The Preface.

A Short Work needs little Pre∣face, and this Work is both short and slender, so as it may be easie to make a Gate large enough for the City it self to run out at. A Iourney cannot be too little, nor the Way too plain, for a person of Body tyred, and Spirits spent by past tra∣vell; and I may well professe my Page  [unnumbered] self such, having in my dayes galop∣ped so many Post-stages. In the prime of my youth I past (or rather lost) some few years at the Vniversity of Cambridge. Then I came to have a tast of the Court, but my Father soon called me from thence, knowing by dear experience the Air of that place to be such, as few elder Bro∣thers can long breath there without falling into a Consumption. After∣wards I lived with my Parents at their London habitation, and ha∣ving no employment I surfeited of Idlenesse, taking my pastime with some of the most corrupt young men Page  [unnumbered] of those dayes. By Gods grace I quickly found this unfit for continu∣ance, and therefore I prevailed with my Father to send me beyond Sea to travel, where in lesse then two years I had a view of the best part of Italy, France, and Spain, being present at Madrid and Paris, when the several Marriages for our then Prince of Wales were treated on in those Courts, and so I became a partial witnesse of the artifices, and uncertainty of such Negotiations. From thence I was employed as a Soldier in Holland, about three years, Commanding a Foot Company Page  [unnumbered] in our Sovereigns Pay. And there I ran hazard again of being lost in debauchery, and especially in the Vice-rampant of that People. But by Gods grace I came home scot-free, though I served under a Scotch Colonel. Then I became a Married man, and was speedily called to Publick affairs, being elected to four successive Parliaments, where the Service and approaches were ex∣cessive chargeable, and of no profit as to my particular. One of these was that fatal Parliament which set the whole Kingdom on fire, seeking to enervate or unsinue all Govern∣ment, Page  [unnumbered] and that it might the better be effected, divers of us their Mem∣bers were by Club-law forced from our station. Yet it pleased God (e∣ven by that Parliament) when we were re-admitted) to put all again in such a way, as the old Government was perfectly restored in a succeed∣ing Assembly. Then I made my full retreat into the Countrey, which re∣newed my experience in businesses re∣lating to that course of life; and now at last I am come to reside at the chief Mansion-house of our Family, where I have no other ambition then to end my dayes with a peaceable Page  [unnumbered] and pious dissolution; So much of my self tyred and retired, which I may well be, since the World can scarcely shew me any thing new. Now a word or two about my approaches to this little Inventary: Being o∣vertaken with old Age, and by divers infirmities rendred unfit for action, I entertain my self frequently by turn∣ing over old Books (whereof I have good store in several Languages) without any fixed Study, and among them I lately perused one, consisting of certain politick and prudential Considerations, written by three di∣stinct Italian Authors in an articu∣lar Page  [unnumbered] way, and as I was reading, it fell into my thoughts, that the same might profitably be done in Oeco∣nomicks, which is a path not much travelled in. Thence I took occa∣sion, to turn my meditations that way, and having spent same little time therein, I put my materials together, and so this small Work received being, without any further trouble by way of Method. As for the Subject, though not of any sublime consideration, I conceived it fitter for me to embrace, then N•tes in Po∣litick Government, as not having coversed sufficiently with Sovereign Page  [unnumbered] Princes, and taking it to be a high presumption for private persons to give them instructions. Yet the go∣vernment of private Families may be considerable even with Princes, because their Principalities are com∣posed of Families, and they who are known to have well governed their private fortunes, are the rather judg∣ed fit for Publick Offices. Oeco∣nomy is a subject, that entertain∣ed the Pen of Learned Aristotle himself, but it yieldeth little occasi∣on for pleasant conceits or curious terms, wherefore I must advise all persons of nimble fancy, to forbear Page  [unnumbered] reading, least it become a kind of tor∣ture to them; happy it is for this Dis∣course, that it came into the World so seasonably; for never was there more need of good menagery then now, at a time when Revenues of the Gentry are fallen beyond what could have been imagined of late years, and they are most likely to continue so, if not to incur a farther diminution. I meddle not with small Families, which are concerned in the mysteries of Agriculture and petty Huswifery, matters no way suitable to my mind or experience; and there was no need, for divers persons of peculiar know∣ledge Page  [unnumbered] in those matters have written of them. But it may be demanded, why I, having been so great a strag∣gler, do undertake to give Rules in Oeconomy? To which I answer, That at times I have been a House∣keeper a great part of my dayes, and more especially in these my latter years, at which time Men are accu∣stomed to take matters into conside∣ration more maturely, then when distracted with pleasures of youth. Indeed my nature is not so perverse, but I receive great contentment in being beneficial to others, for In mi∣nimis prodesse juvat, better do Page  [unnumbered] a little good, then none at all. Nei∣ther am I so ill opinioned of this my Brains production, as to think it al∣together uselesse, and therefore such as it is, like a Knight errant, it shall travel about to seek adventures.

Perhaps it may yield assistance somewhere; and so I leave it to its fortune. I expect to be Censured in all, and not to escape in this Intro∣duction, as having said too much of my Self, and too little of Oecono∣my our Subject: But my Face being masked, the blushes cannot appear, and therefore I may content my self to be a patient hearer.