The Humble PETITION AND REMONSTRANCE OF SOME HUNDREDS of retailers, who have Sparks of Charity, and Reason in them.  
And of Country Chapmen of the Associated Counties, and of thousands of poor people besides: For the Restoring of Farthing Tokens; who are extremely damnified, and are like to perish by the suppression of them.  
Printed in the year 1644.   

TO BOTH THE HIGH AND HONOURABLE HOUSES of Parliament.  
The humble Petition and Remonstrance of some hundreds of retailers, who have sparks of Charity, and reason in them; and of Country Chapmen of the Assosiated Counties, and of Thousands of Poor people besides, for the Restoring of Farthing-Tokens, who are extremely Damnified, and are like to perish by the suppression of them.  
LAMENTABLY showing: That these dismal days, (as it seems) surpass other destructive times. For now the Axe is laid to the roots of Shrubs, whereas heretofore tall Cedars bore off the Stroke: And doubtless all the Engineers on both sides since these Wars began, have not by their Stratagems finished the days of more men; Then a very few retailing Tradesmen by their gilded sinister suggestions (being mere covetous Earthworms) are like to do; not only of men, but of women and children also: If consideration be not had of the Petitioners present complaint: Wherein the pretended Grievance, and Objections of these handful of retailers (the poors adversaries, though their best customers) are really answered, and truly set forth: For the shadow of him that rides on the Pale Horse hath already made an impression in the faces of your Petitioners: And the vacuity of their Bowels by their inward contraction, sounds shrill, and loud in the ears of such as pass by them; and say, Woe betid them that were the cause thereof, etc.  
For as much therefore, as all their temporal Hopes of present Relief concerning this their most urgent Cause, and best outward Pillar that supports their very Being; depends wholly upon these two capital Houses, or chief Courts of the Kingdom. They therefore humbly beseech, That your Honour's commiseration of their deplored Estates may be answerable to your Greatness, and that the same may not be referred to any other Court; but that these ensuing Objections and Reasons may be here deliberately considered of, and according unto equity granted; That so your poor Petitioners fainting souls? may be revived, and maintained to pray hearty for your Honour's prosperity.  
The complaining retailers main Objections against Farthings in their Petition printed, and presented to the Parliament two years since, are these, in their ownewords;  
Viz. 
 Object. That the allowance of one and twenty shillings in Farthing-Tokens, for twenty shillings in money, hath been the chiefest cause of their great Burden; For many covetous persons have usually fetched out great quantities of Farthings, and forcing them upon poor labouring people.  
Answ. 1 They that complain most of their loss, are (though it see●e a Paradox) the greatest gainers, because they are the chiefest retailers, and principal ventures of their commodities to the poor. For certain it is, that all such that in a retailing way sells by Penny, halfpenny, and Farthings worth, gain more by twelve pence in the pound at least, than other Shopkeepers do, that sell by greater quantities, etc.  
2. The poorest people are these retailers best customers, and constant frequenters. If therefore the current of the poors Farthing Revenue be stopped; These complainants will lose by the decay, and ebb of their custom, more than the loss of twelve pence in the pound; and then wish they had not leapt out of the Frying-pan into the fire, as some of them already do.  
3 If there were as many silver pence, and halfe-pences coined as now there are Farthings; Yet those will not by a fourth part as much avail the poor as Tokens will; Partly in regard that it is the hereditary use, and inclination of men to delight in, and retain Silver more warily than Brass, and partly because, he that can, or will give a Farthing, either cannot, or will not bestow a halfpenny, or penny: And therefore that old saying, Many a little makes a much, is now a main plea for the poor, and consequently for these few Silver-thirsty retailers, if they well understood it.  
4 If the apprehension of these retailers had been well composed together, and their minds freed from extreme covetousness, they would never have lifted up their voice against Farthings, if they had conceived but these two Reasons only.  

1 In regard of the settled Excize, which turns to their account, and clear benefit twelve pence in each Barrel, which is two shillings in the pound gain to them more than ever they had: For the Excize is but two shillings upon the Barrel; and they, when they sell cheapest, have penny farthing for each quart, which Farthing upon the quart, is just three shillings in the Barrel.  
2 To suppress Farthings at such a time, when a quart of that liquor which refreshes the spirit of the poor, is raised a Farthing higher than ever it was; doth cause such a peevish continued trouble in their small distracted rules of Arethmetick; and is such a fretting whetstone to sharpen the edge of their groans, that it will endanger the renting of the clouds. Besides, it is most unseasonable (as it is humbly conceived) that this mighty storm of the loss of threescore or fourscore thousand pounds at least should fall upon the distressed subject, when they are already in a languishing condition, through the decay of Trade, contractition of men's hearts, and the absence of people; that there is as much elbowroom now in this City, as in some remote Corporation Towns. Therefore a Reformation in this at present, is (as it were) a new piece of cloth stitched to an old ragged garment, which will make the rent far worse.   
5 That in their said printed Petition, they say some five hundred subscribed to it; Whereof, (if so) two parts of them are Victuallers, or victualling Chandler's, who gain more by the Tap, then by all their other Trinkets (and so much the more by means of the Excize) and but four or five of these five hundred were the only Stickles, or Bell-wether that tincklet the rest in (as heretofore they have underhand attempted to do) and these do it, but to maintain some superfluous sauce to their full dishes, having their eyes closed up with saul's persecuting scales, that they cannot behold one glimpse of Providence, but what they find and feel in their own fingers: Whereas on the other side, here are ten times so many thousand, who are constrained to make hunger their best sauce, and are glad to have where withal to sustain nature, and behold Providence shineing each day upon them, as the birds of the air do. Therefore, although Christianity lies slumbering, yet the Body Politic is awake; and surely will not esteem more of a few full-fed, well-lined retailers, than a great number of Lean-ribbed, thin-clothed Christians, that nothing makes the difference, but that the sheres went sideways in the cutting out of the piece; or 〈◊〉 say that the Head hath no need of the little Toe, or of the very nail thereof: But surely that Body will preserve all. For it is said, The poor you shall have always with you; unless now by this means they will be altogether starved: As some report they are, who observe the weekly Bills of Mortality; That many already departs this life by a new kind of Plague, for not having the old Tokens about them, etc.  
6 That without all doubt, these few complaining retailers know full well, that their said poor customers traffic neither for the Gold of Opher, nor for the Silver wedge of India, but (for the most part) possess that mettle that suits most with their low estate, which are Farthings; And therefore these retailers (let them say what they please in their petition) knowing what Coin their said Client's trade most in: Do ofttimes provide such ragged stuff, and decayed Comoditieses for them; as withered costive Cheese, twice-baked Bread, Butter of a stronger odor, Drink that stood long out of its proper element, and all other things in their defect; So that if they lost two shillings in twenty in Farthings; Yet, if their large consciences did not hold down their hands they would lift them up, and lay them upon their mouths, and say one to another Tace etc.  
7 That this very point is the Gulf of their conceits, and the mystery of their griping iniquity, mixed with vain glory (viz) To suppress these Farthing Tokens, that so they may advance their own Tokens, Stamps, Seales, Names, Signs, Superscriptions, if not Images, as now appears (though they be far inferior in dignity to Caesar) And also altogether oppugnant to divers weighty reasons both in the King, and his Royal Father's Proclamations issued out for restraint of theirs, but for the allowance, and confirmation of these Farthings: By means whereof they rivet, link, and incorporate their Customers unto them, and seal them up for their own selves; so that they cannot move an Intch to any other Tradesman, because their Coin is not currant out of that narrow Climate: Which thing in itself is really the greatest oppression that can be imposed upon distressed people; and makes good the last mentioned reason, That their poor customers will now be constrained to accept of their said decayed commodities, and at what prices they please: But these Farthings retain that virtue in them, which is derived from a superior Power, and therefore pass through to most places, and at all times.  
8 That if these troublesome retailers had taken the pains, but to have plucked out a piece of each of the beams that are in their eyes; they would have seen clearly how small a mote of Inconvenience these Farthings have made; and on the contrary what a Mountainous fallacy, and deceit these their Tin, Pewter, Led, Leather, Horn, and Wax Tokens do bring to pass: For; when any of these retailers that have thus clinched in their said customers, either dye, run away or break (as it is a common accident in these tottering times) Then all these trashie inferior Tokens are immediately defunct, and choked up in the nest, and of no use at all; So that whosoever possesseth any of them, are subject to a monthly fraud, and mutation; Whereas the other sort is scarce subject unto the like, once in a Coronation.  
9 That the foresaid Country Chapmen do (as it seems by their froward words) faint under their present Assessments, and wonder that this unexpected By-Blow should fall so unseasonably upon them, That they begin to Reel about, and say they have as many Farthings in their custody as will bear their charges awhile in the King's Army, where they will pass: Yet being loath to leave house, and home; they most vigillantly attend the Carrier's weekly return from London to bring them happy Tidings of their Restauration again; Which if they, and the rest, fail of their Hopes therein, It may (as it is humbly to be feared) beget some Inconvenience, that otherwise may be easily, and requisitely prevented.  
10 That upon an Airy suspicion, or a mere invention, which some malignant retailers were always prone to conceive for to suppress Farthings, only for their own Ends; It was gives out, that Tokens were Imported from foreign parts; upon which Alderman Chambers was desired to make diligent enquiry of the truth thereof; which he accordingly did; and found, that none at all had been at any time imported, unless they should be wafted from beyond seas within the Skulls of their Cunning Contriving.  
11 That these few retailing Incendiaries do at present Bolster up themselves in their hardhearted Imaginations, and verily believe that the just outcry of the poor is now hushed, and become but a nine day's discourse, because they are somewhat silent, through the feebleness of their bodies, and contraction of their Lungs, and in regard they suppose some of these poor people have withdrawn themselves from these parts; If that be so; O; but then where are they gone into the Countries, and what can they hope to have there; but either Pilfer a little to linger our Nature; or otherwise to have scope enough under the Cope of Heaven, and the Covert of a Hedge, or Ditch to surrender up their last Breath into the hand of that Power that challengeth Revenge to belong proper unto himself; Who will impress such a knowing stamp upon them for their full Requital, as they do upon their paltry Tokens for the poors Deceit.  
12 That the State by the suppressing of Farthings lose a very Considerable yearly sum; which surely would be better had, and reserved, then lost, and cast away like the snuff of a Candle to offend others;  
But howsoever these opposers of friendly Tokens absolutely confess in their said printed Petition, That to lay down the office will be inconveinent, for then (say they) all retailing Trades will want small monies, and the poor Relief. Therefore the Remnants of their retailing wares, afford these scraps of Charity for a remedy to support the office.  
1 The first is, That the Office be settled only in the power of the Crown.  
Ans. That was their Conceit when their Petition was then printed; and may be ordered as the State please; if they be now of the same mind.  
2 The second is, That the Extrinsic Denomination, and the Intrinsic value of a Farthing may step somewhat nearer in proportion.  
Ans. These are fine words that fills their brains to as small purpose, as such great pieces of Brass would do their Boxes: But the cause of their Grievance being removed (which is the supposed loss of twelve pence in the pound) their Complaint being the effect thereof, will vanish away.  
3 The third is, That it may be felony either to Import, or Sergeant them.  
Ans. That may be ordered so, if the State please.  
4 The last is, That no Advantage be allowed in the Issuing of them out, or returning of them into the Office.  
Ans. Surely, this is but a very Close-fisted lumpish motion; To imagine that such extraordinary pains, charges and attendance should be bestowed about Farthings, and that no profit should accrue to the managers thereof: For which of them will take the pains to compass, and score out a Cheese into so many penny worths, and then receive no benefit by it etc.  
But the present ease, and remedy humbly proposed, and earnestly implored from the rice of Dejected souls are only these Three.  

1 That the State would be pleased so to order it; That all Covetous persons whom these retailers complain of in their said Petition; who fetch out great quantities of Farthings, and force them in payments upon poor labouring people: May be enjoined under a penalty not to force, or pay above twelve pence in ten, or twenty shillings in any such payment etc.  
2 That all the benefit, and profits of the said office may always remain there in safe Custody under two or three Locks; and not hereafter to be transported beyond seas, as it hath been, but reserved constantly for Rechange, and use of the State; And that the restoring of these Farthing Tokens and Confirming of the said office again, may be by your Honour's Order published in all needful places.  
3 And lastly; That forasmuch as there is now a unhappy channel cut out in the Kingdom, that is very proper to receive ●●is supposed flowing stream of Farthings (though it were 〈◊〉 bigger) that overmuch waters the Meadows of these few ●etaylers Conceits (viz) This war; That therefore the common soldiers may receive twelve pence or more in each ten shillings of their Pay; Doubtless they would then use such Rhetoric 〈◊〉 all Corporation Towns where they came to, that without ●●y difficulty they would pass current; And surely they would be ●●ry necessary for them; because they might then have a pint Beer for a Farthing, which now they cannot have; And in●●…ed these Tokens are as useful in such places, as in this City: sides there is seldom any civil or uncivell Wars, but it ●●th its illegitimate Coin; and verily, that Coin is most pre●●…est to remain at present, that was approved off on both sides ●●thin these few days.   
By this means the flood of these few Retaylers' complaint, will be wasted, and dried up.  
And the poors Revenue recovered from a Nonsuit, and themselves revived.  
And all men will expect that Old Things shall pass away, when a Long-looked-for Peace shall be established in our Israel.  
FINIS.