Angliae tutamen, or, The safety of England being an account of the banks, lotteries, mines, diving, draining, lifting, and other engines, and many pernicious projects now on foot tending to the destruction of trade and commerce, and the impoverishing this realm : with reflections thereon of great import to all sorts of people / by a person of honour.

ANGLIAE TUTAMEN: OR, THE Safety of England.

THAT Commerce is the Soul of the Uni∣verse, and the Life of these Three Sister-Islands, England, Scotland, and Ireland; in their Situation the happiest in the World, renown'd for the Courage of their Men, and secur'd by the Strength of their Shipping, envied and fear'd by their Neighbours, is well known to every Body; and therefore in the Preservation and Improve∣ment of their Commerce consists their greatest Safety and Glory: Commerce is the Fountain of Wealth, the true Foundation of all real Greatness. Our Inland Trade also ought to be provided for, and encourag'd with all imaginable Care and Caution; ill Practices and Abuses at home prevented or suppress'd, as well as our Navigation secur'd abroad.

Our chief Aim is to advance Honesty, now in its Declension, and to discourage Knavery, now in Vogue and Practice, which has impudently assum'd another Name, foul Dealers calling themselves Shrew'd Men,

Long Heads, and Mercurialists; as if Wisdom or Wit consisted in Sharping and Over-reaching each other. It is pity Cozening and Cheating should be in the As∣cendent with Negotiators, seeing that clear and round Dealing is so much an Honour to Man's Nature: The first, in the end, proves fatal and destructive to all Commerce, both Foreign and Domestick: The latter being found, after stanch Experience, to be the best Interest, and truest Policy.

A fair and clear Discovery of many crafty Cheats, and villainous Knaveries, will be of vast Advantage to the Publick, in preserving each Individual from the Rock on which so many have split, and been undone. This Treatise will serve for a Buoy or Mark to the Nation, to beware how they are wheedled and drawn into these pernicious Projects following, viz. Banks-National, Land, Money, Paper or Notes, Orphans, &c. now on foot, and more preparing; Companies for Mines of Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Lead, Iron, Antimony, Lapis Calaminaris, &c. Coals, Salt-Rock, and other En∣gines innumerable; Diving of many sorts, to fish up Wreck, Guns, Tackle, Treasure, Merchandize, &c. Dip∣ping, Japanning, Glass-Bottles, Venetian-Metal, Leather, Linen English, Scotch, New Jersey; Paper White, Blue, English, Irish; Japann'd, Printed-Hangings, Pearl-fish∣ing, Salt-Petre, Sword-Blades; Waters of the New Ri∣ver, Conduit, Thames, Hampstead, Shadwell, &c. Wrecks, South-Sea, Coasts of Spain, Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Holland; Lifting-Engines, Draw∣ing-Engines, of several kinds, for Mears, Marshes, Inun∣dations, Mines of all sorts, &c. Lutestring-Company, Lotteries for Money or Merchandize; New Settlements in Carolina, Pensilvania, and Tobago, and other Parts;

Convex-Lights, and others; Fisheries Royal and Pri∣vate; Corporations or Companies of many kinds; Pa∣tents, Leases, Grants, &c. With some few more Projects now in Agitation.

I shall not pretend to observe any strict Method in the Prosecution of this Design, Order and Conduct be∣ing almost out of Fashion, at least among Men of Busi∣ness, though it yet remains in Force and Esteem a∣mongst Soldiers and Scholars; Martialists and Mercu∣rialists always keep a Decorum, and, indeed, retain a true Sense of Honour and Honesty, and have it always in their view; whereas the Traders make no great Pre∣tensions to either, having long since abandon'd both.

And although I did not mention the Bank of Eng∣land, yet I shall dare to have one fling at that, not∣withstanding 'tis so strongly entrench'd and fortified, and so thinks it self secure against all Attempts of open Force, or private Stratagem; Artifice won't do, but Ar∣gument may; and those that touch Men in their most sensible Parts, their Pockets, usually make the deepest and most durable Impression upon them.

This Bank was to the Amazement of our selves, as well as Astonishment of our Enemies, (the French) compleated in less time than could have been imagin'd; and, if the fix'd Summ had been double, it would have been all subscrib'd. We shall applaud the Wisdom of our Senate in the Establishment of it, to answer the Emergencies of the State, (now involv'd in a doubtful and difficult War,) and we shall please our selves with a grateful Reflection on the Wealth of our Kingdom, which appear'd eminently great at that time; and the more, because a Million-Lottery was also then on foot.

Yet even this glorious Bank, as much as it dazles our Eyes, has its real Inconveniences, (and so, you may say, will all Humane Establishments have,) and those very great ones too, not feign'd or suppos'd, (for we speak without the least Prejudice or Partiality) but sub∣stantial and true ones, and such as are visible, and have been (and will be more and more every Day) found very detrimental to Trade; it has given a mighty damp to Commerce, which is (as I said before) the Life and Soul, the very Being of this Nation, by cutting off, at one Blow, all Personal Securities, which was the main Help and Support of the Trading-Part of this Realm. It must be confessed this Bank has its Excellencies; for, besides what have been already mention'd, it has al∣most crush'd several sorts of Blood-suckers, mere Ver∣min, Usurers and Gripers, Goldsmiths, Tally-Jobbers, Exchequer-Brokers, and Knavish Money-Scriveners, and Pawn-Brokers, with their Twenty and Thirty per Cent. at their Girdles, Procurations and Continuations, and the rest of that Fardel. The good Conduct and fair Management of this Bank, by Men of the best Heads and fairest Reputation, does in some Measure atone for some of the Defects.

'Tis not to be thought this Bank, as much as they pre∣tend to be for the Publick Good, will let their Money lie idly in their Chests, for which they pay Three per Cent. or be contented with so small a Gain as one and a half or two per Cent. but rather will fall upon Mono∣polies, engrocing of Merchandize, clandestinely ma∣nag'd, and secretly carried on in other Mens Names, be∣cause 'tis against the Letter of their Establishment, through which they'll wade, when Prospect of great Profit presents; and it being to be shared amongst them∣selves,

'tis not to be expected they should (like lawless Robbers) fall out, tell Tales, and impeach each other. By this means, I say, by the vast Summs they have al∣ways ready by them, they'll break in upon other Mens Trade and Business, their Livelyhood, nay, their very Property, being under Regulations in Bodies Politick, fenced by Law. Hence Bankrupts and Destruction of Families ensue, the merciless English Laws making no Provision (as in other Countries) for those unhappy Persons, but Prison or Payment of Debts, to them im∣possible. All Trade lying open, and in common, would be of more certain Utility than inclos'd and incorpo∣rated; which has been, and is, fatal to this poor King∣dom, exhausted by many Methods, of which I shall treat in their proper Place.

Alas! the great Dividends the Bank has already made, and is preparing to make, and the hopeful and pro∣sperous Condition (to use their own Words) their Affairs are in, speak plainly, and tell all the World in honest En∣glish, that one Part of the Nation preys upon t'other; the mighty Gains that have arisen to them, since their Establishment, being no less than Twenty per Cent. must be a Loss somewhere, for 'tis all within our selves; and though Banks may very well be compar'd to ravenous Birds, yet in this they exceed them, the Vultures them∣selves not preying upon each other. We are all of one Nation, and if we could extract Profits from Foreigners 'twould do well, but from one another, enriches not the Publick one jot; for Native Wealth, though fairly sprink∣led among the Individuals, and great in the whole, can never render a Kingdom or State so Considerable at home, and formidable abroad, as Domestick Riches aug∣mented and improv'd by Foreign Commerce; though

'tis not Importation but Exportation inriches a Nation; 'tis not what is consumed among our selves, nor are Ex∣travagants of such Advantage to a Commonwealth, as some weak People think and affirm: I say, 'tis not what we eat, drink, or wear, or use otherways, at home, ei∣ther of our own, or Foreign Produce, that is benefi∣cial to us, but the sending abroad vast Quantities of home-made Cloths, Stuffs, Serges, Worsteds, Camblets, Silks, Brocades, Linens of various sorts, Stockins of Silk, Worsted, Yarn, and Cotton, Gloves of the same; Caps, Hats, Shooes, Boots, Saddles, Bridles; and, in a word, all sort of English Manufactures, and bringing in the Produce of other Countries in part, or Bullion, or Coin, or good Debts remaining, 'tis this that turns to the best Ac∣compt; therefore the West is much better for us than the East-India Trade; one wonderfully inriches, t'other mightily impoverishes us: The first by Employing thou∣sands of Poor, and making Multitudes of Rich much Wealthier; the t'other by draining us of what we want most, viz. Gold and Silver, which they send thither to a vast value, which in time must make the East-Indies the richest Spot in the World; very little or none of our Manufactures go thither: And what have we in re∣turn for our Bullion and Coin? but what we want not, but may very well be without: 'Tis only what grati∣fies the Pride, Folly, and Luxury of the Age; which is always fondest of what is dearest, and is fetch'd farthest; valuing things according to the Price and Vogue, not Use and Service.

Besides, those Voiages murder our Sea-men, (our chiefest Strength) hardly one in five returning alive, or at least not found; nor can all the Benefits which we are told arise by that Commerce, atone for the Damage

we visibly sustain by it; 'tis apparently the Interest of the Indian Princes to encourage and court us to Trade with them, because we fetch their numberless Manufactures, painted Toies, and brittle Earth, and pay our vital Blood for 'em, our Lives, our Gold and Silver.

But one word more to the Bank of England, before I make an end of that Head: Since their Establishment, there has been a sensible Decay and Declension of our Inland Trade, known to the greatest Part of the Nati∣on, and may be attested by an Army of Witnesses, ma∣ny of them, to their Sorrow, in the Temple, Alsatia, and the Mint: And thus much may be said, without consult∣ing any Oracle, if we get happily out of this War, they will not be long liv'd, I mean, hardly ever renew their Leases, never more be confirm'd by Parliament, but the State-Debt paid in, and they dissolv'd: They hoard up all the good, and pay out the bad Money; they cause the Rise and Fall of Moneys at their Pleasure, which occasions Difficulty and Incertainty in Trade: And this is so well known, that 'tis past all Contest, or Con∣tradiction.

And now for the National Land-Bank, which stands so high in Fame, and makes so great a Noise in the World, is so Charming and Attractive, that Estates to a very great value have been subscrib'd in the several Counties of England and Wales, in a very short space, in much less time than was expected; besides, vast Summs of Money, a Committee and Trustees being cho∣sen, a Deed agreed on and settled, a Company form'd, Directors appointed, Officers elected, and all Things dispos'd to put this wonderful Project in Execution, to raise Lands to thirty Years Purchase, by reducing Mo∣ney to three per Cent. the Profits to be divided amongst

the Subscribers. These Offers are plausible and speci∣ous, varnish'd and gilded over, baited with mighty Hopes of prodigious Gains to all that shall be concern'd, to some, no doubt, there will be, viz. to the Projectors, Managers, and Officers; but, it is such a Hotch-Potch and Medley, such a Body, made up of such strange Members, subtil, politick and designing Men, that all pretend the Good of the Re-publick only, when that of the Re-private is chiefly intended: The first is pro∣claim'd to tickle and draw in the Easie and the Credu∣lous; but the last design'd from the very beginning; for never did Projector yet aim at any thing so much as his own particular Profit and Interest, though they always pretend the contrary. The fair Face and Out∣side this Bank carries, wins abundance to the Belief of its Design to be Good, but a little time will shew the naked Truth, the Juggle and Imposture will appear, and the Bank fall, to the ruine of many, who will be in∣volv'd and confounded in the Intricacy and Difficulty thereof; the secret and under-hand Intrigues carried on, to cajole and wheedle some to Subscribe, to encourage others; large Promises made of greater than common Profits to such; some Men of Quality, others of Busi∣ness, all of Eminency, prevail'd upon to Countenance the Project, to give Life and Reputation to it: These Contrivances, I say, to mention no more, give suffici∣ent Cause of Jealousie and Suspicion, if there were no∣thing else at the bottom; but the Snake lies close, and in its due time will stir, hiss, bite and sting the greatest Part concern'd.

The Injuries this, as well as other Banks, will inevi∣tably bring upon the Home-Trade of this Kingdom, and Foreign Commerce too, are so plain, and so obvi∣ous,

that 'twould be but time lost to say any thing more upon that Head: All this and more poor England will find too true, and, I fear, too late. Each petty Ne∣gotiator feels it already in his Business, and in his Cre∣dit, and is sensible 'twill encrease upon him more and more each Day he lives; and the more Banks are esta∣blish'd, the more Damage will Commerce receive in every Branch of it. What I have said, and shall offer further in the following Pages, proceeds from no other Sentiments than what arise from the Love of my Na∣tive Country, whose Prosperity I wish more Passionate∣ly than my own, and for whose Sake and Interest I now draw my Pen, being wholly unconcern'd in Trade, or Banks, or Projects of any kind whatsoever; and so, consequently, what I have already deliver'd, or shall, is void of all sinister Design, private or particular Aim, Revenge, or Resentment; and there are many Pretenders to Publick Good, but no such sincere Pursuers of it as my self.

The Money-Bank follows next, and made a great Noise at first, and fill'd apace with Subscriptions; but now the last mention'd, and this (like two Whores, being both of a Trade) cannot agree, but are conti∣nually pelting one another with Reflections and Wipes, both in Writing and Print, in Letters and Ad∣vertisements, and pretend to Predict the Condition and Fate of each other; which, I believe, they may very well do, without consulting the Stars, or the Pretenders to the Knowledge of their Influence; indeed they them∣selves may best do it, knowing the false and slippery Foundations they are built upon, and the undue Mea∣sures they take to support them, notwithstanding the substantial and solid Security of terra Firma. This

Bank is indeed more Self-interested and Narrow-soul'd than the former, which is more diffusive in their Pro∣fits to every individual Subscriber, who shall snack, whereas the Money here is to be shar'd by the Lenders and Managers only. This Bank differs some small mat∣ter from t'other, but in its Tendency to the Destructi∣on of Trade in general, is of the same Malifick Na∣ture.

The next that presents is of Paper, of Notes, or Bills of Credit, to pass to and fro, from one to another, in lieu of Coin; 'tis said to be impracticable, though the zealous Projector thinks it not so; nay, some say, unin∣telligible, though he denies that also; and threatens if it won't go down here in England, it shall travel to Den∣mark, or France; in the last of which Places, he is sure it will be receiv'd and cherish'd, the Necessity of their Affairs will reduce it speedily into Practice, and the great Soul of that Prince will soon find a Reward for the Projector, suitable to the Greatness and Utility of this wonderful Proposal, which will enable him to Con∣quer all his Neighbours, his Paper holding out longer than their Money.

But good Nature, common Prudence, and love of the Country where he lives, keeps the Projector from un∣bosoming this Secret to Foreign Powers, of which this Kingdom is not (as he says) worthy, because they will not listen to their true Interest, so heartily and chearfully offer'd in this time of their Exigency, in∣volv'd in an expensive Foreign War; which, when it will end, no Man now alive knows, or can make any tolerable Conjecture.

I have no Spleen against this Undertaking, in parti∣cular, having been courted to be a Member, with of∣fers

of advantagious Terms, which I scorn'd and re∣jected; but, I think, this would have a fatal Tendency, and confound rather than benefit us: The chief Design of the Master of this inestimable Jewel being, as I am fully satisfied, to have the Top-Conduct of the Affair, and, besides, a mighty Salary, to have a round Summ for his Service: There is Self-Interest and Advantage at the bottom of all these Designs. The Money-Banks will all fall in upon Monopolies; though, I think, this may not, for Paper will never pass so currently as Coin, without a National, I mean a Parliamentary Security, which, I believe, will hardly ever be obtain'd.

The Orphans Bank, I think, is the next in succession, and in that we will keep the right Line. The Pre∣tences were fair and plausible for the Establishment of this Fund. Compassion and Tenderness to the Poor and the Distressed; indeed thus far it has done Good, it has quicken'd that old Debt; which, though it re∣ceiv'd new Birth from an Act of Parliament, yet it wanted Warmth, Heat and Vigour, which it has gain'd by this means, and the Credit of that Debt is much ad∣vanc'd by this Method; which is a real Good, and com∣mands Applause: But yet even at the bottom of this Charitable, and Pious Project, Self-Interest and Private Profit lies securely entrench'd, and that will be found at the foot of all their Accompts, let them say what they please to the contrary. We shall make the nim∣bler Transition over this, because it has not the shadow, but substance of real Good; and merits our Praise ra∣ther than our Censure, if they keep within due Bounds, without running upon Monopolies; to which they'll be mightily tempted, whenever they find themselves Ma∣sters of much Cash; and they being many of 'em Mer∣chants,

will know how to lay it out to the best Advan∣tage for themselves. The Fate of this, as well as the preceeding Banks, we shall attend with Patience: They are but newly born, just come into the World, do not shew themselves in their proper Colours, or act by their own free Will, but rather under the Tutorage and Protection of others. A little time will shew us the good or the Evil that waits upon them.

But now for the Embryo-Banks, which are begot, but not brought forth; (for these Repositories are as fer∣tile as the Womb, and by mingling Matters procreate, and send forth their like,) what shall we say to them, that are not yet shap'd, or lick'd into form? They are much of the same Nature with the rest, and will dif∣fer when they come into the World nomine tantum. I have been amongst these latter Projectors, and find their Plots all tend the same way, they are like the Au∣thors of the present Age, they write but what was written before, only give the Book a pleasant new Title, which goes a great way in the Sale of it; the greatest part of the World being Soft and Silly, and taken with Sound and Emptiness; the modern Men, I mean, the t'other Sett of Projectors all hug themselves with the glorious Prospect of great Profit, arising from their own dear Notions (as they call them, though they are borrow'd, being but Grafts or Cyans, young Sprouts from an old Tree;) the great Salaries, and the Lumps of ready Money, hugely please them; the living in Committees at the Publick Expence, is no inconsi∣derable Matter, because it saves them so much in the Pocket. These will be pernicious and destructive if ever they come abroad, and therefore should be crush'd, while an Egg only. If, like those Noble, Universal

(not National only) Banks of Venice, Amsterdam, Ge∣noa, Paris, Hamburg, they tended to the Promotion of Trade, and Security of Coin; they would merit an Establishment: Such a one as the Bank of England (the best of them all, our All) has obtain'd; but these are Mushroons, very insipid, without abundance of good Pickle; they come out of Season, and will hardly be worth the Preserving.

The London-Bank, as one is to be call'd, which is now preparing for the Press, that it may appear in Pub∣lick as well as the rest; is of the same Leaven, propos'd to be manag'd by the Principal Magistrates and Chief Citizens, to give Reputation and Encouragement to the Project: But in this the Projectors will infallibly mis∣carry, because the Chamber-Conduct was so bad, and the City yet remains without Credit upon that very score, the poor Orphans Sufferings are still fresh in Me∣mory; and we all very well know that it is very dif∣ficult, nay, almost impossible to retrieve either Publick or Private Reputation, when sunk. Not to go so far back as the Reign of Charles the First, who rashly in a strait seiz'd some Thousands of Pounds, coining in the Tower, belonging to private Hands; and though His Majesty immediately publish'd a Proclamation, to assure them they should have their Principal with In∣terest in a very short time, which they really had, yet that unhappy Prince could never recover his Credit, to be able to borrow any considerable Summ of his Subjects: The like Fate befel his Son and Successor, Charles the Second, in the Exchequer Business, nothing but Parliamentary-Faith could bring him in any Mo∣ney after that ill Accident; although, to do that King Right, he did his utmost to satisfie the Bankers and

their Creditors, and had put it into a good Method, if his Brother James, when he came to the Crown, had not fallen in upon it, and stop'd its Currency; which gave a mighty damp to it; which, notwith∣standing the many struglings it has had since the Re∣volution, (as 'tis generally call'd,) it has not been able to overeome.

I shall conclude this Topick of Banks, with a Di∣sswasive to all People, of all Ranks and Professions, and of both Sexes, to beware how they are drawn into these Snares; they are pernicious Practices, and ought to be kick'd out of the Commonwealth. And, if what has been said be not sufficient to prevail upon them, that have not yet been caught, to have a Care of them∣selves, as also on those that are ingag'd, in time to draw off, before they have gone too far, and thereby pre∣vent the Misfortunes that will inevitably attend them; I say, if the Arguments I have laid down, and enforced, together with the foul Practices I have discover'd, and expos'd, be not of Weight enough to deterr them from parting so tamely and foolishly with their Land, Mo∣ney, and Credit, let them proceed, and fall into the Net, spread for them, by crafty and designing Men.

The poor English Nation runs a madding after new In∣ventions, Whims, and Projects: And this unhappy In∣gredient my dear Country-men have in their Tem∣per, they are Violent, and prosecute their Projects ea∣gerly for a time, but, not meeting with Success, they give over, and abandon all Hopes of ever doing any Good, never reflecting upon their ill Management, or undue Methods.

What a Run of Lotteries have we had! That, like a Plague, have spread themselves over the whole King∣dom, of the same Date, though, I believe, not Dura∣tion with the Bank; every Body is sick of them; the Town was pleas'd at first with the Novelty of the Pro∣ject, but now glutted and nauseated. With what haste they all flew to put in their Money we well remem∣ber; the mighty Hopes they sed themselves with, each gaping for the highest Benefit; and what golden Pro∣mises they made themselves, and how painfully they attended the coming up of their bad Fortune we can't forget; it was for a time the only News, and sole En∣tertainment of the Town: They, poor Innocents, ne∣ver consider'd the Projector's Aim, no less than the Parson's Profit, One in Ten; or, the Royal Deduction in Prize-Goods, of Ten per Cent. would satisfie them▪ and how foully they were manag'd, every Body is now satisfied. But the Merchandize-Lotteries were worse than the Money, though both pernicious to the Peo∣ple. Why do we thus labour and toil, plot and con∣trive to Cheat one another? If we could Cheat the Dutch, or the French, 'twould be something; but, to sharp one another, is a very dull Story; and, I doubt, our Neighbours are too cunning for us; I think they have been so hitherto: 'Tis pity the English should be so easie and so weak. The old decay'd Merchandize and Rubbish that was whip'd off by means of these Roguish Lotteries, was incredible in its Quantity; all sorts of Goods, almost all sorts of Trades concern'd; the People were tickled with the Proposals of prodigious Profit, when the proposers intended it only for them∣selves, making above Thirty per Cent. advance: And this out of the poor Rogues Pockets that were thus

wheedled. The general Complaints that have been since made, of the many Abuses and Impositions in those Lotteries, are clear Indications of their Baseness. And indeed the People have been so damnably cheated of their Money, every manner of way, that, I think, they have no need of Dissuasives to venture again, their own Sufferings are sufficient to convince them it is their In∣terest to forbear.

The Companies for Mines of Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Lead, Iron, Antimony, Lapis-Calaminaris, Coals, Salt-Common, &c. have made a great Noise in the Town, and, indeed, throughout the whole Kingdom; to draw in People to join with them, they have made use of se∣veral Tricks and Stratagems; first they pretend a mighty Vein of Gold, Silver, or Copper, to be disco∣ver'd in a Piece of Ground of their knowledge, then they agree with the Lord, or Patentees, for a small Year∣ly Rent, or a Part reserv'd (about a Fifteenth) to him, or them, to grant them a Lease for Twenty one Years to dig that Land; which they immediately fall to, and give out 'tis a very rich Mine; then they settle a Company under Articles, divide it into Shares, usually 400, chuse a Committe, a Clerk, and Transfer-Book, and pretend to carry on this Work to the Benefit of the all the Pro∣prietors; who, at the beginning, purchase Shares at a low Rate, viz. Ten Shillings, Twenty, or a Guinea, then all on a sudden they whip up the Shares to Three, Five, Ten, nay, Fifteen Pounds a Share; then they fall to Stock-Jobbing, which infallibly ruines these, and all other Projects; those principally concern'd, sell their Interest, draw off, and wholly quit the Affair, which, by this and other means of underhand dealing, trick∣ing

and sharping one another, falls to the Ground, and is abandon'd by every Body. Nothing thrives, where ever they admit Stock-Jobbing, it has spoil'd more good and really useful Designs and Inventions, than all the ill Accidents that have attended them besides. To fetch Wealth out of the Bowels of the Earth, without doubt mightily enriches a Nation, and to employ ma∣ny Hands gives Bread to abundance of poor labouring People, which is a good thing; and many Underta∣kers have got great Estates by Copper, Tin, Iron, and Lead Ore's and Coals, and their Affairs usually suc∣ceed, and turn to a very good Accompt, when man∣ag'd by a few honest diligent Men; for of great Use and Consumption are these Things in the State, be∣sides what are sent abroad: But these latter Years have produced a Knot of Projectors that aim only at getting a little Money into their own Pockets, to support their Necessities, which are pressing and pinching, without any regard to the Good of the Company in which they are engag'd, which causes a Rupture, and destru∣ction of the whole Design. 'Tis said, that Necessity is the Mother of Invention, and that Poverty whets Mens Wits: Thus much I believe, That sharp and narrow Fortunes put Men upon Plots and Contrivances how to over-reach, circumvent, draw in, and cheat one another, to support themselves, and wade through a difficult and painful Life; but 'tis pity Honesty is so much abandon'd, which carries with it, in all Nego∣tiations, whatsoever so much Honour and real Esteem in the World; that it is establish'd by a Proverb, and yet almost left out of Practice.

The next Project we shall consider, is the Diving-Engines of divers kinds, all crept abroad since the ta∣king up of the Duke of Albemarl's Wreck, (as it was commonly call'd for distinction, and because he was concern'd in it:) This Wealth that was fetch'd out of the Sea (after several chargeable and fruitless At∣tempts,) was trumpeted all over the World, and set Mens Heads at work to get more; in order thereto, Patents were obtain'd from the Royal Fountains, for the sole Fishing of Wrecks on the Coasts of America, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, England, &c. and So∣cieties form'd of Merchants and Gentlemen to manage this Affair in several Kingdoms; and then came up Di∣ving-Engines of various make, some like a Bell, others a Tub, some like a compleat Suit of Armour of Copper, and Leather between the Joynts, and Pipes to convey Wind, and a Polyphemus Eye in the Forehead to give Light, and pretended mighty Feats, staying under Wa∣ter many Hours, and giving out by Publick Shews, and Trials on the Thames, the vast Utility of these En∣gines, although the foresaid Wreck was clear'd, and vast Quantities of Pieces of Eight taken up by naked Di∣vers, both White and Black, without the least help or want of any such Engine; yet People were taken with Noise, led by Phancy, and so hook'd: Patents were al∣so gain'd for the sole Use of these Gimcracks, for Four∣teen Years to come; and then about making the En∣gines they went, and after several Alterations and A∣mendments, which took up two or three Years, (and at last good for little,) they divided the whole Project into Four, and afterwards as many Hundred Shares, and presented some to People of Note and Figure, to give Reputation to the Affair; and these doughty Names

were subscrib'd to play the Part of a Shooing-Horn, and wheedle in the Easie; Treats and Money given to the Necessitous and Sharp, to bring their Friends and Acquaintance to see the Engines, who were tickled in the Ear with the vast Wealth of Gold and Silver that should be taken out of the Sea with these Tools; and, being led by an avaricious Desire of growing. Rich on a sudden, they come in and were engag'd, paid down their Money, and had the pleasure to see a Committee chosen, and Contributions of Ten Shillings or more per Share advanc'd, and Expeditions sent forward to Scotland, Ireland, Scilly, and the Land's End of Eng∣land, and up and down upon our Coasts; and the mighty Atchievements they perform'd, was taking up a few Iron-Guns, Chiney-Backs, and Ship's-Tackle, which answer'd not the End, nor Expences, which en∣creasing eat up the Stock, and stop'd the further Pro∣secution of the Affair: So these fine Diving-Engines lie by the Walls, are at rest, and, for ought I know, may never more disturb the World with their Noise and Nonsense. 'Tis strange when we reflect what abundance of People have been drawn in and abus'd, of all Qualities, Gentle and Simple, Wise and Other∣wise; and really among 'em some Men of imcompara∣ble Parts and great Qualifications were caught, being allur'd with the Hopes of gaining vast Riches by this means: And here Stock-Jobbing also made its way, the certain Poison or Bane of all Projects though in themselves never so good and useful; the Patentees got Money, and every Body else lost, and so there was an end of that Matter.

Dipping, Japanning, Printed Hangings, Pearl-Fishing, making Sword-Blades, Glass-Bottles, Venetian Metal, Lea∣ther,

&c. come next: The first Projectors and Inven∣tors have really got Money, had their Ends, but no Body else that I can hear of; and, while they conti∣nu'd in single Hands, or a few, they throve and flou∣rished, but when ever they fell to Stock-Jobbing, they certainly dwindled away, and came to nothing. Some of these are Useful, and may be for the Publick Be∣nefit, but most of 'em are mere Whims, and of little or no Service to the VVorld, though they all proclaim loudly their VVorth and Goodness, and employ A∣gents to magnifie their Inventions, and wheedle in in∣nocent and ignorant People; who, being charm'd with the Novelty of the Things, (though perhaps but re∣viv'd, or borrow'd from some Foreign Nation) pur∣chase Shares, and so are cheated of their Money; which is worse than High-way Robbing, for they come up Face to Face and demand our Money, and often fight for it before they get it, and sometimes die in the Attempt; I say, these are open and declar'd Ene∣mies, and so proclaim'd by the State, but the t'other (by much the baser) come with sly Insinuations, and, under the Vizor and Mask of Friendship, decoy in the honest well-meaning Man, and by painting over the Proposals in lively Colours, tinctur'd with Gold (though lighter than the Leaf) or Silver, impudently assert∣ing the Impossibility of failing of making great Ad∣vantages, obtain their cursed Designs, and so go on, playing the Knave; which Title of Honour no Quack in the VVorld bears with more Patience than them∣selves: now, if these Things were manag'd fairly and candidly, and above board, they would meet with far greater Encouragement: But 'tis said these VVars have begat Poverty, and that has produc'd these Pro∣jects;

the Crown has been open-hearted, and readily granted Patents for the Encouragement of Ingenuity; and more have been taken out within these Seven Years last past than in Fifty, nay a Hundred before; I mean for trifling Engines and Whims. Oh, a Pa∣tent gives a Reputation to it, and cullies in the Com∣pany: They had almost as good purchase Land in Terra incognita, for they meet here with very slippery Bargains; and, notwithstanding, the plain and appa∣rent Breaches of Amity and Civil Society by these means, yet these pernicious Practices, to sharp and cheat one another of their Money and Goods are con∣tinu'd; and all this so notorious and so very common, yet, I say, so easie and unwary are abundance of Peo∣ple, that they are daily trapp'd: Projects, like Pa∣rents, beget their like, and multiply wonderfully, Projects upon Projects, Lottery upon Lottery, Engine upon Engine: If any one Man gets considerably by a happy and useful Invention, abundance run im∣mediately into it, and, in spight of the Patent, take with little alteration a Copy, and then out come the Proposals in Print, the Gazettes and Publick Papers are cramm'd with Advertisements, the fourth Column is entirely theirs: And thus they go on to spoil one ano∣ther, to abuse others; and so the Publick suffers by their Folly and Knavery.

The English, Scotch, Irish, and other Linen Manu∣factures, if honestly and fairly manag'd, would be of infinite Advantage to all those Places; and besides the charitable dealing of Subsistence to the numerous Poor, would wonderfully enrich all the Proprietors, and be also for the Publick Interest; for the fewer Fo∣reign

Commodities we consume among our selves, the more we save, and consequently get; and if we could be so happy to bring 'em to Perfection fit for Expor∣tation, to supply Markets abroad, we should then pinch the Dutch, the World's common Carriers, and universal Traders, for the more they, or any Foreign∣ers get from us, the poorer we are, and shall be. All due Encouragement has been given to these great Undertakings, the present King and late Queen per∣mitted them to be honour'd with their Names, which gave a mighty Reputation to them, their Fame rose, and their Credit encreas'd, and abundance of Peo∣ple of Condition were mingled, some led by Lucre, others by Love of their Country, (though of them the fewest) push'd on the Business very vigorously, united and incorporated themselves, chose a Governor and Officers, Inspectors and Comptrollers, actually set at work Spinners, and other Workers, Weavers, Whit∣sters, &c. and thought it would have produc'd great Profit, for the Actions mounted apace, and in great probability of being higher, when all on a suddain some greedy, mercenary, mean Spirits fell to Stock-Jobbing, and scar'd the Easie and Timerous, and brought the Actions down, abundance sold off their Shares, con∣tented with their first Profits, which were considera∣ble, rather than to attend the hazard of making grea∣ter in a little time, or losing some of the present, and so by degrees, the Reputation of this mighty Manu∣facture sunk here, and, I understand, is in a bad Con∣dition, and will hardly be able to hold up its Head, much less to advance any further: The same Fate, is fear'd, may attend the rest. Now this was really a good Design, and it is pity it had not the good For∣tune

to flourish, they had brought Linen-Cloth to great Perfection, and had some Dutch Hands, and some few Heads to assist them; I wish they had had of the last: This was indeed a noble Undertaking, and me∣rited well of the Publick. By the Assistance of the Dutch we have hugely improv'd our Lands in the North-Parts of this Kingdom, by sowing vast quanti∣ties of Lin-Seed, Rape-Seed, and others; and thence making Oils in great quantities, which we export in abundance, and consume at home, in lieu of Foreign and dearer Oils, to our double Advantage; for the less of the Foreign are imported, and the more of our own exported, the greater is our Gain. The Profits that arise hence are much more considerable to the Land∣lords and Tenants, than those of any Corn or Grain whatsoever; and how much more we might advance our Lands by sowing Flax and Hemp-Seeds, if our Linen-Manufactures succeeded as they might, is plain to every common Understanding: But, I think, we are not destin'd to do our selves and our Country Good. I am sorry that England is so barren of true Patriots, a word so Great and Glorious, that the an∣cient Romans thought it a very great Honour, and va∣lu'd themselves very much upon being so call'd.

White, Blue, and Brown-Papers, made here in England, Ireland, and Scotland, shall be examin'd next. This good Fortune we in England have had to improve wonderfully in this Art, and though we cannot reach the French Perfection, yet we come pretty near it, and make much finer Paper than ever, which in this our Exigency, I mean the Prohibition of Commerce with France, is of very great Service to us; but our Hands

are dearer that are employ'd, we cannot work so cheap as the French, because we must have Beef, Pudding, and strong Drink, our People can't live upon Onions, Tur∣nips, and small Soupes; besides, our Linen-Manufacture miscarrying, gives a damp to this honest and useful Undertaking; and it is a thousand pities we can't raise Paper to the French Goodness, and lowness of Price, be∣cause 'twould tend so vastly to our Advantage, in keeping us from laying out such vast Summs of Mo∣ney with France, for this Commodity alone, that in∣stead of Importing it from thence, we might Export it to other Countries; which would employ Thou∣sands, and enrich Hundreds. The Linen-Manufacture, on which it partly depends, and by which in great measure it subsists, being so much sunk in its Reputa∣tion, that 'tis fear'd 'tis at its last gasp, irretrievable, stops the growth of this, which notwithstanding is flourishing, and kekps its Head above Water; vast quan∣tities of Paper are daily made here, and the Ragg-ga∣therers hard put to it to supply us, though they bear a good Price, and has encreas'd that Profession; that some are starving, and others begging, who have as∣sur'd me the scarcity of Raggs is great, and that the young diligent Collectors out-do the old, and go out in the Nights to the Dung-hills and Laystalls to tum∣ble them over for this Merchandize, which at this time are mightily call'd for.

Waters of New-River, Thames, York-Buildings, Lon∣don-Bridge, Shadwell, Conduit, Hampstead, &c. are Pro∣jections all worthy of great Encouragement, and so the first has had, to the gaining of vast Estates by the Proprietors; though the unhappy Gentleman that began

the Work fell by it, and suffer'd extreamly in his For∣tune, which ought to have been made up by the Ci∣ty that receiv'd such Benefits by his Brains; a grateful People would have erected a Monument to his fame; but we in England keep close to an old Adage, Every man for himself, and God for us all. I think some Fa∣vours were shown the Descendents of this Great, though infortunate Undertaker, the Middleton's, who bear his Blood, and carry his Name, were presented with some Shares. This and the Thames Water have gain'd the Ascendent, and much Money has been got by the latter: They are kept in good Hands, and the Stock-Jobbers, those Moles, those Underminers, and De∣stroyers, not suffer'd to come amongst them, the Jack-Daws have been too hard for the Rooks, (as those Gentlemen are call'd;) but now here are new Con∣veyances of this useful Element, and humble Servant, Water, laid in the Earth; the Conduit for the City of London, which is better Water and cheaper, imposing no Fine, which the New River arbitrarily and unrea∣sonably did, for which it is meritoriously punish'd, and the Proprietors clipt in their Profits, by the great fall of their Actions or Shares. The Hampstead also will supply that End of the Town, Holborn, &c. nearest to which it lies; and the Terms are fairer and easier, which lop off more from the New River; but this last, I mean, Hampstead-Water unhappily passes through such Hands, that, in all probability, it will come to nothing, or turn to very small Accompt; the Stock-Jobbers have broke in, and, I am of Opinion, will break out, outright; that is, ruine the Affair. These are re∣ally noble and commendable Undertakings, not Whims, or Maggots, Chimera's, or Airy Notions, but real, so∣lid,

and substantial Designs of serving the Publick, and merit the Approbation of all Men; but the Easie and Credulous must beware of being drawn in to purchase Shares at too dear a Rate, and so be cosen'd of their Money, for the Credit of all these Water-Works is ex∣treamly fallen, partly through ill Conduct, and some later Discoveries, and newer Works.

Rock-Salt in this Rank leads the Van, deserves our Praise, and shall have it; for that is so wonderfully im∣prov'd by the Integrity of the Proprietors, and their Prudent Management, that it is ready to come to a Dividend; they are establish'd in a Company, of Gen∣tlemen and Traders, have built a Wharf at Frodsome in Cheshire, have form'd Correspondencies in London, and Ireland, and Holland, whither they send great Quan∣tities of this Commodity, which turns to a very great Advantage.

Salt-Petre shall be the next, but that has had a worse Fate; great Summs of Money subscrib'd and paid in, large Refining-Houses built in four or five se∣veral Places about this Town, Servants entertain'd, Di∣rectors and Clerks appointed, Societies establish'd, and a mighty Noise they made for a time, a loud sound∣ing Name, and of Quality, appear'd at the Head of them, and encourag'd the Affair, abundance of Gen∣tlemen and Traders concern'd, all things dispos'd in good Methods, a Foundation laid of future Profits, and those extraordinary ones, and as durable as the present War, which call'd for their Commodity, and brought it to bear a great Price: But of all these Companies, not one, that I can hear of, has made any great Hand

of this Matter; it must be confest the first Projectors have had Success, for they got by it, and then slunk away; the ill Conduct, and Admission of Stock-Jobbers, together with some unlucky Accidents falling in up∣on 'em, mightily discourag'd the Business, and stop'd the Progress of it, their Fires are out, their Houses lie neglected, and begin to molder away, their Union dis∣solv'd, and a necessaay Project (at this time) lost; and Gun-Powder, within this Month or five Weeks, partly by the falling off of this, and the loss of five East-India Ships, advanc'd from three Pound ten Shil∣lings to four Pound ten Shillings a Hundred, and how much higher it may go I know not, for now the pri∣vate Refiners, Gun-Powder Makers, and Ship-Chand∣lers have receiv'd Encouragement by the Miscarriage of these Men, they'll do their utmost to take their Advan∣tage of it.

Draining Engines, of divers sorts, have been lately made, to clear Coal, Lead, Tin, and other Mines from Waters, which either soak in or spring up, to their hin∣drance in their Working, damage and charge of the Proprietors; as also other Engines for Draining of Flats, Levels, Mears, Inundations, Springs, &c. These Pro∣jects might be of great Use and Benefit to the Publick and Private too, for the more Land we recover, and improve, the richer we grow; and that Soil which is under Water, is lost to the Commonwealth, that Ty∣rant Element doing here no manner of Good; the Earth is rich, being much of it Marl, the best of Land, and we are so unhappy in England to have many Thou∣sands of Acres thus cover'd with Water, and which have been so, some, time out of mind, others but

lately, all recoverable, and drainable, if proper Methods were taken, and with the help of these Engines (of which I have seen several) if fairly undertaken, and at much easier Rates than by the bodily Labour of hir'd Men; which to feed with Bread, and pay Wages, would prodigiously swell the Accompt, enflame the Reckoning, and render the Charge excessive, insupport∣able, and discouraging. That these Projectors have really done Service in the Mines, and effected what they pretended to is manifest, having actually earn'd be∣tween three and four hundred Pounds per Mensem; this I say is notorious to Thousands in Cornwall, and Devon∣shire, who have been Witnesses to the Operation; and 'tis but just this should be encourag'd, for we intend not by this Discourse to expose or discountenance In∣genuity, but quite the contrary, to support and ad∣vance it; but, alas, good Inventions, and Schemes, have too often tack'd to them fraudulent Designs, of imposing upon unwary People, and engaging them in what is very often injurious to their Purses; and, in plain English, commonly prove palpable Cheats, which I am now labouring to prevent for the future, at least as much as I can, by discovering the private Intrigues, secret Plots, and underhand Dealings of the Principal Projectors of this Kingdom, more fully and amply than any Body else can do; besides, nothing of this Kind was ever attempted before, and therefore surely this will be the more grateful, seeing that it preaches up their true Interest in this World, which most Folks pursue more heartily and zealously than that of the t'other; which being at some distance, and matter of Faith, rather than Fact, they give themselves but little trouble about.

Lutestrings, Alamodes, &c. Hats, of several sorts, in imitation of those made in France, for no other can I call it, for they do not come up to their Excellency, though wrought by Native French Men; where the Defect lies, is the Difficulty to discover, some say the Water, others the Gum, some one thing, some ano∣ther; but this is certain, they are not of that Sub∣stance, Beauty, or Durability with those imported from thence; though these Endeavours are mightily to be commended and encouraged, as they are by a gene∣ral wear of them, (the Silks especially) through∣out this Kingdom; Scotland and Ireland have the French in some Plenty, because the Prohibition of Commerce is not observ'd with the same strictness as here. These Companies have throve, and will, so long as they keep the Stock-Jobbers from breaking in upon them, all is lost, inevitably gone, if they come there.

Convex Lights, and others, are useful Inventions, and ought to be more regarded than they are, for the House-keepers contribute but awkwardly towards their Encouragement; for by that means the Proprietors set them at too great a distance, so that they receive not each others Beams, but leave too great a Vacuum; they might be improv'd also in their Light, which ought to be clearer, and more diffusive, whereas these have Darks. Several have lost that have had Shares, and few (that I hear of) have gain'd any thing conside∣rable; there are other Pretenders besides the first; which has baulk'd the Business, for 'tis our unhappi∣ness in England (as I observ'd before) to invade each

others Invention, and by Trick and Artifice ruine ma∣ny hopeful Undertakings.

New Settlements in Carolina, Pensilvania, Tobago, and other Places, make a great Noise in the World. The first Planters far'd but ill, having wasted their Substance, without being able to reap the Benefit, laying only a Foundation for the next comer, who may succeed better; and, in all probability, that in∣dustrious People, who make up the Gross of those Colonies, (the Quakers, as they are commonly call'd) will cultivate, and improve a mighty Tract of Land in those Parts, to their future Advantage; though, I think, to the Injury of their Native Country, which suffers now, and will more, by their absence; and, I believe, it will be found impolitick to permit so ma∣ny People to abandon this happy Island, to Seat them∣selves in a Soil so remote; for, I think, it is granted by all, That 'tis Number of Subjects, and not Extent of Territory, makes up the Greatness of a Prince; and, if so, we visibly decline, for we are very thin of People at this time, having been exhausted by the un∣natural and imprudent Persecutions in the late Reigns, and by the long knocking War in this present. But, Thanks be to God, and our good Stars, our present Constitution, like Cloaths of the English make, sits easie on our Bodies, and Minds too; and therefore 'tis pity but a stop were put to these American Tra∣vellers, who having gone a great way towards their Establishment in those Places, are willing to go through with it, for their own particular Interest, without any Regard to that of Old England, who then ought to take Care of it self, and keep those Subjects at

home, who now have not Reason to retire, seeing they have Liberty of Person and Persuasion, and Proper∣ty too! So well secur'd both for the present and the future.

Fisheries Royal, Greenland, Newfound Land, and o∣thers, are worthy our Care and Application: The first has been long talk'd of, and some Steps made to bring it about, but still one ill Accident or another fell in, and damp'd it; 'tis now again on foot, I wish it good success: That 'twill be of infinite Advantage to this Kingdom every Body knows, the Benefits are plain and obvious, and so well receiv'd, and so often told, they need not be mention'd; our Sage Senate will be ready to establish this, as they did the Green∣land, which is like to flourish, notwithstanding some Losses have already attended it. Indeed, I think it highly unreasonable that the Dutch (whom I love as our Neighbours and Allies) should come on our Coasts, and take our Fish, and cure them, and carry them a∣way, and Trade so prodigiously, with them as they do, to the vast Advantage of their State, and to the inriching of so many particular People, and to the em∣ploying so many thousand Hands, and filling more Bellies, breeding up great Numbers of Sea-men, which calls for our first Thoughts, and deserves our most hearty Endeavours, they being our best Guard; and therefore should have the greatest Encouragement; for our Walls of Oak would not defend us, without their Hearts, all out as firm, stout and impenetrable. I shall say the less on this Head, because so much has already been said by others, and therefore shall conclude this Paragraph with a word or two more. We have now

got a KING after our own Hearts, a Prince whose In∣terest is ours, and who esteems ours His, and who seems destin'd by Heaven to recover and establish the ancient Honour and Esteem of the English Name and Nation, and who will joyn with us, and assist us in all Things that may tend to the encrease of our Wealth and Reputation; He will make us Formidable abroad, and Happy at home; his Victorious Arms will do the first, and his Wise Councils the last; He will preserve and improve our Commerce, the best Support of his Government, and the sweetest Flower in our Paradice; and though the Hollanders, who chiefly vie with, and would rob us of this inestimable Jewel; I say, though they are his Country-men, yet we are his Subjects, he will cherish us and chastise them.

And now to conclude, for 'tis high time, having spun out this Pamphlet longer than I intended, though I found Matter so flowing, that I could hardly give over; just as I am winding up, and closing mine, I understand there are new Books laid open for Annuities and Lot∣teries, with which last I thought the Town had been tyr'd; it seems one is fled to Chichester, for there (if full) 'tis to be drawn. As for the Annuities, I find the Projectors by their Proposals intend good Bargains for themselves; which, indeed is the chief Aim they all have: These as well as the former Projects, which I have distinctly consider'd, will have fatal and pernici∣ous Consequences; for, in the bottom of most, there lies a deep Deceit.

Pray let us Reflect on the vast Number of Projectors in and about this City, how bare-bon'd they are, that

is, how few of 'em are Rich? Therefore we may con∣clude, these Aery Gentlemen in some Measure re∣semble Witches, who do harm 〈◊〉〈◊〉 others, but seldom good to themselves: It is pity there is not a Register of them, (as also of Lands, Houses, &c.) the poor Purchasers of Shares from the first, and of Estates of the last, often meet with bad Bargains; and by that means, viz. of a Register, they might escape the bet∣ter, and save their Money from being pick'd out of their Pockets, by these Camelions, who know no end of Projects, for what they get by one, they lay out in another; so that Poverty seems to be the constant Com∣panion of Projectors as well as Poets.

FINIS.