A SHORT MODEL OF A BANK, Showing how a Bank may be erected without much trouble, and without any charge or hazard to any body, and with apparent profit to every body, except The eves, Brokers and griping Usurers, Which Bank will be able to give out Bills of Credit to a vast extent that all persons will accept of rather than Mony.  
By M. Lewis D. D.   

A short Model of a Bank,  
DIvide the Nation into precincts, as the nature of places and the things shall require. Suppose two or three Hundreds into a precinct.  
Erect an Office in the most convenient places of each of these Precincts, on purpose to return moneys to any part of the Nation to prevent High-way-Robbing.  
Order all greater payments to be made at these Offices to be attested by them, to prevent frauds, or else the payments shall not be good in Law.  
Order these Offices to be Cashierers to all persons, to keep any Money for safety, they shall desire to deposit with them, and let the Office give the Depositor a Bill of credit for his money, to repay it to him upon demand.  
Let these Bills be made transferrable.  
Let no Money deposited, in any of these Offices be liable to any Confiscation or Forfeiture.  
That no man may distrust the Credit of these Offices, let the whole Precinct be obliged to make good all the acts of their Office, as the Hundred is bound to repair men rob, as the Freemen of London make good the acts of the Lord Major, Court of Aldermen and Common-Counsil, and as the Nation makes good the Impositions of Parliament.  
That an intolerable encumbrance may not be brought upon the Estates of the Precinct, let every Precinct choose their stated Officers yearly, who shall give them security, that the Precinct shall not be damnified.  
Let the Precinct choose twenty four substantial persons to be assistants to the stated Officers, to meet once a Month to supervise them, lest they should run out beyond their security.  
The stated Officers shall have power only to receive in Money, and give out Bills of Credit for it, to answer these Bills with money when they are brought unto them, and being supervised once a Month, they cannot miscarry much.  
The four and twenty shall be called in upon all occasions extraordinary, where there is any thing to be done, that requires hazard, they shall be to the stated Officers, as the Common Council is to the Court of Aldermen.  
These assistants shall have power to disperse the Money in specie among the Neighbourhood, at low interest, when any quantity lies dead in the Office; to be called in again, when the Office shall have occasion for it: this will be a security against Violence, especially when there are three or four hundred Offices, they cannot be riffed all at once.  
A Superior Office must be erected at London, as the Centre, to be as a head to all these inferior Offices, to give direction to them, as there shall be occasion, these shall meddle with no Money, but be a check to those that do, and once a year shall balance the accounts of all the inferior Offices, to see what is got or lost.  
These Superior Officers may be chosen yearly by the assistants, one for an ordinary County, and more, for the larger Counties.  
These Offices may be used for a voluntary Register, if the Parliament pleases, and so this may be done at less charge.  
These Offices and Officers may be easily maintained out of the clear profit of the Offices.  
These constitutions will in a little time bring in the bulk of the running Cash of the Nation to pass through these Offices: for most of the Money in the Nation is used in returns, or made in greater payments in three Months, or will be lodged here for safety, till the owner can find opportunity to lend it out, or lay it out; Now many persons leave their Money with Citizens, whilst they have nothing but the honesty of the person supposed to have an Estate, for their security; here they have a better fund.  
When the Money is in these Offices, it will keep there, because it will be more safe, more portable, and more transferrable than cash in the Chest, and so it will be better, as Gold is better than Silver.  
Especially it will be better than Silver, if Bank Money, or a Bill of Credit be made two in the hundred better than running cash, which may be done with ease and safety.  
Upon these considerations every one will take a Bill of Credit, rather than Money, whilst they are sure the fund is as good, as any mortal security can be.  
First the Creditor hath the security of the Officer, who is supposed to be able and honest, and hath effects in his hands to answer all credit given out: but if through knavery or folly he hath imbezeled these.  
Secondly the Creditor hath the Estates of the whole Precincts real and personal, worth perhaps a Million or two, to make his Debt good, as in case of Robbing.  
These things being admitted, it will necessarily follow these Offices will have a vast cash, and a vaster Credit, whilst all accept their Bills, rather than Mony.  
This Credit having so good a fund will be equivalent to a vast treasure, every way answering the ends and use of Money, these Bills will buy what we want, and pay where we are indebted: because the possessor of them may convert them into Money, when he pleases.  
In case the Bills be too big for any man's use, suppose a Bill of 20 l. and the possessor must pay labourers with it, he changes it, (that is sells it) for Silver, as readily, as he could Gold, this is matter of fact at Venice, they give out Bills, seldom pay out money, these Bills will readily change into Dollars or ducats, with advantage enough.  
These Banks than will be in a condition by virtue of Money lost with them, and credit which by reason of their fund will be given to them, to lend Money upon good security, at a low Interest, to all that will borrow.  
They will be in a capacity to buy what ever is to be sold, homebred or foreign they think they can get by, their Credit will do all this, now become all the World over two per Cent. better then Sterling at the Market price.  
These Banks will quickly make the effects of the Nation ten times what they are now: and if some such course as this be not suddenly taken, that the Crown and People of England may command Money, as their Neighbours do, they must certainly become a Prey to them: Holland would in seven years, had they now Peace, get away our Trade; and any Neighbouring Country that commands Money may hazard to seize our Nation, this expedient probably will help both, and heal all.  
Object. 1. Men will not be willing, neither is it reasonable the Parliament should lay such encumbrances upon all men's Estates, to answer for the acts of their Offices, where the Officers may run out if they please half the Precinct is worth.  
Answer, I shall not need to tell you the Precinct chooses their Officers every Month, they supervise them, they must undo themselves, before they hurt the Precinct, one word serves for all: The Estate of the whole Nation, now not worth twenty years' purchase without this encumbrance, will be worth forty, if not fifty years' purchase (as I have demonstrated) with this encumbrance upon it, therefore owners of Land will have no cause of complaint.  
Object. 2. The People by these Banks having Money in great plenty at a low interest, and being enabled to keep all their commodities for a Market, must needs be rich, than they will grow wanton, and be liable to rebel.  
Ans. Government is a secret thing, and esteemed so by all, that live at ease and in peace and plenty, such will be very wary how they make a disturbance: it's Oppression that makes wise men mad. A People never rebels, unless they are oppressed, or think themselves so, or that suddenly they shall be so oppressed; that if they be disappointed in their rebellion, their case cannot be much worse. Fool's may be wanton with Prosperity, and weary of peace, Wise Men that know better things, will easily keep these in order: put persons in employment, and deliver them from poverty, there is no fear of Rebellion.  
Object. 3. When the Bulk of the Money of the Nation is brought into these Banks, it may be obnoxious to violence.  
Ans. Laws may be made as strong as you please, that will be as a fence about these Banks, that all persons offering violence to them, shall be obnoxious to severest Justice, they are in several places, and cannot be violated at once, the Banks can disperse their Money without any trouble among the Neighbourhood, as oft as they please, and doubtless will do it ten times before they be surprised once; this Bank at first must be a Money Bank, but afterwards it rises into a Credit Bank, and little Money needs to be kept in specie there.  
These three are the most material objections, which I have answered more largely elsewhere, I have likewise spoken to less weighty and circumstantial objections, I think fully and clearly in a larger discourse.  
Any that please may see a larger discourse of this Model at Mr. Millions a Bookseller in Fleetstreet near the Green Dragon Tavern, at the Sign of the Bible, showing the grounds and reasons of the Model in the whole process of it. The benefits that will accrue by it to the Nation in general, to the Crown, to the People, whether rich, poor, or of the middle sort, how the Gentleman, the Husbandman, the Tradesman, the Mariner and the Merchant shall be advantaged. It is demonstrated how the practice of this Model may make England the Empire of the world, and the Mrs. of Europe.  
We may with the clear profits, put forward the Fishery, set up new Manufactures, encourage the old, and may in short be, and do whatever a People would be, and could do, that hath an inexhaustible treasure.  

The Epitome of this Compendium is,  
When the Nation is divided into Precincts, erect an Office in each Precinct to return Mony.  
Order all greater Payments to be made at these Offices, where any person may leave his Money without interest. and take a Bill of Credit for it of the Office, which shall be made transferrable.  
That the Bill of Credit may be currant; let the whole Precinct be obliged to make good the acts of their Office, as in case of Robbing.  
That the Precinct may not be damnified; let them choose their own stated Officers, who shall give security to them.  
They shall also choose four and twenty substantial persons to meet once a Month to supervise their stated Officers.  
These four and twenty shall disperse Money lying dead in the Office, as oft as they please.  
Much of the running cash of tha Nation will in a little time pass through these Offices, and all that can will leave it there, and take a Bill of Credit of the Office: because this Bill of Credit will be more safe, more portable, more transferable, and so of greater value than Money, as Gold is (for these reasons) better than Silver.  
Hence these Offices will have a vast Credit, which is equivalent to so much Money in specie, and may do whatever any can do, that have an inexhaustible treasure.  
I beg no favour from any, nor acceptance of this Model, any further than the real worth of the thing deserves, only I desire no person would condemn it, before he hath perused the larger discourse.  
FINIS.