A LOOKING-GLASS FOR Sope-Patentees: OR A Prospective-glass, making discovery of a new Project contrived and propounded (by the Sope-Projectors) to the PARLIAMENT, TO Monopolise the Soping-mystery, under Pretences of good to the STATE in the Duty of EXCIZE.  PROV. 24.21, 22, 23. 
My Son, Fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change.  
For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both?  
These things also belong to the wise, it is not good to have respect of persons in judgement.  
London, Printed in the Year 1646.   

The Soap-boilers of London's New-project, or the last Sope-Patentees, and most ancient projecting Monopolizers of the soap-boiling Art. Propositions now presented by them to the Honourable House of Commons, for the Monopolising of the soap-boiling art, by Authority of Parliament, first proposed, then answered or expounded.  

First, Their Propositions.  
The Grievances.  
THat there are divers persons of mean condition who in many by-corners in and about London and Westminster, do make and sell Soap, not having been Apprentices to that Trade.  

I. That this Soap for the most part is deceitful and unserviceable.  
II. That abundance of this Soap being made and vented here and abroad by stealth: they wholly deceive the State of the Excise thereof.  
III. That by this means they sell it at cheaper rates than the Tradesmen paying the Excise can afford his Excized Soap, and so draw all the trade from the Tradesmen, whereby their trade is decayed, and so consequently the loss falls upon the Excise produced out of that Trade besides the ruin of the Tradesmen.   
The Remedies.  
Whereas the Excise is but 6. d. per pound on pot-ashes, and 3 s. on every barrel of Sope.  

I. That the Excise may be advanced to 6 s. on every hundred weight of Pot-ashes, being the principal material (without which Soap cannot be made) in lieu of the 3 s. per barrel, which amounts to more than both the former Excises on Pot-Ashes and Soap  
II. That the Sope-makers may be enabled at their own charges to collect the said Excise, and to proceed that due search be made on all Pot-Ashes imported, that the Excise be not evaded.  
III. The former Excise of Soap, and the materials thereof being cast up what it comes to per Annum, they will farm the same and secure the State, 1000 l. per Annum, in certain, more than the former revenue, which is cast all up, and by the Frauds' aforesaid daily deceived, and 〈◊〉 without the enha●●cing the usual price to the Subject.   
That they propound really (without any by-ends) for the public good to preserve their Trade, by which both themselves and the Excise subsist; otherwise if either by this or some other like means the former Frauds be not prevented, or if any further imposition be laid upon Soap, themselves add their Trade must necessarily fall to ruin.   

Secondly, the Parts or Division of them.  

The general Parts are three.  
I. The Reasons or Arguments on which they ground these their Propositions, or the grievance of the State, and sufferings of the subject demonstrated by 

1. The Persons charged as offenders.  
2. The manner how, or the prescription of their offence by these three Particulars. 

1. By illegal boiling of Sope.  
2. By making deceitful and unserviceable Sope.  
3. By not paying the duty of Excise thereof.      
2. The Propositions themselves, or the remedies by them propounded.  
3. Their Protestations or Declaration of their simplicity in their Propositions.    

Thirdly, the Exposition.  
The answer which I shall give to these general parts, will declare that these Propositions (what ever these Patentees do declare and protest by them) are a new project (under vain and deceiving words) by them contrived and propounded to Monopolise the Sope-trade, and to trample upon the liberties, lively hoods, and estates of other Soap boilers and Tradesmen, (which are better Subjects and as freeborn as themselves) now by the Authority of Parliament, as heretofore they have done, by the Authority of the King's Majesty, and the Lords of the Privy Council (in their prosecution of their illegal Patent) gained of them, by the self same false pretence of good to King and Kingdom. This being premised, I come now to the answer or exposition of these three Generals.  
I will speak first of the Persons charged as offenders, described by these two Characters.  

1 Men of mean condition.  
2. Not Freemen, boiling in Corners.   
First, They are now mean indeed (and they never shall be but mean, if these projecting Patentees can but trample upon them by Authority of Parliament) and the reason of their poverty is this, because these projecting Monopolers have by their several burlaryes or forcible breaking open of their houses, Felonies or forcible taking away their goods, acted upon them, spoiled their materials, and by imprisoning their persons, yea, by their cruel prosecution, have committed several murders, or that which amounts to as much; And lastly, did bind them in Bonds not to boil Soap, to which they have as much right as themselves; by all which oppressing practices, together with the general oppressions of the Kingdom, they have built their Nest on high, they have built their houses with blood of these poor men, and have heaped much riches to themselves by their oppressing Patent. These Patentees being covetous, dealt with these poor men, as the unbelieving jews of Thessalonica moved with envy, dealt with Paul; namely, they did take to them certain lewd fellows of the base sort to act their cruelty.  
Secondly, They are Freemen, and have as much right to the soap-boiling Art as themselves, and did serve Apprentices for their Freedom to Trade: And the truth is, these Patentees are not Soap-boilers, in right of serving Apprenticeships thereunto, but Salters and Lethersellers, although they charge these as usurpers of a Trade; and concerning soap-boiling, it is not a Manufacture within the Statute of 5. Eliz. limiting Trades, as they would make men believe (as they well know themselves) but an Art or Mystery which every Freeman that knows how to boil, may as lawfully as themselves use soap-boiling. As for their charging of boiling Soap in corners, they mean, did boil Soap in corners, if they did mean to speak the truth; and then this prescription is to be considered as words of Patentees, and are thus to be understood, to be a Declaration what they forced men to in the time of their Patent, (to escape their cruel and barbarous prosecution of the illegal oppressing Patent) and not that any now boil Soap in corners as they here falsely charge them. Besides this I know, that there are 36. or 37. Complainants in the Committee, and ready to be put in, for reparation for their several damages; and yet there is but two of them that boil Soap, and as publicly as themselves.  
Having spoken of the persons charged as offenders, I come now to speak to the offences charged upon them; which are these two:  

1. Making deceitful and unserviceable Soap: this suffering relates to the Subjects.  
2. Deceiving the State of the Excize thereof.   
If there be any that deceive the State (besides themselves) of the duty of the Excise; this I am sure of, That it cannot be much, a very inconsiderable ground to propound to so Honourable an Assembly as the Honourable House of Commons, such Propositions (that amounts a Monopoly) for remedy: This being premised, I will now to Answer the second particular offences above expressed.  
1. Making deceitful and unserviceable Soap; there are many hundreds of evidences to prove the contrary; and reason tells every rational man, that when men may buy freely, that none will voluntarily suffer themselves to be defrauded by deceitful Soap: And the truth is, This is that false allegation which these Monopolers have formerly calumniously charged upon them, and made it their deceiving Argument to gain their Patent to oppress the Subjects in their privileges and birthright, in their estates and lively hoods, and they themselves are now and have been great deceivers of the Kingdom by deceitful and base Soap, which I will demonstrate to you by three particulars of their practices.  

1. They adulterate the Major part of the Soap they make.  
2. Witness the many parcels of Soap which their Chapmen are forced to return to them again not fit for use.  
3. Witness the many parcels of old Soap cask which have been seized in their hands, and burned in public view, by which said practise they have deceived the Subjects, and gained many hundreds of pounds into their purse by the said deceiving practice, though contrary to a Statute Law.   
2. By deceiving the State of the Excize thereof: This is undoubtedly a grounded charge, imposed upon them by these their oppressors, to render them odious to the Parliament, (who are now Petitioners (in the Honourable Committee of the House of Commons) for reparation for their several losses which they sustained by these Projecting Monopolising Patentees) and the better to accomplish their wicked designs, which is the enriching of themselves by the ruins of their Brethren, by this new Projecting Monopolising Propositions: And I am confident they are not able to make good their charging of them; but if there be a deceiving of the State in the duty of Excize of Soap, if they which are trusted with the Levying of the said Excize will but consider this ensuing Proposition, (and what is the Annual Revenue of the said Excize) it will evidently demonstrate to them how much they are deceived, and by whom.   

The Proposition.  
That weekly there is made in and about London, near 700 Barrels of Sept, out week with another, all which is made by themselves, only some very small quantities. Now the Revenue of the said Exci●… doth annually amount to near the sum of 5000. l. Look upon your Acco●●●…▪ and then tell whether you may not say to these Projectors as once Elijah in said to Ahab, It is not the oppressed Soap-boilers, but yourselves that have deceived the State of the Excize of Sope.  
I come now to speak the Propositions themselves, (or the remedies by them propounded) which is the second general part, wherein they have propounded three things:  
1. That the Excize of Pot-ashes which is but 6. d. per pound, may be advanced to 6. s. upon every hundred wait, and 3. s. a barrel may be taken off which is charged upon Soap; And they give you two Arguments to enforce this Proposition: The first Argument is included, not expressed, and it is this, That it is the most feasable way to prevent the deceiving of the State of the duty of Excize, and this is limited in this expression, without which Soap cannot be made. Their second Argument is this, That it will be advantage to the State in the Revenue of the Excize. The other two Propositions are but a prescription of a way how this remedy shall be acted.  

1. That they be made searchers. (which have been P●tentees) likely men to be trusted by a State, which have been barbarous and cruel oppressors of the Kingdom, and great introducers of the present troubles that now lies upon us.  
2. That they may farm of the State the said Excize. But before they are trusted, it were meet, as I conceive, under correction, that they did give satisfaction, first, for the re-infringing of the subject; liberties and birthright in point of Trade, by taking their illegal Patent for their general oppressing of the Subject in the price of Soap, and cruel prosecution of their Patent upon hundreds of Freeborn Subjects, as is already expressed.   
These things being premised, I will briefly, but satisfactorily, (in Answer to these Propositions) speak to these two particulars.  
1. These Propositions as they are groundless and upon false pretences, propounded by these Patentees; so they are deceiving and oppressing, tending to the damage of many Tradesmen in all parts of the Kingdom.   

That they are so, I prove by these two Arguments:  
1. Pot-ashes are of a different value, some worth four or five and twenty pounds a Tun, others not really above fourteen or twelve pounds. It would be unequal then that the worst sort of Ashes should be chargeable with as much Excise as those which are of double the value; this oppression would lie heavy not only upon other Soap-boilers, but also upon Salters and Dyers, and all other Tradesmen that use Pot-ashes.  
2. One hundred of Pot-ashes will make two barrels of Soap, and some Ashes will not make above one barrel.  
3. If the Parliament will but make these Projectors searchers, and farmers of the Excise, they will undoubtedly make themselves possessors of all the best Pot-ashes, and so put all the burden of the Excise upon the rest of the Soap-boilers to their inevitable ruin.  
Secondly, That these Patentees design (by these deceiving Propositions) is to Monopolise the soap-boiling mystery into their own hands (which is sufficient to maintain 200 Families) as they have done for above 30 years together, namely by the engrossing into their own hands all the Pot-ashes.   

The reason why this must be their design.  
Because the Arguments on which they do ground these Propositions, are the selfsame false pretences, and against the selfsame persons which they did charge to gain their Patent. There is one Scripture which I will propound that proves this to be their design, jer. 13.23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots, then can ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. I will conclude speaking of this second general part with this, They offer the Parliament but a 1000 l. per Annum, for that which will be as advantageous to them as their Patent, for which they gave the King 40000. l. of the Kingdom's money, not their own.  
Their third and last general is their Protestation that they have no by-ends in these Propositions, but really intent the good of the State, and the preserving of Trade, Ephes. 5.6.  
What I shall speak to this is by way of Caution to our worthy Senators, who are Gods Vice-gerents and bear God's Image, from whom as from a fountain we expect that justice shall run like water, and judgement like a mighty flood.  

1. Let no man deceive you with vain words, it is the Word of the Lord by the Apostle Paul.  
2. You are not to judge by the sight of the eye, nor by the hearing of the care, but with Righteousness to judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth, Isa. 11.3, 4.   
I will leave all that I have said in answer to these Propositions to the judicious Reader, and conclude with this third caution, That if these Patentees should obtain their Desires in these Propositions, and be oppressors in the prosecution of them, and at last be called to answer their Delinquency, they will translate their offence upon the Parliament, and say they did no more than what they commanded them to do; Witness their Petition, in the answering whereof I shall declare their Delinquency, in their taking of a Patent more at large.   
FINIS.