CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

XLI.

MADAM,

'TIs now become a fashion for men to brag of their Fortunes or Estates, to get Credit, as to Borrow, or run on the Score, for they think if Trades-men believe they are able to Pay, they will be willing to Trust, and if they can get Trust, they'l spend as long as their Credit will last, and when they ow Most, they bear up Highest, for Tradesmen for fear of Losing what they have Trusted or Lent, will Trust or Lend more in hope to be paid All at last, so as they fling the Handle after the Hatchet; and whereas at first the Borrowers are Humble to get Cre∣dit, at last the Creditors become Humble Pe∣titioners for their Own, and VVait for an Answer

with their Caps in their hands, and the Borrower, like a proud Favorite, will hard∣ly be Seen or Spoken to, nay, when he vouchsafes them his Presence and An∣swer, he gives them VVords for Pay, and Promises more than he is able to Perform, and sometimes they have Frowns and Checks, for being so Presumptuous to Come before they were Sent for, or so Bold to Ask for what was justly Owing them; But cer∣tainly Creditors deserve good VVords for their good Deeds, though they can get no Mony for their VVares. But in these needy times Tradesmen must venture to Trust, or else they will hardly put off their Commodi∣ties, for where one payes ready Mony, five, nay twenty, run on the Score; the reason is, there is not so much Mony in Specie, not in all Europe, nay, in the VVorld, as to pay readily for all that is Bought, for there are more Commodities than Mony, I may say, more Paper than Mony, for Paper and Parchment payes more than Mony; a little Mony sprinkled amongst many Bills and Bonds, keeps up Commerce and Trading throughout the VVorld, more than Ex∣change of Commodities doth. But those live most at Ease that Borrow not, and those that Lend not have the most Friends, for ther's an old Saying, Lend your Mony, and Lose your Friend; the truth is, a man shall soon∣er lose a Friend with a Debt, than get a Friend

by a Gift. But leaving Debts and Gifts to the Poor and the Rich, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and Servant.