a Rogues Debr. Or a man ſhall go and borrow a Sum of Money upon a Parcel of Goods, and lay them to Pledge; he keeps the Money, and the Statute ſhall ferch away the Goods ro help forward the Compoſition. "Theſe are Tricks I can give too good an account of, having more than once ſuffer'd by the Experiment. I could o1VE upon Projefis, 205 give a Scheme of more ways , but I think 'tis needleſs to prove the Neceſ- firy of laying afide thar Law, which is pernicious to both Debtor and Cre- ditor, and chiefly hurtful co the Honeſt | Man who it was made to preſerve. - The next Enquiry is, Whether the Extremities of this Law are not often carried on beyond the true Intent and Meaning of the A<t it ſelf , for Mali- cious and Private Ends, to gratify Paſſion and Revenge ? : I remember the Anſwer a Perſon cave me, who had taken our Statutes againſt ſeveral Perſons, and ſome his near Relations, who had fail d in his Debt; and when was one time dif- luading him from proſecuting 2a man who ow'd me Money as well as him, I usd this Argument with him ; ou know the man has nething left to pay. That's true , ſays he, I know that well enough, To what purpoſe then , ſaid F wi 206 An Eſſay will you proſecute him? Why, Revense is ſweet, {aid he. ----Now a man that will proſecute a Debror , nor as a Debtor, but by way of Revenge, ſuch a man 18, I think , not intentionally within the benefit of our Law; In order to ſtate the Caſe right, there ate four Sorts of People to be confider'd in this Diſcourſe ; and the true Caſe is how'to diſtinguiſh them. (1.) There is the Honeft Debror, who fails by viſible Neceſſity, Loſkes, Sickneſs, Decay of Trade, or the like. | (2.) The Knaviſh, Deſigning, or Idle, Extravagant Debtor, who fails becauſe either he has rtm out his Eſtate in Excefles, or on purpoſe to chear and abuſe his Creditots. (3.) There is the moderate Credi- ror , who ſeeks bur his own , but will omit no lawfil Means to gain it, upon Projefds. 207 it, and yet will hear reaſonable and juſt Arguments and Propolals. (4.) There is the Rigorous Severe ' Creditor, that values not whether the Debtor be Honeſt Man or Knave , Able, or Unable; bur will have his Debt, whether it: be to be had or no; without Mercy, without Compaſſion, full of Ill Language , Paſſion, and Revenge. How to make a Law'to fuit to all theſe , is the Cale: That a neceſſary Favour might - be ſhown to the firſt , m Pity and Compaſſion to the Untor- tunate, in Commiſeration of Caſual- ty and Poverty, which no man is cx- empt from the danger of. That a dwe Rigor and Reſtraint be laid upon the \ ſecond, that Villany and Knavery might not be encouragd by a Law. That a due Care be taken of the third, that mens Eſtates may , as far as can be, 208 An Eſſay be; ſeciurd to them. nd due Limit; ſet to the laſt ; that no man may have an unlimited Power over his Fellow- Subjects, to the Ruin of both Life and Eſtate. =: All which Ihumbly conceive might be brought to paſs by the following Method; to which I give the Title of A Court of Enquiries. This Court ſhould conſiſt of a (c- le& Number of Perfons, to be choſen Yearly. out of the ſeveral Wards of the City ; by the Lord-Mayor and Court of Aldermen ; and out of the ſeveral Inns of Court ; by the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, for the time being, and to conliſt of, A decretary, A Preſident, T, bo choſen by the reſt A Treaſurer, \ and nam d every year alſo. A Judgh upott Projett: : 205 by Judge of Cauſes for the Proof of Debts. = | Fifty twb Citizens, out of every Ward tiwo ; of which number to be Twelve Mer chants. Two Lawy ers *( Bariſtirs at [ eaſt ) out of each s. the Inns of Court. That "1 Commiſſion of Enquiry into Bankuprs Eſtates be. given, to theſe; confirm'd and ſer! d,by. A& of Pariament, with Power to Hear,” TY, 2nd Determine Cauſes as to Proof of Debrs,. and Diſputes in. Accounts be- tween Debtor and Creditor ; without Appeal: . The Office "Ti hs Ca ” Fr: at Guildhall, where Clerks ſhou'd be al- ways arccpding G and a Quorum of. the Commiſſioners ro fit de Die in Diem, from Three to Six 2 Clock } in the AF ttnoon, | Fac ; #s % [ ; Ta = _ mY - Sfo Hh Eſp. To this Court every man who Kinds himſelf preſsd by his Affairs, fo thir he carinot carry on his Buſineſs, Thall apply himſelf: as follows : | He ſhall go to the Secretary s Of. fce, and give in his Narne, -with this flon Petition T6 the Hbtiourable the-Prefident and ' Commiſſioners of *His Majeſty's - Court: of Erteuitics: © The hooks Peticion of 4. B.' of the! Parifhy of : 42 +. "of the ET - Haberdaſher | s beweth, " Hat your Petitioner 'beiho muble to carry on his Bufaisfs , by reaſon of oreat Loſſes and Decay of-- SD and being ready und willing'to make n fl and Hitire Difcovery of bis "hole Eſtate \, "did to deliver up the ſame to your Honotws up- on Oath , as the Law dir ets for the ſa- Y tisfattion f0\Þrijedte. 5 i Hofuerion of of - Bs Creditors; Wh Þavine to that purpoſe entred his Nate" TY the Boys ' wa Jour Offee on the "of this Hiſt : - SPE; 0p Petitioner Huntbly pl a0 the Pri "ReZHivh __ *h8 peo: pt C olirts | Ani ſhalt ever Pray, & 6; The Sictliry? iS we lay this Peivion belbie <& Commiſſioners ;' whe ſhall figh it 'of -coutfe'; and te PeikioHer ſhall '/tave an Officer ſehr Forms with him immediately; wii Thill take Pof- felſibn of his Hoſe and Goods ,; and att &*1&t Tifvettorhy of every ing therein ſhall be-eikdn It This: Entrance by other Offices atfo, appointed by the Cort ; xctording | ro W ich Invert- tory the! Art Officer- and "thei Bank- tupr alſo ſhall-b&#&couhrable. - - This” Officer #hal fuptrlede even ie Sheriff 1n- "Pofletfion ; : [exceprirtg RIS DI P 2 by 212 An Efly. by an Extent for the King; only with this Provilion 5 ., That if the Sheriff be in Poſlſcſhion by Warrant on Judgment, obtain'd by due Courſe of Law, and without Fraud or. :Deccit, and, bona fide, in | Poflefſion before the Debtor entred his Name. in: the Office, ' in ſuch cafe the Plaintiff to have a double Dividend allotted to his Debt z for ic was the fault of the Debtor to ler Execution come upon his Goods before he ſought for Prote&ion ; -bur this not to be. al- low'd upon Judgment' confeſs'd. - -- If the Sheriff be in PoſlſeGion 'by fieri facias tor Debt immediately. due co the King, the Officer however ſhall quit his Poſleſſion to the Commiſſion- ers, and they ſhall fee the King's Debc fully ſatisfied, before any Diviſion be made to the Creditors. [The Officers in this cafe to take no Fee from the Bankrupt, nor to uſe any indecent pon ProjeFs. 213 indecent or uncivil Behaviour to the Family ( which is a moſt notorious Abuſe now permitted to the Sheriffs Officers ), whole Fees I have known, on ſmall Executions , on pretence, of Civility, amount to 2s much as the Debt, and yer behave themſelves with calatferable Inſolence all the while. This Officer being in Poſſeſſion, the Goods may be removd, or not It» mov d, the Shop ſhut up, or not ſhue up, as "the Bankrupt upon his Rea» ſons given to the Commiſſioners may dehire. The Inventory being taken,the Bank- rupt ſhall have Fourteen Days time, and more if defird , upon ſhowing good Reaſons to the Commiſſioners, co ſettle his Books, and draw up his Accounts ; and then ſhall deliver up all his Books, rogether with a full and rue ; Account of his whole Eſtate, P} Real 214 45g: Real and | Perſonal; to. which Accou he ſhall make Oath , and afterwards ro any parriculay « of t, 'if the Corp miſtioners require, ; | Afr this Account give en. in, the Commiſſioners ſhall have Power, el mify? examine gp. Oat] A US Sram, or any ot er Per ſon; and, f it APR that he has conceal any th ing, in breach Hh Oath, i9Poniſh bo as is hereak cr [EI] hed HP . on a [fair and ju tSurenger of al his E, at A | Eres ts, bona he, ae COTS ling to & rue [grent and \Mean- ing of the A Feet Commiſſioners: Te rexurn tO him in ey, 95, fuch of his Gogds, 45 he Gall, at Hoe by a ju ailment x, / 7 c Git of. all the | rg he urxenger 9's LQgerner. with a full and & ee Di Set Irop. a all his Credirojs. "The Rexyainger.£ of the Ef FALE 6 of. bi Debjor ig be.fairl of ang | cqyally divided among Corimilſiogers: to make a 'neceſfary Enquiry into the Nature and Circum- tangez,of the Hoke deraanded, thar no pretended. cbr be claing' for the private Account of the Debtor : In _ order to which Enquiry , they ſhall adminiſter the following Oath to the Creditor, for the Proof of He Debe. A. B. da ſolemnly err That the Account her 0 a0nere its true and OY pa every Ar- ticle therein rightty and'fruly ffated and charg'd in the, Namegof the Pex» ſons to whom. they belong.: Ind that there 1s no- Perſon 02 Nam L conceal['d, o2 aiter'd in the fa by me, 02 by my Knowledge, Order, 02 Confens 1: rn” wa the ho qo; I = Q and ffand fud wack Red re: ons 2 02 My. own p2oper account, t | Keedoruct d pie ſard Account, and _ RO — ue attel, J 216 An Efey Qaliee made godto bis, agb Eh e not made 93 dnowes of any- wy @ Ts Cog vm and me 0 any Perlon whatſoe : = help 1 me God. Upon chis Oath, and no Circum.- ſtances to render the Perſon ſuſpected, the Creditor ſhall have an unqueſti- ond Right to his Dividend , which ſhall be made' without the Delay $ and Charges that artend the Coramilſon of Bankrupts.'* For, rw jp * (1:) The Goods of the Debtor ſhall upon che firſt meeting of "the Credi- tors, be either ſold in-Parcels, as they ſhall agree,” or divided ' among, them in die proportion ro rheir Debts, (2. ) 'Whar Debs arc ſtanding Out, Fi Debtors ſhall receive Regan, from the Commiſſioners, to pay by 0 certain upon Projefls, 217 certain time limited ; and in the mean rime the Secretary is to tranſmit Ac- coynts to the Perſons owing it, ap- pointing them a reaſonable time to conſent or diſprove the Account. ' Andevery Six Months a juſt Divi- dend ſhall be made among the Credi- tors of the Money receivd : And fo if the Effects lye abroad, Authentick Procurations ſhall be fignd by the Bankrupt to the Conenitlinn 'who thereupon correſpond with the Perſons Tenge. in whoſe hands ſuch Effects are, who are to remit the ſame as the Commiſſioners order ; the Dividend ta be made , as before, every Six Months, or oftner, if the Court ſee cauſe,” PEER. 0. I 4 6. $5.8 wy If any man thinks the Bankrupt has ſo much favour by theſe Articles, that' thoſe who can f Fay: with an Oath have an opportunity to cheat their Creditors , and that hereby too as Arkſy. much F, COP FAgemfgy: O Fivep t9-men, to curn ler chem conſider the Eaſj _ o 4.5, Diſeoyaye! rhe Dif- Ficulcy, of a Concealment, an d the Pe. nalry on the Offender. _. G, 3 fi would haye 2 Reward of 30 per Cent. be provided-t to, be Aid to any perſon who ſhould make |! At of . any part of che Bankrupr's Eface gon = by, him; ;. which would mak Diſcoverigs ealy and frequent... (2.) Any, perlon who ſhould claim any Debt among the Credirops., for che accaunt of the Bankrupt, or his Wife oz Chaldren ,. or with defign i relieve them. out of it, " other or more than js, ona fide, due to him for Var lue Teceiv'd and to be made'out ; or any perlon, who ſhall receive in Fruſt, or by Deed. of Gift, any part of he Goods or other Efare of the - Bank- rupt, with deſign to. preſerve them far the ule of the "aid Bankrupr, .or Ls | . Wie pan Projets. 2s Wife or Ch dren, or with deſigt conceal Lo from the Creditors half oo ic for very. ſuch At 500 þ and have; his Nine pyoliſh d as a Ch cat, ind a Perſon not fic to be credited by ih Take te, ould make it very r for the. Bankrog to, conceal in = ) The 1 Bankrupt having given his Nare, ang. pur the. Officer 1n 0 Poſſeſſion, ſhall Not. remoye out 'of the Houſe any of his Books; bur dur ang Fo Fogg days me which he have. #0 ic 7 ie the. Accounts , I every night Tg, i Books in- hands of ; : and th th ian IF, (Ay tþerty : bo MP bg i, 7. the. ki, he Ga ay, anc ; oF Duplicates to be No hoe and then, 9 give them backto | nkrupt;! ro role the: Accounts. i). It i Fry appear that the Bank Aug: hass giy en.ina 2 talle DEaoHG as 220. An Eſſay © has. conceal d; any part. of his Goods r Debts , in breach of his Oath, he 7 be fat © in the Pillory at his. BOING | door, and be impriſon'd during Life, without Bail. (5;) To prevent the Bankrupt CON- cealing any Debts abroad, it ſhould be enacted , Thar the Nan of the Bankrupt being entred art the Office, where every man miphr ſearch gratis ſhould' be Publication enough ; and that after ſuch Entry, no Diſcharge from the Bankrupt ſhou' d be allowd in Account to any man, but' whoever wou'd adventute' to pay any Money ro the ſaid Ba xt or his Order, ſhou'd 'be ſill Deb or to the Eſtate, and pay it again, to the Commil: ſioners, And whereas Wiſe Heads "than mine muſt be emplo! 'd to compoſe this Law, if ever 'it * made , they will have time ro conf der of more ways pou Projefls, 2a ways to ſecure the Eftate for the Cres ditors, and, if poſſible, to tye the hands | of, the Bankrupe yet faſter. Fhis Law, fever ſuch a Happineſs ſhou'd ariſe ro this Kingdom , would be a preſent Remedy tor a multitude of Evils which now we. feel, and which are a ſenſible detriment to the Trade of this Nation. © _ (1.) Wich ſubmiſſion , I queſtion not but it won'd prevertt a great num- ber.of Bankrupts, which now fall b divers Caules: 'For, _ 1. It woud effectually remove all _ crafty deſign'd Breakings,by which many Honeſt Men are ruin d. And 2, Of courle 'twou'd prevent the Fall of thoſe Tradeſmen who are forc'd to break by the Knavery of ' ſuch. (2.) It wou'd effectually ſuppreſs all _ thoſe Sanctuaries and Retuges of Thieves, the Mint, Friars, Savoy, Oy Rules, IF9 FY 7, * Rikles, find the like z and thi Uh rs ways: "C6 age OY me flave ri flesd '6f it © fee being amore" Lafe, , ard hore Hoholtable Wiy & devout of Theublen/] 5. Knlavesſhou'd Hive Ho Pibledir th from theſe Places: #hd the Aethe fortified againſt hf Places by the following' Claſs; whith T have on Stitpoſe Welery'd to this Head: '' ' Since'thie 'Proviſi ot this Golhe: of Enquiries makes fot the eaſe ind- de: liveranc&f "every Debtor who is* ho- neſt,” is To0266nfderable, ris mit cer- rad” chat "6 'Thfrs, "Birr: his! hi has 2 defign'to Cheat his Creditors, Will re- fufe” ro accept of ths Pavour 5 5 and therefore it fhou'd beEnatted; Thatif any man who is a "TYadef ian or Merchant fhall break of Hail, Gr ſhut thp Shop; of*leave- off Ttxds, Y afd Thalf Nor” either pay or ſectire! to 6 his jou Projels, ah his Creditors their fall and” whole Debts, Twenty Shllings irrthe Pbund, without 'Abatetmenc or Dedu&tion; or ſhall 'convey - away 'their Books or Goods,-in order to bring their Credi: rors to any Compoſition 5' or ſhall not apply to this Office as aforefaid, ſhall /be/guilty of Felony, and-upon Conviction of the ſarrie , ſhall ſoffer as a Felon, without Benefir of Clergy. And if 'any itch perſon ſhall rake - — Sanctuary either in 'the Mint, Friars, or _ other-pretended Priviledge-Place, or ſhall- convey thither any of their GoodsAas:aforclaid, to ſecurethem from © their Creditors, up6n Corfiplaint there- of made to any of 'His Majeſty's Ju- ſtices of the Peate ; they ſhall imme- dixtely grant Warzanits'to the Cotiſta- ble, 5c. to ſearth for the (aid Perſorts ' and Goods, who ſhall be aided ant aſbfſtes by the Train'd-Bands, 'if need be, with any Charge to the Ciedi- cors, 324 An Ef. | tors, td ſearth for. and diſcover the ſaid Perſons and a9", and who- ever were aiding in the carrying ir the ſaid Goods _ whoever | Sar ty receiy'd.either the Goods of the Perſon, ſhou'd be. alſo guilty of Felony. . For as, the Indigent Debtor is a branch of the Commonwealth, which deſerves its Care; fo the. wilfult Bank- rupt is one of the worſt ſort of Thieves, - And it feems a little unequal ; that a poor Fellow, who for mere Want ſteals Be his Neighbour ſome Trifle, thall be ſent out of the Kingdom 5 and ſometimes out. of , the World ; ,while a fort of people who defye Juſtice; and violently refiſt the Law ; ſhall. be ſuf- fer'd to' catry mens Eſtares away before their faces; and no Officers to be found who dare execute 'the Law upon them. FS OT Any man wou'd be contern'd to hear wich what Scandal and Reproach . —c F - —-- upon Projeds. 235 Foreigners do ſpeak of the Impotence of our Conſtitution in this Point: Thar in a Civilizd Government , as ours is, the ſtrangeſt Contempt of Authority is ſhown , that can be in- ſtanc'd in the world. I may be a little the warmer on this Head , on account that I have been a larger -Sufferer by fuch means than ordinary: Bur I appeal to all the world as to the Equity of the Cale z What the difference is berween having my Houle broken up in the Night to be robb'd, and a man coming in good Credit, and with a Proffter of Ready | Money in the middle of the Day, and buying 500 l. of Goods, and car-- ry them dire&ly from my Warchouſe intothe Mint, and the next day laughar me, and bid me defiance; yet this I have feen done: I think 'tis the juſteſt ching in the world, that the laſt ſhoud be Q. efteem'd 226 an Eſſay | efteem'd the greater Thief , and de- ſerves moſt to be hang d. I have fſecn a Creditor come with his Wiſe and Children , and beg of the Debtor only to let him have part _ of his own, Goods again, which he had bought, knowing and deſigning to break: I have ſeen him with Tears _ and Intreaties petition for his own, or but ſome of it, and be taunted and {wore at, and denied by a ſawcy in- ſolent Bankrupt: Thar the poor man has been wholly ruin'd by the Chear. Tis by the Villany of ſuch, many an Honeſt man is undone, Famulics ftarv'd and ſent a begging,and yet no Pumiſh- ment preſcribd by our Laws for it. By the aforeſaid Commiſſion of En- quiry, all this might be moſt effeQual- ly prevented, an Honeſt , Indigent Tradeſman preſerv.d , Knavery de- rected, and puniſhd ; Mants, Friars, upon Proeds. 227 Friars, and Privilege-Places ſup- prelsd , and without doubt a grear number of Inſolencies avoided and prevented ; of which many more Particulars might be inſiſted upon, bur I chink theſe may be ſufficient to lead any body inco the Thought; and for the Method, I leave it to the wiſe Heads of the Nation, who know bet- ter than I how to ſtarethe Law to the Circumſtances of the Crime. ——— _ —— — —_—— A EEOC Of AcaDEMIES. E have in England fewer of Y chele than in any part of the World, at leaſt where Learning is in ſo much eſteem. But to make amends, the two great Seminaries we have, are without compariſon the Greateſt , I wont ſay the Beſt in the World ; and Q 2 tho' 228 An Eſſay tho' much might be ſaid here concern- ing Univerſities in general, and Foreign Academies in particular, I contentmy ſelf with noting that part in whichwe ſeem defe&tive. The French, whojuſt- ly value themſelves upon erecting the moſt Celebrated Academy of Europe, owe the Luſtre of it very much to the great Encouragement the Kings of France have given to it. And one of the Members making a Speech art his En- trance, tells you, 'That tis not the leaſt of. the Glories of their Invincible Monarch, to have engroſsd all the Learning of the World m that. Sublime Body. The peculiar Study of the Academy of Paris, has been to Refine and Cor- red their own Language ; which they have done to that happy degree, that we ſee it now ſpoken in all the Courts of Chriſtendom, as the Language al- low to be moſt univerſal. L-had. ] had the Honour once to be a upon Projefts. Member of a ſmall Society, who ſcem'd to offer at this Noble Deſign in England. But the Greatneſs of the Work, and the Modeſty of .the Gen- tlemen concern d, prevail'd with them to defilt an Enterprize which appear'd roo great for Private Hands to un- dertake. We want indeed a Richlieu ro commence ſuch a Work : Forl am perſuaded, were there {uch a Genins in our Kingdom to lead the way, there woud not want Capacities who cou'd carry on the Work to a Glory equal to all that has gone before them. The Engliſh Tongue 1s a Subject nor art all leſs worthy the Labour of ſuch a So- ciety than the French, and capable of a much greater Perfection. The | Learned among the French will own, That che Comprehenſivenels of Exe preſſion 1s a Glory in which the Eng- {/þ Tongue not only Equals but Ex- Q 3 cels 230 An Eſſay cels its Neighbours ; Rap, St. Evre- mont , and the moſt Eminent French Authors have acknowledg'd it : And my Lord Roſcommon , who 1s allow'd ro be a good Judge of Engliſh, be- cauſe he wrote it as exactly as any ever did, expreſſes what I mean, in theſe Lines ; * For who did ever im French Authors ſee «The Comprehenſive Engliſh Energy * * The weiobtyBullion of oneScerling Line, * Drawn to French Wire won d through whole Pages ſhine. * And if our Neighbours will yield © us, as their greateſt Critick has done, *the Preference for Sublimity and No- * bleneſs of Stile,we will willingly quit * all Pretenſions to their Inſignificant * Gatety. Tis great pity that a Subject ſo No- ble ſhou'd not have ſome as Noble to al- upon Projetts. 231 attempt it : And for a Method, whar greater can be ſer before ns, than the Academy of Paris? Which, to give the French their due, ſtands foremoſt among all the Great Arrempts in che Learned Parr of the World. The preſent King of England, of whom we have feen the whole World writing Panegyricks and Encommms,and whom his Enemies, when their Inte- reſt does not ſilence them, are apt to ſay more of than our ſelves; as in the War he has given ſurprizing Inftan- ces of a Greatneſs of Spirit more than common; fo in Peace, I dare ſay, with Submiſſion , he fhall never have an Opportunity to illuſtrate his Memory more , than by ſuch a Foundation : By which he ſhall have Opportunity to darken the Glory of the French King in Peace, as he has by his daring Attempts in the War. Q 4 Nos 232 An Eſſay Nothing but Pride loves to be flat- ter'd, and thatonly as tis a Vice which blinds us to our own Imperte&tions. I chink Princes as particularly unhap- py in having their Good Actions mag- nify'd, as their Evil Actions cover: Bur King Wilkam , who has already won Praiſe by the Steps of dangerous Virtue, ſeems reſerv'd for ſome Acti- ons whichare above the Touch of Flat- cery, whole Praile is in themlelves. And ſuch wou'd this be : And be- cauſe I am ſpeaking of a Work which {cems to be proper only for the Hand of the King himſelf, I ſhall nor pre- fume to carry on this Chapter to the Model, as I have done in other Sub- jects. Only thus far , 4 "Thar a Soceiety be erected by the King himſelf , if his Majeſty thought fit, and compoſed of none bur Per- fons of the fn Figure in Learning; and twere to be with'd our Gentry. | were upon Projels, 233 were ſo much Lovers of Learning, char Birth might always be join'd with Capacity. | The Work of this Society ſhou'd be to encourage Polite Learning, to poliſh and + Al the Engliſh Tongue, and advance the ſo much neglected Faculty of Correct Language, to eſta- bliſh Puricy and Propriety of Stile, and ro purge it from all the Irregular Ad- ditions that Ignorance and Affectation have introduc'd ; and all thoſe Inno- vations in Speech, if I may call them ſuch, which ſome Dogmaric Writers have the Confidence to foſter upon their Native Language, as if their Au- thority were foffoiens ro make their own Fancy legitimate. By ſuch a Society I dare ſay the true Glory of our Engliſh Stile wou'd appear; and among all the Learned TG Ls os | Part 234 An' Efſay © Part of the World, be eſteem'd, as it really is, the Nobleſt and moſt Com- prehenſive of all the Vulgar Langua- ges in the World. Into this Society fhould be admitted none but Perſons Eminent for Learn- ing, and yer none, or but very few , whoſe Buſineſs or Trade was Learning : For I may be allowd, I ſuppoſe, to ſay, We have ſeen many great Scholars, meer Learned Men, and Graduates in the laſt Degree of Study , whoſe Engliſh has been far from Polite, full of Stiffneſs and Af- fectation, hard Words, and long un- uſual Coupling of SyNables and Senten- ces, Which ſound harſh and untune- able to the Ear, and ſhock the Reader both in Expreſſion and Underſtanding. In ſhort, There ſhould be room in this Society for neither Clergyman, Phy- fician, or Lawyer. Not that I woud put an Affront upon the Learning of any upon' Projeds. 235 any of thoſe Honourable Em loy- ments, much leſs upon their Perſons : But if I do think that their ſeveral Profeſſions do naturally and feverally preſcribe Habits of Speech co them pe- culiar to their Practice , and prejudi- cial to the Study I ſpeak of, I believe I do them no wrong. Nor do I deny but there may be, and now are among ſome of all thoſe Profeſſions, Men of Stile and Language , great Maſters of Engliſh , whom few men will un- dertake to Correct ; and where ſuch do at any time appear, their extraor- dinary Meritſhou'd find them a Place * in this Society ; bur it ſhou'd be rare, and upon very extraordinary Occaſt- fons, thar ſuch be admitted. I woud therefore have this Society wholly composd of Gentlemen; whereof Twelve to be of che Nobi- lity, if poſſible, and Twelve Private Gentlemen, and a Claſs of Twelve | ©) 236 An Eſſay to be lefr open for meer Merit, ler ir be fonnd in who or what fort ic would, which ſhould lye as the Crown of their Study , who have done ſome. thing eminent ro deſerve it. The Voice of this Society ſhould. be ſuth- cient Authority for the Uſage of Words, and ſufficient allo to expoſe the Innovations of other mens Fan- cies; they ſhoud preſide with a Sort of Judicature over the Learning of the Age, and have liberty tro Correct and Cenſure the Exorbitance of Writers, eſpecially of Tranſlators. "The Re- puration of this Society wou'd be enough ro make them the allowd . Judges of Stile and Language; and no Author wou'd have the Impudence ro Coin without their Authority. Cu- ſtom, which is now our beſt Autho- rity for Words, wou'd always have its Original here, and not be allowd without it. There ſhou'd be nomore FR op oo upon Projefis. 227 occaſion to ſearch for Derivations and Conſtructions, and 'twou'd be as Cri- minal then to Coin Words, as Money: The Exerciſes of this Society wou'd | be Lectures on the Engliſh Tongue, Eflays on the Nature, Original, U- ſage, Authorities and Differences of Words, on the Propriety, Purity, and Cadence of Stile , and. of the Polite- nels and Manner in Writing; RefleCti- ons upon Irregular Uſages, and Cor- rections of Erroneous Cuſtoms in Words; and in ſhort, every thing that wou'd appear 'neceflary to the bringing our Engliſh Tongue to a due PerfeQtion , and- our Gentlemen to a Capacity of Writing like themſelves ; obabiſh Pride and'Pedantry, and ſt- lence the Impudence and Impertinence of Young Authors, whoſe Ambition is to be known , tho' it be by their Folly. Task 238 An Eſſay I ask leave here for a Thought or two abqut that Inundation Cuſtom has. made upon ' qQur Language and Diſcaurſe by Familiar Swearing ; and [ place it here, becauſe Cuſtom has fo tar prevail'd in this fooliſh Vice, that a mans-Diſcourſe is hardly agreeable without it; and ſame; have taken up- an them to lay,” It #5 pity it ſhoud not be lawful, tis ' ſuch: & Grace m 4 man's Speech , and adds ſo much Figour to bis Language. I dehjre ro be underſtood right, and. that by Swearing I mean all choſe Cur- fory Oaths, Curſes, Execrations, Im- precatigns, Affevexations, and by whadqever other Names they are dis {tingyiſh'd, which are usd in Vehe- menee: of Niſcourſe, in the Mouths 2lmakſt of all 'men more or leſs, of What ſort ſaever. I am not about to argue any thing of their being ſinful and unlawful, as | forbid upon Projects. 239 forbid by Divine Rules; let the Parſon alone to tell you that , who has, no queſtion, ſaid as much to as little pur- pole in this Caſe as in any other: Bur | am of che opinion, that there is no- thing 1o Impertinent, ſo Inſlignificane, ſo Senſleſs and Fooliſh, as our vulgar way of Diſcourſe , when..mix'd with Oaths and Curles; and I wou'd only recommend a little Conſideration to our Gentlemen, who have Senſe and Wit enough, and wou'd be aſham'd to ſpeak Nonſenſe in other things, but value themlelves upon their Parts; I wou'd but ask them to put into Wri- ting the Common-Places of their Ditcourſe, and read them over again, and examine the Engliſh, the Cadence, the-Grammar of them ; . then let them turn them-into Latin, or tranſlate them into any other Language, and bur ſee what a Jargon and Confuſion of Speech they make rogether. : | | Swear 240 An Eſſay Swearing , that Lewdneſs of the Tongue, that Scum and Excrement of the Mouth, is of all Vices the moſt fooliſh and ſenfleſs ; it makes 2 man's Converſation unpleaſant , his Diſcourſe fruitleſs, and his Language Nonſenſe. Ic makes Converſation unpleaſant, at leaſt to thoſe who do not ule the ſame fooliſh way of Diſcourſe; and indeed, is an Afront to all the Com- panty who ſwear not as he does; forif [ ſwear and Curſe in Company , I ei- ther preſume all the Company likes i, ' or affront them who do nor. - Then 'tis fruitleſs ; for no man is believ'd a jot the more for all the Aſle- verations, Damnings and Swearings he makes : Thoſe who are usd to it themſelves, do not believe a man the more, becauſe they know they are ſo cuſtomary , that they figni- fy little ro bind a man's Intenti- on ; pow Projetts. 241 on ; and they who practiſe them not; ave {o mean ari opinion of thoſe thar do; as makes them think chey deſerve no bait ' Then, they are the Spoilers 4 Deſtroyers + a. man's Diſcourſe , and urn it into. perfect. Nonſenſe ; andt6 make it our', -'F muſt d>- ſ{cend a little to Parciculaes, and de- fire the Reader: 4 little co foul - his Mouth - with the Bruitiſhr, © Sordid , Senflels Expreſſions, which frm Gene tlemen call Polire Engliſh, and "=—_ ing with 2 Grace. A "Big part of them indeed , tho' they are fooliſh. enough , as Et- tes of x mad, invoalldemee Rage, are yet Engliſh,” as when a man ſwears he wilt do this or that, and ir may beadds, God damn him be will : that 1s, God FR him if he. dont : This; the? ir be horrid in another ſenſe, yer may R | be 242 An Efſay be- read: iri- writing: , and. is Engliſh: But what; Language is this ? Jack, God damit me Jack , Hom do'ſf do , thou little dear Son of a Whore ? How: baſh: thaws. done this long time ,” by God? ---+Afd:therr they kiſs; and the rother, as lewd as hinglelt., goes on; Dear kom, Tam glad to foe thee-with all-my heart, 1et: me djs. - Come, let us;20 take a Battles we: muſt not: part ſo-;,. pri- thee let s 20. and be mis ” God.-<ve "This is ſorae of. our new IO" Languag e, and the Graces and Deli- Cacies O 'Stile , which if ir were pur incq- Lathe; I: word fan: know walls is. the principal Verb. Butfor 2 lide further ES gh of this Impertinence,, go\ among the Gameſters; .and there nothing; is'more frequent than, God: dam the Dyce ,. or God damn the Awe. id Among pan Projefls. 345 AmongtheSporr{ment 'tis, God dam the Hounds, when they are-at a Fault; of God di the Horſe , if he bau' ks a Leap: They call men, Sons of Bitches , and Dogs , Sons. of Whores 3 And innumerable nfl may be given 'of the like Gallantry of Lan- guage, grown now fo much a Cu- from: 'Tis true, Cuſtom is allow'd to be our beſt Authority for Words, and 'ris fic it ſhould be fo; but Reaſon muſt be the Judge of Senſe in Language, and Cuſtom can never prevail over. it. Words, indeed, like Ceremonies int Re- ligion, may be ſubmitted ro the Mas giſtrate 3; bur Senſe, like'the Bflentials; is poſ1tive ,:: unalterable , and can- nor be ſubmitted: to any J urifdictionts tis a Law to'it (elf, 'tisiever the ſame; _ evenan Aetiof Parliamen cannot a” ter it, | 05] 244 An Ef” : Words, and even Uſfages in Sctile, may be alcer'd by Cuſtom, and Pro- prieties. 'in Speech difter accord- ing xo the ſeveral Dialets of the Countrey, and according to the dif- ferent manner in which ſeveral Lan- guages do ſeverally exprets themſelves. - Bur there is a direct Signification of Words, or a Cadence -in Expreſſion , which we call ſpeaking Senſe; this,like Fruth, is fullen and the ſame, ever was and will be ſo, in what manner, and in what Language foever 'tis ex- preſsd. Words. without it, are only Noiſe, which any Brute can make as well as we, and Birds 'much better ; for Words without Senſe make but dull Muſick. Thus a man may ſpeak in Words, but perte&ly unintelligible as to: Meaning ; he may talk: a great deal, — bur fay nothing; Bur -tis the proper Poſition of Words, adapted to their Sipnifications, which makes them in- relligible, upon Projeds. 245 relligible, and- conveys the Meaning of the Speaker to the Underſtandin of the Hearer ; the contrary to which we call Nonſenſe ; and there is a ſu- perfluous crowding. in of inſignificant Words, more than are needful to ex- preſs the thing \intended , and.- this is Impertmence ; and. that 'again* car- ry d to an extreme, 1s ridiculous. _ Thus when our Diſcourſe is inter- lind with needleſs Oarths, Curſes, and long Parentheſes of Imprecations, and with ſome of very indirect ſignificati- _ on, they become very bnpertinent ; and theſe being run to the extravagant de- ree inſtanc'd in before, ' become per- teatly ridiculous and Nonſenſe 5 and _ without forming it into an Argument, it appears to be Nonſenſe by the Con- tradictorineſs; and it appears Imperti- nent , by the Infignificancy of the Ex- | preſſion. . R ; After 246 . Anilfſy _ Aker all, how le jc becomes a Gentleman:to debauch his Mouth with Faril-Langyage, I refer co themlelyes inia:few Paxticulars. -.. This Vaciqus Cuſtom: has prevail'd ypon: Good Manners roo far ; but yet there axe {ome degrees ro:which it is notiyet:arriv'd. - | _ As faſt; 'The weſt Slaves to this Folly wyl nciher teach it to, nor ap- prove of it (their Children: Some of the moſt caxeleſs will indeed. nega- _avely-ceath i, by notreproving = forit;. but-ſuxe no mancyer order dhis Children to þe taught to curſe or ſwear. \2-./The Grace of $wearing has not obtaind, tobe a Mode.yer among the Women;" God dawn Ye,does not fit well ypon a:;Female Tongue; it feems to be a Maſculine Vice,which the Women are 'not arrivd_to yet; and I wou'd only delire thoſe Gentlemen whaipra- ctice it themſelves, to hear a Woman v7; 0 ſwear: pou Projebts. 247 fwear : It has no Mulitck at-all there, 1 am:ure;; and: juſt as little-does it be- come any::Gentteman, it he wou'd ſuffer ihimclf to” be judg'd. by all the Laws of: Senſe or Good Manners in the world. - i: - | *Þ's a- fenfleſs, fooliſh, ridiculous Practice ; 'tis.a Mean-co no manner of End; 'tis Words ſpoken-which fig- nify nothing ;.-'tis Folly acted for the lake of Folly, which is a thing even theDevil himſelf don't practice : The Devil daes evil ,. we ſay, bur it is for ſome delgn, \cither to ſeduce others, -or, as ſome Divines {ay,. from a Prin- ciple of Enmicy to his Maker : . Men Steal for Gain, and Murther to gratity their Avarice or Revenge ; Whore- doms and Raviſhments., Adulterics and Sodomy, are committed topleale a vicious Appetite , and have always alluring , Objects ; and. generally al! Vices have ſome previous Cauſe, and R 4 fome 243 An Ef. ſome viſible Tendency ; but this, of all Vicious Practices, ſeems the moſt Nonfenfical and Ridiculous; there is neither Pleafure nor Profit; no Deſign purſued, no Luft oratified”, but is.a mere Frenzy of the Tongue ,' a/ Vo- mit of the' Brain , which -works by putting 2 Contrary ___ the Courſe of Narure. | Again, other Vices men find ſome Ke AMES or other to give for, or-Ex- cules to palliare ; men plead Want, ro extenuate Thek ; and ſtrong Provo- cations , 'to excule; Murthers ; and many a lame Excuſe they will bring for Whoring:; bur this. ſordid Habit, eventhoſle <LI practiſe i jewill ownrto be a Crime, and make no Excuſe for it; and the mot I coud ever hear a man ſay for'it, was, That be cou'd not belpt. Beſides, 25 tis an inexcuſable Im- pertinence, fo 'tis a Breach upon Good Manners and Converlation, tor a man ro upon Projefs. 249 to impole the Clamour of his Oaths upon” the Company he converles with 3 if there be any one perſqn 'in the Company that does not approve the way, 'tis an- impoſing upon him with a freedom beyond Civilityz as if 2 man-ſhou'd Fart before a Juſtice, or talk Bawdy before' the Queen, or the He! 25. 46 EE. To ſuppreſs this, Laws, Adts of Parliaments, and Proclamations, are Bawbles and Banters, che Laughter of the Lewd Party, and never had, as I cou'd perceive, - any Influence upon the Practice ; nor are any of our Ma- giſtrates fond or forward of putting them in execution.” | Ir muſt be Example, not Penalties, mult ſink this Crime; and if the Gen- tlemen of England wou'd once drop it as a Mode, the Vice is ſo fooliſh and ridiculous in it ſelf, 'twou'd ſoon grow odious and out of faſhion. This 250 A Efy Dhis Work {ſuch an Academy might begin 3 -and I believe ao- thing: woud fo ſdon explode the Practice , - as the Publick -Diſcou- -ragement of it by. ſuch 2. Society. Where all our Cuſtoms and Habs both: {in - Speech and Behaviour , ſhou'd - receive an Authority. All che Diſputes about Precedency of Wir, with the Manners, Cu- Roms, and Uſages of the Theatre woud: be decided '| here 5 Plays ſhoy'd: 'pals here hefore they were Acted, and che Criricks might give their Cenfures , and damn at their pleaſure; nothing .wou'd eyer dye _ which once receivd Life at this Ori- ginal ; The Two Theatres might end .cheir Jangle, and diſpute tor Priory .no more; Wit and Real Worth ſhou'd / decide the Cantro- vetly.; and here ſhou'd be the I- fallible Fudge. : The pos Projects. 23x The Strife wou d then be only to do well, And he alone: be crown d who did excell. Te call d themNhigs, who from. the Church withdrew, 4 But now we have our Seape-Diſcmntes tas; Who 1cruple : Ecremonies of Pit aud Box, And very few are $ ound and: Orthodox : But lave Diſorder ſo, and are ſo nice, They hate Conformity, tho' 'tis in Vice. Some are for Patent-Hierarchy; and ſome, Like the old Gauls, feek, out far Elbow- raom $5 | Their Arbitrary Given ors diſoumn, And build a Conveaticle-Srage 0 tbar own. Phanatick Beaus make up the gamdy Shaw, And Wit alone appears Incognito. Wit and Religion ſuffer equal Fate ; Neglect of bath attends the warm Debate. Far while the Parties ſtrive and counter- mine, Wit will as well ; as Piety Licking Nex 252 An Eſſay + Next to this, which I eſteem as the moſt Noble and moſt Uſeful Propoſal in this Book, I proceed to Academies for Military Studies; and becaule I de- ſign rather to expreſs my meaning, than make a large Book, I bring them all :1nto one' Chapter. dp Tallow+the Waris the beſt Acade- my in the World, where men ſtudy by Neceſſity, and practiſe by Force, and both to ſome purpoſe, with Duty in the Action, and a Reward in the End ; ' and tis evident to any man who knows the World, or has made any Obſervations on things, what an Improvement the Engliſh Nation has made, during this Seven Years War. Bur ſhould you ask how dear it firſt coſt, and what a condition Eng- -land was in for a War at firſt on this account; how almoſt all our Engineers and Great Ofhcers were Foreigners, i may upon Projeds: 253 may pur us in mind how neceſlary ir is ro have our people ſo practis'd in the Arts of War, that they may not be Novices when'they come to the Expe- riment. [ have heard ſome, who were no great Friends to the Government, take advantage to reflect upon the King in the beginning of his Wars in Feland, That he did not care to truſt the Eng- Ih, but all his Great Officers, his Ge- nerals, and Engineers were Foreigners. And tho' the Caſe was fo plain as to need no Anſwer, and the Perſons fuch as deſerv'd none, yer this muſt be ob- ſerv'd, tho' twas very ſtrange, Thar when the preſent King took Poſleſſion of this Kingdom, and ſecing himlfelt entring upon the bloodieſt War this Age has known, began to regulate his Army , he found bur very few among the whole Martial Part of the Nation fir romake uſe of for General Officers; and was 556 Ar Efuy wasfotced to-eniploy Strangers, 2d make them Engliſhnien-; as the Counts Srhomberg, Ginket, Solis, RiVigny, and others: And-yerir is to be Wot d all; that all the Encouragement imaginable was given to'the Enghſh' Gentlemen, to uabfy:chemſelves,- by. giving no kb = Sixtoen Regiments to: Gentlemen of .Gdod: Families, who- had never —_ in any Service , and knew but little how to chnnidhd them : of thele ſeveral-are now in the Army, and have the Rewards ſuitable ro theit Merit; beinig Major-Genetals ,; Briga: ders; and-the like. IP then-x long Peace had: ſo:reducd us to a degree 'of Ignorance that might have beendanperous roUs, had we not 2 King, who'1s always follow'd by the greaceſt-Mafters in- the - World, Who knows: whar- Peace and diffetenc Go- yernors ray bring us ro again? The pon Projefls. 255 Fhe manner of making War dif- fers perhaps as much as any thing'in- the world ; andif we look no further back than our Civil Wars; tis plain a: Ge- neral: then wou'd hardly be fit. to be a Collonel now, ſaving; his Capacity of Improvement. The Defenfive Art al- ways follows the Offentive ; and tho' the- latter has. extremely gor the ſtart _ of the former m' this Age, yet the other is mightily. improving Go. | . We ſaw in England a bloody Civib War, where:,, according to" the old Temper of the' Engbfh', fighting was the Buſineſs. T's have an; Army ly- ing in-fuch a Poft, , as not-to be able to:come at them, was: a thing never heard of in- that-Waz ; even the weak- eſt Parry would always come out and hgfit-; Dunbar Fight ,- for inſtance 5 and they that. were bearen ro day, would agairt to'morrow , and - ſeek one another out with ſuch hh neſs, neſs, -as if they had been in haſte to have their. Brains knock'd out. © En. campmeats, Intrenchments, Batteries, Counter-marchings-, - fortifying of Camps ,, and Cannonadings , -were ſtrange; -and almoſt unknown things, and whole Campaighs were palt over, and hardly any 'Fehts made uſe of. Bartels, Surprizes, Storming of Towns, Skirmiſhes, Sieges, Ambutcades; and Beating up. Quarters ,' was. the: News of every day. Now 'tis frequent to have Armies of Fifty thouſand menof a fide ftand at Bay within view of one another , and .ſpend a whole Cam- paign .in Dodging., or as 'tis gemteely call d, Obſerving one another, and then march oft into W inter-Quarrers: The diffterence-is 'in the Maxims.. of War, which now differ as much from what they were formerly, -as Long, Perukes do tromPiqued Beards;. or as the Ha- bits of the People do now, from whar npon:Rebjedr. 257 they-chen wore.” Tus pres 7s of: the War ras A ai! ; twat ml Nov Fighe bickols 4 nahi tage 17 # 2 blod ilive ,o\mP Von dl And: alwaje: Encumiþ þ wy to be naar | 23V900 MI 1 oY A 9013 11's r3 FTI Ji& Ll: TIN - 005 Adtii6. id oppoſes. Genetuls hitcely obſerve both theſe Rinles; 'it Withp6 ſible-chey ſhou'doever voncods ghe;” I! nd _ this. way:of Aakitis? War ſpends genemllyi*#Hor#!Maney- andle Sh d hare otrvier/ Wan did 5" but then' ir fpins'W Irs:outiz&h Preats- er- Leageh: ; ; and'i almoſb quefticir: - whether iþ this had: beew-the Way of Fighthg of old þ:our Civit War had* nothſted:rill chis day. Thew Miki IS” T7 4 } A KA Wourer you amet your Enen "my; Da hin *.-- _—_— = , " A _ But | a7 anger Bon now and I think 'tis plain -in the/psden War, that 'tis 5, 6 who has the long- elt Swotd.lomuckandbe whohasthe longeſt Purſe, will hold the War aur belt, ivr efie 6 all engig d in theWar, and the Men will never be cxhaiited: while cither Parry can find Money ; muſt give our. falll $:and this 55 otie dent. in ghe-froxhFKgng;: who, ndwihe clines.t Reace.zr and: owns mrwhhile = at thet{ernerimne 'hipdrmiteare nu _ fail, he 5finds: bis Ehequer: fail; his Kingdom dreint, inf:Money hard to come: at 3;{Netxhabdibeliove: hf :the pres we hayeikaed db the [ddifery | and; Povesy iof the #rlanth: arc; iniuc; bur 'ris manifeſt the King of . Fraxce 6 *ds, whatever his Armies may. do, hy, gty. wogtchald: out Joilong:48 the Conf, #rates; and therefore he ”_ pon Projeds. 259 all the means poſſible ro procure a | Peace, while he may do it with the moſt advantage. | There is no - pages but the French may hold the War out ſeveral Years longer ; bur their King is too wiſe to lec things run to extremity ; he will rather condeſcend to Peace upon hard terms now, than ſtay longer, if he finds himſelf in danger to be forc'd to worle: This being the only Digreſſion I deſign to be guilty of, I hope I ſhall. be excus'd it. The Sum of all is this, That ſince tis ſo neceſlary to be in a condition for War in a time of Peace, our People ſhou'd be inur'd to it. 'Tis ſtrange chat every thing, ſhou'd be ready but the Soldier : Tips are ready, and our Frade keeps the Seamen always $2 _ wn 260 An Eſſay taught, and breeds up more ; but Sol. diers, Horſemen, Engineers, Gunners, and the like, muſt be bred and raught; men are not born with Muskets on their Shoulders, nor Fortifications in their Heads ; 'tis not natural to ſhoot Bombs, andundermine Towns : For which purpoſe I propoſe, ARoyal Academy for M1 litary Exerciſes, The Founder the King himſelf : the Charge to be paid by the Publick, and ſettled by a Revenue from the Crown, to be paid Yearly. I propoſe this to conſiſt of Four Parts. ” | (1.) A Colledge for breeding up of Artiſts in the ufeful Practice of all Mikeary Exerciſes ; the Scholars to be raken in Young, and be RG, 577; Go: 6 upon Projetts. 261 and afterwards under the King's Care for Preferment , as their Merit and His Majeſty's Favour ſhall recommend them ; from whence His Majeſty wou'd at all times be furniſh'd with able Engineers, Gunners, Fire-maſters, Bombardiers, Miners, and the like. The Second College for Volun- tary Students in the Ch Exerciſes ; whe ſhou'd all upon certain limited Conditions be entertain'd, and have all che advantages of the Lectures, Experiments, and Learning of the College, and be alſo capable of ſe- veral Titles, Profits, and Settlements in the ſaid College , anſwerable to the Fellows in the Univerſities. The Third College for Tempo- rary Study, into which any Perſon who is a Gentleman, and an En- gliſhman, entring his Name , and conforming to the Orders of the Houſe, ſhall be entertain'd like a Gen- 3 7: cleman 262 ln Eſſay tleman for one whole Year gratis, and raughr by Maſters appointed our of the Second College. The Fourth College , of Schools only , where all Perſons whatſoever for a {mall Allowance ſhall be caught and centred in all the particular Exer- ciſes they deſire ; and this co be ſup- plid by che Proficients of the firſt College. T tou'd lay out the Dimenſions, and ne- eſſary Incidents of all this Work but ſince the Method of ſuch a Founda- tion iseaſy and regular from the Mo- del of other Colleges, I ſhall only flate the Oeconomy of the Houſe. . The Building muſt be very Large, and ſhou'd rather be Stately and Mag- nificen in Figure, than Gay and Colt- ly in Ornament : And I think ſuch a Houſe as Chelſea-College, only <6 Our upon) Rrojelle, 263 four! thines' &:big,- wou'd anſwer it; and yer I believe might'be finifh'd for as little Charge as has been laid out in"that Palace-tike Hoſpital, The Firſt College ſhould conſiſt ”” <0 1 One General. Five Collonels. 'Tweity Captains. 119 -\x \ - Being fuch as Graduates'by Prefer- ene, at firft natn'd by the Founder , and after the firſt Settlement to be choſen our of the Firſt or Second Col- lege; *with Apartments in the Col- lege, and Salaries. The General 3ool. per Ann. The Collonels 108 The Captains bo S 4 2008 [ 64 fu Eſp; .208drScbolars 3, amdng whom thall be the loving Degress;. 191 bm , >i8Þ 19909} Cebinars 109: Allow'd as per "PR Direftors 200. © Exempts | bin00c«::;'> SF» i 4 Proficients 500. Juniors 1 000. \ The General to be EG Fo by he Founder, out of the Colonels ; = (ol- lonels to be nam d by the General, out of the Captains ; the Captains. our; of the Governors|z the Governors from. the Direftors, and the Direfloy's from the Exempts, and ſoon. The. Juniors to, be divided | into Tow Schools ; the Schools to. ibe thus go- vernd : Every School has # . by a i « * #1vS 100 Juniars, in 10 Clfess £1 ad pray C laſs, to have 2 Diveftors, | 100 upaiProjefs. 365 1e0'iClaſſes of) Juniors, 1s ©} 1: 1000 Each 'Claſs Z Directors, TIT 200 1200 The Proficients 0 be divided aa Five Schools : Eyery School to haye 10 Ps of 10 cach. —_ Claſs 2 mer, 50 Claſſes Fs Oroficients,'ls Fs 500 Each Clife 2 as Is +. 100 600 The Ps to _— Spano having a ſmall Allowance, and main- a d in.the -College cill POE offer. _—_ vs The gon Colleg; e to. — by Li dhuntary Dtugents;.. to: be _ in after Nik 8 'a CCI 266 he Fo BE z retain Degree of :.ctrnmg; 9 among the Proficiexts'of the Firſt 3 from any other Schools, after Tack amd ſuch Limitations of Learning ; who ſtudy art their own Charge, being allow'd ceftain ae and Wsz i ; Chambers Rent=free;, of | condition - Reſidence. Commons gYaris, for fred x M terms. Preferment, on condition of a Term of - Tears Reſidener. - | ſe of Libravwes, Ioflrumehts; ;" and Leftures of the College. | This College ſhould have the fol- lowing: i pn with Salaries. ' 4 Govern; 9s 1 __ Ann A Preſident, 100 20 College-Mapors, = _. 200 Pryſeients, 2 100 500 Yeoluntary Students whour: Al- :lowance. The _ upon Projeds, 265 The Third and Fourth Colleges, conſiſting only of Schools for Tem- porarary Study, may be thus ; The Third being for Gentlemen ts learn the neceſlary Arts and Exerciſes, ro qualify them for the Service of their Countrey, and entertaining them one | whole year at the Publick Charge, may be ſupposd to have always One thouſand Perlons on its hands, and cannot have lels than 100 Teachers ; who I wou'd thus order ; Every Teacher ſhall contmue at leaſt One year, but by allowance Tivo years at moſt; ſhall have 201. per Ann. Extraordmary Allowance ; ſhall be bound to give their conſlant Atten- dance, and ſhall have always 5 Col- | lege-Majors of the Second College to ſuperviſe them, who ſhall command a Month , and then be ſucceeded by 5 others, 268 An Eſſay others, 'and ſo on; 101. per Ann. extraordinary to be paid them for their Attendance. The Gentlemen who practiſe, to be ut to. no. manner of Charge, but to « oblig'd ſtrictly to the following Ar- nicles 2 © | (1.) To conſtant Reſidence, not to lye out 'of the Houſe without leave of the College- Major. (2.) To perform all the College-Exer- caſes, as appointed by the Maſters , without diſpute. (3.) To ſubmit to the Orders of the Houſe. To quarrel, or give Ill Language, ſhou'd be a Crime to be puniſh'd by way of Fine only, the College-Major ro be Judge, and the Offender be put inco Cuſtody rill he ask Pardon _ of the Perſon wrong d; by which means every Gentleman who has been aftronted,: has jufficient' ſatisfaction. But upon ProjeAs. 26 9 Bur co Strike, Challenge, Draw, Or fhght,ſhoud be more ſeverely puniſh' 'd; the Offender to be declard no Gentle- man, his Name oſted upat theCollege- Gate: his Perſon expell'd che Houle, and to be pumpd as a Rake if ever he is taken within the College-Walls. The Teachers of this College to be.cho- ſen, one half out of the Exemprs. of the Firſt College, and the ather.out of- the Proficients of the fecond.,../ The rennch College being _ of Schools, will be neither Chargeablc nor Troubleſome, bur may conſult of as many As {hall I themlielves.ro be taught , and ſup} lid with Teachers from he other Sc ools. The Propoſal being of ſo large an Extent, muſt have a \ proportionable Serclexruls for its Maintenance ; and the Benefit being to the whole King- dom, 270 An Efoy dom, the Charge wilt naturally lye UPON "the Publick, and cannot es be leſs, confidering, the Number of Peifors ro be maintain d, than as fol- lows ; Firſt College. [. per An. The General, 300 5 Colloitels #t 100l. per Ann. each, 500 20 Captains, © * at 60: 1200 100 Governors , 'at to. ' To00 200 Duireftors, at 5. 1000 200 Exempts, at 5. Tooo 2000 Heads for Subſt i/tence, at -240 20 |. per Head, per Ann. | Including is Proviſen , and alt}_ the Offeers Salaries in the [ Houſe, as Butlers , Cooks, | ; Purveyors, Nurſes, Maids, | aaa Laundrefſes, Stewards,C w/o] Servants, Chaplains, Porters, 1 and Attendants, which are nu-| | MErOus, " Second upas\Projalts. 298 " NO —_ \ "© 4-1 +: per 4 FI Govgrner, 3. "7: OO A-Prefedent, 100 56 College-Majors,at 501. per An. 2500 200 Proficients, at 10 |. 2000 Commune for 500 Students, durmy” E times of Exetoifes, at 5 |: per 2500 "An. each, 200 Proficient Subfftnc, ba by : reckoning as abeve, © 4900 Third College.” The Ghndlemen here are main-| - tain'd as. Gentlemen, wn; are j . Fohave 20dd Tables, whb [Pall — have an. Allowance + 25 000 "at the Rate of 25 |. per "Head, all Officers to be mam || b tain $ out of it; which is, ' þ 1DO "Teachers, Sela and = "EE 3 Suk rd _— = 4500 vo Gt \ 272 E--, * * " *1 \\P A » 4 3% | SE ST 0G: 's . * - . bg '$© College-Majors at 101. PT oo + c— | Amudl Chae 8 G 4 of The Building to. coſt. G03 4 50000 Furniture,Petls, Tables, Chairs, be Linnen, SE. Books, Inſtruments, and Uten- FP 5! © ls for Experiments, _ « c co 0000 So the Immediate Charge would be 62000 4 ran. 6 2 The Pe bor Charge, 1...” .. $6300 To which add the EET of _ Exerc ies hd ove N OY a 120 A 99900 The King $, Maggxjns "4 formſh them with 500 Barrals of Gunpomdar-per An: for the Publick Uſes 0 ee and - Experiments, In ___— upon Projeds, 273 In the firſt of theſe Colleges ſhould remain the Governing-Part , and all the Preferments be made frons thence , tobe ſuppli'd in courſe from the other; the General'of the firſt to give Orders to the other ; and be ſubje& only to the Founder. | The Government ſhou'd be all Mi- licary, with a Conſtitution forthe ſame regulated for 'that purpoſe, and a Council' to hear and determine the Differetices and Treſpaſles by the Col- lege-Laws: a8 The Publick Exerciſes likewiſe Mi- litary, and all the Schools be dilci- plind under proper Officers, who are lo in turn, or by Order of the Gene- ral, and continue but for the Day. The ſeveral Claſſes to perform leve- ral Studies, and but one Study to a diſtin& Claſs, and the Perſons as they remove from-one Study to another, to change their Claſſes, but ſo as that in the 274 Þ\AnBſey. the General |E:xerciſes all the Scholars may be qualified co act all the ſevera] "Parts, ' as ag -may be order'd. - The: Proper Scadies.of this College fhould be. TT following : Geometry.: 1:; Bambaramng yu! "7 {Gwamery Hiſtory . © * "Nevaſnte Navigation |, | - Encamping Decimal Avithmetick; Entrenchm b-;-- Trigonometry Approaching ,;. At- Dialme .' 8 _; { tadking, - Gauging | . , Delineation Mining -- :»Architefture Fireworking . © ne... _— And all Arts of prin x dixes to fuch as rhefe: » With Etats: G_ at Body,,' ro which all ſhould -be-obligd, as. ther Genius and Capacities td chem. As. | (1.) Swm- upon Projects. 275 4 t.) Swamming ; which no Soldier, and indeed no Man whatever ought to be withour. (2.) Handling all arte of yo Arms. ( 4 J Marching and Counterma chin m Form. | (4.) Fencing, and the Long Staff. (54) Riding dnd Managing, pr Hborſe- ma nſh1 Þ. (6.) Aannveg, Leeing ,and; Wire of lng... . ' And herewith, ſhou'd.. FI be. pre- ſery 'd and is cauphr | che Co- ſtoms , Ulſages ,; Terms of iW/ar /,' and Terms of Art pugds in Sieges,, Marches of Armies, and Encampmerits; t chat loa: Gentleman. taught-in his Callege, ſhou'd be no Novice. when he, comes into.cthe King's Armies,.tho'he hasſeen ho Service abroad. I remember the S ©. ay 276 An Efjay Story of an Engliſh Gentleman , an Officer at the Siege of Limerick in'Ire- land, who tho' he was Brave enough __ Action, yer for the only matter of being ignorant in the Terms of Art, and knowing not how to talk Camp-Language , was exposd to be laugh'd at by the whole Army, for milking the opening of the Trenches, which he thought had been a Mine againſt the Town. | The Experiments of theſe Colleges wou'd be as well worth publiſhing, as the Acts of the Royal Society. To which purpoſe the Houſe muſt be built where they may have Ground to calt Bombs, to raiſe Regular Works, as Batteries, Baſtions, Half-Moons, Redoubtrs, Horn-works , Forts , and the like ; with the convenience of Wa- \rer to draw round ſuch Works, to exerciſe the Engineers in all the necel- ſary Experiments of Dreining , and hs Mining npon Projets. 277 Mining under Ditches. There muſt be room to fire Great Shot at a diſtance, ro Canonade a Camp, to throw all ſorts of Fire-works and Machines , that are or ſhall be invented ; to open Trenches, form Camps, Cc. Their Publick Exerciſes will be allo very diverting, and more worth while for any Gentlemen to ſee, than the Sights or Shews which our people in England are ſo fond of. [ believe, as a Conſtitution nught be form'd from theſe Generals, this wou'd be the Greateſt, the Gallanteſt, and the moſt Uſeful Foundation in the World. The Engliſh Gentry wou d be the beſt qualih'd, and conlequent- ly, beſt accepted abroad, and moſt uſetul ar home of any people in the world; and His Majeſty ſhou'd never more be exposd to the neceſlity of employing Foreigners in the Poſts of Truſt and Service in His Armues. 1 And 298 An Efoy And thatthe whole Kingdom might in ſome degree be better qualifi'd' for Service, I think the following Projet _ wou'd be very ulctul. | When our Military Weapon was _ the Long-Bow, at which our Engliſh Nation in ſome meaſure excell'd the whole World, the meaneſt Countrey- man was a good Archer; - and that which qualiid them ſo much for Service in the War, was their Diver- ſion in Times of Peace; which alfo had this good Effet, Thar when an Army was to be rais'd, they needed no diſciplining : And for the Encou- ragement of the People to an Exer- ciſe ſo publickly Proficable, an Act of Parliament was made, to oblige every Pariſh to maintain Buts for the Youth ifr the Countrey to ſhoot ar. _ Since our way of fighting is: now alter d'; and this deſtructive Engine, the Mufquet, is the proper Arms for the TI Soldier. upon. Projects. 279 Soldier, I could: with the, Diverſion alſo of the Engliſh would change too, chat our Pleaſures and Profht mighr correſpond. "T's a. great Hindrance rothis Nation, eſpecially where Stand- ing-Armies are a Grievance, that if ever a War commence, men mult have at leaſt a Year before they are thought fit to face an Enemy, to in- tructchem how to handle their Arms; and new-raisd men are call d Raw Sol- ders. To help this, at leaft in ſome meaſure, I wou'd propoſe, Thar the Publick Exerciſes of our Youth ſhou'd by ſome Publick Encouragement, ( for Penalties won't, do it ) be: drawn off from the fooliſh :Boyiſh [Sports of Cocking, and . Cricketing, 'and from Tipling, to ſhooting with a Firelock ; an Exerciſe as Plextang; as tis Manly and Generous: and Swimmmg, which Is 2 thing '{o: many ways profitable, beſides its being. a great Preſervative ET 4 of 28909 An Efſay of Health, that methinks no Man ought to be withour it. (1.) For Shooting ; the Colleges ] have mention'd above, having provided for the inſtructing the Gentry at the King's Charge ; the Gentry in return of that Favour ſhou d introduce it among the Countrey-people ; which mightealily be done thus: If every Countrcy-Gentleman, ac- cording to his degree, woud con- tribure to ſet up a Prize, ro be ſhotfor by the Town he lives in, or the Neigh- bourhood , about. once a year, or twice a year, or oftner, as they think ft; which Prize not ſingle only to him who ſhoots neareſt, but accord- ing to the Cuſtom of Shooring : This wou'd certainly ſer all the Young Men in England a ſhooting, and make them Marks-men ; for they wou'd be always practifing and ma- king upon Projeds. 281 king Matches among themſelves too, and the advantage wou'd be found in a War; for no doubt if all the Sol- diers in a Battalion took a true Level at their Enemy, there wou'd be much more Execution done at a diſtance than there is; whereas ir has been known now, that a Battalion of men has receiv'd the Fire of another Batta- lion,and notloſt above 3o or 4o men; and I ſuppoſe it will not eafily be for- ot how at the Battel of Jerim, a Battalion of the Engliſh Army receiv'd the whole Fire of an Tiſh Regiment of Dragoons, but never knew to this day whether they had any Bullets or no; and1 need appeal no further than ro any Officer that ſervd in the Iriſh War, what advantages the Engliſh Ar- mies made of the Trifh being ſuch wonderful Marks-men. Under 282 An Eſſay Under- this Head: of Acadeinies , 1 might bring i in a Project for An Academy. far Women. I Have often thought of it as one of the moſt barbarous Cuſtoms in the world, conhdering us as a Civi- hz'd and a Chriſtian Countrey , that we deny the advantages of Learning to Wornen. We reproach the Sex _ everyday with Folly and Imperrinence, while F am confident, had they the ad- vantaoes of Education equal ro us,they wou'd! beguiley of leſs than our ſelves. One wou'd wonder indeed how it fhou'd happen that Women are con- ver{ible ar all, ſince they are only be- holding to Narueal Parts for all their Knowledge. Their Youth is ſpent to teach them ro Stircch and Sow, or make Bawbles: They are caught to Read indeed, and perhaps ro Write their Names, or 1o; and that is the heighth upon Projefts., 283 heighth of a Woman's Education. And I wou'd but ask any who flighe the Sex for their Underſtanding , What is a Man ( a Gentleman, Imean) good for, thar is caught no more ? I need not give Inſtances, or exa- mine the Character of a Gentleman with a good Eſtate, and of a good Family, and with tolerable Parts, and examine what Figure he makes for want of Educarion. The Soul is placd in the Bo- dy like a rough Diamond , and muſt be poliſh'd , or the Luſtre of it wilt never appear : And tis manifeſt, thar as the Rational Soul diſtinguiſhes us from Brutes, ſo Education carries on the diſtin&tion, and makes ſome leſs bruriſh than others : This is too evi- dent ro need any demonſtration. Bur why then ſhou'd Women be denid the benefit of Inſtru&tion ? If Know- kdge and Underſtanding had _ uſe- 284 An Eſſay uſeleſs additions to the Sex, God Al. mighty woud never have given them Capacities ; for he made nothing needleſs: Beſides, | wou'd ask ſuch, Whar they can ſce in Ignorance, that they ſhoud think it a neceſſary Orna- ment to a Woman? Or how much worle is a Wiſe Woman than a Fool ? Or what has the Woman done to for- feir the Privilege ' of being taught ? Does ſhe plague us with her Pride and Impertinence 2 Why did we not ler ker learn, that ſhe might have had more Wit 2? Shall we ps. 36h Women | with Folly, when 'tis only the Error of this inhuman Cuſtom, that hindred them being made wiler ? The Capacities of Women are ſup- posd to be greater , and their Senles quicker than thoſe of the Men ; and what they might be capable of being bred co, is plain from ſome Inſtances of Female-Wir, which this Age is not without ; upon Projets., 285 without z which upbraids us with In- juſtice, and looks as if we denid Wo- men the advantages of Education, for fear they ſhou'd vye with the Men in their Improvements. To remove -this Obje&tion , and that Women might have ar leaſt a needfir] Opportunity of Education in all forts * Uſeful Learning , I pro- poſe the Draught of an Academy for that purpoſe. I know 'tis dangerous to make Pub- lick Appearances of the Sex ; they are nor either to be confin'd or expos'd ; the firſt will diſagree with their Inclina- tions ,. and the laſt with their Repu- cations ; and therefore it is ſomewhat difficult ; and I doubt a Method pro- osd by an Ingenious Lady, in a little Book, call d, Advice to the Ladies, would befound impracticable. For, ſa- ving my Reſpect to the Sex, the Le- vity, which perhaps is a lictle peculiar ro 286 Au Eſa to them, art leaſt in.their Youth, will Not hear che Reſtraint ; and 1 am (a- tisf'd, nothing but the. heighth of Bi- gotry cankeep up aNunnery: Women are extravagantly . delirous of going ro Heaven, and will puniſh their Prer- ty Bodies to get thither ; but nothin ef will doit; and oven in that caſe | — Jomeximes it falls car that Nature will | prevail... When | ralk dlenioee of an Aca- demy for Women , I mean both the Model, the Teaching, and the Go- ernment, different .from what is -propos d by that Ingenious Lady, for .whoſe Prapolal I have a very great iEftcem.,' and allo a great Opinion of her Wit; different too from all forts of. Religious Confinement, and above all, from Yows of Celibacy. 'Y Wherefore the f 1" I propole thould differ bur little "di Publick :Schoals,, wherein ſuch Ladies As Were W 1lling upon. Prefs. a87 willing ro ſtudy , ſhoud have all the advantages of Learning ſuitable ro their. Genius. _ Bur-ſlince ſome Severities of Diſci- pline more than. ordinary wou'd be ablolurely necellary, ro preſerve the Reputation of the Houle, that Perſons of Quality and Fortune might not be afraid to venture 'their Children thi- ther, I ſhall venture. co make,a-{mall Scheme by wy of Eflay. Al —_—_ The Houſe 1 ow id have baba in F 4 fs . by ut ſelf, as wel as in 4 ace by it 5. | The Building, ſhou'd be of Three plain Fronts, , without any Jerings , or Bearing-Work -, that he Eye might at a Glance ſee from. oge;Coin to-the, other ; ithe Gardens wall'd in the ſame. Triangular Figure , with a large Moat, -and-but-one Entrance. When 288 An Eſſay Wheri thus every part of the Sci: tuation was contriv d as well as might | be for diſcovery, and to render J:- trieguing dangerous, I woud have no Guards, no Eyes, no Spies fet over the Ladies , but ſhall expect them to be try'd by the Principles of Honour and tri Virtue. And if I am askd, Why? FE nuſt ask Pardon of my own Sex for giving this reaſon for it : I am ſo much in Charity with Wo men , and ſo well acquainted with Men, that 'tis my opinion, There | needs no other Care to prevent In- rrieguing, than to keep 3 en ef- feftually away : For tho' Inclination, which we 'prettily call Love , does ſometimes move a little too viſtbly in the Sex, and Frailty often follows; yet Ithink verily, Cuſtom, which we miſcall Modeſty, has ſo tar the Aſcendant over the Sex, 'that Solicitation always goes before If. Cuſtom upon ProjetFs. 2 8g Cuſtom with Women "ſtead of Virtue rules; It leads the Wiſeſt, and commands the Fools : For this alone, when Inclinations rein, Tho V wrtue's fled, will Acts of Vice reſtrain. Only by Cuſtom | tis that Virtue lives, And Love requires tobe ask'd, before it gVes. For that which we call Modeſty, is Pride: They ſcorn to ask,, and hate to be deni'd. Tris Cuſtoni thus prevails upon their Want They ll never bes,what askt they eas lygrant: And when the needleſs Ceremony's over, T hemſelves the Weakneſs of theSex diſcover. If then Deſires are ſtrong, and Nature free, Keep from her Men, and Opportunity. Elſe twill be vain to curb bir by Reſtraint But keep the Queſtion off, you keep the Saint. In ſhort, let a Woman have never ſuch a Coming-Prindiple, {he will let you ask before ſhe complies, at leaſt if ſhe be a Woman of any Honour. u Upon 290 An Efſay Upon this ground I am perſuaded fuch Meaſures might be taken , thar the Ladies might have all the Freedom in the world within their own Walls, and yet no Intrieguing , no Indecen- cies, nor Scandalous Afffeairs happen ; and in order to this, the following Cuſtoms and Laws ſhou'd be ob- ſervd in the Colleges; of which [ wou'd propoſe One ar leaſt in every County in England', and about Ten for the Ciry of London. After the Regulation of the Form of the Building as before ; (1.) All the Ladies who enter into the Houſe, ſhou'd fet their Hands to che Orders of the Houſe , to ſignify their Conſent to ſubmit ro them. (2.)As noWomanthou'd be receiv, but who declar'd her ſelf willing, and that it wasthe Act of her Choice to cn- ter her ſelf, ſono Perſon ſhou'd be con- tin'd to continue there a moment [on- ger upon ProjeFs. 29t ocr than the ſame voluntary Choice inclin'd her. (3.) The Charges of the Houle being to be paid by the Ladies, every one that entred ſhou'd have only this Incumbrance, That ſhe ſhou'd pay for the whole Year, tho' her mind ſhou'd change as to her continuance. (4.) An Act of Parliament ſhou'd_ | make it Felony withour Clergy, for any man to enter by Force or Fraud into the Houle, or to ſolicit any Wo» - man, tho it were to Marry, while ſhe was in the Houſe. And this Law wou'd by no means be ſevere ; becauſe any Woman who was willing to re- ceive the Addreſſes of a Man, might diſcharge her ſelf of the Houle when the pleas'd ; and on the contrary, any Woman who had occafton, might d:- charge her ſelf of the Impertinent Addrefles of any Perſon ſhe had an Averſion to, by entring into the Houle. —- UW 3 In i” 92 An Eſſay In this Houſe, The Perſons who Enter, ſhou'd be . taught all ſorts of Breeding ſuitableto both their Genius and their Quality; and in particular, Muſick, and Dancing, which it woud be cruelty to bar the Sex of , becauſe they are their Dar- lings : Burt beſides this, they ſhou'd be raught Languages ,, as particularly French and Italian ; and I woud ven- ture the Injury of giving. a Woman more "Tongues than one. , _ They {ſhou'd, as a particular Study, be raught all the Graces of Speech, and all the neceſlary Air of Conver- ſation; which our common Edu- cation is ſo defective in , thart | need not expoſe it : They ſhoud be brought to read Books, and clpe- cially Hiſtory, and ſo to read as to make them underſtand the World, and upon Projeds. 293 and be able ro know and judge of things when they hear of them. To ſuch whoſe Genius wou'd lead them ro it, I woud' deny no fort of Learning ; hae the chief thing in ge- neral 1s to calviva te the Underſtandings of the Sex, that they may be capable of all FS of Converſation ; that _ their Parts and Judgments being im- _ provd, they may be as Profitable in their Converſation as the; y are Pleaſant. Women, in my obſervation, have litcle or no francs in them, beat as they are, or are not diſtinguiſh' d by E- dicabi_G .Tempers indeed may in lotne degree influence them , but the'main diltinguiſhing part 1s thei Breeding, The whole Sex are generally Quick and Sharp: I believe I may be allow d to lay generally fo; for you rarely (ee mem lumpiſh and heavy when they are Children, as Boys will often be. It a Woman be well-bred, and taught u3 the 294 An Efjay the proper Management of her Natu. ral Wit , ſhe proves generally very ſenſible and retentive : And withour partiality, a Woman of Senſe and Manners is the Fineſt and moſt Deli- cate Part of God's Creation ; the Glo- of her Maker , and the great In- "228 of his ſingular regard to Man, his Darling Creature , ro whom he ny the beſt Gift either God could eltow, or man receive : And 'tis the lordid'it Piece of Folly and Ingrati- rude in the world, to withhold from the Sex the duc Luſtre which the ad- yantages of Education gives to the Natural Beauty of their Minds. , A Woman well Bred and well Taught, turniſh'd with the addiconal Accompliſhments of Knowledge and Behaviour , is a Creature without com« _ pariſon; her Society is the Emblem of jublimerEnjoyments ; her Perſonis Angelick,and herConverſation heaven- ly ; » ""& &* . upon Projects, 295 ly ; ſhe is all Softneſs and Sweetnels, Peace, Love, Wit, and Delight: She is every way ſuitable ro the * blimeſ Wiſh; and the man thar has ſuch a | one to his Portion, has nothing to do but to rejoice in her, and be thanktul. On the other hand, Suppoſe her to be the very ſame Woman, and rob her of the Benefit of Education, and it follows chus ; | If her Temper be Good , want of Education makes her Soft and Ealy. Her Wit, for wane of Teaching, makes her Impertinent and Talka« ave. Her Knowledge, for want of Judg- ment and Experience, makes her Fan- ciful and Whimſical. It her Temper be Bad, want of Breeding makes her worſe, and ſhe grows Haughty, Inſolent, and Loud, If ſhe be Paſſionate, want of Man- ners makes her Termagant, and a u 4 _ Scold, 296 An Eſſay Scold, which ws much at one with Lu- ak. If ſhe be Proud, want of Dilcre- tion ( which {till is Breeding ) makes her Conceited, Fancaſtick, and Ridi- culous. And from theſe ſhe Ss to be Turbulent , Clamorous , uy Naſty, and the Devil. MethinksMankind for their own ſakes, fince ſay what we will of the Women we all think fit one time or other to by concern. d with 'em, ſhou'd take ſome care to breed hun up to be' ſuitable and ſerviceable , it they expected na luch thing as Delight from 'em: Blels us! Whar Care #4 we take to Breed up 2 good Horſe, and to Break him well ! -and what a Value do we pur upon him when it is done, and all becauſe he ſhou'd be fir for alk uſe | | and why not a Woman ? Since all her Ornaments and Beauty , without ſuitable upon ProjeFs. 297 ſuitable Behaviour, is a Cheat in Na- ture, like the falſe Tradeſman , who puts the beſt of his Goods uppermoſt, chat the Buyer may think the reſt are of the ſame Goodnels. Beauty of the Body, which is the Womens Glory, ſeems to be now un- equally beſtow'd, and Nature, or ra- ther Providence, to lye under ſome Scandal abour ic , as if 'twas given a Woman for a Snare «to Men, :and fo make a kind of a She-Devil'of her : Becauſe they ſay Exquiſite | Beauty is rarely given with Wits | more rarely with Goodneſs of Temper , and ne- ver at all with Modeſty. And ſome, pretending to juſtify the Equity of {uch a Difiriburion, will tell us tis the Effect of the Juſtice of Providence in dividing particular Excellencies among all his Creatures , ou and ſhare a- like, as it were , that all might for lomething or other be acceptable to one 298 An Eſſay one another, elſe ſome wou'd be de- ſpisd. | I think: borch theſe Notions falſe, and yer the laſt, which has the ſhew of Reſpect to Providence, isthe worſt; for it ſuppoſes Providence to be Indi- gent and- Empty 3 as if it had nor wherewith' to”. furniſh all the Crea- cures'it had made, bur was fain to be parcimonious in its Gifts, and diftri- bute them:by pizce-meal ; for fear of being exhatifted. _ - TE: -mhight': venture. 'my Opinion avainſt an'almoſt univerſal Notion, [ wou'd ſay, Moſt men. miſtake the Proceedings of Providence in this caſe;” and 'all the'world at this day are miſtaken in their Practice about it. And” becauſe the- Affertion is very bold, 'I deſire co explain my ſelf. +: Thar Almighty Firft:Cauſe which made us all, i certainly the Fountain of Excellence, as it is of Being, _ _ upon Projeds. 299 by an Inviſible Influence could have diffuſed Equal Qualities and Perfei- ons to all the Cfeatures it has made, as the Sun does its Light, without the leaſt Ebb or Diminution to himlelf; and has given indeed to every indivi- dual ſufhcient to the Figure his Pro- vidence had delign'd him in the world. [ believe it might be defended, if I ſhould ſay, That I do ſuppole God has given to all Mankind equal Gifts and Capacities, in that he has given them all Souls equally capable; and that the whole difference in Mankind proceeds cither from Accidental Dif- terence in the Make of thew Bgdies, or from the fooliſh Differente of-F.du- cation, 1. - From Accidental Difference nr Bodies. I wou'd avoid diſcourling here of the Philoſophical - Poſition of the Soul in-the Body : Bur if it be true as zoo An Efoy as Philoſophers do affirm, Thar the Underſtanding and Memory is dilated or contracted accoring to the acci- dental Dimenſions of the Organ through which 'tis conveyd ; then tho' God has given a Soul as capable ro me. as another , yet if I have any Natural Defe&t in thoſe Parts of the Body by which the Soul ſhoud ac, I may have the ſame Soul infus'd as another man, and yet he be a Wit Man, and1a very Fool. For example, If a Child naturally baye a Defect in che Organ of Hearing , ſo that he coud i never diſtinguyh any Sound , chat, Child ſhall never be able to ſpeak or read, tho it have a Soul capable of all the Accompliſhments jn the world. The Brain is the Centre of the Souls aftings, where all the diſtin- guiſhing, Faculties of it relide.; and tis obſervable, A man who has a nar- row contracted Head, in which there 4 upon Projetis. 39t is not room for the due and neceſſary Operations of Nature by the Brain, is never a man of very great Judg- ment ; and that Proverb , 4 Great Head and Little Wit, is not meant by Nature, bur is a Reproot upon Sloth ; as if one ſhou'd, by way of wonder, lay, Fye, fye, you that have a Great Head, have but Little Wit, that s ſtrange! that muſt certainly be your own fault. From this Notion I do believe there isa great matter in the Breed of Men and We- men; not that Wiſe Men ſhall al- ways get Wiſe Children ; but I be- lieve Strong and Healthy Bodies have the Wiſeſt Children ; and Sickly Weak- ly Bodies affect the Wits as well as the Bodies of their Children. We are eaſily perſuaded to believe this in the Breeds of Horſes, Cocks, Dogs, and other Creatures; and I beheve tis as viſible in Men. But 302 An Eſjay But to come cloſer co the bulineſs ; the great diſtinguiſhing difference which is feen in the world between Men and Women, is in their Educa- tion ; and this is manifeſted by com- paring it with the difference berween one Man or Woman, and another. And herein it is that I take upon me to make ſuch a bold Afertion, Thar all che World are nuſtaken in their Practice about Women : Forl cannot think that God Almighty ever made them ſo delicate, fo glorious Creatures, and furniſh'd them with ſuch Charms, lo Agrecable and fo Delightful co Mankind, with Souls capable of the ſame Accompliſhments with Men , and all to be only Stewards of our Houles, Cooks and Slaves. Not that I am for exalting the Fe- male Government: i: the leaſt : Bur, in ſhort, T woud have Men take Women for Companions, and Educate them to be fit upon Projetts, 903 fit for it. A Woman of Senſe and Breeding will ſcorn as much to en- _ croach upon the Prerogartive of the Man, as a Man of Senſe will fcorn to oppreſs the Weakneſs of the Woman. Burt if the Womens Souls were reftn'd and improvd by Teaching , that word woud be loſt; to ſay , The Weakneſs of the Sex, as to Judgment, wou'd be Nonſenſe; for Ignorance and Folly wou'd be no more to be found among Women than Men. I remember a Paſſage which I heard from a very Fine Woman , ſhe had Wir and Capacity enough, an Extra- ordinary Shape and Face, and a Great Fortune, bur had been cloyſter'd up all her time, and for fear of being. ſtoll'n had not had the liberty of being taught the common neceſſary know- ledge of Womens Afffairs; and when ſhe came to converſe in the world, her Natural Wir made her ſo ſenſible of | 304 An Eſſay - of the want of Education , that ſhe gave this ſhort Refleftion on her ſelf: I am aſhamd to talk with my ver Maids , ſays ſhe, for IT don't know when they do right or wrong : I had more need go to School, than be Married. i I need not enlarge on the Loſs the Defe&t of Education is. to the Sex; nor argue the Benefit of the contrary Practice ; tis a thing will be more ealily granted than remedied : This Chapter is but an Eflay art the thing, and I refer the Practice to thoſe Happy Days, if ever they ſhall be, when men ſhall be wife enough to mend ir. upon Proje&s. 305 Of a Courrtr-Mercnant. Ask Pardon of the Learned Gentle- men of the Long Robe, if I do 'em any wrong in this Chapter , having no deſign to affront 'em; when T ſay, That in Matters of Debate among Merchants, when they come to be ar- oued by Lawyers at the Bar, they are ſtrangely handled. I my elf have heard very famous Lawyers make lorry Work of a Cauſe between the Merchant and his Factor ; and when they come to argue about Exchanges , Diſcounts, Proteſts, Demorages, Charter- Parties, Fraights, Port-Charges, Aſſuran- ces, Barratries, Bottomries, Accounts Cur rant, Accounts in Commiſſion , and Ac+ counts in Company, and the like , the Sollicitor has not been able ro draw a Brief, nor the Council to underſtand X x : 306 An Eſſay it : Never was Young Parſon more put to it to make out his Text when he's got into the Pulpit withour his Notes, than I have feen a Council ar the Bar, when he wou'd make out a Cauſe between two Merchants: AndI remember a pretty Hiſtory of a parti- cular Caſe, by way of Inſtance, When two Merchants contending about a long FaRorage-Account, that had all the Niceties -of Merchandizing in it, and labouring on both ſides to in- ſtruct their Council, and to put them in when they were out ; art laſt they tound them make ſuch ridiculous ſtuff oft ir, that they both threw up the Cauſe, and agreed to a Reference ; which Reference in one Week , with- out any Charge , ended all the Di- tpute, which they had ſpent a great deal of Money in before to no pur- _ poſe. Nay, upon Projetts. 307 Nay , the very Judges themlelves ( no Reflection upon their Learning ) have been very much ar a lols in giving Inſtructions to a Jury,and Juries much more to underſtand them ; for when all is done , Juries , which are not always, nor often indeed of the Wiſeſt Men, are to be ſure ill Um- pires in Cauſes fo nice, thar the very Lawyer and Judge can hardly under- ſtand them. : The Afairs of Merchants are ac- companied with ſuch variety of Cir- cumſtances, fuch new and unuſual Contingences , which change and dif- fer in every Age, with a multitude of Niceties and Punctilios; and thoſe again altering as the Cuſtoms and Ulſages of Countries and States do al- ter; thar it has been found impracti- cable to make any Laws that could extend to all Caſes: And our Law tit felt does tacitly acknowledge ics own A 72 Im- 308 An Eſſay Imperfection in this Caſe, by allowing | the Cuſtom of Merchants to paſs as a kind of Law, in caſes of Difhculty. Wherefore it ſeems to me a moſt Natural Proceeding, That ſuch Afairs ſhou'd be heard before, and judg'd by ſuch as by known Experience and long Practice in the Cuſtoms and Uſages of Foreign Negoce, are of courſe the moſt capable ro derermine the ſame. Beſides the Reaſonableneſs of the Argument, there are ſome Caſes in our Laws in which it is impoſſible for a Plaintiff to make out his Caſe, or a Defendant to makeout his Plea ; as in particular, when his Proofs are beyond Seas, for no Proteſts, Certifications, or Procurations are allow d in our Courts as Evidence ; and the Damages are Infinite and Irretrievable by any of the Proceedings of our Laws. For upon Projects. 309g For the anſwering all theſe Circum- ſtances , a Court might be erected by Authority ofParliament, ro be compos 'd of Six Judges Commaillioners, who ſhou'd have Power to Hear ad De- cide as a Court of Equity, under the Title of, A Court-Merchant. "The Proceedings of this Court ſhoud be ſhort, the Trials ſpee- dy, the Fees eaſy, that every man might have immediate Remedy where Wrong is done : For in Trials at Law | about Merchants Afffairs, the Circum- ſtances of the Caſe are often ſuch, as the long Proceedings of Courts of E- quity are more pernicious than in other Caſes ; becauſe the matters to which they are oenerally relating, are under greater Contingences than in other caſes, as Efftes in + hands abroad, which want Orders, Ships and Scatmimy X 3 lying. 310 An Eſſay lying at Demoreage, and in FRY. and the like. Thele Six Judges ſhou'd be © 4M of the moſt Eminent Merchants of che Kingdom, to relide in London, and ro have Power by Cammilien to ſummon a Council of Merchants , who {hou'd decide all Caſes on the Hearing of both Parties, with Real tothe ſaid Judges. Alfo to Fj. 008 by Commiſſion Perry Councils of Merchants in the molt conſiderable Ports of the King- dom for the ſame purpoie. 'TheSix Judges themlelves to be on- ly Judges of Appcal ; all Trials to be heard betore the "Mix of Merchants, by Mcthods and Proceedings Singular and Concile. The Council to be {worn to do Ju- ſtice, and to be choſen annually our of the principal Merchants of the > T7 The upon Projects, 311 The Proceedings here ſhou'd be without Delay ; the Plaintiff ro exhi- bit his Grievance by way of Brief, and the Defendant to give in his Anſwer, and a time of Hearing to be appoint- ed immediately. The Defendant by Motion ſhall have liberty to put off Hearing, up- on ſhowing good Caule ; not other- wile. At Hearing , every man to argue his own Cauſe, if he pleaſes, or in- trroduce any perſon to to it for him. Atteſtations and Proteſts from Fo- reign Parts, regularly procur'd, and authentickly ſf1gnifi'd in due Form, to pals .in Evidence ; Afffdavits in due Form likewile atteſted and done before proper Magiſtrates within the King s Dominions , to be allowd as Evi- dence. The Party grievd may appeal to the Six Judges, before whom they ſhall X 4 plead 312 An Efjay plead by Council , and from their Judgment to have no _ By this Method Infinite Contro- verſies wou'd be avoided, and Diſputes amicably ended, a multitude of preſent Inconveniences avoided; and Mer- chandizing-Matters wou'd in a Mer- chant-like manner be decided, by the known Cuſtoms and - Methods of Trade. Of SEAME N. # T is obſervable, That whenever C this Kingdom is engaged in a War with any of its Neighbours , two great Inconveniences conſtantly fol- low; one to the King, and one to Trade. (1.) That upon Projefs. 313 (1.) Thar to the King is, That he is forced to preſs Seamen for the Man- ning of his Navy, and force themin- voluntarily into. the Service : Which way of violent dragging men into the Fleet , is attended with ſundry ill cir- cumſtances : As, 1. Our Naval Preparations are re- tarded, and our Fleets always late, for want of Men; which has exposd them not a little, and been the ruin _ of many a good and well-laid Expe- _ dition. 2. Several Irregularities follow , as the Officers taking Money to diſmiſs Able Seamen , and filling up their Complement with raw and improper Perſons. 3- Oppreſſions, Quarrelings, and oftentimes Murthers , by the raſhnels of Preſs-maſters, and the obſtinacy of ſome unwilling to go. 4. A 314 An Eſay 4. A ſecret Averhon to the Service, from a Natural Principle, common to the Engliſ} Nation, to hate Com- pulſ1on. ' 5. Kidnapping people out of the Kingdom, robbing Houſes, and pick- ing Pockets , frequently practiſed un- der pretence of Preſſing ; as has been very much uſed of late. With various Abuſes of the like nature, ſome to the King , and ſome to the Subject. (2.) To Trade. By theextravagant Price {et on Wages for Seamen, which they impole on the Merchant with a ſort of Authority, and he is obliged to give by reaſon of the Scarcity of Men ; and that not from a real want of Men; for in the heighth of a Prels, if. a Merchant-man wanted Men, and could ger a Protection for them , he might have any number immediately, and upon Projefs. 315 and none without it; ſo ſhye were chey of the Publick Service. The Firſt of theſe things has coſt che King above Three Millions Ster- ling, ſince the War, in thele Three Particulars : 1. Charge of Preſling on Sea, and on hw and in ſmall Craft employ- ed for = ap purpole. 2. Ships lying in Harbour for want of Men, at a vaſt Charge of Pay and View tor thoſe they had. 3. Keeping the whole Navy in conſtant Pay and Proviſions all the Winter, for fear of loting the Men againſt Summer, which has now been done ſeveral Years, beſides Bounty- Money and other Expences, to court and oblige the Seamen. The Second of theſe, (viz,) the orear Wages paid by the Merchant, as colt T rade, {ince the War, abs | Twenty 316 An Eſſay Twenty Millions Sterlmg. The Coal- Trade gives a Specimen of it, who for the firſt Three Years of the War gave 9 |. a Voyage to Common Sea- men , who before failed for 36s. which computing the number of Ships and Men uſed in the Coal-Trade , and of Voyages made, at 8 hands to a Veſſel, does modeſtly accounting make 896000 |. difference in one year, in Wages to Seamen inthe Coal- Trade only. For other Voyages , the difference of Sailors Wages is 50 5s. per Month, and 55 s. per Month , to Foremaſt- men, who before went for 26 s. per Month; beſides ſubjefting the Mer- chant to the Inſolence of the Seamen, who are not now to be pleaſed with any Proviſions , will admit no Halt- Pay, and command of the Captains even what they pleaſe; nay, the King himſe]f can hardly pleaſe them. For upon Projefs. 317 For Cure of theſe Inconveniences it is, the following Project is propos ; with which the Seamen can have no rea- ſon to be diſſatisfied, nor are not ar all injurd ; and yet the Damage uſtain'd will be prevented, and an immenſe Sum of Money ſpar'd, which is now ſquanderd away by the Profuſeneſs and. Luxury of the Seamen: For if Prodigality weakens the Publick Wealth of the Kingdom in general, then are the Seamen but ill Common. wealrhs-men, who are not viſibly the Richer for the prodigious Sums of Money paid them either by the King or the Merchanr. 1 he Projett 1s this ; That by an Act of Parliament an Office or Court be erected, within the Juriſdi&tion of the Court of Admiral- ty, and ſubject ro the Lord High Ad- miral 5 318 An Eſſay miral; or otherwiſe Independent, and ſubje& only ro a Parliamentary Au- thority; as the Commiſſion for taking and ſtating the Publick Accounts. ' In tthis Court or Office, or the ſeve- ral Branches of it ( which to char end ſhall be ſubdivided, and plac diin eve- ry Sea-Port in the Kingdom ) ſhall be liſted and entred into immediate Pay all the Seamen in the Kingdom, who ſhall be divided into Colleges or Chambers of ſundry degrees, ſuitable to their ſeveral Capacities, with Pay in proportion to their Qualities; as Boys, Youths, Servants, Men Able, and Raw, Midſhip-men, Offcers, Pilots, Old Men, and Penſtners. The Circumſtantials of this Office; 1. No Captain or Maſter of any Ship or Veſlel ſhou'd dare to hire or carry to Sea with him any Seaman, but ſuch as he ſhall receive from the Office aforeſaid. 2, No upon Projets. 319 2. No man whatſoever , Seaman or other, bur applying himſelt to the ſaid Office to be employ'd as a Sailor, ſhou'd immediately enter into Pay, and receive for every Able Seaman 24 5s. per Month, and Juniors in pro- portion; to receive Halt-Pay while un- employ d,and liberty to work for them- ſelves, only to be at Call of the Office, and leave an account where tobe found. 3. No Sailor cou'd deſert, becaule no Employment wou'd be to be had elſewhere. 4. All Ships at their clearing at the Cuſtom-houle, ſhou'd receivea Ticket to the Office for Men, where wou'd be always Choice ratherthan Scarcity ; who ſhou'd be deliver'd over by the Office to the Captain or Maſter, with- out any Trouble or Delay ; all liberry of Choice to be allow'd both to Ma- ſter and Men, only ſo as togive up all Diſputes to the Officers appointed to decide. Note, 320 An Eſſay Note, By this wou d be avoided the great Charge Captains and Owners are at to keep Men on Board before they are ready to g0 ; whereas now the care of getting Men will be over, and all come on board in one day ; for the Captain carrying the Ticket to the Of- fice, he may go and chuſe his Men, if he will ; otherwiſe they will be ſent on board him, by Tickets ſent to their Dwellings, to repair on board ſuch a _ Ohip, | 5. For all theſe Men that the Cap- tain or Maſter of the Ship takes, he {hall pay the Office, not the Seamen, 28 s. per Month , ( which 4 s. per Month Overplus of Wages, will be 3 employ to pay the Half-Pay to the men out of Employ ), and fo in pro- l portion of Wages for Juniors. 6. All Diſputes concerning the mu- tinying of Mariners, or other matters of upon Projeds. 321 of Debate berween the Captains and Men, to be trid by way of Appeal, in a Court for that purpole to be erect _ e&d as aforeſaid. 7. All diſcounting of Wages, and Time,all Damages of Goods, Avarages, | ſtopping of Pay, and the like, ro be adjuſted by ſtated and Publick Rules, and Laws in Print, eſtablifh'd by the lame Act of Parliament ; by which means all lirigious Suirs in the Courr of Admiralty ( which are Infinite ) would be prevented. 8. No Ship that is permitted to enter at the Cuitom-Houſe , and take m Goods, ſhould ever be retus'd Men, ordelay'd in thedelivering them above hve days after a Demand made, and a Ticke: from the Cultom-houſe deli- verd; general Caſes, as Arreſts and Embargoes, excepted. > 4 The 322 An Efoy” The Conſequences of this Method. 1. Bythis means the Publick wou'd have no want of Seamen, and all the Charges and other Inconvemiences of Preſſing Men would be prevented. 2. The intolerable Opprefſion upon Trade, from the Exorbitance of Wa- oes, and Inſolence of Mariners, won'd be taken off. 3. The following Sums of Money ſhou'd be paid to the Office, to lye in Bank as a Publick Fund for the Ser- vice of the Nation, to be diſpos'd of by Order of Parliament, and nor otherwiſe; a Committee being al- ways ſubſtituted in the Intervals of the Seſſion, to audit the Accounts , and a Treaſury for the Money, to be compos d of Members of the Houle, and to be chang'd every Seſſion of Par- hament. 1. Four upon Projets. 323 1. Four Shillings per Month Wages advancd by the Merchants to the Office for the Men , more than the Office pays them. 2. In conſideration of the reducing Mens Wages , and conſequently Fraights to the former Prices or near them, the Owners of Ships,or Merchants, ſhall pay at the Importation of all Goods, 40s. per Ton Freignt, to be ſtared upon all Goods and Ports in proportion ; reckoning it on Wine Tonnage from Canaries, as the Standard , and on ſpecial Freights in Popegin to the Freight formerly paid, and halt the ſaid Price in times of Peace. | Note, This may well be done, and no Burthen ; for if Freights are reduced to their former Prices ( or near 1t ) as they will be if Wages are ſo too, then the Merchant may well pay it : As for Inſtance; Freight from Ja- Y 2 maica 324 An Efay ' maica to London, formerly at 6 [. 105. per Ton, now at 18 aud 20 |. From Virginia, at 5 |. to *6l. 10s. nowat 14, 16, and 17 [. From Barbadoes, at 6 l. now at 161. From Oporto, at 2 |. now at 6 and the like. | The Payment of the abovefaid Sums being a large Bank for a Fund, and it being ſuppoſed to be in fair hands, and currently managed , the Merchants fhall further pay upon all Goods {ſhipp'd out, and fhippd on board from abroad, for and from any Port of chis Kingdom, 4 1. per Cent. on the real Value, bona fide, to be {worn to, if demanded : In confide- ration whereof, the ſaid Office ſhall be obliged to pay and make good all Loſles, Damages, Avarages, and Ca- fualties whatſoever, as fully as by the Cuſtom of Aflurances now is done, with- upon Projects. 325 without any Diſcounts, Rebates, or Delays whatſoever ; the ſaid 4 |. per Cent. to be ſtared on the Voyage to the Barbadoes, and enlarged or taken off, in proportion to the Voyage, by Rules and Laws, to be Printed and publickly known. | Reſerving only, Thar then, as rea- ſon good , the ſaid Office ſhall have Power to direct Ships of all ſorts, how, and in what manaer , and how long _ they ſhall ſail, with, or wait for Con- voys; and ſhall have Power ( with Limitations) ro lay Embargoes on Ships, in order to compole Fleets for the benefit of Convoys. Theſe Rules, formerly noted, to extend to all Trading by Sea, the Coaſting and Home-Fiſhing Trade excepted ; and for them ir ſhould be orderd ; — E: 1 Firſt, 326 An Eſſay ' Firſt, For Coals ; the Colliers be- ing provided with Men at 28 s. per Month , and Convoys in ſufficient number , and proper Stations from Tinmouth-Bar to the River, ſo as they need not go in Fleets, but as Wind and Weather preſents, run all the wa under the Prote&tion of the Men of War, who ſhou'd be continually crui- ting from Station to Station ; they would be able to perform their Voyage in as ſhort time as formerly, and at as cheap Pay, and conſequently cou d aftord to ſell their Coals at 17 5s. per Chaldron, as well as formerly ar 5s. Wherefore there ſhou'd be paid into, the 'Treaſlury appointed at Newcaſtle, by Bond to be paid where they deliver, 10 5s. per Chal- _ dron, Newcaſtle Meaſure; and the ſta- - red upon Projeils. 327 ted Price, at London to be 27 s. per Chaldron in the Pool , which is 3o s. ar the Buyers Houſe; and is ſo far from being dear, a time of War eſpe- cially, as 1t is cheaper than ever was known in a War; and the Officers ſhou'd by Proclamation conhne the | Seller to that Price. In conſideration alſo of the Charge of Convoys, the Ships bringing Coals ſhall all pay 1 |. per Cent. on the Value _ of the Ship, to be agreed onat the Of- hce; and all Convoy-Money exacted by Commanders of Ships, ſhall be re- linquiſh'd, and the Office to make good all Loſſes of Ships , not Goods , thar {hall be loſt by Enemies only, Theſe Heads indeed are ſuch as wou d ' need ſome Explication, if the Expe- riment were to be made ; and, with ſubmiſſion,. wou'd reduce the Seamen T 4 ra 323 An Effay ro better Circumſtances, art leaft 'rwou'd have them in readinels for any Publick Service much eafier than by all the late methods of Fn- couragement by regiſtring Sea- men; Ver. -- ; For by this Method all the Sea- men in the Kingdom {hou'd be the King's hired Servants, and receive their Wages from him , whoever em- _ ploy d them ; and no man con'd hire or employ them, bur from him : The Merchant ſhou'd hire them of the King, and pay the King for them; nor woud there be a Seaman in Eno- land out of Employ, - which, by the way, won d prevent their ſeeking Service abroad: If they were not actually at Sea, they wou d receive Hali-Pay, and might be employ'd in Works about the Yards, | Stores, and Navy, to keep all thing mr Repair, : | upon Projetts. 329 If a Fleet or Squadron was to be firred out, they wou d be mann in a Week's time , for all the Seamen in England woud be ready : Nor _ wou'd they be ſhye of the Service ; for it is nat an Averlion to the King's Service; nor ts not that the Dury is | harder in the Men of War than the. Merchant-men; nor tis not fear of Danger which makes our Seamen lurk, and hide, and hang back in a time of War z. but 'tis Wages is the matter; 24 s. per. Month in the King's Service, and 40 to 50 5s. per Month from the' Merchant, is the true cauſe ; and the Seaman 1s in the right of ir woo ; for who woud ſerve his King and Countrey , and fight, and be knock'd o' the head ar 24 s. per Month that can have 50o s. without that ha- zZard: And till this be remedied, in vain are all the Encouragements which can be given to Seamen ; for they 339 An Ef they tend but to make them Inſolent, and encourage their Extravagance. Nor wou'd this Proceeding be any damage to the Seamen in general ; for 24 s. per Month Wages, and to be kept in conſtant Service , or Half- Pay when idle; is really better to the Seamen than 45 s. per Month, as they now take it , conſidering how long they often lye idle on ſhore, out of Pay : For the extravagant Price of Seamens Wages, tho' it has been an Intolerable Burthen to Trade, has not. viſibly enrich'd the Sailors ; and they may as well be content with 2 45. per Month now as formerly. On the other hand, Trade woud be ſenſ1bly 1evivd by it, the intole- rable Price of Freights wou'd be redu- ced, and the Publick wou'd reap an immenle Beneht by the Payments men- ron d inthe Propoſal ; as, (1.) 45 upon ProjeAs. 331 (1.) 4 s. per Month upon the Wa- ges of all the Seamen employ d by the Merchant; which if weallow 200080 Seamen always in Employ, as there cannot be leſs in all the Ships be- | longing to England, is 40000 |. per Month. | (2.) 40 5s. per Ton Freight upon | all Goods imported. (3.) 4 per Cent. on the Value of all Goods exported or imported. (4+) 10 5. fer Chaldron upon all the Coals ſhippd at Newcaſtle ; and 1 per Cent. on the Ships which carry them, What theſe Four Articles wou'd Pay tro the Exchequer yearly, twou'd e very difficult to calculate, and [ am too near the End of this Book to attempt it : But I believe no Tax ever given fince this War, has come near it. i 677” 332 An Eſſay *Tis true, out of this the Publick wou'd be to pay Half-Pay to the Sea- - men who ſhall be out of Employ, and all the Loſfles and Damages on Goods and Ships; which tho'it might be conſj- | derable, wou'd be (mall, compar'd to the Payment atoreſaid; for as the Pre- mio of 4 per Cent. is but ſmall, ſo the | Safety lies upon all men being bound ro Inſure: For I believe any one will grant me this, 'tis not the ſmalineſs of a Premio Ruins the Enſurer, bur 'tis the ſmallneſs of the Quantity he In- ſures; and I am not at all aſham'd to affirm, Thar let but a Premio of 4 |. er Cent. be paid into one Man's hand for all Goods Imported and Exported, and any Man may be the General En- ſurer of the Kingdom, and yer that Premio can never hurt the Merchant neither. - So that the vaſt Revenue this wou'd raiſe, wou'd be felt no where, net- cher upon. Projetts. 333 ther Poor nor Rich wou'd Pay the more . for Coals; Foreign Goods wou'd be brought home cheaper, and our own Goods carrid to Market cheaper; Owners wou'd get more by Ships, Merchants by Goods , and I.offes by Sea wou'd be no Lol at all toany Body, becauſe Repaid by the Publick Stock. Another unfeen Advantage wou'd ariſe by it, we ſhou'd be able to out- work all our Neighbours, even the Dutch themſelves, by Sailing as cheap, and carrying Eoods AS cheap In 4 time of War as in Peace, an Advan- tage which has more in it, than is eaſily thought of, and wed have a O noble influence upon all our Foreign Trade. For what cou'd the Dutch to in Trade, if we coud carry our Goods to Cadizat 505. per Ton Freight, and they give 8 or 10l. and the like in other Places ? Whereby we cou'd be 334 Az Eſſay be able to Sell cheaper or get more thau our Neighbours. There are ſeveral conſiderable clau- ſes might be added to this Propoſal, ſome of great advantage to the Ge- neral Trade of the Kingdom, ſome _ toparticular Trades, and moyxe to the Publick; but 1 avoid being too Part- cular in things which are but the Prg- duct of my own private Opinion. If the Government ſhoudl ever 1 r0- ceed to the Experiment, no que 100 but much more than has been hinted at wou'd appear ; nor do I fee any great difficulty in the Attempt , .or who wou'd be aggriev'd at it; and chere I leave it, rather wiſhing than expecting to ſee it undertaken. 335 The Concluſion. f 2 —_ ons Review of the feveral Chapters 4 of this Book, -I find that inftead of being able co. go further, ſome things may have ſuffer'd for want of being fully ex- prefs'd; which if any perſon obje& againſt, . T only fey, fcannot now avoid it: I have - endeavour'd -to keep to my Title, and of- _for'd but at an Eſſay; which any one is ar + liberty to go on with. as they pleaſe; for I : cat promife no 'Supplement. Asto Errors of Opinion, tho? I am not yet convinc'd of any, 'yert I no where pretend to Lafallibility : However, I do not willingly afſert any thing which I have not good Grounds for. If 1am miſtaken, let him that finds the Er- ror, inform the World better , and 'never _ trouble himſelf to animadvert upon this, ſince T aſſure him I ſhall not enter into any Pen and Ink Conteſt on the matter. As to ObjeCtions which may lye againft any of the Propoſals made in this Book, I have-in ſome places -mention'd ſuch as oc- curr'd to my Thoughts. 1 ſhall never aſſume that Arrogance to pretend no other or _ tner Rp” oe %. - v-» ««—mr_wy .- Kr 2 1 v2.5 - VL aww : a be as CY 11 Þs = $4 ; * », « ad 1 ;& , F 8 o ; ble : Forts do I ;think but that all _—_ will acknowledge moſt of the Propotets : this Bpoke would He of ias-pr 7 oÞ Y - preater- Advancage. ror Ee than I have pretended to. + - [ As for ſuch who read Books on] to find or the Author's faux: ÞP as: 5.4 rel;- at-the Meannefs: of. Stile-, ; Bp ors. Pointing , Dulneſs of Exprefion or the like; I. have bur, lictle to, ;fay,cq" chem 4 -Lthonght ] had corrected it. very. carefully, -- and-yet. ſome Miſpeimings, hd ſmall Er © rorshave ſlipt me, which./tis ,toq Jate to © > help: Asto. Language, L haye;.been rather careful to-make it ſpeak-Epplþ ſyirable to the Manner of the Story, thants dels it up with ExaCtnels of Stile ; chuling | rather to.have it Free and Familiar, according the Nature of Eſſays, than to ſtrain at a Per- fetion of Language, which 1 __ for, - ' than pretend to be. Maſter of.” Fd :Lioflet "IE 4 RRATA 'F: — E JArrodution, Page 3. Line 7. for Elodgments read Lodgments. Page 9. Line 19. put tht Compiz between probable and ſo; _ _G Line 10, for $9g6000: read 86600, IRS - g<-__ - —_— ' _ as , ! -. - % <ootSwank « Ce a nn CEC ISI a wwe. een.cwuagy WE Collation To fr [Defoe, Daniel) An e88ay upon projects. » Author : Defee 2. Gallo. Collection ; 697eb 3