EXPERIMENTED PROPOSALS HOW The KING may have Money to Pay and Maintain His FLEETS with Ease to His People. LONDON may be Rebuilt, and all PROPRIETORS Satisfied. MONEY be Lent at Six per Cent, on PAWNS. AND, The FISHING-TRADE Set up, which alone is able and sure to Enrich us all.  
And all this without Altering, Straining, or Thwarting any of our Laws or Customs now in Use.  
By Sir EDWARD FORD.  
London, Printed by William Godbid. 1666.   

EXPERIMENTED PROPOSALS How the King may have Money to Pay and Maintain his Fleets with ease to his People, etc.  
1. THe end of our Money is to adjust Contracts and Accounts between out selves, for it is not Coined to be Melted or Transported.  
2. These and all Tokens of Account are valued according to their portableness, which prefers Gold before Silver, Jewels before Gold, Bills and Bonds before all.  
3. These Bills, Bonds, Book Accounts, and even verbal promises, we transfer from one to the other, which our Law approves of and corroborates.  
4. Satisfying security therefore clearly supplies and contents us as well as Money, for who would not rather have a Straw, or a piece of Paper, than an hundred pounds, if he were sure it would at all times yield him as much as he took it for. Our practice evinceth this, for we purchase Bills of Exchange at two or more per cent. The Money-Master parts with his Coin for a sheet of Paper or Parchment. Nay it gets our Money into our Enemies, esteemed, but in truth, failable Money Banks, though they give but Three per cent. use, and we Six, nay Ireland ten and more per cent. For it is satisfying security, not great Use, that attracts Money.  
5. Land security is evidently, of all, the surest, and most satisfying, where the Title is clear, and no danger of Counterfeit or Foreign Conquest.  
6. No Money can be surer than Taxes by Act of Parliament, though ten, or more years day of Payment were allowed the people, which this way may be done, and yet the King by making currant Bills thereon, may have it all presently without any deductions. And by the people's yearly and easy payments these Bills may be certainly paid and taken in.  
7. By such like distinct Bills, London may be rebuilt, and all Proprietors satisfied for enlarging the Streets, the Fines and Rents of all so built, being engaged to satisfy and take in all these Bills.  
8. The like may be done for Banks of Loan upon Pawns, truly called Mounts of Piety, where the Stock thus coming gratis, the Poor (who now pay above 40, 50, nay 60 per cent. Use, to their ruin, and casting them and theirs on their Parishes charge) may have money at Six per cent. The Clothiers on their Cloth the like, till the Merchant or Draper can take it off, and the Clothier, mean time, have Money to go on with his Trade, and keep his Workmen still employed. The Landed man at Four per cent. Use, whereby he may improve his Land, or lend his Money to such as can well pay him Six per cent. and gain enough. Half this Use will soon pay and take in these Bills, the other half will defray all charges and augment this Mount to a vast advantage of all.  
9 By the like way, the Herring Trade may be established, to the breeding up and maintaining plenty of Mariners enough for the King, Merchant, and Fishery; and employ our Poor from their Childhood, and the profit hereof will soon pay and take in these Bills also: for John Keymor's Books clearly showeth how the Dutch and Foreigners, by our Fish, make more Money in one year, than the King of Spain doth in four years of his Indieses; and how these Dutch hereby will certainly eat us out of all Trade, and be clear Masters of the Sea, to the terror of all Kings and States.  
10. Credit thus raised, is honest, because all Bills are sure to be paid. It prejudiceth no man, because he hath as much use of this Bill Money, as if he had the Silver; and it compasseth all these particulars, to the good of us all. Nor is the way hazardous or untrodden, but such as hath been long, and is still used by our Neighbours, to the advancing their little Country (not so big, nor fruitful as one English County) from Poor Distressed States, to be Hogans Mogans, and all by a real cheat; for no considerate man can believe that they have so much Money in their Banks, as they give out Bills for. What then do they get? but lose the Use they pay, and their charge in guarding and keeping Accounts.  
11. These lessen not, but increaseth both Bullion and Coin, where they are used; for what Monarch can spare such Sums as little Genoa lends to the King of Spain, that great Master and Merchant of Gold and Silver? and what people generally fuller of Money, and freer from Beggars than the Dutch, by these proposed courses.  
If all, or any, of these be thought worthy debateing, the Proposer is confident he can answer all objections, and show the way how there shall not be any danger of cheat or abuse in any part thereof.  
FINIS.   

Licenced, Nou. 2. 1666.  
ROGER L'ESTRANGE.   

Sir EDWARD FORDE'S ADDITIONAL DEFENCE OF Bill-Credit.  
THat Credit satisfies as well as Coin, and drives the greatest Trade in the World, is certain and visible to the most Judicious; But our Natural jealousy, blown by malicious whispers, would not have Credit and Monarchy compatable. To convince therefore the deceived, and silence those who fear and malign our King and Kingdom's prosperity, I here show (part of what I hinted in the Conclusion of my first paper) how the there proposed Bill-Money may be justly and infallibly paid in by Silver Coin, which some so dote on.  
1. That the Tax of every County be assigned to be paid their next City, or responsible Corporation, and the Bills thereon sent to them to deliver and pay (as His Majesty shall appoint) the said Bill-Money, and so be obliged to pay and take in all the said Bills, as fast as they Receive their County Tax.  
2. The like for Rebuilding London, to the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Chamber thereof, to whom the King sends as many Bills as is found needful; and so they to be accountable, and take in their Bills as the Fines and Rents of what they Build herewith, bring in to them.  
3. The like for Mounts of Piety and advancing our Fishery, some convenient Corporations or responsible Commissioners, bound for the just expending their Bills, and repaying with the profits as they come in.  
4. By this way, all the Countrey-mans Wool and Grain, the Clothier's Cloth, the Miners Tin, Led, Coal, and all durable sure sailable Commodities, may be taken off; and so all Workmen still employed, and all heads and hands set to work.  
5. What the King will, and justly may challenge to himself for the use of this His Bill-Money (to us as serviceable as Silver) I know not; but am sure we can not where else have it under Six per cent, nor enough so. Nor can our King be too rich, but we shall far the better by it, and pay the less Taxes.  
Nor do I think we get by screwing any of His Rights from Him, whom we must preserve potent and able to defend us, or all come to speedy and certain ruin.  
How this Bill-Money may be kept from Counterfeiting, or unjust augmenting, I can most clearly demonstrate and secure, if I find what I have said approved and acceptable; Hoping that my Mite may be received into the grand Treasury of better judgements; as the simple Countrey-man's project, to take the height of a Tree (by comparing the shadow of his Staff, with that of the Tree) was to the ingenious Mathematicians.  
FINIS.