| ET this Book called To-
litical Arithmetiwhich
was long fince Writ by
Sir WilliamTetty deceafed,
be Printed.
Given at the Court at Whitehall the
jth day of Novemb. 1690.
Nottingham.
Political Arithmetick,
O R » #
A DISCOURSE
%
Concerning,
The Extent and Value of Lands, People,
Buildings ; Husbandry , Manufa&ure ,
Commerce, Filhery, Artizans, Seamen,
Soldiers 5 Publick Revenues, Intereft ,
Taxes, Superlucration, Regiftries, Banks3
Valuation of Men, Increafing of Seamen,
of Militia's, Harbours, Situation, Ship
ping, Power at Sea, &c. As the fame
relates to every Country in general, but
more particularly to the Territories of
His Majefty of Great Britain , and his
Neighbours of Holland, Zealand, and
France.
By Sir W~1LL1AM PETTY,
Late Fellow of the Royal Society.
London, Printed for Robert Clavel at the Peacock,
and Hen. Mortlock at the Phxnix in St. Paul's
Church-yard. 1691.
.. ^ r/r> r\ r. v
~ t X
T O T H E
KINGS
Moft Excellent
MAJESTY-
SIR,
Htlejl eyery
meditates fome
fit Offering
Tour Majefiy, fuch as may
beji agree with your
Er.aU
A Dedication.
Exaltation to this Throne;
I prefume to offer, what
Father long jince ,to (hew
the weight and importance
of the Englifh Crown.
It was by him filed Poli¬
tical Arithmetick , in as
much as things of Govern¬
ment, and of no lefs concern
and extent, than the Glory
of the Prince, and the hap-
pinefs and greatnefs of the
People, are by the Ordina¬
ry Rules of Arithmetick,
brought into a fort of
(Iration. He was allowed by
all, to be the Inventor of this
Method of InflruBion; where
the
A Dedication.
the perplexed and intricate ways
»nar,;
of the World\are explain d by
a Very mean peice of ;
and had not the DoCfrtns of
. this Effay offended France,
they had long fince feen the
' light , and had found Fol-
^ lowers, as well as improve¬
ments before this to the
- advantage perhaps of Alan-
kind.
! But this has been
1to the felicity of Your Ala-
jefty's Reign, and to the
expectation which the Learned
have therein ; and if while
<>1lr' this, I do fome honor to the
; vk Memory of a good , I
can
A Dedication.
can alfo pay Serv, fame
Teftimony of Zed and
Reverence to fo great a King,
it will be the utmofl zdmix¬
tion of
^ l '\ : > i'.'ivA
SI R,
it •
Your Majefty'sMoft Dutiful
'vi'..-V tj.i f i vj \0 yiv
and Moft Oybedient Subjeft,
Shelborne.
PREFACE.
: db la'mi' 'j /v
FOralmuch as Men, who are
in a decaying condition, or
who have but an ill opinion of
their own Concernments, inftead
of being (as fbme think) the more
induftrious to refill: the Evils they
apprehend, do contrariwile be¬
come the more languid and inef¬
fectual in all their Endeavours, nei¬
ther caring to attempt or prole-
cute even the probable means of
their relief. Upon this Confidera-
tion, as a Member of the Com¬
mon-Wealth, next to knowing
the precife Truth in what condi¬
tion the common Intereft Hands, I
would in all doubtful Cafes think
: a the
Preface.
the beft, and confequently not de-
fpair, without ftrong and manifeft
Realbns, carefully examining what¬
ever tends to leflen my hopes of
the publick Welfare.
I have therefore thought fit to
examin the following Perfwafions,
which I find too currant in the
World, and too much to have af¬
fected the Minds of fome, to the
prejudice of all. v't%.
Ifm'ny' That the Rents of Lands are
concern- generally fall'n; that therefore, and
ufcifaecff°r nwfty other Realbns, the whole
England. Kingdom grows every day poorer
and poorer; that formerly it a-
bounded with Gold, but now there
is a great lcarcity both of Gold and
Silver ;that there is no Trade nor
Employment for the People, and
yet that the Land is under-peopled;
rhat Taxes have been many and
great
Preface.
n0!c' great} that Ireland and the Planta-
^ fidfis in America and other Addi-
~T,V'* tions to the Crown, are a Burthen
to England; that Scotland is of no
Advantage; that Trade in gene¬
ra ral doth lamentably decay; that
" ''ac the Hollanders are at our heels, in
>i the race of Naval Power; the French
statu grow too faft upon both, and ap-
«iii pear lb rich and potent, that it is
but their Clemency that they do
not devour their Neighbors; and
Lmi finally, that the Church and State
ratal of England, are in the fame dan-
nen* gcr with the Trade of
pear with many other difmal Sugge¬
st} ftions, which I had rather ltifle
than repeat.
Gdcai
Qjjji-oi 'Tistrue, the Expence of foreign Jfj"'
% -J Commodities hath of late been too dices of
ropW 8reat' muc^ °f out Plate, had it Kngl'ld
... remain'd Money, would have bet-
Preface,
ter ferved Trade,- too many Mat¬
ters have been regulated by Laws,
which Nature, long Cuftom, and
general Confent, ought only to
have governed; the Slaughter and
Deftruction of Men by the late
Civil Wars and Plague have been
great} the Fire at , and
Difafter at Chatham, have begot¬
ten Opinions in the Valgus of the
World to our Prejudice; the Non-
conformifts increafe; the People
of Ireland think long of their Set¬
tlement; the there appre¬
hend themfelves to be Aliens, and
are forced to feek a Trade with
Foreigners, which they might as
well maintain with their own Re¬
lations in England. But notwith-
ftanding all this (the like whereof
rh im- was always in all Places), the
^ments of Buildings of London grow great
England, and glorious; the American Planta¬
tions
*) '
'TrcfdCt
tions employ four Hundred Sail
of Ships; Anions in the
Company are near double the prin¬
cipal Money ; thofe who can give
good Security, may have Money
under the Statute-Intereft; Materials
for building (even Oaken-Timber)
are little the dearer, lome cheaper
for the rebuilding of London; the
Exchange fecms as full of Mer¬
chants as formerly ; no more Beg¬
gars in the Streets, nor executed
tor Thieves, than heretofore; the
Number of Coaches, and Splen¬
dor of Equipage exceeding former
Times; the publique Theatres ve¬
ry magnificent; the King has a
greater Navy, and ftronger Guards
than before our Calamities ; the
Clergy rich, and the Cathedrals in
repair; much Land has been im¬
proved, and the Price of Food
to reafonable, as that Men refute
a 3 to
Tr'eface
to have it cheaper, by admitting
of Infh Cattle j And in brief, no
Man needs to want that will take
moderate pains. That fome are
poorer than others, ever was and
ever will be: And that many are
naturally querulous and envious,
is an £vil as old as the World.
Thefe general Obfervations, and
that Men eat, and drink, and laugh
as they ufe to do, have encou¬
raged me to try if I could alio
comfort others, being fatisfied my
felf, that the Inter eft and Affairs
of England are in no deplorable
Condition.
The au- The Method I take to do this,
tkor's Me- • t J
tied and is not yet very ulual; for lnltead
tfMArgu. ufing °nly comparative and fu-
>"S- * perlative Words, and intelle&ual
Arguments, 1 have taken the courfe
(as a Specimen of the Political A-
rithmetick
Preface.
rithmetick I hare long aimed at)
abnef,i to exprefs my felf in Terms of
Number, Weighty or ; to
c low i ufe only Arguments of Senfe, and
"W* to connder only fiich Caufes, as
ttnunri have vilible Foundations in Na-
x ov ture ; leaving thofe that depend
[Vail upon the mutable Minds, Opi-
; ;,a nions, Appetites, and Pa/fions of
particular Men, to the Confider-
ationof others: Really profefling
my felf as unable to fpeak fatis-
faCtorily upon thole Grounds (if
.-i they may be call'd Grounds), as
to foretel the call of a Dye; to
play well at Tennis, Billiards, or
Bowles, (without long practice,)
oco:* by virtue of the molt elaborate
Conceptions that ever have been
written De <Proje£lilibus Miffili-
busy or of the Angles of Incidence
, . and Reflection.
Tre face.
JurJof Now the Obfervations or Po-
his i>o<;- fitions expreffed by , Weight,
slppf and Meafure, upon which I bot-
torn the enfuing Difcourfes, are
either true, or not apparently falfe,
and which il they are not al¬
ready true, certain, and evident,
yet may be made fo by the So¬
vereign Power, Nam id e[i
quod certum reddi potc/l, and if they
are falfe, not io falfe as to de-
ftroy the Argument they are
brought for; but at worft are fuf-
ficient as Snppofitions to fhew the
way to that Knowledge I aim at.
And I have withal for the prefent
confined my felf to the Ten prin¬
cipal Conclufions hereafter parti¬
cularly handled, which if they flhall
be judged material, and worthy
of a better Difeuflion, I hone all
7 JL
ingenious and candid Perlons will
rcbtifie the Errors, Defers, and
Im-
0:" Imperfections, which probably
may be found in any of the Po-
fitions, upon which thele Ratioci-
•M nations were grounded. Nor
would it misbecome Authority it
< felf, to clear the Truth of thole
; Matters which private Endeavours
T cannot reach to.
'
4ii-
xvi
art
itii
MX
lam
ens
lap
rtp
krU
ma The
Optil
a
,d
fa
X
. i — ■
THE
Principal Conclufions
OF THIS
TREATISE
ARE,
CHAP. I. That a fmall Country, and
few People, may ly their Situ¬
ation, Trade, and Policy, he equiva¬
lent in Wealth and Strength, to a far
greater People, and Territory. And
particularly , How conveniencies for
Shipping, and Water Carriage, do
mojt Eminently, and Fundamentally,
conduce thereunto. Pag. i
£hap. II. That fome hind of Taxes, and
Pullick Levies, may rather increafe
than diminijh the Common-Wealth.
pag. 35
Chap.
The Contents.
Chap. III. That France cannot, by rea.
fon of Natural and Perpetual Impedi¬
ments, be more powerful at Sea, than
the Englifh, or Hollanders. 51
Chap. IV. That the People, and Ter¬
ritories of the King of England , are
Naturally near as conjlderable, for
Wealth, and Strength, as thofe of
France. pag. 64
Chap. V. That the Impediments of
Englands Greatnefs, are but contingent
and remove able. pag. 87
Chap. VI. That the Power and Wealth
of England, hath increafed above this
forty years. pag. 96
Chap. VII. That one tenth part> of the
whole Expence, of the King of Eng.
land'* Subjetls 5 is Jujficient to main¬
tain one hundred thoufand Foot, thirty
thoufand Horfe, and forty thoufand Men
at Sea, and to defray all other Charges,
of the Government : both JOrdinary
and Extraordinary„ if the fame were
regularly Taxed, and Raifed. pag. 1 o i
Chap. VIII. That there are fpare
Hands enough among the King of Eng¬
land's Subjeds, to earn two Millions
per annum , more than they now do,
and there are Employments, ready,
proper,
proper, and fufficient for tbat purpofe.
pag. 104
Chap. IX. That there is Mony fuffi¬
cient to drive the Trade of the Na¬
tion. pag. 110
Chap. X. That the King of England's
Subjctts, have Stock9competent,and con¬
venient to drive the Trade of the whole
Commercial World. pag. \\z
ERRATA.
—
ERRATA,
PAgc 7. line 25. read the Xgnt. p. 8. i 21. r. a part,
p. 20.1. 3. r./or cheap, p. 21. L 14. r. cold% moifl*
p. 26.1. 7. r. that Church, p. 32. L 7. r. yearly profit.
1. 18. r. *0 value, p. 47. I.4. r./zfry thoufand.
!. 28. r. fixteen tboufand. p. 49.1.13: r.the faukbalf
together, p. 52.1.6. r.Jhould bring, p. 59. L 24, r. they
coaft. p. 72.1.8. r. or above, p. 91. L 9. r.Exotics*
p. 95.Li3- r f tying for.
Chap
.ft
t. li
\ W * c
X vi
. I »1 £ ;t ■•! /A\fv\ V ' ' .■ :
\i . : .'i ; ? .! .i£,,q r .1 .or <j 1
...a r.V ' • •? .• .v'fcji
J. xu. ■ i .r:i .Em
W
\-:.-aKV,i a ...... . .
i '' . . /
' - Jt
A ti
Chat. I.
That a [mall Country and few People,
ly its Situation, Trade, and Policy,
may le equivalent in Wealth and
Strength, to a far greater People
and Territory : And particularly that
conveniences for Shipping and Water-
Carriage, do moft Eminently and Fun¬
damentally conduce thereunto.
THis firft principal Conclufion by
rcafon of its length, I conndcr
in three Parts ; whereof the
firft is, That a fmall Country and few
People, may be equivalent in Wealth
and Strength to a far greater People and
Territory.
This part of the firft principal Con-
clufion needs little proof; forafmuch as and one
one Acre of Land, may bear as much Acre of
Corn and feed as many Cattle as twen-
ty, by the difference of the Soil; fome ment may
parcel of Ground is naturally fo defenfi
ble, as that an Hundred Men being pof m"ny °
B feffed
fefled thereof, can refill the Invafion of
Five Hundred; and bad Land may be
improved and made good ; Bog may
by draining be made Meadow 5 Heath-
land may fas In Flanders) be maac to
bear Flax and Clovergrafs, fo as toad*
vance in value from one to an Hun¬
dred ; The fame Land being built upon,
may centuple the Rent which it yielded
as Paliure; one Man is more nimble or
flrong, and more patient of labor than
another ; one Man by Art may do as
much work, as many without it; viz.
one Man witiiaMill can grind as much
Corn, as twenty can pound in a Mor¬
tar^ one Printer can make as many Co¬
pies, as an Hundred Men can write by
hand ; one Horfe can carry upon
Wheels, as much as Five upon their
Backs; and in a Boat, or upon Ice, as
Twenty: So that I fay again, this firft
point of this general Pofition, needs
little or no proof. But the fecond
and more material part of this Conclu-
fion is, that this difference in Land
and People, arifes principally from
their Situation, Trade, and Policy. >
ruioiO •
To
[ 3 ]
To clear this, I (hall compare Hoi ACompa-
land and Zealand, with the Kingdom
of France, viz, Holland and Zealand do and z^a-
not contain above one Million of En- lan*
glijh Acres, whereas the Kingdom oftran
France contains above 80.
Now the Original and Primitive dif¬
ference holds proportion as Land to
Land, for it is hard to fay, that when
thefe places were firfl planted, whether
an Acre in France was better than the
like quantity in Holland and Zealand;
nor is there any reafon to fuppofc, but
that therefore upon the firfl: Plantation,
the number of Planters was in propor¬
tion to the quantity of Land ; where¬
fore, iif the People are not in the fame
proportion as the Land, the fame mull
be attributed to the Scituation of the
Land, and to the Trade and Policy of
the People fuperftru&ed thereupon.
The next thing to be flievvn is, that
Holland and Zealand at this day, is
not only an eightieth part as rich and
ftrong as France, but that it hath ad¬
vanced to one third or thereabouts,
which I think will appear upon the
Ballancc of the following particulars,
W.4
B
As
[4]
That the As to the Wealth of France* a cer-
Lands of tain Map of that Kingdom, fee forth
Ire to the l^A7- reprefents it to be fifteen
Lands of Millions, whereof fix did belong to the
Holland Church, the Author thereof (as I fup-
W, aTs P°fe) meaning the Rents of the Lands
to i' in only: And the Author of a moft Ju-
value. dicious difcourfe of Husbandry (fup-
pofed to be Sir Richard Wefton*) doth
from reafon and experience fhevv, that
Lands in the Netherlands, by bearing
Flax, Turneps, Clover*grafs, Madder,
&c. will eafily yield 10/. per Acre;
fo as the Territories of Holland and
Zealand, fhould by his account yield
at leaft Ten Millions per annum* yet
I do not believe the fame to be fo
much, nor France fo little as abovefaid,
but rather, that one bears to the other
as about 7, or 8 to i.
TheBuild- The People of Amfterdam, are one
third of thofe in Paris or London, which
dam are two Cities differ not in People a tvven-
about half parC from each other, as hathap-
to thofe6 peared by the Bills of Burials and
t\ Pans. Chriftnings for each. But the value of
the Buildings in Amfterdam, may well
be halt that of Paris, by reafon of the
Foundations, Grafts, and Bridges, which
»cf, a c
\ (a fa
to\xfc
\xkx55 lot
tcoi (*li
oi tkL
01 itOOC
^biadry 1
JIT^i i
xaskv.!
5D2,bjk
rfii.%
10i ftrh
iBm
2 KCCOM
pr ***
! tMK CD k
jdk Uiicf!
jcad&i
phi *
xld*1
rftopfc*1
kr.tf i*
( fianii
arched
fo nuj
r«/oo of
lodges, f
C 5 ]
in Amjlerdam arc more numerous and
chargeable than at Paris. Moreover The Hou-
the Habitations of the poorcft People
in Holland and Zealand, are twice or bove five
thrice as good as thofc of France; buttime3 the
the People of the one to the People of ^Jofe
the other, being but as thirteen to one, Holland
the value of the houfing mult be as ^f^ea'
about five to one.
The value of the Shipping of Europe, The ship-
being about two Millions of Tuns, I Pins of
fuppofe the Englijh have Five Hundred tmies'that
Thoufand, the Dutch Nine Hundred of France.
Thoufand, the Frencl^ an Hundred
Thoufand, the Hamburgers, and the
Subjefts of Denmark, Sweden, and the
Town of Danfick two Hundred and
Fifty Thoufand, and Spain, Portugal,
Italy, &c. two Hundred and Fifty
Thoufand } fo as the Shipping in our
cafe of France to that of Holland and
Zealand, is about one to nine, which
reckoned as great and fmail, new and
old, one with another at 8/. per Tun,
makes the worth to be as Eight Hundred
Thoufand Pounds, to Seven Millions,
and two Hundred Thoufand Pounds.TheCom"
The Hollanders Capital in the Eaft h"/° d
India Company, is worth above Three France in
B 3 Millions, ******
Ill
The ex-
anel is as
21 to 5.
The Re-
—i < ]
Millions, where the French as yet have
little or nothing.
The value of the Goods exported
portations out of France into all Parts, are fup-
P0^ Quadruple to what is fent to En¬
gland alone ; and confequently in all
about Five Millions, but what is ex¬
ported out of Holland into England is
worth Three Millions; and what is
exported thence into all the World be-
fides, is fextuple to the fame.
The Monies Yearly raifed by the
venues of King of France, as the fame appears by
France. t^e gO0k intituled (The State of France)
Dedicated to the King, Printed Anno
1669. and fet forth feveral times by
Authority, is 82000000 of French Li¬
vers, which is about Millions of
Pounds Sterling, of which fumm the
Author fays, that one fifth part was
abated for non-valuers or Infolvencies,fo
(as I fuppofe^) not above Five Millions
were effeftually raifed : But whereas
fome fay, that the King of France raifed
Eleven Millions as the f of the effe&s
of France } I humbly affirm, that all
the Land and Sea Forces, all the Build¬
ings and Entertainments, which we have
heard by common Fame, to have been
fet
[7]
fee forth and made in any of thefc feven
laft Years, needed not to have coft Six
Millions Sterling; wherefore, I fuppofe
he hath not raifed more, cfpccially fince
there were one fifth Infolvencics, when
the Tax was at that pitch. But Hoi-
land and Zealand, paying 67 of the 100, xhcTaxcs
paid by all the United Provinces, and paid by
the City of Amfterdam paying 27 of^o//: a"d
the faid 67; It follows that if Awjler*^"'v' '
dam hath paid 4000/. Flcmiih per diem,
Or about 14COOOO /. per annum, or
800000 /. Sterling; that all Holland
and Zealand, have paid 2100000 /.
per annum: Now the reafons why I think
they pay fo much, arc chefe, viz.
1, The Author of the State of the
Netherlands faith fo.
2. Excife of Vidua) at Amfterdam,
feems above half the Original value of
the fame, viz.
Ground Corn pays 20 Stivers the
Bufhei, or 63 Gilders the Laft; Beer
113 Stivers the Barrel, Houfing j of
Rent, Fruit 5 of what it coft; other
Commodities >J*; Salt adlilitumr
all weighed Goods pay befi.des the Pre
mifies a vaft fumm 3 now if the expence
of the People of Amjlerdam at a medi-
B 4 um,
[8]
urn, and without Excife were 8 L per
annum, whereas in England 'tis 7 /. then
if all the feveral Imports above named,
raife it Five Pound more, there being
16ocoo Souls in Amjlerdam, the fumrn
of 800000 /. Sterling per annum will
thereby be raifed.
3. Though the expence of each head,
fliould be 13 /. per annum ; 'tis well
known that there be few in Amjlerdam,
who do not earn much more than the
faid expence.
4. If Holland and Zealand pay p. an.
2100000 L then all the Provinces to¬
gether, muft pay about 3000000 /. lefs
than which fumm per annum, perhaps
is not fufficient to have maintained the
Naval War with England, 72000 Land
Forces, befides all other the ordinary
Charges of their Government, where¬
of the Church is there apart: To con¬
clude, it feems from the Premifles,that
all France doth not raife above thrice as
much from the publick charge, as Hol¬
land and Zealand alone do.
The Diffe- 5-. Intereft pf Money in France , is
intercftbe- 7 '■ Per cent* but m Holland fcarce half
tweenHfl/. fo much*
& France.
6. The
L 9 ]
6. The Countries of Holland and
Zealand; confifting as it were of Iflands
guarded with the Sea, Shipping, and
Marfhes, is defensible at one fourth of
the charge, that a plain open Country
is, and where the feat of War may be
both Winter and Summer; whereas in
the others, little can be done but in the
Summer only.
7. But above all the particulars hi- The fu-
therto confidcred , that of fuperlucra-
ir ■ n * 1 - tion bc-
tion ought chiefly to be taken in 5 fortween
if a Prince have never fo many Subje&s,F"*'7<r<r
and his Country be never fo good, yctand HoU'
if either through (loth, or extravagant
expcnces, or Oppreflion and Injuftice,
whatever is gained Shall be fpent as faft
as gotten, that State mult be account¬
ed poor; wherefore let it be confider-
ed, how much or how many times ra¬
ther, Holland and Zealand, arc now a-
bove what they were 100 years ago,
which we muft alfo do of France: Now
if France hath fcarce doubled its Wealth
and Power, and that the other have de¬
cupled theirs ; I lhall give the prefe¬
rence to the latter, even although the
f o incrcafed by the one, fliould not ex¬
ceed the Onf* half rrlinr»rl nt-h*»r
L 10 3
becaufc one has a {tore for Nine Years,
the other but for one.
To conclude, upon the whole itfeems,
that though France be in People to Hol¬
land and Zealand as 15 to I, and in
quantity of good Land, as 80 to one,
yet is not 13 times richer and ftronger,
much lefs 80 times, nor much above
thrice, which was to be proved.
Having thus difpatched the two firft
Thecaufes branches of the firft Principal condu¬
ct' thedif- fion ; it follows, to fhew that this dif¬
ference ference of Improvement in Wealth and
between t *r c i o*
France Strength, arifes from the Situation,
andHoll. Trade, and Policy of the places relpe-
ftively, and in particular from Conve¬
niences for Shipping and Water Car¬
riage.
Many Writing on this Subject do fo
magnifie the Hollanders as if they were
more, and all other Nations lefs than
Men (as to the matters of Trade and
Policy) making them Angels,and others
Fools, Brutes, and Sots, as 00 thofe
particulars; whereas I take the Foun¬
dation of their atchievements to lie ori¬
ginally in the Situation of the Coun*
try, whereby they do things inimitable
by others, and have advantages whereof
others are incapable. , " Firft,
[ " 3 7
Firfl,Thc Soil of Hollandand Zealand
is low Land, Rich and Fertile; where¬
by it is able to feed many Men, and
fo as that Men may live near each o-
ther, for their mutual affiftance in Trade.
] fay, that a Thouland Acres, that can
feed iooo Souls, is better than ioooo
Acres of no more effcd, for the follow¬
ing rcafons, viz.
i. Suppofe fome great Fabrick were
in Building by a Thoufand Men, (hall
not much more time be fpared if they
lived all upon a Thoufand Acres, then
if they were forced to live upon ten
times as large a Scope of Land.
z. The charge of the cure of their
Souls, and the Miniftry would be far
greater in one cafe than in the other $
as alfo of mutual defence in cafe of In-
vafion, and even of Thieves and Rob¬
bers : Moreover the charge of the ad-
miniftration of Juftice would be much
caficr, where Witneflcs and Parties may
be cafily Summoned, Attendance lefs
expenfivc, when Mens A&ions would
be better known, when wrongs and in¬
juries could not be covered, as in thin
peopled places they arc.
The rea-
ions why
rich Land
is better
than
courfe
Land tho
ofthefame
Rent, and
confe-
quently
why Holl*
is better
than Fran.
Laftly,
C " 3
Laftly, thofe who live in Solitary
places, muft be their own Soldiers, Di¬
vines, Phyficians, and Lawyers, and
muft have their Houfes ftored with
neceflary Provifions (like a Ship going
upon a long Voyage,) to the great waft,
and needlefs expence of fuch Provifions;
the value of this firft convenience to the
Dutct.', I reckon or eftimate to be about
iooooo /. per annum.
The ad- 2ly, Holland is a Level Country,
vantages ag in any part thereof, a Windmill may
levd and be ^et UP' and iCS bein8 m°lft and
windmills vaporous, there is always wind ftirring
of Hall. over jC> by which advantage the labor
of many thoufand Hands isfaved, for-
afmuch as a Mill made by one Man in
half a Year, will do as much Labor, as
Four Men for Five Years together. This
advantage is greater or lefs, where em¬
ployment or eafe of Labour is fo; but
in Holland Ws eminently great, and the
worth of this conveniency is near an
The tdvan. Hundred and Fifty Thoufand Pounds.
tages ftom , J
Hou.otwk- jly. there is much more to be gain-
commerce. ed by Manufadure than Husbandry ,
t!tonrfSSf. a"d by Merchandize thanManufadure;
Srz«/.up<m but Holland and Zealand, being feated
the Mouths f D
of three at the mouths or three long great Ri¬
vers,
y» >1 Jl ■TtlTTIimWilli. I
greatRiver*
C '5 3
vers, and pafling through Rich Coun¬
tries, do keep all the Inhabitants upon
the fides of thofe Rivers but as Huf-
bandmen, whilft themfelves are the Ma-
nufadtors of their Commodities , and
do difpence them into all Parts of the
World, making returns for the fame, at
what- prices almoft they pleafe them¬
felves ; and in ihort, they keep the Keys
of Trade of thofe Countries , through
which the faid Rivers pafs 5 the value
of this third convcniency, I fuppofe to
be 200000 /.
4ly. In Holland and Zealand, there Nearnefs
is fcarce any place of work, or bufinefs
one Mile diftant from a Navigable Wa- te^#
ter, and the charge of Water carriage is
generally but f, or io part of Land
carriage; Wherefore if there be asmuch
Trade there as in France, then the Hol¬
landers can out fell the French K of all
the expence, of all Travelling Portage
and carriage whatfoever, which even in
England 1 take to be 500000 /. p. an.
where the very Portage of Letters,corts
the People perhaps 50000 l.per annum,
though Farmed at much lefs, and all
other Labour of Horlcs,and Porters, at
leaft fix times as much; The value of
this
L *4 J
this convenience I eftimate to be
above Three Hundred Thouland pounds
per annum.
The de- 5". The defenfibienefs of the Ccun-
fcnfibie- try, by reafon of its Situation in the
jHolland ^ea uPon Iflands,- and in the Marlhes,
Impafiible ground Diked and Trenched,
efpocialiy confidering how that place is
aimed at for its Wealth; I lay the charge
of defending that Country,is eafier than
if it were a plain Champion, at leaft
20Q0C0 L per annum.
Harbour- 6. Holland is fo confiderablefor keep
SK i yui Ships in Harbour with (hiall expence
atfmaii of Men, and ground Tackle, that it
expence. faves per annum iooooo L of what muft
be fpent in France. Now if all thefe
natural advantages do amount to above
one Million per annum Profits, and that
the Trade oi all Europeof whole
World, with which our Europeans do
Trade, is not above 45 Millions p. an.
and if A of the vakie be g- of the Pro
fir, it is plain that the HoUmtier may
Command and Govern the whole
Trade.
Advanta- 7- Th'ofe who have their Situation
#es from thus towards the Sea, and abdund with
1:1 ling* Fiih at home, and having alio the com¬
mand
VI
to,
isnipa
• 6e C«
saw it
it U
Wliaa
!jrtta
^ 4 Qb)
OM, l|
skill
ofeio
fidk.il
it «ktt
>ii i Ji
ucii
MR *1
if 11N
ftttt
!:WI>
irt'mi
k»ki
xit
-j Sua
'OuU«
ic ik a
&
r-i]
rnand of Shipping, have by confcqucncc
the Fifhing Trade, whereof thac of Her¬
ring alone, brings more yearly Profit to
the Hollanders than the Trade of the
Weft Indies to Spain, or of the Eaft to
themklves, as many have affirmed,
being as the lame fay viis Cf? mod is of
above three Millions per annum Profit.
8. It is not to be doubted, but thofe Adrm-
who have the Trade of Shipping and
Fifhing, will fecurc themfelvcs of the Provifi-
Trade of Timber for Ships, Boars, Malls, ons-
and Cask; of Hemp for Cordage, Sails,
and Nets; of Salt, of Iron; as alfo of
Pitch, Tar, Rofin, Brimftonc, Oil,
and Tallow, as ncccflary Appurtenances
to Shipping and Fifhing.,
9. Thofe who predominate in Ship- FitncGfor
ping, and Fifhing, have more occafions Univolal
than others to frequent all parts of the ruUC*
World, and to obferve what is AVanting
or redundant every where, and what
each People can do, and what they de-
fire, and confequendy to be the Faftors,
and Carriers lot the whole World of
Trade. Upon which ground they
bring all Native Commodities to be
Manufactured at home, and carry the
fame back, even to that Country in
which
rtiliA
Z3J1C?
[.<S]
which they grew, all which we fee.
For, do they not work the Sugars of
the Weft-Indies ? The Timber and Iron
of the Baltick ? The Hemp of Ruftiat
The Lead, Tin, and Wooll of England >
The Quick-filver and Silk of Italy ? The
Yarns, and Dying Stuffs of l'nrkeyi&c.
To be fhort, in all the ancient States,
and Empires, thofe who had the Ship¬
ping, had the Wealth, and if z per Cent.
in the price of Commodities, be per¬
haps zoper Cent. in the gain : it is ma-
nifeft that they who can in forty five
Millions, underfel others by one Milli¬
on, (upon accompt of natural, and in-
trinfick advantages only) may eafily
have the Trade of the World without
fuch Angelical Wits and Judgments, as
fome attribute to the Hollanders.
Having thus done with their Situa¬
tion, I come now to their Trade.
Artificial 'r is commonly feen, that each Coutv
advan- try flourifheth in the Manufafture of its
Trade °f own Native Commodities, viz. Eng¬
land for woollen Manufa&ure, France
for Paper, Luic-land for Iron Ware,
Portugal for Confe&ures,/r<a/y for Silks;
upon which Principle it follows, that
Holland and Zealandmuft flourifh moft
in
& Kt:
KSur
baffit
l?M lj
«£^j
titty]
C 3
in the Trade of Shipping, and fo be¬
come Carriers and Fa&ors of the whole
World of Trade. Now the advantages
of the Shipping Trade are as follow-
cth, viz.
Husbandmen, Seamen, Soldiers, Ar-
tizans and Merchants, are the very Pil¬
lars of any Common-Wealth; all the
other great Profeffions, do rife out of
the infirmities, and mifcarriages of thefe;
now the Seaman is three of thefe four.
For every Seaman of indudry and in¬
genuity, is not only a Navigator, but a
Merchant, and alfo a Soldier; not be-
caufe he hath often pccafion to fight,
)r u and handle Arms; but bccaufc he is
• familiarized with hardfhip and hazards,
extending to Life and Limbs; for
Training and Drilling is a fmall part of
Soldiery, in refpeft of this lad mcn-
• tioned Qualification; the one being
1 quickly and prefently learned, the other
- not without many years mod painful
experience: wherefore to have the ocea¬
nic, h fion of abounding in Seamen, is a vad
I:: ■ ^ conveniency.
<:or^ 2. The Husbandman of England
earns but about 4 s. per Week, but the
Seamen have as good a$ 12 s. in Wages,
^ Virtu
Husband¬
men, Sea¬
men, Sol¬
diers, A>
tiz.ins, and
Merchants,
are the ve¬
ry Pillars
of a Com¬
mon¬
wealth,
and a Sea-'
man is
three of
them.
Husband
men.
c -a:
Vi<Tuals(and as it were houfing) with
other accommodations, fo as a Seaman
A Seaman js {n efRfl; three Husbandmen;wherefore
SUthree' there is little Ploughing, and Sowing of
Corn in Holland and Zealand, or breed¬
ing of young Cattle: but their Land is
improved by building Houfes, Ships,
Engines, Dikes , Wharfs, Gardens of
pleafure, extraordinary Flowers and
Fruits; for Dairy and feeding of Cattle,
for Rape, Flax, Madder, &c. The
Foundations of feveral advantageous
Manufactures.
3. Whereas the Employment of other
Men is confined to their own Country,
that of Seamen is free to the whole
World; fo as where Trade may (as they
call it) be dead here or there, now and
then, it is certain that fome where or
other in the World, Trade is always
quick enough, and Provifions are al¬
ways plentiful, the benefit whereof,
thofe who command the Shipping enjoy,
and they only.
4. The great and ultimate effeCt of
jewei's^are ^rac*e *s not Wealth at large, but par-
Univerfal ticularly abundance of Siiver, Gold,
Wealth. anc[ jewels, which are not perifhable,
nor fo mutable as other Commodities,
x— but
Silver
I r9 ]
but arc Wealth at all times, and all
1 places: Whereas abundance of Wine,
Corn, Fowls, Flelh, &c. are Riches
but hie & nunc, fo as the raifing cf liich
Commodities, and the following of fuch
Trade, which does flore the Country
with Gold, Silver Jewels,&c. is profitable
before others. But the Labour of Seamen,
and Freight of Ships, is always of the
nature of an Exported Commodity, the
overplus whereof, above what is Im¬
ported, brings home mony, &c.
5. Thofe who have the command of Reafons
the Sea Trade, may Work at cafier ^J^hc
*U! Freight with more profit, than others at den sail
a greater: for as Cloth muft be cheaper for lefs
: made, when one Cards, another Spins, Freifi,lt*
another Weaves, another Draws, ano¬
ther Drcfles, another PrefTcs and Packs ;
J than when all the Operations abovc-
* 1 mentioned, were clumfily performed by
the lame hand ; fo thofe who command
the Trade of Shipping, can build long
flight Ships for carrying Mads, Fir-
rcdfc Timber, Boards, Balks, &c. And fhorc
jg; ones for Lead, Iron, Stones, &c. One
tTt C fort of VcfTels to Trade at Ports where
vv: they need never lie a ground, others
modii where they muft jump upon the Sand
CL&_ twice
C<*° 3
twice every twelve hours 5 One fort
ofVeflels, and way of manning in time
of Peace, and cheap grofs Goods, ano¬
ther for War and precious Commodities;
One fort of Vcflels for the turbulent
Sea, another for Inland Waters and Ri¬
vers ; One fort of Vcflels, and Rigging,
where! hafte is requifite for the Maiden¬
head of a Marker, another where for
i part of the time makes no matter.
One fort of Mailing and Rigging for
long Voyages, another for Coafting.
One fort of Veflcls for Fifhing, another
for Trade; One fort for War for this
or that Country, another for Burthen
only. Some for Oars, fome for Poles,
fonie for Sails, and fome for draught by
Men or Horfes, fome for the Northern
Navigations amongft Ice, and fome for
the South againft Worms, And
this I take to be the chief of feveral
Reafons, why the Hollanders can go
at lefs Freight than their Neighbours,
viz. bccaufe they can afford a particu¬
lar fort of Veflels for each particular
Trade.
I have lhewn how Situation hath
given them Shipping, and how Shipping
hath given them in effett all other
Trade,
Trade, and how Foreign Traffick muft
give them as much Manufacture as they
can manage themfclves, and as for the
overplus, make the reft of the World
but as Workmen to their Shops. It The Poh-
^ now remains to (hew the effe&s of their ^ °j H°!~
• Policy, fuperftruded upon thefe na- '
tural advantages, and not as fomc
think upon the cxccfs of their Under-
K ftandings.
I have omitted to mention the Hol¬
landers were one hundred years fince,
'•a a poor and opprcfted People, living in
a Country naturally cold and unplca-
fant: and were withal perfecutcd for
their Heterodoxy in Religion.
From hence it necellarily follows, that
V' this People muft Labour hard, and fct
l\m all hands to Work: Rich and Poor,
- : Young and Old, muft ftudy the Art
:•::*r of Number, Weight, and Meafure*
.line muft fare hard, provide for Impoccnts,
-,V.;iSb and for Orphans, out of hope to make
Kif profit by their Labours: muft punilh
i paras the Lazy by Labour, and not by cripling
them: 1 fay, all thefe particulars, faid
jwb c to be the fubtile excogitations of the
sHollanders, feem to me, but what could
u jo not almoft have been otherwife.
Ira; C i Liber-
\
Under-
mafting
of Ships.
I ** 1
Liberty of Confidence, Regiftry of
Conveyances, fmall Cufloms, Banks,
Lumbards, and Law Merchant, rife all
from the fame Spring, and tend to
the fame Sea; as for lownefsof filtered,
it is alio a neceflary etfett of all the
premises, and not the Fruit of their con¬
trivance.
Wherefore we (hall only lhew in par¬
ticular the efficacy of each, and firft of
Liberty of Confcience ; but before I
enter upon thefe, I ffiall mention a Pra¬
ctice almoft forgotten, (whether it re-
ferreth to< Trade or Policy is not mate¬
rial,) which is, the Hollanders under-
mafting, and failing fuch of their Ship¬
ping, as carcy cheap and grofs Goods,
and wkofe Sale doth not depend much
upon Seafon.
It is to be noted, that of two. equal
and like Veflels , if one fpreads one
thoufand fix hundred Yards of like
Canvafe, and the other two thoufand
five hundred, their fpeed is but as four
to five, fo as one brings home the fame
Timber in four days, as the other will
in five. Now if we confider that al¬
though thofe Ships be but four or five
days under Sail, that they are perhaps
thirty
c •* n
thirty upon the Voyage; fo as the one
is but 3ao part longer upon the whole
Voyage than the other, though one
fifth longer under Sail. Now it Mads,
Yards, Rigging, Cables, and Anchors,
do all depend upon the quantity and
extent of the Sails, and confcqucntly
hands alfo; it follows that the one Vcf-
fel, goes at one third lets charge, lofing
but one thirtieth of the time, and oi
what depends thereupon.
I now come to the firfl Policy of the
Dutch, viz. Liberty of Con fcicncc ; Liberty of
which I conceive they grant upon tbcfe ^fci' ^
grounds. (But keeping , up always a ^Rea-
Force to maintain the Common Peace,) Tons there-
1. They themfelvcs broke with Spain ^j1' "*
to avoid the impofirion of the Clergy.
2. Diflcntcrs of this kind, arc for the
mod part, thinking, fober, and patient
Men, and fuch as believe that Labour
and Induftry is their Duty towards
God. (HoW erroneous focvcr their
Opinions be.) }. Thefc People be¬
lieving the Juflice of God, and feeing
the moft Licentious perfons, to enjoy
mod of the World, and its bed things,
will never venture to be of the fame
Religion, and Profelfion with Voluptu-
C 4 arics,
[H]
aries, and Men of extreme Wealth and
Power, who they think have their Por¬
tion in this World.
4. They cannot but know, That no
Man can believe what himfelf pleafes, and
to force Men to fay they believe what
they do not, is vain, abfurd, and with¬
out Honor to God.
5. The Hollanders knowing themfelves
not to be an Infallible Church, and that
others had the fame Scripture for Guides
as themfelves, and withal the fame In-
tereft to fave their Souls, did not think
fit to make this matter their bufinefs*
not more than to take Bonds of the
Seamen they employ, not to caft away
their own Ships and Lives.
6. The Hollanders obferve that in
Trance and Spain, (efpecially the latter)
the Churchmen are about one hundred
for one, to what they ufe or need;
the principal care of whom is to pre-
ferve Uniformity, and this they take to
be a fuperfluous charge.
y.They obferve where raoft indeavours
have been ufed to keep Uniformity,
there Heterodoxy hath mod abounded.
8. They believe that if i of the
People were Heterodox, and that if
that
" /J: that whole quarter fhould by Miracle
* be removed, that within a lmall time
i of the remainder would again become
• Heterodox fome way or other, it being
r natural for Men to differ in Opinion
in matters above Senle and Reafon : and
for thofe who have icis Wealth, to
think they have the more Wit and Un-
derftanding, efpecially of the things of
• - God, which they think chiefly belong
to the Poor.
9. They think the cafe of the Pri-
mitive Chriftians, as it is reprefented
in the Alls of the Apoflles, looks like
that of the prefent Diffcntcrs, (I mean ex¬
ternally. ) Moreover it is to be obferved
that Trade doth not (as fome think) bed TheTrade
flourifh under Popular Governments, but cou'n"yy „
rather that Trade is mod vigoroufly chicHy
. . carried on, in every State and Govern*tyth?He.
l'v or r ment, by the Heterodox part of thetcrodox
xu: lame, and fuch as profefs Opinions dif- p^rty-
ferent from what are publickly cfta-
bliflied : (that is to fay) in India where
loJa< Mahometan Religion is Authorized,
- - there the Banians are the mod confider-
kVa;>. able Merchants. In the Turkijh Empire
1 # 2 the Jews, and Chriftians. At Venice,
jJ (hi: Naples, Legorn, Genoua, and Lishone,
& . Jews
I'lir
i
C 1
Jews, and Non-Papift Merchant-Stran¬
gers : but to be fhort, in that part of
Europe, where the Rowan Catholick
Religion, now hath, or lately hath had
Eftabli!hment$ there three quarters of
the whole Trade, is in the hands oi fuch
as have feparated from the Church
(that is to fay) the Inhabitants otEng¬
land, Scotland,, and Ireland, as alfo thofe
of the United Provinces, with Denmark,
Stieden, and Norway, together with the
Subjects of the German Proteflant
Princes, and the Hans Towns, do at
this day poflefs three quarters of the
Trade of the World 5 and even in France
it felf, the Hugonots are proportionably
far the greateft Traders ; Nor is it to be
denied but that in Ireland\ where the
faid Roman Religion is not Authorized,
there the Profeflors thereof have a great
part of the Trade. From whence it
All the follows that Trade is not fixt to any
Papifts Species of Religion as fuch , but rathec
Seamen of as before hath been faid to the Hetrodox
part of the whole, the truth whereoi
appears alfo in all the particular Towns
of greateft Trade in England; nor do I
find reafon to believe, that the Roman
Catholick Seamen in the whole World,
are
Europe
are fcarce
fufficient
to Man
the King
of Eng-
iands
Fleet.
ochiati; f- 1
arc Cufficient to Man effectually a
.1 C; Fleet equal to what the King of England
now hath ; but the Non-papift Seamen,
can do above thrice as much. Wherefore
he whom this latter Party doth affectio¬
nately own to be thcij Head, cannot
probably be wronged in his Sea-con¬
cernments by the other ; from whence
it follows, that for the advancement of
Trade, (if that be a fufSpcnt rcafon)
Indulgence mud be granted in matters
of Opinion; though,licentiousaftings as
even in Holland\ be retrained by force.
The lecond Policy or help to Trade Finn Tl„
\ _ ufqd by the Hollanders, is fecuring the ties to
Tides to Lands and Houfes^ for al- Jjinds and
though Lands and Houfes may be cal- °acs*
led Terra Firma & res immohil'is, yet
the Title unto them is no more certain,
_ than it pleafcs the Lawyers and Autho-
rity to make them.; wherefore the Hol¬
landers do by Rcgiltries, and other ways
of Afliirance make the Title as immova¬
ble as the Lands, for there can be no
J V incouragement to Induftry, where there
is no affurance of what (hall be gotten
• ' by it; and where by fraud and corrup¬
tion, one Man may take away with
: ' cafe and by a trick, and in a moment
what
C *8 ]
what another has gotten by many Years
extreme labour and pains.
Of the in- There hath been much difcourfe, a-
producing bout introducing of Rcgiftries into En-
Regiftries *[and. t[ie Lawyers for the mod part
into En- <=> . ' n - 11 i T,r,
gland. object againft it, alledging that Titles
of Land in England are fufficiently fe«
cure already ; wherefore emitting the
confederations of fmall and oblique rea-
fons pro & contra, it were good that
enquiry were made from rhe Officers of
feveral Courts, to what fumm or value
Purchafers have been damnified for this
laft ten Years, by fuch fraudulent con¬
veyances vis Regiftries would have pre¬
vented 3 the tenth part whereof at a
Medium, is the annual lofs which the
People fuftain for want of them, and
then computation is to be made of the
annual charge of Regiftring fuch extraor.
dinary Conveyances, as would fecure
the Title of Lands \ now by comparing
thefe two fumms, the Queftionfo much
agitated may be determined; though
fome think that though few are a£tual-
ly damnified, yet that all are hindered
by fear and deterred from Dealing.
The Banks Their third Policy is their Bank,the ufe
of Holland whereof is to encreafc Mony, or rather to
make
• [ 2p 3
n-ny\makc afmall fumm equivalent in Trade
to a greater, for the effefting whereof
^thefe things are to be confidered. i. How
much Money will drive the Trade of
the Nation, z. How much current Mo*
- ' &! ney there is actually in the Nation.
I How much Money will fervc to make
all payments of under 5-0 I. or any other
more convenient fumm throughout the
Year. 4. For what fumm the keepers of
the Bank are unqucftionable Security :
If all thefe four particulars be well
. known, then it may alfo be known,
. how much of the ready Money above
mentioned may fafcly and profitably be
«r. lodged in the Bank, and to how much
ready current Money the faid depofited
- Money is equivalent. As for example,
. -fuppofe a Hund.thouf. Pounds will drive
. x theTrade of the Nation, & fuppofe there
1 * — £ be but Sixty thoufand Pounds of ready
(:r Money in the fame ; fuppofe alfo that
: mice Twenty thouf. Pounds will drive on and
x: anfwer all Payments made of undergo/.
In this cafe Forty of the Sixty being put
i:. : into the Bank, will be equivalent to
j:i : # Eighty, which eighty and twenty kept
..-L'l ouc t'ie Bank ^o ma^c UP 311 Hun-
jr/acicr: ^red, (that is to lay) enough to drive
2 thc
[ !°]
the Trade as was propofed ; where note
that the Bank keepers niuft be refpon-
fible for double the fumm intrufted with
them, and niuft have power to levy up¬
on the general, what they happen to
loofe unto particular Men.
Upon which grounds, the Bank may
freely make ufe of the received Forty
thoufand Pounds, whereby the faid
fumm, with the like fumm in Credit
makes Eighty thoufand Pounds , and
with the Twenty referved an Hundred.
The Hoi- I might here add many more particu-
feSorn^6 ^arS* kUt ke*n§ t'1C ^ame aS 'iaVe a'tea-
Husband- dy been noted by others, I lhall con-
men or elude only with adding one obfetvation
JJ 4 Q f J O
dim which I take to be of confequence,
That the Hollanders do rid their hands
of two Trades, which are of greateft
turmoil and danger, and yet of leaft
profit; the firft whereof is that of a com¬
mon and private Soldier, for fuch they
can hiire from England, Scotland, and
Germany, to venture their lives for Six
pence a day , whilft themfelvcs fnfely
and quietly follow fuch Trades, where¬
by the meancft of them gain fix times
as much, and withal by this entertain¬
ing of Strangers for Soldiers; their Coun-
try
X
try becomes more and more peopled,
1 * forafmuch as the Children of fuch Stran¬
gers, are Hollanders and take to Trades,
:r vvhilfl new Strangers are admitted ad
infinitum; befides thcfc Soldiers at con¬
venient intervals, do at lead as much
,fcl* work as is equivalent to what they
*:• fpend, and confequently by this way of
employing of Strangers for Soldiers ,
•3n 0 they People the Country and fave their
own Pcrfons from danger and mifery,
. :*\i without any real cxpcnce, effc&ing by
this method, what others have in vain
attempted by Laws for Naturalizing
i i of Strangers, as if Men could be charm¬
ed to tranfplant thcmfelvcs from their
own Native, into a Foreign Country
; merely by words, and for the bare leave
of being called by a new Name. In
Ireland Laws of Naturalization have
had little effett, to bring in Aliens, and
'tis no wonder, fince Englifh Men will
not go thither without they may have
the pay of Soldiers, or fome other ad¬
vantage amounting to maintenance. The Me-
Having intimated the way by which ^
j, the Hollanders do increafe their People, the
I {hall heredigrefs to fet down the way value of
7(> of computing the value of every Head p™pIae"
, one
one with another, and that by the in-
ftance of People in England, viz. Sup-
pofe the People of England be Six Mil¬
lions in number, that their expence at
7 /. per Head be forty two Millions:
fuppole alfo that the Rent of the Lands
be eight Millions, and the profit of all
the Perfonal Eftate be Eight Millions
more; it muft needs follow, that the
Labour of the People niuft have fup.
plyed the remaining Twenty Six Mil¬
lions, the which multiplied by Twenty
(the Mafs of Mankind being worth
Twenty Years purchafe as well as Land)
makes Five Hundred and Twenty Mil¬
lions, as the value of the whole People:
which number divided by Six Millions,
makes above 80 /. Sterling, to be va¬
lued of each Head of Man, Woman,
and Child, and of adult Perfons twice
as much; from whence we may learn
to compute the lofs we have fuftained
by the Plague, by the Slaughter of Men
in War, and by the fending them abroad
into the Service of Foreign Princes. The
other Tradeof which the Hollanders have
rid their Hands, is the old Patriarchal
Trade of being Cow keepers, and in a
great Meafure of that which concerns
0tot Plough-
[ ti 1
Ploughing and Sowing of Corn, having
put that Employment upon the Danes
and Polanders, from whom they have
their Young Cattle and Corn. Now
here we may take notice, that as Trades
and curiousr Arts incrcafc; fo the Trade
of Husbandry will dccreafe, or elfc the
Wages of Husbandmen muft rife, and
consequently the Rents of Lands muft
fall.
For proof whereof I dare affirm ,
that if all the Husbandmen of England,
who now earn but 8 J. a day or therea¬
bouts, could become Tradefmen and earn
16 d. a day (which is no great Wages z s.
and 2 s. 6 d. being ufually given) that
then it would be the advantage of En¬
gland to throw up their Husbandry,
and to make no ufc of their Lands,
but for Grafs Horfcs, Milch Cows, Gar¬
dens, and Orchards, &c. which if it be
fo, and if Trade and Manufafture have
increafed in England (that is to fay) if
a greater part of the People, apply them-
felves to thofe faculties, than there did
heretofore, and if the price of Corn be
no greater now, than when Husband¬
men were more numerous, and TradcE
men fewer; It follows from thatfingle
D realoff
t 34]
reafon (though others may be added)
Reafons that the Rents of Land muft fall: Asfor
dofanCntS example, fuppofe the price of Wheat be
5 s. or 60 pence the Bufhel; now if
the Rent of the Land whereon it grows,
be the third Sheaf; then of the 60 d. 20 d.
is for the Land\ and 40 d. for the Hiu-
landman ; But if the Husbandmans
Wages, fhould rife one eighth part, or
from 8 d. to 9 d. per Diem, then the Hus¬
bandmans fhare in the Bufhel of Wheat,
rifes from 40 d. to 45 d. And confequcnt-
ly the Rent of the Land muft fall from
20 d. to 15 d. for we fuppofe the price
of the Wheat ftill remains the fame: Ef-
pecially fince we cannot raife it, foe if
we did attempt it,Corn would be brought
in to us, (as into Holland) from Foreign
Parts, where the State of Husbandry
was not changed.
And thus I have done with the firft
principal Conclufion, that, A fmall Ter¬
ritory, and even a few People, may ly
Situation, Trade, and Policy, le made
equivalent to a greater; and that conve¬
nience for Shipping, and Water-carriage,
do mojl eminently and fundamentally con•
duce thereunto.
Chap.
•Stoki
iid; k
ii»ic(
OCfauipE
tint:
kXOjm
iKhi
pity
i»ia
o*u
ukh
]arosFa
v Mi
rsa&i
JjBdl
*,«
i, ki
'til*
turn
ft
Chap. II.
That feme kind of Taxes and Fullick
Levies , may rather incrcafe than
diminifh the Wealth of the King¬
dom.
IF the Money or other Effc&s, levyed Whatflfift
from the People by way of Tax, ^ °Mo-
werc deftroyed and annihilated; then j°m
'tis clear, that fuch Levies would dimi- profitable
nilli the Commonwealth : Or if the fame or not*
were exported out of the Kingdom with¬
out any return at all , then the cafe
would be alfo the fame or worfe: But
if what is levyed as aforefaid, be on¬
ly transferred from one hand to another,
then we are only to confidcr whether
the faid Money or Commodities , are
taken from an improving hand , and
given to an ill Husband, or vice verfa:
As for example, fuppofe that Money by
way of Tax, be taken from one who
fpendeth the fame in fuperfluous caring
and drinking 5 and delivered to another
D
who
C
who employcth the fame, in improv¬
ing of Land, in Fifhing, in working of
Mines, in Manufacture, &c. It is mani-
fed, that fuch Tax is an advantage to
the State whereof thefaid different Per-
fons are Members: Nay, if Money be
taken from him, who fpendeth the lame
as aforefaid upon eating and drinking,
or any other perifhing Commodity ; and
the fame transferr'd to one that bedow-
eth it on Cloaths3 I fay, that even in
this cafe, the Commonwealth hath fome
little advantage; becaufe Cloaths do not
altogether perilli fo foon as Meats and
Drinks : But if the fame be fpent in
Furniture of Houfes, the advantage is
yet a little more; if in Building of Houfes,
yet more; if in improving of Lands5
working of Mines, Fijhing^ &c. yet
more; but mod of all, in bringing Gold
and Silver into the Country : Becaufe
thofe things are not only not perifliable,
but are efieemed for Wealth at all times,
and every where: Whereas other Com¬
modities which are perifliable, or whole
value depends upon the Falhion ; or
which are contingently fcarce and plen¬
tiful, are wealth, but pro hie & nunc9 as
fhall be elfevvhere faid.
In
® imp C 37 1
-dir.; In the next place if the People of any Taxing of
k r. Country, who have not already a full
employment, (taould be enjoyned or to W
Taxed to work upon fuch Commodities Common-
as arc Imported from abroad; I fay, wcalth-
that fuch a Tax, alfo doth improve the
Commonwealth.
Moreover, if Perfons who live by Thetax-
begging, cheating, dealing, gaming, bor
: :;a rowing without intention of redoring;
who by thofe ways do get from the
credulous and carelefs, more than is
fufficienc for the fubfidence of fuch Per¬
fons 5 I fay, that although the State
fhould have no prefent employment for
fuch Perfons, and confequently lhould
be forced to bear the whole charge of
their livclyhood; yet it were more for
the publick profit to give all fuch Per¬
fons, a regular and competent allowance
by Publick Tax; than to fuffer them to
. fpend extravagantly, at the only charge
of carelefs, credulous, and good matu¬
red People : And to expofc the Com¬
monwealth to the lofs of fo many able
Men, whofe lives are taken away, for
the crimes which ill Difciplinc doth oc>
*■' cafion.
ft
C5«]
On the contrary, If the Stocks of la¬
borious and ingenious Men, who are
not only beautifying the Country where
they live by elegant Dyet, Apparrel,
Furniture , Houjwg, pleafant Gardensy
Orchards , and Fuhlick Edifices, &c.
But are alfo increafing the Goldt Silver,
and Jewels of the Country by Trade
and Arms ; I fay, if the Stock of thefe
Men Should be diminiflhed by a Tax,
and transferred to fuch as do nothing
at all, but eat and drink, fing, play,
and dance; nay to fuch as ftudy the
Metaphyficks, or other needlefs Specu¬
lation ; or elfe employ themfelves in any
other way, which produce no material
thing, or things of real ufe and value in
the Commonwealth : In this cafe, the
Wealth of the Publick will be diminifh-
ed: Otherwife than as fuch exercifes,are
recreations and refreshments of the mind;
and which being moderately ufed, do
qualifie and difpofe Men to what in it
felf is more confiderable.
Wherefore upon the whole matter,
to know whether a Tax will do good
or harm : The State of the People and
their employments,mufl be well known;
(chat is to fay,) what part of the Peo-
[ 39 ]
pic arc unfit for Labour by their Infan¬
cy or Impotency * and alfo what part
are exempt from the fame, by reafon of
their Wealth, Function, or Dignities $
or by reafon of their charge and employ¬
ments ; otherwife than in governing,
direfting and prefcrving thofe, who arc
appointed to Labour and Arts.
in the next place computation
mud be made, what part of thofe who
arc fit for Labour and Arts as aforefaid,
are able to perform the work of the Na¬
tion in its prefent State and Meafure.
3. It is to be confidered, whether A judg-
the remainder can make all or any part
of thofe Commodities, which are Im- are advan-
ported from abroad ; which of thcm,geous-
and how much in particular: The re¬
mainder of which fort of People ( if
any be) may fafely and without porta¬
ble prejudice to the Commonwealth,be
employed in Arts and Exercifcs of plea-
furc and ornament; the grcatcft where¬
of is the Improvement of natural know¬
ledge.
Having thus in general illuftrated
this point, which I think needs no other
proof but illuftration ; I come next to
intimate that no part of Europe hath
D 4 paid
paid fo much by way of Tax, and pub-
lick contribution, as Holland and Zea¬
land for this laft 100 Years ; and yet
no Country hath in the fame time, in-
crealed their Wealth comparably to
them: And it is manifeft, they have fol¬
lowed the general confiderations above-
mentioned; for they Tax Meats and
Prinks moft heavily of all; to reftrain
the exceffive expence of thofe things,
which 24 hours doth fas to the ufeof
Man,) wholly annihilate; and they are
more favourable to Commodities of
greater duration.
Nor do they Tax according to what
Men gain, but in extraordinary cafes;
but always according to what Menfpend:
And moft of all,according to what they
Ipend needlelly , and without profpedt
of return. Upon which grounds, their
Cuftoms upon Goods Imported and Ex¬
ported, are generally low; as if they in¬
tended by them, only to keep an ac¬
count of their Foreign Trade; and to
I babiePto retaliate uPon their Neighbour States,
Holland the prejudices done them, by their Pro-
. .. and En- hibitions and Impofitions.
; ; grown "rC It is further to be obferved, thatfince
\ y richer un- the Year 1636, the Taxes and Publick
• dwtaxe5' Levies
C 4' ]
* >;• Levies made in England\ Scotland, and
Ireland, have been prodigioufly greater
; - , than at any time heretofore; and yet
T':>: the faid Kingdoms have increafcd in
their Wealth and Strength, for thefe
laft Forty Years, as fhall hereafter be
/ ^ lhevvn.
It is faid that the King of France, at
prefent doth Levy the Filth Part of hisrence of"
Peoples Wealth ; and yet great Often Princes
tation is made of the Prefent RichesRevcnucs*
and Strength of that Kingdom. Now
great care muft be had in diftinguilh-
ing between the Wealth of the People,
and that of an abfolutc Monarch; who
takcth from the People, where, when,
and in what proportion he pleafeth.
btt\ Moreover, the Subjeftsof two Monarchs
may be equally Rich, and yet one Mo-
i,: narch may be double as Rich as the
ajfc" other; viz. If one take the tenth part
iff# ol the Peoples Subftance to his own dib
at pofe, and the other but the 20th. nay
ad d the Monarch of a poorer People, may
iu$ appear more fplendid and glorious, than
> that of a Richer; which perhaps may
be fomewhat the cafe of France , as
li/xj hereafter (liall be examined. As an in¬
let flan.ee and application of what hath been
net faid,
C 42 ]
faid, I conceive that in Ireland where¬
in are about 1200 Thoufand People,
That ire- ^nd near 300 Thoufand Smokes or
land may Hearths ; It were more tolerable for the
advanta- PeoP^e > anc* more profitable for the
geoufly King ; that each Head paid 2 s. worth
taxed by a of flax> t[iatl thac each fmoke fllOuld
Flax.11 Pay 2 s• Silver; And that for the
following reafons.
1. Ireland being under peopled, and
Land , and Cattle being very cheap;
there being every where (lore of Fifh
and Fowl; the ground yielding excellent
Roots (and particularly that bread-like
root Potatoes ) and withal they being
able to perform their Husbandry, with
fuch harnefs and tackling, as each Man
can make with his own hands; and liv¬
ing in fuch Houfes as almoft every Man
can build; and every Houfevvife being
a Spinner and Dyer of Wool and Yarn,
they can live and fubfift after their pre;
fent falhion, without the ufe of Gold
or Silver Money 3 and can fupply them-
felves with the neceflaries above nam¬
ed, without labouring x Hours per
diem: Now it hath been found, that
by reafon of Infolvencies arifing, rather
from the ufelefsnefs than want of Mo-
^ ney
C 4* 3
ney among thefe poor People; that from
300 Xhoufand Hearths, which ibould
have yielded 30 Thoufand Pound per
annum \ not if Thoufand Pound of Mo¬
ney could be Levyed : Whereas it is
eafily imagined, that four or five Peo¬
ple dwelling in that Cottage, which
hath but one fmoke ; could eafily have
planted a ground-plot of about 40
foot fquare with Flax; or the 50 part
of an Acre; for fo much ground will
bear eight or ten Shillings worth of that
Commodity ; and the Rent of fo much
ground, in few places amounts to a pen¬
ny per annum. Nor is there any skill
requifite to this practice, wherewith the
Country is not already familiar. Now
as for a Market for the Flax; there is
Imported into Holland it felf, over and
above what that Country produces ; as
much Flax, as is there fold for between
Eightfcorc and Two Hundred Thou¬
fand Pound ; and into England and Ire¬
land is Imported as much Linncn Cloth
made of Flax, and there fpent, as is
worth above 1 a Million of Money. As
fliall hereafter be fhewn.
Wherefore having fliewn, that Silver
Money is ufclefs to the poor People of
_ Ir eland\
[ 44 ]
Ireland; that half the Hearth Money
could not be raifed by reafon thereof;
that the People are not a fifth part em¬
ployed; that the People and Land of
Ireland, are competently qualified for
Flax ; That one Penny-worth of Land,
will produce Ten Shillings worth of the
fame; and that there is Market enough
and enough, for above an Hundred
Thoufand Pounds worth; I conceive my
Propofition fufficiently proved; at leaft
to fet forwards and promote a practice,
which both the prefent Law and Inter-
eft of the Country doth require: Efpe-
cially, fince if all the Flax lb produced
Ihould yield nothing, yet there is no¬
thing loft; the fame time having been
worfe fpent before. Upon the fame
grounds, the like Tax of z s. per Head,
may be raifed with the like advantage
upon the People of England; which will
amount to Six HundredThoufand Pound
per annum; to be paid in Flax, Manufa¬
ctured, into all the forts of Linnens,
Thredsy Tapes, and Laces; which we
now receive from France, Flanders, Hol¬
land, and Germany; the value whereof
doth far exceed the fumm laft mentioned,
as hath appeared by the examination of
particulars. It
C 45 ]
yv. It is obfervcd by Clothiers5and others, Dutiesput
: who employ great numbers of poor [*"
. . people, that when Corn is extremely commo-
i . plentiful, that the Labour of the poor Cities may
is proportionably dear: And fcarce to £frja
be had at all(fo licentious are they who
labour only to eat, cr tether to drink.)
Wherefore when fo many Acres fown
with Corn , as do ufually produce a
fufficient ltore for the Nation, lhall
produce perhaps double to what is ex¬
ported or necefTary; it feems not un-
. reafonable that this common blefling of
V God, Ihould be applied, to the com¬
mon good of all people, rcprefcntcd by
~ their Sovereign; much rather than the
,bj fame Ihould be abufed, by the vile and
• ~ brutifli part of mankind, to the preju¬
dice of the Common-Wealth: Andcon-
fequently, that fuch furplufagc of Corn,
Ihould be fent to publick Store-houfcs ;
from thence to be difpofed of, to the
- beft advantage of the Publick.
Now if the Corn fpent in England,
at five (hillings per Bufhel Wheat, and
:two Ihillings fix pence Barley, be worth
ten Millions Communilus annis; it fol-
- lows that in years of great plenty, when
the faid Grains are one third part
C! rhrnnrr -
•I*
C 4^ ]
cheaper; that a vaft advantage might
accrue to the Common Wealth, which
now is fpent in over-feeding of the
People , in quantity or quality; and
fo indifpofing them to their ufual La¬
bour.
The like may be faid of Sugar, To-
lacco, and Pepper-, which cuftom hath
now made neceflary to all forts of peo¬
ple ; and which the over planting of
them, hath made unreafonably cheap :
I fay it is not abfurd, that the Publick
ihould be advantaged by this extraordi¬
nary plenty.
That an Excife Ihould be laid up¬
on Corrants alfo, is not unreafonable;
not only for this, but for other reafons
alfo.
of a Tax xhe way of the prefent Militia or
Milto Trained-Bands, is a gentle Tax upon
and by the Country ; becaufe it is only a few
-o°^days Labour in the year, of a few Men
Armies. In refpcdt of the whole; ufing their own
goods, that is their own Arms. Now
if there be three Millions of Males in
England, there be above two hundred
thoufand of them, who are between
the age of fixteen and thirty, unmar¬
ried perfons; and who live by their
Labour
C 47 3
ct Labour and Services for of fo. many
or thereabouts, the prcfent Militia con-
! d i lifts.
Now if an hundred and five thoufand
of thele, were Armed, and Trayned, as
Foot ; and fifty thoufand as Horfe;
(Horfe being of fpccial advantage in
ka2 Iflands) the faid Forces at Land, with
5:? thirty thoufand Men at Seas would by
Gods ordinary blefling, defend this Na-
t c tion, being an Ifland, againft any Force
':h ^ view: But the charge of Arming,
:c. Difciplining, and Rendezvoufing all
thefe Men, twice, or thrice a year;
would be a very gentle Tax, Levyed
by the people themfclves, and paid to
rrt themfelves. Moreover if out of the
faid number 3 part were iclefted, of
fuch as are more than ordinarily fit
and difpofed for War, and to be Exer-
u cifed, and Rcndczvoufed fourteen or
fifteen times per annum; the charge
thereof being but a fortnights Pay in
the year, would be alfo a very gentle
\h Tax-
Laftly, If out of this laft mentioned
number, f again fliould be fcle&ed,
making about twelve thoufandFoot, and
near fix thoufand Horfe, to be Excrcifed,
.2 and
[48]
and Rendezvoufed forty da^s in tlic
year ; I fay that the charge f all thefe
three Militias, allowing the latter fix
weeks Pay per annum; would not cofl
above one hundred and twenty thoufand
pound per annum ; which I take to be
an eafie burthen, for fo great a be¬
nefit.
For fup- Forafmuch as the prefent Navy of
plying the £nrr[anj requires thirty fix thoufand
Navy, and & A . , / . . n
Merchants Men to Man it; and for that the Eng-
with Sea- ijjfj Trade of Shipping, requires about
snen# forty eight thoufand Men, to manage it
alfo; it follows,-that to perform both
well, there ought to be about feventy
two thoufand Men, (and not eighty four
thoufand)competently qualified for thefe
Services: For want whereof we fee,
that it is a long while, before a Royal
Navy can be manned ; which till it be,
is of no effectual ufe, but lies at charge.
And we fee like wife upon, thefe occafions,
that Merchants are put to great ftraights,
and inconveniences; and do pay excef-
fivc rates for the carrying on their
Trade. Now if twenty four thoufand
able bodyed Tradefmen, were by fix
thoufand of them per annum, brought
up and fitted for Sea-Service; and for
their
'S101
t 49
their incouragement allowed 20 s. per
annum for every year they had been at
Sea, even when they ftay at home, not
exceeding 6 /. for thofe, who have ferved
fix years or upward 5 it follows, that
about 72000 I. at the medium of
3 I. per Man, would Salariate the whole
number of twenty four thoufand, and
fb , forafmuch as half the Seamen,
which mannage the Merchants Trade,
are fuppofed to be always in Harbour,
and are about twenty four thoufand Men,
together with thefaid half of the Auxib
liaries laft mentioned, would upon all
emergencies, Man out the whole Royal
Navy with thirty fix thoufand, and
leaving to the Merchants twelve thou-
fand of the abler Auxiliaries, to per¬
form their bufincls in Harbour, till
others come home from Sea } and thus
thirty fix thoufand, twenty four thou¬
fand, and twelve thoufand, make the
feventy two thoufand above mentioned:
I fay that more than this fum of 7?000 /.
is fruitlefly fpent, and over paid by the
Merchants, whenfoever a great Fleet
is to be fitted out. Now thefe whom
I call Auxiliary Seamen, arc fuch as
have another Trade befideS) wherewith
E to
r 5<> ]
to maintain themfelves, when they are
not employed at Sea ; and the charge of
maintaining them, though 72000/. per
annum, I take to be little or nothing,
for the reafons above mentioned, and
confequently an eafte Tax to the people,
becaufe Leavyed by, and paid to them-
felves.
A Herring As we propounded that Ireland
rax upon fhould be Taxed with Flax, and Eng¬
land by Linnen, and other Manufa¬
cture of the fame 5 I conceive that
Scotland alfo might be Taxed as much,
to be paid in Herrings, as Ireland in
Flax 1 Now the three Taxes (viz.) of
FlaX) Linnen, and Herrings, and the
maintainance of the triple Militia, and
of the Auxilliary Seamen above-men-
tidned, do all five of them together, a -
mount to one Million of mony, the
raifirig whereof is not a Million fpent,
but gain unto the Common Wealth,
unlefs it can be made appear, that by
reafon of all, or any of them, the Ex¬
portation of Woollen Manufactures ,
Lead, and Tin, are leflened; or of fuch
Commodities, as our own Eaft and
Wejt India Trade do produce, foraf-
much as I conceive, that the Exporta¬
tion
Wealth of England is tryed, and the
d. wherby the Health of the King-
m.i T)Ower at Sea confifts chiefly of-rhequa-
;. * J. Men, alls to fight at Sea, and that ^tics oi
ek in fuch Shipping, as is mod proper for fothede-'
By, s the Seas wherein they ferve; and thofe fence of
A lp: are in thefe Northern Seas, Ships from E9%lan<t-
ft: between three hundred to one thoufand
i three hundred Tuns; and of thofe fuch
rfcti as draw much Water, and have a deep
L.v Latch in the Sea, in order to keep a
offc good Wind , and not to fall to Lee-
j ui ward, a matter of vaft advantage in
foraf Sea Service : Wherefore it is to be ex-
Trr: amined, i. Whether the King of France^
Dofl hath Ports in the Northern Seas (where
j
dom may be difcerned.
t fa
*k
W
That France cannot ly reafon of natural,
and perpetual Impediments, le more
powerful at Sea, than the Engliih,
or Hollanders now are, or may le.
Chap. III.
E x
he
he hath moft occafion for his Fleets of
War, in any contefts with England) able
to receive the Veflels above-mentioned,
in all Weathers, both in Winter and
Summer Seafon. For if the King oi
France, would bring to Sea an equal
number of fighting Men, with the Eng>
lifb and Hollanders, in fmall floaty Lee¬
ward Veflels, he would certainly be of
the weaker fide. For a Veflel of one
thoufandTuns manned with fivehundred
Men, fighting with five Veflels of two
hundred Tuns, each manned with one
hundred Men apiece, lhall in common
reafon have the better offenfively, and
deienfively; forafmuch as the great
Ship can carry fuch Ordnance, as can
reach the fmall ones at a far greater
diftance, than thofe can reach, or at
lead hurt the other 5 and can batter,
and fink at a diftance, when fmall ones
can fcarce peirce.
Moreover it is more difficult for Men
out of a fmall Veflel, to enter a tall
Ship, then for Men irom a higher place,
to leap down into a lower ; nor is fmall
fliot fo effe&ual upon a tall Ship, as
ince verfa.
And
C 53 ]
And as for Veffels drawing much
water, and confequently keeping a good
Wind, they can take or leave Leeward
Veflels, at picafure, and fecure them-
felves from being boarded by them :
Moreover the windward Ship , has a
fairer mark at a Leeward Ship, than
vice verfa 5 and can place her (hot up¬
on fuch parts of the Leeward Veflel,
as upon the next Tack will be under
water.
Now then the King of France, having
no Ports able to receive large wind¬
ward Vefiels, between Dunkirk and
Vjhant, what other Ships he can bring
into thofe Seas, will not be confiderable.
As for the wide Ocean, which his Har¬
bours of Brejt, and Char en te, do look
into; it affordeth him no advantage
upon an Enemy; there being fo great a
Lacitude of engaging or not, even when
the Parties arc in fight of each other.
Wherefore, although the King of
France were immenfely rich, and could
build what Ships he pleafcd, both for
number, and quality ; yet if he have
not Ports to receive, and fhclter, that
fort and fize of Shipping, which is fit for
his purpofe 3 the faid Riches will in this
E 1 cafe
[54]
cafe be fruitlefs, and a mere expence
without any return, or profit. Some
will fay that other Nations cannot
build fo good Ships as the Englifh 5
I do indeed hope they cannot; but
becaufe it feems too poffible, that they
may fooner or later, by Prafticeand Ex¬
perience; I (hall not makeufe of that
Argument, having bound my felf to
(hew,that the impediments of France, (as
to this purpofe) are natural, and per¬
petual. Ships, and Guns do not fight
of themfelves, but Men who aft and
manage them; wherefore it is more
material to (liew; That the King of
France, neither hath, nor can have Men
fufficient, to Man a Fleet, of equal
ftrength to that of the King of Eng¬
land. (vizi)
The qua- The King of Englands Navy, confifts
locations 0f akouc (eventv thoufand Tuns of
01 beatnen pi . « %
for de- Shipping, which requires thirty fix
fence. thoufand Men to Man it; thefe Men be-
ing fuppofed to be divided into eight
parts, I conceive that one eighth part,
muft be perfons of great Experience,
and Reputation, in Sea Service : ano¬
ther eighth part muft be fuch as have
ufed the Seafeven years and upwards;
half
[ 55 J
half of them, or f parts more, muft be
fuch as have ufed theSea above a twelve¬
month, viz, two, three, four, five, or
fix years, allowing but one quarter of
the whole Complements, to be fuch as
never were at Sea at all, or at moft but
one Voyage, or upon one Expedition;
fo that at a medium I reckon, that the
whole Fleet muft be Men of three or
four years growth, one with another.
Fournier, a late judicious Writer, make TheNuru¬
ing it his bufinefs to pcrfuade the .
World, how confiderable the King of
France wTas, or might beat Sea, in the
ninety fecond and ninety third pages of
his Hydrography, faith, That there was
one place in Britany, which had fur*
nilhed the King with one thoufand four
hundred Seamen, and that perhaps the
whole Sea-Coaft of France , might
have furnifhed him with fifteen times
as many : Now fuppofing his whole Al¬
legation were true, yet the faid number
amounts but to twenty one thoufand 5
all which, if the whole Trade of Ship¬
ping in France were quite and clean
abandoned, would not by above a
third, Man cut a Fleet equivalent, to
$hat of the King of England: And if
the
L & ]
the Trade were but barely kept a~
live, there would not be one third
part Men enough, to Man the laid
Fleet.
But if the Shipping Trade of France,
be not above a quarter as great as that
of England) and that one third part
of the lame, namely the Fifliing Trade
to the Banks of Newfoundland, is not
peculiar* nor fixt to the French $ then
I fay that if the King of England
(having power to Prefs Men) cannot
under two or three months time Man
his Fleet; then the King of France,
with lefs than a quarter of the fame
help, can never do it at all; for in France
(as fhall elfewhere be Ihevvn) there are
not above one hundred and fifty thou-
fandTunof Trading VelTels* and con-
fequently not above fifteen thoufand
Seamen, reckoning a Man to every ten
Tun. As it has been fhewn that the
King of France, cannot at prefent Man
fuch a Fleet, as is above defcribed, we
come next to fliew that he never can,
being under natural, and perpetual
Impediments: viz. i. If there be but
fifteen thoufand Seamen in all France,
to manage its Trade, it is not to be
xfuppofed,
[ 57 ]
n::' fuppofed , that the (aid Trade fliould
* be excinguiflied, nor that it fliould fparc
above five of the faid fifteen thoufand
towards manning the Fleet which re-
ffc quires thirty five thoufand.
Now the deficient thirty thoufand The W*T*
mud be fupplied , one ot thefe four t^Frencb
ways, either, firft by taking in Land muft in-
men, of which fort there mufl not becreafcSca*
above ten thoufand, fince the Seamen m
will never be contented, without being
ok the major part, nor do they heartily
n 11 * J II men dil-
afV with well to Landmen at all, or rcjoycejikeUnd-
h. even at thofe SucccfTes, of which the men.
t fc Landmen can claim any fliare ; thinking
ifar it hard that thcmfclvcs, who arc bred
t?.r. to mifcrable , painful, and dangerous
Employments, (and yet profitable to
the Commonwealth) fhould at a time
xz. when booty and purchafc is to be gotten,
yrc be clogged or hindered, by any con-
junction with Landmen, or forced to
:\!r admit thofe, to an equal fliare with
„ themfclves. 2. The Seamen which we
fuppofc twenty thoufand, muft be had,
that is hired from other Nations, which
cannot be without tempting them with
a fo much Wages, as exceeds what is
given
C ys 3
given by Merchants, and withal to coun-
The dan-terpoife the danger of being hanged
EngU/h by their own Prince, and allowed no
Seamen Quarter if they are taken; the trou-
virT the' b'e °f conveying themfelves away,
™etich. when Rellraints and Prohibitions are up¬
on them; and alfo the infamy of having
been Apoftates, to their own Coun¬
try, and Caufe: I fay their Wages muft
be more than double, to what their
own Prince gives them, and their af-
furance muft be very great, that they
fhall not be at long run abufed or
flighted by thofe who employed them ;
fas hating the Traitor, although they
love the Treafon ) I fay moreover,
that thofe who will be thus tempted
away, muft be of the bafeft, and lewd-
eft fort of Seamen, and fuch as have
not enough of Honour and Confci-
ence, to qualifie them for any Truft,
Mow Men or gallant Performance. 3. Another
learn to be way to jncreafe Seamen, is to put great
men. numbers of Landmen upon Ships of
War, in order to their being Seamen ;
but this courfe cannot be effe&ual, not
only for the above mentioned Antipa¬
thy, between Landmen, and Seamen;
but
C 19 1
toe but alfo, becaufc it is feen, that Men at
Sea do not apply themfelves to La¬
bour and Practice, without more ne-
* 5, ceflity than happens in over-manned
Shipping. For where there are fitty
Men in a VefTel, that ten can fuffici-
e cntly Navigate , the iupernumerary
j C- forty will improve little: But where
i£jg there ihall be of ten but one or two
fupernumcraries, there nccefTity will
often call upon every Man to fet his
hand to the Work , which muft be
wc^ done at the peril of their own lives,
; Moreover Seamen fhifting Vcflcls al-
moft every fix or twelve months, do
fometimes Sail in fmall Barks, fomc-
^ times in mid ling Ships, and fometimes
in great VcfTels of Defence ; fometimes
in Lighters, fometimes in Hoighs, fome-
times in Ketches, fometimes in three
j, Mafted Ships, fometimes they go to the
Southward, fometimes to the North-
. ward, fometimes the Coaft, fometimes
they crofs the Ocean; by all which
^ variety of Service, they do in time
compleat themfelves, in every Part,
and Circumftance of their Faculty:
IT Whereas thofe who go out for a Sum-
k nier,
C <o' ]
mer, in a Man of War, have not that
variety of Pra&ice, nor a direft necef-
fity of doing any thing at all.
Befidcs it is three or four years at a
medium, wherein a Seaman mud be
made; neither can there be lefs than
three Seamen, to make a fourth, of a
Landman : Confequently the fifteen
thoufand Seamen of France , can in-
creafe but five thoufand Seamen in three
or four years, and unlefs their Trade
fhould increafe with their Seamen in
proportion, the King muft be forced to
bear the charge of this improvement,
out of the Publick Stock, which is in¬
tolerable. So as the Queftion which
whether now remains, is, whether the Shipping
the ship- Trade of France is like to increafe ? Up-
Trade of on which accompc it is to be confi-
France is dered, 1. That France is fufficiently
likertoin-ftored, with all kind of NecefTaries
within it felf, as with Corn, Cattle,
Wine, Salt, Linnen Cloth, Paper, Silk,
Fruits, &c. So as they need little Ship¬
ping, to Import more Commodities of
Weight, or Bulk; neither is there any
thing of Bulk Exported out of France,
but Wines, and Salt 5 the weight where¬
of
creafe.
[ 6. ]
;r .of is under one hundred thoufand
Tun per annum, yielding not employ¬
ment to above twenty five thoufand
r. Tun of Shipping, and thefe are for the
. moft part Dutch, and Eng/i/b, who are
not only already in Poffeflion of the
faid Trade, but alfo are better fitted
to maintain it, than the French arc, or
perhaps ever can be: And that for the
following Rcafons. (viz.) i. Becaufe
the French cannot Viflual fo cheap as vv^
the Enghjh, and Dutch, nor Sail with cannot,
fo few Hands, z. The French for want
of good Coafts and Harbours, cannot
keep their Ships in Port, under dou¬
ble the Charge that the Englifb and
. Hollanders can. 3. by reafon of Pau¬
city, and diftancc of their Ports, one
from another, their Seamen and Tradef-
; men relating to Shipping, cannot Cor-
refpond with, and Aflift one another,
7 fo cafily, cheaply, and advantagcoufly,
as in other places. Wherefore if their
Shipping Trade, is not likely to in-
u' creafe within thcmfelves , and much
lefs to iricreafc, by their beating out
the Engli[h, and Hollanders, from be¬
ing the Carriers of the World; it fol¬
lows
C 61 3
lows , that their Seamen will not be
increafed, by the increafe of their faid
Trade: Wherefore, and for that they
are not like to be increafed, by any
of the feveral ways above fpecified,
and for that their Ports are not fit
to receive Ships of Burthen, and Qua-
lity, fit for their purpofe; and that
by reafon of the lefs fitnefs of their
Ports, than that of their Neighbours5
I conceive, that what was propounded,
hath been competently proved.
The afore-named Foamier in the
ninety fecond and ninety third pages of
his Hydrography, hath laboured to
prove the contrary of all this, unto
which I refer the Reader : Not think¬
ing his Arguments of any weight at
all, in the prefent cafe. Nor indeed
doth he make his Comparifons, with
the Englifl) or Hollanders, but with
the Spaniards, who, nor the Grand
Seignior, (the latter of whom hath great-
advantages, to be powerful at Sea
than the King of France) could ever
attain to any illuftrious greatnefs in
Naval Power : Having often attempt¬
ed, but never fucceeded in the fame.
Nor
[**]
Nor is it eafie to believe, that the
King of England ihould for fo ma¬
ny years, have continued his Title to
the Sovereignty of the Narrow Seas,
againft his Neighbours (ambitious e-
nough to have gotten it from him)
had not their Impediments been Na¬
tural, and Perpetual, and fuch, as we
fay, do obltruct the King of France.
Chap.
[*4]
i
whai
do m
chap. iv.
of ft
7W, the Feople and Territories of the 2/IJ^
King of England, are naturally near as ^
confrderalle for Wealth and Strength, ^
as thofe of France.
rim
of com- f | - * H E Author of the State of En-
tweetTthe 1 gland, among the many ufeful fyj®
Territo- truths, and obfervations he hath fee tam
ricsof£»- down; delivers the Proportion,between p^n
^France? c'ie Territories of England and France, And
to be as Thirty to Eighty two; the pen!
which if it be true, then England, Scot- P$,)ro
land, and Ireland, with the Iflands un- jniculo
to them belonging will, taken all together, !Ud(
be near as big as France. Tho I ought 3saDr
to take all advantages for proving the oalPro
Paradox in hand; yet I had rather all the
grant that England, Scotland, and Ire- and of
land, with the Iflands before mentioned; tratfpo
together with the Planted parts of New- tain; 1
foundland, New-England, New-Nether- jefts,1
land, Virginia, Mary-Land, Carolina, Ja- Jlldii
* maka, Burmoudas, Barbadoes, and all ijw/j,
the
[*5 3
— the reft ot the Carrilly Iflands, with
— what the King hath in Afia and Africa,
do not contain fo much Territory as
France, and what planted Land the King
of France hath alfo in America. And if
?: f any Man will be Heterodox in behalf
urj of the French Intcrcft ; I would be con¬
tented againfl my knowledge and judg¬
ment, to allow the King of France's Ter¬
ritories, to be a feventh, fixth, or even
a fifth greater, than thofe of the King of
^. England 3 believing that both Princes
Vx have more Land, than they do employ
jJct. to utmofl ufe.
And here I beg^ leave, (among the a Propo-
r, feveral matters which I intend for feri ilt,on tor
K ous,) to interpofe a jocular, and perhaps Tc-z^fsc
ridiculous digreflion , and which I in- the High-
deed defire Men to look upon, rather !ands, ot,
n r 1 Scotland.
0I(( as a Dream or Relvcry, than a ratio¬
nal Propofition; the which is, that if
: ^ all the movealles and People of Ireland,
and of the Highlands of Scotland, were
tranfported into the reft of Great Brit-
tain; that then the King and his Sub¬
jects, would thereby become more Rich
and Strong, both offenftvely and defen-
V fively, than now they are.
F T
t 3
'Tis true, I have heard many Wife rail
Men fay, when they were bewailing to(
the vaft lofles of the in pre- tim
venting and fupprefling Rebellions in mi
Ireland, and considering how little pro- fetve
fit hath returned, either to the King or If
Subjc&s of England, for their Five Hun-
dred Years doing and fuffering in that Terr:
Country; I fay, I have heard Wife 0fth
Men (in fuch their Melancholies_) wifh, we
that (the People of Ireland being faved) !*
Ifland were funk under Water: Now it jjJf
troubles me, that the Diftemperof my py
own mind in this point, carries me to could
dream, that the benefit of thofe wilhes, male
may pradically be obtained, without tie ti
finking that vaft Mountainous Ifland un- ^ |j
der Water, which I take to be fome- any
what difficult 5 For although Dutch En-
gineers may drain its Bogs; yet I know p
no Artifls that could fink its Moun-
rains. If Ingenious and Learned Men gju
(among whom I reckon Sir Tho. More, dvt
and Des Cartes) have difputed, That hi
we who think cur felves awake, are pled
or may be really in a Dream; and fince fo w
the greateft abfurdities of Dreams, are
but a Prepofterous and Tumultuary by,
contexture of realities; I will crave the ^
umbrage
v
\
h
[*1
umbrage of tliefe great Men laft named,
to fay fomcthing for this wild concep¬
tion, with fubmiflion to the better judg¬
ment of all thofe that can prove them-
felves awake.
If there were but one Man living in
:r-: England, then the benefit of the whole
: 15 Territory, could be but the livelyhood
- " of that one Man : But if another Man
were added, the rent or benefit of the
fame would be double, if two, triple ;
^ and fo forward until fo many Men were
)a3s Planted in it, as the whole Territory
could afford Food unto: For if a Man
Kris would know, what any Land is worth,
•£# the true and natural Queftion muft
be, How many Men will it feed ? How
many Men are there to be fed? But to
"i fpeak more practically, Land of the fame
:lu quantity and quality in England, is ge¬
nerally worth four or five times as much
d k as in Ireland;*^ but one quarter,or third
of what it is worth in Holland 5 becaufe
lk England is four or five times better Peo-
•i,t pled than Ireland\ and but a quarter
tit fo well as Holland. And moreover ,
•j,: where the Rent of Land is advanced
Ltif by reafon of Multitude of People; there
n'i the number of Years purchafe,for which
ix$ F x the
[ 68 ]
the Inheritance may be fold, is alfo ad¬
vanced, though perhaps not in the very
feme Proportion; for zo annum in
Ireland, may be worth but 8 /. and in
England where Titles are very fure, a-
bovejio I. in Holland above 30/.
I fuppofe,that in Irela and the High-
Lands in Scotland, there may be about
one Million and Eight hundred thoufand
People, or about a fifth part of what
is in all the three Kingdoms: Where¬
fore the firft Queftion will be, whether
England, Wales, and the Low-Lands of
Scotland, cannot afford Food, ("that is
to fay) Corn, Fifb, and Fowl, to
a fifth part more People, than are at
the prefent planted upon it, with the
fame Labour that the faid fifth part do
now take where they are? For if fo,
then what is propounded is naturally
poffible. z. It is to be enquired, What
the value of the immovables (which
upon fuch removal muft be left behind)
are worth ? For if they be worth lefs,
than the advancement of the price of
Land in England will amount unto ;
then the Propofal is to be confidered.
3- If the Relul Lands, and the immov¬
ables left behind upon them, may be
' fold
C <9 3
fold for Money ; or if no other Nation
fhall dare meddle with them, without
paying well for them; and if the Na¬
tion who (hall be admitted, (hall be lefs
able to prejudice and annoy the Tran-
fplantees into England then before; then
I conceive that the whole propofal will
be a pleafant and a profitable Dream
indeed.
As to the firft point, whether En- That En¬
gland and the Low Lands of Scotland,^
can maintain a fifth part more People lands of
than they now do (that is to fay) Nine Sco.llfnei
Millions of Souls in all ? For anfwer ^ t\^
thereunto, I firft: Say, that the faid People of
Territories of England, and the Low- s"ot!al1l
Land of Scotland, contain about Thir & Ireland.
ty Six Millions of Acres, that is four
Acres for every Head, Man, Woman,
and Child; but the United Provinces
do not allow above one Acre and
and England it felf rcfcinding Wales,
hath but three Acres to every Head,
according to the prefent Scate of Til
lage and Husbandry. Now ifwccon-
fidcr that England having but three
Acres to a Head as aforefaid, doth fo
abound in Vi&uals, as that it maketh
Laws againft the Importation of Cattle,
F \
Fie(ky
C 70 3
Flefh, and Fifb from abroad; and that
the draining of Fens, improving of For-
rejls, inclofing of Commons, Sowing of
St. Foyne and C lovergrafs, be grumbled
againft by Landlords, as the way to
deprefs the price of Viftuals; then it
plainly follows , that lefs than three
Acres improved as it may be, will ferve
the turn, and confequently that four
will liiffice abundantly. I could here
fee down the very number of Acres,
that would bear Bread and Drink, Corn,
together with Flejb, Batter, and Cheefe,
fumcient to victual Nine Millions of
Perfons, as they ari<Vi£tualled in Ships,
and regular Families; but lhall only fay
in general^thatTwelve Millions of Acres,
viz. f of 36 Millions, will do it, fuppo-
fing that Roots, Fruits, Fovol, and Fijh,
That the and the ordinary profit of Lead, Tin,
aIlUthe°f Iron-Mines, and Woods , would piece
quitted up any defed:, that may be feared.
Lands and as co t[ie fecond, I fay, that the
bk^oods Land and Houfing in Ireland, and the
and charge High-Lands of Scotland, at the prefent
fpianta- Market rates, are not worth Thirteen
tion ara Millions of Money; nor would the aftu- ^
not worth al charge of making theTranfplantation
Millions! Propofed>aroount to four Millions more :
C 71 ]
So then the Queftion will be, whether
the benefit expeded from this tranfplan-
tation, will exceed Seventeen Millions >
To which I fay, that the advantage
will probably be near four times the
laft mentioned fumm , or about Sixty
nine Millions, Three Hundred thoufand
Pounds. For if the Rent of all En¬
gland and Wales, and the Low-Lands
of Scotland , be about Nine Millions
per annum ; and if the fifth part of the
People be fuperadded, unto the prefent
Inhabitants of thofe Countries; then
the Rent will amount unto Ten Milli¬
ons 8000/. and the number of Years
purchafe, will rife from feventeen and
ft to a Fifth part more, which is twen¬
ty one. So as the Land which is now
worth but Nine Millions per annnm, at
feventeen i Years purchafe, making
15*7 Millions and 7, will then be worth
Ten Millions Eight Hundred thoufand
Pounds, at Twenty one Years purchafe;
viz. Two Hundred Twenty Six Millions,
and Eight Hundred thoufand Pounds,
that is Sixty nine Millions, and Three
Hundred thoufand Pounds more than
it was before.
ort;
So
F 4 And
^7^ 3
Thatthofe And it any Prince willing to inlarge
who pur- his Territories , will give any thing
Und (hallmore t'ian Six i Millions or half the
weaken prefent value for the faid relinquifhed
themfelves Land, which are eftimated to be worth
Thirteen Millions; then the] whole pro-
jfit, will be above Seventy Five Milli¬
ons, and Eight Hundred 600 I. Above
four times the lofs, as the fame was
above computed. But if any Man Iball
object, that it will be dangerous unto
England* that Ireland fhould be in the
Hands of any other Nation s I anfwer
in fhort, that that Nation,whoever iball
purchafe it (being divided by means of
the faid purchafe,) fhall not be more
able to annoy England, than now in its
united condition. Nor is Ireland nearer
England, than France and Flanders.
Now if any Man fhall defire a more
clear explanation, how, and by what
means, the Rents of Lands fhall rife by
this clofer cohabitation of People above
defcribed ? I anfwer, that the advantage
will arife in tranfplanting about Eighteen
Hundred thoufand People , from the
poor and miferable Trade of Husban¬
dry,to more beneficial Handicrafts : For
when the fuperaddition is made, a ve¬
ry
[7? 3
ry little addition of Husbandry to the
fame Lands will produce a fifth part
more of Food,and confequently the addi¬
tional hands,earning but 40 s. per annum
fas they may very well do, nay to 8 I.
per annum ) at fomc other Trade ; the
Superlucration will be above Three
Millions and Six Hundred thoufand
Pounds per annum, which at Twenty
Years purchafe is Seventy Millions.
Moreover, as the Inhabitants of Cities
and Towns, fpend more Commodities,
and make greater confumptions, than
thofc who live in wild thin peopled
Countries; So when England lhall be
thicker peopled, in the manner before
dcfcribcd, the very fame People lhall
then fpend more, than when they liv¬
ed more fordidly and inurbancly , and
further afundcr, and more out of the
fight, obfervation, and emulation of
each other; every Man dcfiring to put
on better Apparel when he appears in
Company, than when he has no occa- rim the
fion to be feen. difference
I further add, that the charge of thebefwccn
Government, Civil^ Military, and Ec ^France**
clefiajlical, would be more cheap, Jafe, Territory
and effectual in this condition of clofer ma~
CO- UU "
[74 3
co-habitation than other wife j as not
only reafon, but the example of
the United Provinces doth demon-
ftrate.
But to let this whole digrellion pafs
for a mere Dream, I fuppofe 'twill lerve
to prove, that in cafe the King ot En-
glands Territories, ftiould be a little lefs
than thofe of the King of ,that
forafmuch as neither of them are over¬
peopled, that the difference is not ma¬
terial to the Queftion in hand ; where¬
fore fuppofing the King of France's ad¬
vantages, to be little or nothing in this
point of Territory; we come next to
examine and compare, the number of
Subjects which each of thefe Monarchs
doth govern.
The Book called the State of France,
maketh that Kingdom to confift of
Twenty Seven thoufand Parilhes ;
and another Book written by a fubftan-
tial Author, who profefledly inquires
into the State of the Church and Church¬
men of France, fets it down as an ex¬
traordinary cafe, that a in France
fhould have Six Hundred Souls; where¬
fore I fuppofe that the faid Author
(who hath fo well examined the mat-
% terj
C 71 3
tcr) is not of opinion that every Pa-
rifh, one with another, hath above
Five Hundred ; by which reckoning
the whole People of France, are about
Thirteen Millions and a half; Now the
People of England, Scotland, and Ireland,
* with the Iflands adjoyning, by compu-
7 tation from the nifmbcrs of Pariflies;
which commonly have more People in
Proteftant Churches, than in Popifh
Countries ; as alfo from the Hearth-
money , Vole money , and Excife, do
" * amount to about Nine Millions and i.
There are in New England, about
1 16000 Men muttered in Arms 5 about
14000 able to bear Arms; and confc-
::: qucntly about 1500CO in all: And
I fee no reafon why in all this and
the other Plantations of Afia, Africa,
and America , there fliould not be half ,
Thf Kim? of
a Million in all. But this laft I leave
to every Mans conjcfturc; and confc
qucntly, I luppofe, that the King of
England hath about Ten Millions of
A* Subjc&s, ulivis Terrarum Orlis ; and
■":C the King of France about Thirteen and
O & and harii
a i as aforefaid. STdft-!?
^ Although it be very material to know ¥:an"UM*
the number of Subjects belonging to each
Prince,
I
■
1 !
:!
E 7^ 3
Prince, yet when the Queftion is con¬
cerning their Wealth and Strength ; It
is alfo material to examin, how many
of them do get more than they fpend,
and how many lefs. •
In order whereunto it is to be confi-
dered, that in the King of Englands
Dominions, there are not Twenty thou-
fand Church-men ; But in France9 as
the aforementioned Author of theirs
doth aver, (who fets down the particular
number of each Religious Order) there
are about Two Hundred and Seventy
thoufand Two Hundred and Fifty
thouland more than we thinkare neceffa-
ry, (that is to fay) Two Hundred and
Fifty Thoufand withdrawn out of the
World. Now the faid number of adult
and able bodied Perfons, are equivalent
to about double the fame number, of
the promifcuous Mafs of Mankind. And
the fame Author fays, that the fame
Religious Perfons, do fpend one with
another about 18 d. per diem, which
is triple even to what a labouring Man
requires.
Wherefore the faid Two Hundred
and Fifty thoufand Church-men (living
as they do) makes the King of France s
Thirteen
[77]
Thirteen Millions'and a half, to be lefs
than Thirteen : Now if Ten Men can
defend themfelves as well in Iflands, as
Thirteen can upon the Continent;
then the faid Ten being not concerned
to incrcafe their Territory by the Inva-
fion of others, are as effe&ual as the
Thirteen in point <of Strength alfo ;
wherefore that there are more Superlu-
crators in the Englijh% than the French
Dominions, we fay as followeth.
There be in England, Scotland\ Ire- The mui-
land\ and the Kings other Territories p!ucJc,0^
above Forty Thoufand Seamen ; in do^idfo,
France not above a quarter fo many 5 theK. of
but one Seaman earneth as much as three f>™T's
common Husbandmen; wherefore this the°mui-
differcnce in Seamen, addeth to the t,tu<Jc of
account of the King of England9s Sub- Svf} ^a"
jefts, is an advantage equivalent to Sixty doincreafe
Thoufand Husbandmen.
There are in England, Scotland, and Sufjetfs/
Ireland, and all other the King of Eng¬
land's Territories Six Hundred thoufand
Tun of Shipping, worth about four
Millions and a j of Money 5 and the
annual charge of maintaining the Ship¬
ping of England, by new Buildings and
Reparations , is about t part of the
fame
[ 7* 3
fame fumm; which is the Wages of
one Hundred and Fifty thoufand Hus¬
bandmen, but is not the Wages of above
* part offo many as arc em.
ployed, upon Shipping of all forts;
Sbiprights, Callers, ,
Painters , Block-makers Rope makers,
Mafi-makers,Smiths of feveral forts;
Flag-makers, Compafs-makers, Brewers,
Bakers, and all other fort of Victuallers;
all forts of Tradefmen relating to Guns,
and Gunners /lores. Wherefore there
being four times more of thefe Artifans
in England, &c. than in France; they
further add to the account of the King
of England's Subjects, the equivalent of
The K. ofEighty Thoufand Husbandmen more.
England's The Sea-line of England, ,
riefare"inanc^ Ireland, and the adjacent Iflands,
rife# but is about Three thoufand Eight hundred
iz Miles Miles; according to which length, and
viable 3"the whole content of Acres, the faid
Water,the Land would be an Oblong, or Paralle¬
ling <* jogram Figure of Three thoufand Eight
65. hundred Miles long, and about Twenty
four Miles broad; and confequently,
every part of England, Scotland.\ and
Ireland, is one with another, but Twelve
Miles from the Sea: Whereas France
containing, but about one Thoufand
C/?3
3 c Miles of Sea line, is by the like method
ii or computation, about Sixty Five Miles
jfe; from the Sea fide; and confidering the
coi paucity of Ports, in comparifon of what
i; x are in the King of England's Dominions,
n\ as good as Seventy Miles diftant from
ubi, a Port: Upon which grounds it is clear,
b that England can be fupplied, with all
•at., grofs and bulkey commodities of Fo¬
reign growth and Manufa&urc, at far
Gw, cheaper rates than France can be, viz.
&r. at about 4 s. per cent• cheaper; the Land
■. a carriage lor the difference of the di-
;4i fiance between England and France from
•yr a Port, being fo much or near there-
abouts. Now to what advantage this
KK convcniency amounteth, upon the Im-
portation and Exportation of Bulkey
y Commodities, cannot be lefs than the
fa Labour of one Million of People,
• meaning by bulkey Commodities all
^ forts of Timber, Plank, and Staves for
Cask^\ all Iron, head. Stones, Bricks,
and Tyles for building; all Corn, Salt,
and Drinks; all Fleft and /*/£, and in¬
deed all other Commodities, wherein
the gain and lofs of 4 s. per Cent, is
rie confiderable 5 where note that the like
^ Wines are fold in the inner parts of
id Prance
[8b3
France for four or Five Pound a Tun,
Thedecay which near the Ports yield 7 I. More-
kE«?/4».over uPon t'1's Principal* the decay of
m,o very Timber in England is no very formi-
formida- dable thing, as the Rebuilding of Lon-
tter //c», and of the Ships wafted by the
Dutch War do clearly manifeft; Nor can
there be any want of Corn, or other
neceflary Provifions in England, unlefs
the Weather hath been univerfally un-
feafonable for the growth of the fame;
which feldom or never happens; for the
fame caufes which make Dearth in one
place, do often caufe plenty in another;
wet Weather being propitious to High¬
lands, which drowneth the Low.
It is obferved that the poor of France,
have generally lefs Wages than in En¬
gland $ and yet their Vi&uals are gene¬
rally dearer there 5 which being fo,
there may be more fuperlucration in
England than in France.
The K. of Laftly, I offer it to the confideration
England's cf a[| thofc, who have travelled through
fpend nrar England and France ; Whether the Ple-
as much as leians of England (for they conftitute
Frame's r'ie anY Nation) do not fpend
a ftxth part more than the Plebeians of
France $ And if fo, it is neceflary that
theY
[ 8i ]
they mud firft get it ; and confequenr-
ly that Ten Millions of the King of
England1 s Subje&s, are equivalent to
Twelve of the King of France^ and
upon the whole matter, to the Thirteen
Millions, at which the French Nation
was eftimated. '
It will here be obje&ed , that the Thcgr^u
fplendor and magnificencies of theoftScKing
of France, appearing greater than th&ffc rfFrancc,
of England, chat the Wealth of Francenocertaln
muft be proportionably greater, oMhe ^
that of England; but chat doth not fol- greater
low, forafmuch as the apparent great-
nefsof the King, doth depend upon the
Quota pars of the Peoples Wealth which
he Icvyeth from them ; for fuppofing of
the People to be equally Rich, if one
of the Sovereigns levy a fifth part, and
another a fifteenth, the one feems a&u-
ally thrice as Rich as the other, where¬
as potentially, they are but equal.
Having thus difcourfcd of the Ter- Compaq
ritory, People, Superlucration, and De
fencihlenefs of both Dominions, and in rei^n
fome meafure of their Trade, fo far as Trad? of
we had occafion to mention Ships, Ship* ^lan*
ping, and nearnefs to Ports $ we come Franc*.
next to inlarge a little further, upon the
Trade of each. G Some
L 8i 3
Some have eftimated, that there are
not above Three hundred Millions of
People in the whole World. Whether
that be fo or no, is not very material
to be known^hut I have fair grounds
to conje&ure, and would be glad to
know it more certainly, that there are
not above Eighty Millions, with whom
the Etiglijh and Dutch have Commerce;
110 Europeans, that I know of, Trading
direftly nor indireftly, where they do
not 5 fo as the whole Commercial World,
m World of Trade, confifteth of about
Eighty Millions of Souls, asaforefaid.
And I further eftimate, that the va-
rlue of all Commodities yearly exchan¬
ged amongft them, doth not exceed the
value of Forty Five Millions: Now the
fflealth of every Nation , confiding
chiefly, in the fhare which they have
4 in the Foreign Trade with the whole
Commercial World, rather than in the
Domeftick Trade , of ordinary Meat,
jDrink, and Cloaths, &c. which bring¬
ing in little Gold, Silver, jewels, and
other Vniverjal Wealth $ we are to
confider, whether the Subjetts of the
King of England, Head for Head, have
not a greater lhare, than thofe of France.
To
[ 3
To which purpofc it hath been con-
fidcred, that the Manufa&ures of Wool,
yearly exported out of England, into
feveral parts of the World, viz. All
forts of Cloth, Serges, Stuffs, Cottons,
Bayes, Sayes, Frize, perpctuanvs; as
alfo Stockings, &V. Ex¬
ported out of England, Scotland, and
Ireland\ do amount unto Five Millions
per annum.
The value of 7)w/, and Coals,
to be Five hundred thouiand pounds.
The value of all Cloaths, IJouJhold-
fluff, &c. carried into America, Two
hundred thoufand pounds.
The value of Silver, and G0/*/,
taken from the Spaniards Sixty thou¬
iand pounds.
The value of Sugar, lndico, Tohacco,
Cotton, and Caccao, brought from the
Southward parts of America Six hundred
thoufand pounds.
The value of the Fijh, Pipeflaves,
Mafls, Bever, &c. brought from New-
England, and the Northern parts of
America , Two Hundred Thoufand
pounds
The value of the Wool, Butter,
Hides, Tallow, Beef, Herring, Pitchers,
a -» and
C 84 ]
arid Salmon, exported out of Ireland,
Eight hundred thoufand pounds.
The value of the Coals, Salt, Lin-
nen, Tarn, Herrings, Pilchers, Salmon,
Linnen-Cloth, and Jar//, brought out
of Scotland, and Ireland, 500000 /.
The value of Salt peter , Pepper ,
Callicoes, Diamonds, Drugs, and £//&,
brought out of the Eajl-Indies, above
what was fpent in England; Eight hun¬
dred thoufand pounds.
The value of the Slaves, brought out
of Africa, to ferve in our American Plan¬
tations Twenty thoufand pounds; which
with the Freight of Englijh Shipping,
Trading into Foreign parts, being above
a Million and a \ , makes in all Ten
Millions one Hundred and Eighty thou¬
fand pounds.
Which computation is fufficiently
juftified by the Cuftoms of the Three
Kingdoms, whofe intrinfick value are
thought to be near a Million per annum,
viz. Six hundred thoufand pounds, paya¬
ble to the King ; loo thoufand Pounds,
for the charges of Collecting, &c. Two
hundred thoufand pounds frnuckled by
the Merchants, and one Hundred thou¬
fand pounds gained by the Farmers ;
/$r — accord-
C 85 3
according to common Opinion, and
Mens Sayings : And this agrees alfo
with that proportion, or part of the
whole Trade of the World, which I
have eftimated the Subje&s of the King
of England to be poflefled of, viz. of
about Ten of Forty Five Millions.
But the value of the trench Com¬
modities, brought into England', (not-
withltanding lomc currant eftimates,)
are not above one Million Two hun¬
dred thoufand pounds per annum; and
the value of all they export into all
the World befidcs, not above Three or
Four times as much ; which compu¬
tation alfo agreeth well enough, with
the account we have of the Cufloms
of France ; fo as France not exporting
above i the value of what England
doth; and for that all the Commodi¬
ties of France (except Wines^ Brandy,
Paper , and the firft patterns and fa-
Prions for Cloaths , and Furniture (of
which France is the Mint) arc imitable
by the Englifh; and having withal more
People than England ; it follows that
the People of England, have Head
for Head, thrice as much Foreign Trade
as the People of France 3 and about
C 3 Two
[ 8<S ]
Two parts of Nine of the Trade of the
whole Commercial World; and about
Two parts in Seven of all the Ship¬
ping : Notwithftanding all which it is
not to be denied , that the King and
fome great Men of France, appear more
Rich and Splendid, than thofe of the
like Quality in England ; all which
arifes rather from the nature of their
Government, than from the Intrinfick
and Natural caufes of Wealth and
Power.
Chap.
tn
—^—_
£
c *7.:]
J i • ' t%\ OJ ; " • ' h{'
CHAP. V.
That the Impediments of Englands great-
nets, are hut contintent and remov¬
able.
»j • :nr- * ' im;.- •* £t:3i3
TH E firft Impediment of
greatnefs is, that the Terr it o r,ion of
r/fj thereunto belonging, are too far
afundcr, and divided by the Sea into EngUnd
many fevcral IJlands and Countries ;is.inim-
and I may fay, into fo many Kingdoms,
and fevcral Governments, (viz.} there greatnefs
be Three diltinft Legiflative Powers in The
England, Scotland, and Ireland; the nTtu!^"
which inftead of uniting together, do another
often crofs one anothcrs Intereft; put- imPedl-
ting Bars and Impediments upon one 1"
anothcrs Trades, not only as if they
were Foreigners to each other, but fomc- ^c^'
times as Enemies. longing
x. The Iflands of Jerfey and Gernfey, to En-
and the Hie of Man, are under Junidi-^f^
ftions different from thofe , either oftion to
England, Scotland, or Ireland. the Sm"
* G 4 3. Thepire*
[ 88 ]
2. The Government of New-England
(both Civil and Ecclefiafttcal) doth fo
differ from that of His Majefties other
Dominions, that 'tis hard to fay what
may be the confequence of it.
And the Government of the other
Plantations, doth alio differ very much
fiom any of the reft; although there be
not naturally fubftantial reafons from the
Situation, Trade, and Condition of the
People, why there Ihould be fuch dif¬
ferences.
From all which it comes to pafs,
that fmall divided remote Governments,
being feldom able to defend themfelves,
the Burthen of protecting of them
all, muft lye upon the chief Kingdom
England; and fo all the fmaller Kingdoms
and Dominions, inftead of being Addi¬
tions, are really Dimunitions; but the
fame is remedied by making Two fuch
Grand Councils, as may equaLy repre-
fent the whole Empire, one to be cho-
fen by the King, the other by the Peo¬
ple. The Wealth of a King is Three¬
fold, one is the Wealth of his Subjects,
the fecond is the Quota pars of his
SubjeCts Wealth, given him for the puh-
lick Dejence ? Honour, and Ornament
[ 8? ]
of the People, and to manage fuch un-
dertaking; for the Common Good, as
no one or a few private Men, are fuf-
ficient tor.
The third fort are the Quota, of the
laft mention Quota pan, which the
King may diipofc of, as his own per-
fonal inclination, and difcretion (hall di-
rett him ; without account. Now it is
molt manifeft, that the afore mentioned
diftances,and differcncies, of Kingdoms,
and Jurifdidtions, arc great impedi¬
ments to all the faid feveral forts of
Wealth, as may be feen in the follow¬
ing particulars. Firft in cafe of War
with Foreign Nations, England com¬
monly bcareth the whole burthen, and
charge, whereby many in England are
utterly undone.
Secondly, England fometimes Prohi¬
biting the Commodities of Ireland, and
Scotland, as of late it did the Cattle,
Flefh, and Fijh, of Ireland; did not
only make Food, and confequcntly La-
lour, dearer in England, but alfo hath
forced the People of Ireland, to fetch
thole Commodities from France, Hoi-
land, and other places, which before
was fold them from England, to
the
Cpo]
the great prejudice of both Nations.
Thirdly, It occafions an unneceffary
trouble, and charge, in Collefting of
Cuftoms, upon Commodities paffing
between the feveral Nations.
Fourthly, It is a damage to otir
Barhadoes, and other American Trades,
that the Goods which might pafs thence
immediately, to feveral parts of the
World , and to be fold at moderate
Rates, muft firft come into England,
and there pay Duties, and afterwards
(if at all) pafs into thofe Countries,
whither they might have gone imme-
diatly.
Fifthly, The Iflands of Jerfey and
Gernfey, are protefted at the charge of
England, neverthelefs the Labour, and
Induftry, of that People (which is ve¬
ry great) redounds moft to the profit
of the French.
Sixthly, In New-England, there are
vaft numbers of able bodyed Englijh-
tnen, employed chiefly in Husbandry,
and in the meaneft part of it, (which
is breeding of Cattle) whereas Ireland
would have contained all thofe per¬
sons,, and at worft would have afforded
them Lands on better terms, than they
u I . have
Csn ]
have tlicm in America, if not fome
other better Trade withal, than now
they can have.
Seventhly, The Inhabitants of the
other Plantations, although they do in¬
deed Plant Commodities, which will
not grow fo well in England; yet
grafping at more Land, than will luf-
fice to produce the faid Exotiics in a
fufficient quantity to ferve the whole
World, they do therein but diftradt,
and confound, the effedfc of their own
Indcavours.
Eighthly, There is no doubt that the
fame People, far and wide difperfed,
muft fpend more upon their Govern¬
ment, and Protcdtion, than the fame
living compa&ly, and when they have
no occafion to depend upon the Wind,
Weather,and all the Accidents of the Sea.
A fccond Impediment to the great- The diffe-
nefsof England, is the different Under-rent Un-
ftandingot feveral Material Points, viz.
Of the Kings Prerogative, Privileges Preroga-
of Parliament, the obfeure differencesand
between Law and Equity ; as alfo be- Gf paerf£.
tween Civil and Ecclefiaftical Jurisdidfi- mentXaw
and In¬
quiry, Civil and Ecclefiaftical j the Supream LegifLfurc of Ire-
land, &c.
ons;
Want of
Natural
Union for
want of
mixture
and trans¬
plantati¬
on.
The un¬
equal in-
conveni¬
ent me¬
thod of
taxing.
C 9* ]
ons 5 Doubts whether the Kingdom of
England, hath power over the King¬
dom of Ireland, befides the wonderful
Paradox, that Englishmen, Lawfully
fent to fupprefs Rebellions in Ireland,
fhould after having efFe&ed the fame,
(be as it were J Disfranchifed, and lofe
that Intereft in the Legiflative Power,
which they had in England, and pay
Cuftoms as Foreigners for all they fpend
in Ireland, whither they were fent, for
the Honor and Benefit of England.
The third Impediment is, That Ireland
being a Conquered Country, and con¬
taining not the tenth part as many
Jrifh Natives, as there are Englifo in
both Kingdoms, That natural and firm
Union is not made, between the two
Peoples, by Tranfplantations, and pro¬
portionable mixture, fo as there may be
but a tenth part, of the Irtfh in Ire¬
land, and the fame proportion in Eng¬
land 5 whereby the necelfity of main¬
taining an Army in Ireland\ at the ex-
pence of a quatter of all the Rents of
that Kingdom may be taken away.
The fourth Impediment is, That
Taxes in England are not Levied upon
the ex fence, but upon the whole Er
ft ate 5
[ 93 3
ftate; not upon Lands, Stock, and La¬
bour, but chiefly upon Land alone;
and that not by any equal, and indif¬
ferent Standard, but the cafual predo¬
minancy, of Parties, and Faliions: and
moreover that thefe Taxes are not
Levied with the leaft trouble, and
charge, but let out to Farmers, who al-
fo let them from one to another with¬
out explicit knowledge of what they
do; but fo as in conclufion, the poor
People pay twice as much as the King
receives.
The fifth Impediment is the ine-Inequality
quality of Shires, Diocejfes, Parishes,
Church-Livings, and other Prccintts, as pS1c"'
alfo the Rcprcfentation of the People in Members
Parliament; all which do hinder the
Operations of Authority in the fame K
manner, as a Wheel irregulary made,
and exccntrically hung 3 neither moves
fo eafily , nor performs its Work fo
truely, as if the fame were duely
framed and poifed.
Sixthly, Whether it be an Impedi¬
ment, that the power of making War,
and raifing Mony be not in the fame
Hand , much may be faid; but I
leave it to thofe, who may more pro-
[94 3
perly meddle with Fundamental Laws.
None of thefe Impediments are Na¬
tural, but did arife as the irregularity
of Buildings do, by being built, part
at one time, and part at another; and
by the changing of the flate of things,
from what they were at the refpective
times, when the Practices we complain
of, were firft admitted, and perhaps,
are but the warpings of time, from the
re&itude of the firft Inftitution.
As thefe Impediments are contin¬
gent, fo they arealfo removeable ; for
may not the Land of fuperfluous Ter¬
ritories be fold, and the People with
their moveables brought away ? May
not the Englifh in the America Planta¬
tions (who Plant Tobacco, Sugar, &c.)
compute what Land will ferve their
turn, and then contra# their Habitati¬
ons to that proportion, both for quan¬
tity and quality ? as for the People of
New-England\ I can but vvilh they were
Tranfplanted into Old England, or Ire
land (according to Propofals of their
own, made within this twenty years)
although they were allowed more liber¬
ty of Confcience, than they allow one
another.
May
C 95 3
May not the three Kingdoms be Uni¬
ted into ono> and equally reprefented in
Parliament ? Might not the feveral Spe¬
cies of the Kings Subjects, be equally
mixt in their Habitations? Might not
the Parifhes, and other PrecinCts be
better equalized? Might not JurifdiCti-
ons, and pretences of Power, be de¬
termined and afcertaincd ? Might not
the Taxes be equally applotted, and di¬
rectly applied to their ultimate ufe ?
Might not Diflcnters in Religion be
indulged, they paying a competent
Force to keep the Publick Peace ? I
Humbly venture to fay, all thefe things
may be done, if it be fo thought fit
by the Sovereign Power, becaufe the
like hath often been done already, at
feveral Places and Times.
vox*"
■ ♦ -si • r < *
Chap.
■ • • • - • * ' • - - »
Chap. VI.
That the Power and Wealth of England
hath increafed this lajl forty years.
ManyTer- TT is not much to be doubted, but
havcbeen A t^iat c^e Territories under the Kings
added to Dominions have increafed 3 Forafmuch
England as New-England, Virginia, Barbadoes,
SS^and Jamaica, Tangier, and Bumlay%
years, and have fince that time, been either ad -
many im- fed to his Majefties Territories, or im-
ments proved from a Defart condition, to a-
made. bound with People, Buildings, Ship¬
ping, and the Produftion of many ufe-
ful Commodities. And as for the Land
of England, Scotland\ and Ireland, as it
is not lefs in quantity, than it was forty
years fince; fo it is manifeft that by
reafon of the Dreyning of Fens, water¬
ing of dry Grounds, improving of For-
,refls9 and Commons, making of Hea¬
thy and Barren Grounds, to bear Saint-
foyne , and Clovergrajs ; meliorating #
and multiplying feveral forts of Fruits,
and
[ 97 ]
and Gardcn-Stuffe, making fome Ri¬
vers Navigable, &c. I (ay it is mani-
fed, that the Land in its prefent Con¬
dition , is able to bear more Providon,
and Commodities, than it was forty
years ago.
Secondly, Although the People in
England, Scotland, and Ireland, which
have extraordinarily perilhcd by the
Plague, and Sword, within this lad
forty years, do amount to about three
hundred thoufand , above what have
dyed in the ordinary way ; yet the
ordinary increafc by Generation of ten
Millions, which doubles in two hundred
years, as hath been fliewn by the Ob-
fervators upon the Bills of Mortality,
may in forty years (which is a fifth
part of the fame time) have incrcafed
f part of the whole number, or two
Millions. Where note by the way, that
the acceffion of Negroes to the Ameri¬
can Plantations (being all Men of great
Labour and little Expcnce) is not in-
confiderablc; befides it is hoped that
New-England\ where few or no Women
arc Barren, and mod have many Chil¬
dren, and where People live long, and
healthfully, hath produced an increafe
H of
C?8]
of as many People, as were deftroyed
in the late Tumults in Ireland.
The Hou- As for Houfing, the Streets of
Lmdm don it fclf fpeaks it, I conceive it is
doubled in double in value in that City, to what
value. ,t wa§ forty years fince, and for
Houfing in the Country, they have in-
creafed, at Newcaf Nor¬
wich, Exeter, Por Cowes, Dub¬
lin, Kingfaile, Londonderry, and Cole-
raine in Ireland, far beyond the propor¬
tion of what I can learn have been di¬
lapidated in other places. For in Ire¬
land where the ruin was greateft, the
Houfing (taking all together) is now
more valuable than forty years ago,
nor is this to be donbted, fince Houfing
is now more fplendid, than in thofe
days, and the number of Dwellers is
increafed, by near f part; as in the laft
Paragraph is fet fort.
The ship- As for Shipping, his Majefties Navy
Kuci/Irf- is now tr'P'e» or quadruple, to what it
creafed was forty years fince, and before the
with the Sovereign was Built; the Shipping
Trading to Newcajlle, which are now
about eighty thoufand Tuns, could not
be then above a quarter of that quan¬
tity. Firft, Becaufe the City of London,
is
Reafons
thereof.
C 993
is doubled, z. Becaufc the ufe of Coals
is alfo at lcalt doubled , becaufc they
were heretofore feldom ufed in Cham¬
bers, as now they are, nor were there
fo many Bricks burned with them as
of late, nor did the Country on both
fides the Thames, make ufe of them as
now. Bcfidcs there are employed in the
Guinny and American Trade, above forty
thoufand Tun of Shipping per annum ;
which Trade in thofe days was incon-
fiderable* The quantity of Wines Im¬
ported was not near fo much as now;
and to befliorr, the Cuftomsupon Im¬
ported , and Exported Commodities,
did not then yield a third part of the
prefent value ; which lhcws that not
only Shipping, but Trade it fclf hath
increafed, fomewhat near that propor¬
tion.
As to Mony, the Intcrefl: thereof was intereft of
within this fifty years, at 10 I. per Cent. a\
c or j ^ / bated near
forty years ago, at o /. and now at 6 /-half.
no thanks to any Laws which have
been made to that purpofe, forafmuch
as thole who can give good fecurity,
may now have it at lefs: But the na¬
tural fall of Intcrefl:, is the effedl of the
increafe of Mony.
H ft
[ too]
Moreover if rented Lands, and Houfes,
have increafed; and if Trade hath in- ~
creafed alfo, it is certain that mony
which payeth thofe Rents, and driveth
on Trade, rauft have increafed alfo.
Laftly, Ileave it to the confideration
of all Obfervers, whether the number, o
and fplendor of Coaches, Equipage, and jit,
Houfbold Fueniture, hath not increafed, kfm
fince that time; to fay nothing of the ml fori
Poftage of Letters, which have in-
created from one to twenty, which ar- mt, I
gues the increate of Bufinefs, and Ne- wjf i
Mony and gotiation. I might add that his Ma- htif
the Pub- jeflies Revenue is near tripled, and
venue^n- theref°re c^e means to pay, and bear npO d
created, the fame, have increafed alfo, [ out
itdH
been t
to which !
_ _ tbn the
tarnetU
of fuch:
out Via
lote the
CHAP, jtrm
the vaV
few
[ 101 ]
Chap. VII.
* " - - , . .
That one tenth part of the whole Ex-
pence, of the King of England's Sub¬
jects, is fufficient to maintain ten
thoufand Foot, forty thoufand Horfe,
and forty thoufand Men at Sea; and
def ray all other Charges of the Govern¬
ment, both Ordinary and Extraordi-
nary, if the fame were regularly
Taxed, and Raifed.
TO clear this Point, we are to find ^ntee^'
out, what is the middle expence [jjfmedi-
of each Head in the Kings Dominions, umofEx-
between the higheft and the loweft;
, . , , r P . ... , r each Head
to which I lay it is not probably lcls,in Eng-
than the expence of a Labourer, who
earneth about 8 d. a day; for the Wages
of fuch a Man is 4 s. per week with¬
out Viftuals, or z s. with it 5 where¬
fore the value of his Victuals is 2 x.
per week, or 5 /. 4 s. per annum : Now
the value of Clothes cannot belefs than
the Wages given to the poorcft Maid-
H 3 Servant
C l0i 3
Servant in the Country, which is 30 r.
per annum, nor can the charge of all
other Neceflaries, be lefs than 6 s. per
annum more; wherefore the whole charge
is 7/.
It is not likely that this Difcourfe
will fall into the hands of any that live
at 7 I. per annum, and therefore fuch
will wonder at this fuppofition : But if
they confider how much the number of
the Poor, and their Children, is greater
than that of the Rich; although the
perfonal expence of fome Rich Men,
ihould be twenty times more than that
of a Labourer ; yet the expence of the
Labonrer above mentioned, may well e-
nough ftand for the Standard of the Ex-
pence , of the whole mafs of Mankind.
Now if the expence of each Man,
one with another, be 7 I. per annumy
and if the number of the Kings Subje&s,
be ten Millions, then the tenth part of
the whole expence, will be feven Mil¬
lions; but about five Millions, or a ve-
ry little more, will amount to one years
pay for one hundred thoufand Foot,
forty thoufand Hotfe, and forty thou¬
fand Men at Sea, Winter and Sum¬
mer; which can rarely be necefiary.
And
C ">3 3
And the ordinary charge of the Govern¬
ment, in times of deep, and ferene
Peace, was not 600000/. per annum.
Where a People thrive, there the in¬
come is greater than the expence, and
confcquently the tenth part of the ex-
pence is not a tenth part of the in
come; now for Men to pay a tenth of
their expence, in a time of the greateft
exegency (for fuch it mult be when fo
great Forces arc rcquifitej can be no
hardfhip, much lefs a deplorable con¬
dition, for to bear the tenth part, a
Man needs fpend but a twentieth part
lefs, and labour a twentieth part more,
or half an hour per diem extraordinary,
both which within Common Experience
arc very tolerable ; there being very few
in England, who do not eat by a twen¬
tieth part more than docs them good ;
and what mifcry were it, in Head of
wearing Cloth of 20 5. per Yard, to be
contented with that ot 19 s. few Men
having skill enough to difcern the dif¬
ference.
Memorandum, That all this while I
fuppofe, that all of thefe ten Millions
of People, are obedient to their Sove¬
reign, and within the reach of his power;
H 4 for
I 104 ]
for as things are otherwife, fo the Cal¬
culation mull be varied.
Chap. VIII.
That there are /pare Hands enough a-
mong the King of England's Subjefts,
to earn two Millions per annum more
than they now do; and that there are
alfo Employments, ready, proper, and
fuffiaent, for that purptfe.
TO prove this Point we muft en¬
quire, how much all the People
could earn, ir the were difpofed, or ne-
ceffitated to labour, and had Work
whereupon to employ themfelves; and
compare that fumm, which that of the
Total expence above mentioned ; de¬
ducting the Rents, and Profits of their
Land, and Stock, which properly fpeak- 5s.
ing, faveth fo much Labour. Now the mic
proceed of the faid Lands, and Stock in
the Countries, is about three parts of
feven , of the whole expence; fo as
where the expence is feventy Millions,
the
[ IOJ ]
the Rent of the Land, and the Profit of
all the Perfonal Eftate, Intereft of mo-
ny, ®c. mud be about thirty Millions ;
and consequently, the value of the La¬
bour forty Millions, that is 4 i. per
Head.
But it is to be noted, That about a
auartcr of the Mafs of Mankind, are
Children, Males, and Females, under
feven years old, from whom little Labour
is to bccxpe&cd. It is allb to be noted,
That about another tenth part of the
whole People, are fuch as by reafon of
their great FJlates, Titles, Dignities,
Offices , and Frofeffions , are exempt
from that kind of Labour we now lpeak
of; their bufincfs being, or ought to be,
to Govern, Regulate, and Diretl, the
Labours, and Actions of others. So
that of ten Millions, there may be about
fix Millions and an half, which (if need
require) might a&ualiy Labour: And of
thefe fome might earn 3 s.per week, fome
5 s. and fome 7 j. That is all or them
might earn 5 s. per week at a Medium
one with another; or at lead 10/. per
annum, (allowing forficknefs, and other
accidents ;) whereby the whole might
earn fixty five Millions per annum, that
[ xo6 ]
is twenty five more than the ex-
pence.
The Author of the State of England,
fays that the Child/en of Norwich, be¬
tween fix and fixteen years old, do earn
12000/. per annum, more than they
fpend. Now forafmuch as the People of
Norwich, are a three hundredth part of
all the People of England\ as appears by
the Accompts of the Hearth mony; and
about a five hundredth part, of all the
Kings Subje&s throughout the World 5
it follows that all his Majefties Subjefrs,
between fix and fixteen years old, might
earn five Millions per annum more than
they fpend.
Again, forafmuch as the number of
People, above fixteen years old , are
double the number, of thofe between
fix and fixteen; and that each of the
Men can earn double to each of the
Children; it is plain that if the Men and
Children every where did do as they do
in Norwich, they might earn twenty five
Millions per arm. more than they fpend;
which ellimate grounded upon matter of
Fa£t and Experience, agrees with the
former.
Although
'X
C 1°7]
Although as hath been proved, the
People o( England do thrive, and that
it is poflible they might Superlucrate
twenty five Millions per annum ; yet it
is manifeft that they do not, nor twenty
three, which is lefs by the two Millions
herein meant ; for if they did Superlu¬
crate twenty three Millions, then in
about five or fix years time, the whole
Stock, and Perfonal Eftate of the Na¬
tion would be doubled, which I wilh
were true, but find no manner of realbn
to believe; wherefore if they can Su¬
perlucrate twenty five , but do not
aftually Superlucrate twenty three, nor
twenty, nor ten, nor perhaps five, I have
then proved what was propounded; viz.
That there are fparc Hands among the
Kings Subjctts, to earn two Millions
more than they do.
But to fpeak a little more particu¬
larly concerning this matter : It is to be
noted that fince the Fire of London,
there was earned in four years by
Tradefmen, (relating to Building onlyj
the fumm ol four Millions; viz. one
Million per annum, without leflening
any other fort of Work, Labour, or
Manufafture, which was ufually done in
any
[ «o8 ]
any other four years before the faid occa-
fion. But if the Tradefmen relating to
Building only, andfuchof them only as
wrought in and about London, could do
one Million worth of Work extraordi¬
nary; I think that from thence, and
from what hath been faid before, all
the reft of the fpare Hands , might
very well double the fame, which is as
much as was propounded.
Now if there were fpare Hands to
Superlucrate Millions of Millions, they
fignifie nothing unlefs there were Em¬
ployment for them; and may as well
follow their Pleafures, and Speculati¬
ons, as Labour to no purpofe; there¬
fore the more material Point is, to prove
that there is two Millions worth of
Work to be done, which at prefent the
Kings Subjefts donegleft.
For the proof of this there needs lit¬
tle more to be done, than to compute
How much mony is paid, by the King
of England's Subjefts, to Foreigners
for Freights of Shipping. 2, How much
the Hollanders gain by their Fifbing
Trade, praftifed upon our Seas. j. What
the value is of all the Commodities, Im¬
ported into, and fpent in England; which
might
[ ,09 3
might by diligence be produced, and
Manufactured here. To make fhort of
this matter, upon pcrufal of the moft
Authentick Accompts, relating to thefe
fevcral particulars, I affirm that the
fame amounteth to above five Millions,
whereas I proponnded but two Milli¬
ons.
For a further proof whereof Mr. Sa¬
muel For try in his ingenious Difcourfc
of Trade,exhibits the particulars, where¬
in it appears, that the Goods Imported
out of France only, amount yearly to
two Millions fix hundred thoufand
pounds. And I affirm, That the Wine,
Paper, Corke, Rozen, Capers, and a
few other Commodities, which England
cannot produce, do not amount to one
fifth part of the faid fumm. From whence
it follows, that (if Mr. For try hath not
erred) the two Millions here men¬
tioned , may arife from France alone;
and confequently five or fix Millions,
from all the three Heads lafl above
fpecified.
Ch a pi
C 3
chap, ix.
7'hat there is Mony fufficient to drive
the Trade of the Nation.
Since his Majefties happy Reftanrati-
oh, it was thought fit to call in,
and new Coin the mony, which was
made in the times of Vfurpation. Now
it was obferved by the general confent
of Calhiers, that the faid mony (being
by frequent Revolutions well mixed
with old) was about a feventh part
thereof; and that the faid mony being
called in, was about 8000001, and con-
fequently the whole five Millions fix
hundred thoufand pound. Whereby it
is probable that (fome allowance being
given for hoarded mony) the whole
Cafh of x England was then about fix
Millions, which I conceive is fufficient
to drive the Trade of England, not
doubting but the reft of his Majefties
Dominions have the like means to do
the fame refpe&ively.
C"i]
If xhcrc be fix Millions of Souls in
England, and that each fpendeth yL
per annum, than the whole cxpence
is forty two Millions, or about eight
hundred thoufand pound per week; and
confcquently, if every Man did pay his
expence weekly, and that the mony
could circulate within the compafs of
a week, then lefs than one Million
would anfwer the ends propofed. But
forafmuch as the Rents of the Lands in
England (which are paid half yearly)
are eight Millions per annum 5 there
mud be four Millions to pay them.
And forafmuch as the Rent of the
Houfing of England\ paid quarterly,
are worth about four Millions per ann,
there needs but one Million to pay the
faid Rents;-wherefore fix Millions be-
ifig enough to make good the three
forts of Circulations above mentioned,
I conceive what was propofed, is com¬
petently proved, at leaft until fomc-
thing better be held forth to the con¬
trary.
Chap
[»»]
- ■
C H A P. X.
That the King of England^ Subjetts,
have Stock competent and conveni¬
ent, drive the 'trade of the whole
Commercial World.
NOW for the further incouragement
of Trade, as we have fhewn that
there is mony enough in England to
manage the Affairs thereof; fo we (hall
now offer to confederation, whether
there be not a competent, and conveni¬
ent Stock to drive the Trade of the
whole Commercial World. To which
purpofe it is to be remembred, That all
the Commodities, yearly Exported out
of every part of the laft mentioned
World, may be bought for forty five
Millions; and that the Shipping em¬
ployed in the fame World, are nor worth
above fifteeen Millions more, and con-
fequently, that fixty Millions at rnoft,
would drive the whole Trade above
mentioned, without any truft at all.
^ ut
["J]
but forafmuch as the growers of Com¬
modities, do commonly truft them to
fuch Merchants or Faftors, as arc worth
but fuch a part of the full value of their
Commodities, as may pollibly be loft
upon the faleof them, whereas gain is
rather to be expeited; it follows that
lefs than a Stock of fixty Millions, nay
lefs than half of the fame fumm, is luf-
ficicnt to drive the Trade above menti¬
oned : It being well known that any
Tradefman of good Reputation worth
500/. will be truflcd with above toco/,
worth of Commodities : Wherefore lefs
than thirty Millions, will fufficc for the
faid purpofe; of which lumm, thcCoin,
Shipping, and Stock,, already in Trade,
do at leaft make one half.
And it hath been (hewn, how by the
Policy of a Bank, any fumm of mony
may be made equivalent in Trade, unto
near double of the lame; by all which
it feems, that even at prelcnt much is
not wanting, to perform what is pro¬
pounded. But fuppofe twenty Milli¬
ons or more were wanting, it is not
improbable, that fince the generality
of Gentlemen , and fome Noblemen,
do put their younger Sons to Mer-
| chandize;
04]
chandizc, they will fee it reafonable,
as they increafe in the number of Mer¬
chants, fo to increafe the magnitude of
Trade, and confequently to increafe
Stock; which may effe&ually be done,
by inbanking twenty Millions worth
of Land, not being above a fixth or
feventh of the whole Territory of Eng¬
land; (that is to fay) by making a Fond
of fuch value, to be fecurity for all
Commodities, bought and fold upon
the accompt of that ZJniverfal Trade here
mentioned.
And thus it having appeared, that
England having in it, as much Land,
like Holland and Zealand, as the faid
two Provinces do themfelves contain,
with abundance of other Land, not in¬
convenient for Trade; and that there are
fpare Elands enough, to earn many Mil¬
lions of mony, more than they now do,
and that there is alfo Employment to
earn leveral Millions, (even from the
Gonfumption of England it felf ) it fol¬
lows from thence, and from what hath
been faid in the laft Paragraph, about
inlarging of Stock, both of Mony, and
Land; chat it is not impofiible, nay a
very feafible matter, for the King of
England's
C i>5 3
England's Subjefts, to gain the Vniver-
fal Trade of the whole Commercial World.
Nor is it unfeafonable to intimate
this matter, forafmuch as the younger
Brothers, of the good Families of Eng¬
land^ cannot otherwife be provided for,
ib as to live according to their Birth and
Breeding : For if the Lands of England
are worth eight Millions per annum,
then there be at a medium about ten
thoufand Families, of about 800 I. per
annum; in each of which, one with ano¬
ther, we may fuppofe there is a younger
Brother, whom lefs than two or 300/.
per annum will not maintain fuitablc to
his Relations: Now I fay that neither the
Offices at Court, nor Commands in our
ordinary Army and Navy, nor Church
Preferments; nor the ufual Gains by
the Profcflion of the Law, and Phy-
fick; nor the Employments under No¬
blemen, and Prelates; will, all of them
put together, furnifh livelyhoods of a-
bovc 300 /. per annum, to three thoufand
of the faid ten thoufand younger Bro¬
thers : wherefore it remains that Trade
alone muft fupply the reft. But if the
faid feven thoufand Gentlemen, be ap-
plyed to Trade* without increafing of
1 x Trade?
c 1.6 3
Trade; or if we hope to incrcafe Trade,
without increafing of Stock, which for
ought appears is only to be done, by
imbanking a due proportion of Lands,
and Mony ; we mull neceffarily be
difappointed. Where note, that felling
of Lands to Foreigners for Gold and
Silver, would inlarge the Stock of the
Kingdom: Whereas doing the fame be¬
tween one another, doth effect nothing.
For he that turneth all his Land into
Mony, difpofes himfelf for Trade5 and
he that parteth with his Mony for Land,
doth the contrary : But to fell Land to
Foreigners, increafeth both Mony and
People,and confequently Trade. Where¬
fore it is to be thought, that when the
Lavys denying Strangers to Purchafe,
and not permitting them to Trade,
without paying extraordinary Duties,
were made; that then, the publick
State of things, and Intereft of the Na¬
tion, were far different from what they
now are.
Having handled thefe ten Principal
CoYiclufions, I might go on with others,
ad infinitum; But what hath been al¬
ready faid , I look upon as fufficient,
for to fhew what f mean by Political
A'ithmetick 5
C "7]
Arithmetick; and to fliew the ufes of
knowing the true ftate of the People,
Land, Stock, Trade, &c. 2. That the
Kings Subje&s are not in fobad a condi¬
tion, as difcontented Men would make
them. 3. To fhew the great effed of
Vnity, indujlry, and oledience, in order
to the Common Safety, and each Man's
particular happinefs.
FINIS.
Mvertifement,
TH E Geometrical Key, or the
Gate of Equations Unlocked, a
new Difcovery of the Conftruftion of
all Equations howfoever afFe&ed, not ex¬
ceeding the fourth Degree, {viz.) of Li-
nears, Quadratics, Cubics, Biquadra¬
tics ; and the finding of all their Roots,
as well Falfe as True, without the ufe
of Mefolabe, Trifeftion of Angles;
without Reduction, Depreffion, or any
other previous preparations of Equati¬
ons by a Circle, and any (and that but
one only) Parable. And this by one only
General Rule, than which a more Sim¬
ple, more Perfect, more General, more
eafie to be underftood, or more fit for
Pra&ice, cannot be devifed, or wifhed
for. Fortified with Demonftrations,
Illuftrated with Figures to Each Equati¬
on, and Exemplified with Numeral E-
quations (according to all the varieties
.of Cafes) adapted to each Figure.
Some
Some BOOI^S lately Printed for
Robert Clavel.
ROman Forgeries in the Councils,
during the firft four Centuries,
together with an Appendix concerning
the Forgeries and Errors in the Annals
of Baronius. By Thomas Cornier, D. D.
Praeccntor of Tork.
A Scholaftical Hiftory of the Primitive
and general ufc of Liturgies in the Chri-
ftian Church, together with an Anfwcr
to Mr. David Clarkjons late Difcourfe
concerning Liturgies , in two Parts in
odtavo. By Thomas Comber, D. D.
Scafonablc Reflcftions on a late Pam
phlet, Entitulcd, A Hiftory of Paftivc
Obedience fince the Reformation,where¬
in the true Notion of PalTivc Obedience
is fctlcd and lecurcd from the maliti
ous Interpretations of ill defigning Men.
The Golden Rule, or the Royal Law
of Equity Explained.
A Sermon Preached before the C mrt
of Aldermen, and City of London, at
Guild'HaM Chappel, on Sunday Decern
ler 16.1688. Both by jf .Goodman^ D. D.
An Account of the Tranlaftions of the
Late King James in Ireland; wherein is
contained the Aft of Attainder paft at
Dullin'm May 1689. Asalfo the Procla¬
mation for Raifing Twenty thoufand
Pounds per menfem5 without an Aft of
Parliament, with other Proclamations,
and Afts made there.
A Lift of fuch of the Names of the
Nobility, Gentry, and Commonalty of
England and Ireland, (amongft whom
are feveral Women and Children) who
are all by an Aft of a Pretended Parlia¬
ment, aftembled in Dublin in the King¬
dom of Ireland\ the 7th of May 1689.
before the Late King James, Attainted
of High Treafon. Both Licenfed by
Command of His Mejefties Principal Se¬
cretary of State.
The Life of the Right Reverend Fa¬
ther in God, Edward Rainbow, D.D. late
Lord Bifliop of Carlifle : to whieh is ad¬
ded a Sermon Preached at his Funer¬
al by Thomas Tulley, his Lord/hips
Chaplain , and Chancellor of the faid
Diocefs of Carlifley at Dalfton,