Several essays relating to accademies, banks, bankrupts, charity-lotteries, courts of enquiries, court merchants, friendly-societies, high-ways, pension-office, seamen, wagering, &c. now communicated to the world for publick good.

Of FRIENDLY-SOCIETIES.

ANother Branch of Ensurance, is by Contribution, or (to bor∣row the Term from that before-men∣tion'd) Friendly-Societies; which, is in short, a Number of People entring into a Mutual Compact to Help one another, in case any Disaster or Di∣stress fall upon them.

If Mankind cou'd agree, as these might be Regulated, all things which have Casualty in them, might be Se∣cur'd. But one thing is Particularly requir'd in this way of Assurances; None can be admitted, but such whose Circumstances are, at least in some degree, alike, and so Mankind must be sorted into Classes; and as their Contingences differ, every dif∣ferent Sort may be a Society upon even Terms; for the Circumstances of Peo∣ple,

as to Life, differ extremely by the Age and Constitution of their Bodies, and difference of Employment; as he that lives on shore, against him that goes to Sea, or a Young Man against an Old Man; or a Shopkeeper against a Soldier, are unequal; I don't pretend to deter∣mine the Controverted Point of Pre∣destination, the Foreknowledge and De∣crees of Providence; perhaps, if a Man be Decreed to be Kill'd in the Trenches, the same Foreknowledge Order'd him to List himself a Soldier that it might come to pass; and the like of a Sea∣man; but this I am sure, speaking of Second Causes, a Seaman or a Soldier is subject to more contingent hazards than other Men, and therefore are not upon equal Terms to form such a So∣ciety; nor is an Annuity on the Life of such a Man worth so much as it is upon other Men; therefore if a So∣ciety shou'd agree together to Pay the

Executor of every Member so much after the Decease of the said Mem∣ber, the Seamens Executors wou'd most certainly have an Advantage, and receive more than they Pay. So that 'tis necessary to sort the World in∣to Parcels, Seamen with Seamen, Sol∣diers with Soldiers, and the like.

Nor is this a new thing; the Friendly Society must not pretend to assume to themselves the Contrivance of the Me∣thod, or think us guilty of borrowing from them, when we draw this into other Branches; for I know nothing is taken from them but the bare word, Friendly-Society, which they cannot pre∣tend to be any considerable piece of Invention neither.

I can refer them to the very indivi∣dual Practice in other things, which claims prescription beyond the begin∣ing of the last Age, and that is in our Marshes and Fens in Essex, Kent,

and the Isle of Ely; where great Quantities of Land being with much Pains and a vast Charge recovered out of the Seas and Rivers, and maintain'd with Banks (which they call Walls) the Owners of those Lands agree to Contribute to the keeping up those Walls, and keeping out the Sea, which is all one with a Friendly-Society; and if I have a Piece of Land in any Level or Marsh, tho' it bounds no where on the Sea or Ri∣ver, yet I pay my Proportion to the Maintenance of the said Wall or Bank; and if at any time the Sea breaks in, the Damage is not laid up∣on the Man in whose Land the Breach happened, unless it was by his neglect, but it lies on the whole Land, and is called a Level-Lot.

Again, I have known it practised in Troops of Horse, especially when it was so order'd that the Troopers

Mounted themselves; where every pri∣vate Trooper has agreed to Pay, per∣haps, 2 d. per diem out of his Pay into a Publick Stock, which Stock was employed to Remount any of the Troop who by Accident shou'd lose his Horse.

Again, The Sailors Contribution to the Chest at Chatham, is another Friendly-Society; and more might be nam'd.

To argue against the Lawfulness of this, wou'd be to cry down common Equity, as well as Charity; for as 'tis kind that my Neighbour shou'd Re∣lieve me if I fall into Distress or De∣cay; so 'tis but Equal he shou'd do so if I agreed to have done the same for him; and if God Almighty has Com∣manded us to Relieve and Help one another in Distress, sure it must be commendable to bind our selves by Agreement to Obey that Command;

nay, it seems to be a Project that we are led to by the Divine Rule, and has such a Latitude in it, that, for ought I know, as I said, all the Dis∣asters in the World might be prevent∣ed by it, and Mankind be secur'd from all the Miseries, Indigences, and Di∣stresses that happen in the World. In which I crave leave to be a little Par∣ticular.

First, General Peace might be se∣cur'd all over the World by it, if all the Powers agreed to suppress him that Usurp'd or Encroach'd upon his Neighbour. All the Contingences of Life might be fenc'd against by this Method, (as Fire is already) as Thieves, Floods by Land, Storms by Sea, Losses of all Sorts, and Death it self, in a manner, by making it up to the Survivor.

I shall begin with the Seamen; for as their Lives are subject to more ha∣zards

than others, they seem to come first in view.

Of Seamen.

Sailors are Les Enfans Perdue, the Forlorn hope of the World; they are Fellows that bid Defiance to Terror, and maintain a constant War with the Elements; who by the Magick of their Art, Trade in the very confines of Death, and are always posted within shot, as I may say, of the Grave: 'Tis true, their familiarity with Danger makes them despise it, for which, I hope, no body will say they are the wiser; and Custom has so harden'd them, that we find them the worst of Men, tho' always in view of their last Mo∣ment.

I have observ'd one great Error in the Custom of England, relating

to these sort of People, and which this way of Friendly-Society wou'd be a Remedy for.

If a Seaman who Enters himself, or is Press'd into the King's Ser∣vice, be by any Accident Wound∣ed or Disabled, to Recompence him for the Loss, he receives a Pension during Life, which the Sail∣ors call Smart-Money, and is pro∣portioned to their Hurt, as for the Loss of an Eye, Arm, Leg, or Finger, and the like; and as 'tis a very Honourable thing, so 'tis but reasonable, That a Poor Man who Loses his Limbs (which are his Estate) in the Service of the Government, and is thereby disa∣bled from his Labour to get his Bread, shou'd be provided for, and not suffer'd to Beg or Starve for want of those Limbs he lost in the Service of his Country.

But if you come to the Sea∣men in the Merchants Service, not the least Provision is made; which has been the Loss of many a good Ship, with many a Rich Cargo, which wou'd otherwise have been Sav'd.

And the Sailors are in the Right of it too: For Instance; A Merchant Ship coming home from the Indies, perhaps very Rich, meets with a Privateer (not so Strong but that She might Fight him, and perhaps get off); the Captain calls up his Crew, tells them, Gentlemen, You see how 'tis, I don't question but we may Clear our selves of this Caper, if you will Stand by Me. One of the Crew, as willing to Fight as the rest, and as far from a Coward as the Captain, but endow'd with a little more Wit than his Fellows, Replies, Noble Captain, We are all willing to Fight, and don't question but to Beat him

off; but here is the Case, If we are Taken, we shall be set on Shore, and then sent Home, and Lose, perhaps, our Cloaths, and a little Pay; but if we Fight and Beat the Privateer, perhaps Half a Score of us may be Wounded and Lose our Limbs, and then we are Undone and our Families; if you will Sign an Obligation to us, That the Owners, or Merchants, shall al∣low a Pension to such as are Maim'd, that we may not Fight for the Ship, and go a Begging our selves, we will bring off the Ship, or Sink by her side, otherwise I am not willing to Fight, for my part. The Captain cannot do this; so they Strike, and the Ship and Cargo is Lost.

If I shou'd turn this suppos'd Ex∣ample into a real History, and Name the Ship and the Captain that did so, it wou'd be too plain to be contradicted.

Wherefore, for the Encouragement of Sailors in the Service of the Merchant, I wou'd have a Friendly-Society Erected for Seamen; where∣in all Sailors, or Seafaring-men, Entring their Names, Places of Abode, and the Voyages they go upon, at an Office of Ensurance for Seamen, and Paying there a cer∣tain small Quarteridge, of 1 s. per Quarter, shou'd have a Seal'd Cer∣tificate from the Governors of the said Office, for the Articles hereafter mentioned.

(1.) If any such Seaman, either in Fight, or by any other Accident at Sea, come to be disabled, he shou'd receive from the said Office the fol∣lowing Sums of Money, either in Pension for Life, or Ready Money, as he pleas'd.

l.		l.
For the Loss of An Eye 25		2 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Both Eyes 100		8 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of One Leg 50		4 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Both Legs 80		6 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Right Hand 80	or	6 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Left Hand 50		4 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Right Arm 100		8 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Left Arm 80		6 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Both Hands 160		12 Per Ann. for Life.
For the Loss of Both Arms 200		16 Per Ann. for Life.

• Any Broken Arm, or Leg, or Thigh, towards the Cure — 10 l.
• If taken by the Turks, 50 l. towards his Ransom.
• If he become Infirm and Unable to go to Sea, or Maintain himself, by Age or Sickness, 6 l. per Ann.
• To their Wives if they are Kill'd or Drown'd, 50 l.

In Consideration of this, every Sea∣man Subscribing to the Society, shall Agree to Pay to the Receipt of the said Office, his Quota of the Sum to be Paid, whenever, and as often as such Claims are made; the Claims to be Enter'd into the Office, and upon sufficient Proof made, the Go∣vernors

to Regulate the Division, and Publish it in Print.

For Example:

Suppose 4000 Seamen Subscribe to this Society, and after Six Months, for no Man shou'd Claim sooner than Six Months, a Merchant's Ship having Engag'd a Privateer, there comes se∣veral Claims together: As thus;

	l.
A Was Wounded and Lost one Leg	50
B Blown up with Powder, and has Lost an Eye	25
C Had a Great Shot took off his Arm	100
D With a Splinter had an Eye struck out	25
	200
E Was Kill'd with a Great Shot, to be paid to his Wife	50
	250

The Governors hereupon settle the Claim of these Persons, and make Publication, That whereas such and such

Seamen, Members of the Society, have in an Engagement with a French Priva∣teer, been so and so Hurt, their Claims upon the Office, by the Rules and Agree∣ments of the said Office, being adjusted by the Governors, amounts to 250 l. which being equally divided among the Sub∣scribers, come to 1 s. 3 d. each; which all Persons that are Subscribers to the said Office are desired to Pay in, for their re∣spective Subscriptions, that the said Wounded Persons may be Reliev'd ac∣cordingly, as they expect to be Reliev'd, if the same, or the like Casualty shou'd be∣fall them.

'Tis but a small matter for a Man to Contribute, if he gave 1 s. 3 d. out of his Wages to Relieve Five Wounded Men of his own Fraternity, but at the same time to be assur'd that if he is Hurt or Maim'd he shall have the same Relief, it is a thing so ratio∣nal, that hardly any thing but a Hare∣brain'd

Fellow that thinks of nothing, wou'd omit Entring himself into such an Office.

I shall not enter further into this Affair, because, perhaps, I may give the Proposal to some Persons who may set it on foot; and then the World may see the Benefit of it by the Exe∣cution.

II. For Widows.

The same Method of Friendly-So∣ciety I conceive wou'd be a very pro∣per Proposal for Widows.

We have abundance of Women who have been Bred well, and Liv'd well, Ruin'd in a few Years, and, perhaps, left Young, with a House full of Chidren, and nothing to Support them; which falls generally upon the Wives of the Inferior Clergy, or of Shopkeepers and Artificers.

They Marry Wives with perhaps 300 l. to 1000 l. Portion, and can settle no Jointure upon them; either they are Extravagant and Idle, and Waste it, or Trade Decays, or Losses, or a thousand Contingences happen to bring a Tradesman to Poverty, and he Breaks; the Poor Young Woman, it may be, has Three or Four Children, and is driven to a thousand shifts, while he lies in the Mint or Friars un∣der the Dilemma of a Statute of Bank∣rupt; but if he Dies, then she is ab∣solutely Undone, unless she has Friends to go to.

Suppose an Office to be Erected, to be call'd An Office of Ensurance for Wi∣dows, upon the following Condi∣tions:

Two thousand Women, or their Husbands for them, Enter their Names into a Register to be kept for that purpose, with the Names,

Age, and Trade of their Husbands, with the Place of their Abode, Paying at the time of their Entring 5 s. down with 1 s. 4 d. per Quarter, which is to the setting up and support of an Office with Clerks, and all proper Officers for the same; for there is no main∣taining such without Charge; they receive every one of them a Certifi∣cate, Seal'd by the Secretary of the Office, and Sign'd by the Governors, for the Articles hereafter mentioned.

If any one of the Women become a Widow at any time after Six Months from the Date of her Subscription, upon due Notice given, and Claim made at the Office in form, as shall be directed, she shall receive within Six Months after such Claim made, the Sum of 500 l. in Money, without any Deductions, saving some small Fees to the Officers, which the Tru∣stees

must settle, that they may be known.

In Consideration of this, every Woman so Subscribing, Obliges her self to Pay as often as any Member of the Society becomes a Widow, the due Proportion or Share allotted to her to Pay, towards the 500 l. for the said Widow, provided her Share does not exceed the Sum of 5 s.

No Seaman or Soldiers Wives to be accepted into such a Proposal as this, on the account before-mention'd, because the Contingences of their Lives are not equal to others, unless they will admit this general Exception, supposing they do not Die out of the Kingdom.

It might also be an Exception, That if the Widow, that Claim'd, had really, bona fide, left her by her Hus∣band to her own use, clear of all Debts and Legacies, 2000 l. she

shou'd have no Claim; the Intent be∣ing to Aid the Poor, not add to the Rich. But there lies a great many Objections against such an Article: As

(1.) It may tempt some to For∣swear themselves.

(2.) People will Order their Wills so as to Defraud the Exception.

One Exception must be made; and that is, Either very Unequal Matches, as when a Woman of Nineteen Mar∣ries an Old Man of Seventy; or Women who have Infirm Husbands, I mean known and publickly so. To remedy which, Two things are to be done.

(1.) The Office must have moving Officers without doors, who shall in∣form themselves of such matters, and if any such Circumstances appear, the Office shou'd have 14 days time to re∣turn their Money, and declare their Subscriptions Void.

(2.) No Woman whose Husband had any visible Distemper, shou'd claim under a Year after her Sub∣scription.

One grand Objection against this Proposal, is, How you will oblige People to Pay either their Subscripti∣on, or their Quarteridge.

To this I Answer, By no compul∣sion (tho' that might be perform'd too) but altogether voluntary; only with this Argument to move it, that if they do not continue their Pay∣ments, they lose the Benefit of their past Contributions.

I know it lies as a fair Objection against such a Project as this, That the number of Claims are so uncertain, That no Body knows what they en∣gage in, when they Subscribe, for so many may Die Annually out of Two thousand, as may make my Payment 20 or 25 l. per Ann. and if a Woman

happen to Pay that for Twenty Years, though she receives the 500 l. at last she is a great Loser; but if she dies before her Husband, she has les∣sened his Estate considerably, and brought a great Loss upon him.

First, I say to this, That I wou'd have such a Proposal as this be so fair and so easy, that if any Person who had Subscrib'd, found the Payments too high, and the Claims fall too of∣ten, it shou'd be at their liberty at any time, upon Notice given, to be Re∣leased, and stand Oblig'd no longer; and if so, Volenti non fit injuria; every one knows best what their own Cir∣cumstances will bear.

In the next Place, because Death is a Contingency, no Man can directly calculate, and all that Subscribe must take the hazard; yet that a Prejudice against this Notion may not be built on wrong grounds, let's examine a little the

probable hazard, and see how many shall die Annually out of 2000 Sub∣scribers, accounting by the common proportion of Burials, to the number of the Living.

Sir William Petty in his Political Arithmetick, by a very Ingenious Cal∣culation, brings the account of Buri∣als in London, to be 1 in 40 Annually, and proves it by all the proper Rules of proportion'd Computation; and I'le take my Scheme from thence.

If then One in Forty of all the People in England Die, that sup∣poses Fifty to Die every Year out of our Two Thousand Subscribers; and for a Woman to Contribute 5 s. to every one, wou'd certainly be to Agree to Pay 12 l. 10 s. per Ann. upon her Husband's Life, to receive 500 l. when he Di'd, and lose it if she Di'd first; and yet this wou'd not be a Ha∣zard beyond reason too great for the Gain.

But I shall offer some Reasons to prove this to be impossible in our Case; First, Sir William Petty allows the City of London to contain about a Million of People, and our Yearly Bill of Mortality never yet amounted to 25000 in the most Sickly Years we have had, Plague Years excepted, sometimes but to 20000, which is but One in Fifty: Now it is to be consi∣der'd here, that Children and Ancient People make up, one time with ano∣ther, at least one third of our Bills of Mortality; and our Assurances lies upon none but the Midling Age of the People, which is the only Age wherein Life is any thing steady; and if that be allow'd, there cannot Die by his Computation, above One in Eighty of such People every Year; but because I wou'd be sure to leave room for Casualty, I'le allow One in Fifty shall Die out of our Number Sub∣scrib'd.

Secondly, It must be allow'd, that our Payments falling due only on the Death of Husbands, this One in Fifty must not be reckoned upon the Two thousand; for 'tis to be suppos'd at least as many Women shall Die as Men, and then there is nothing to Pay; so that One in Fifty upon One Thousand, is the most that I can sup∣pose shall Claim the Contribution in a Year, which is Twenty Claims a Year, at 5 s. each, and is 5 l. per Ann. and if a Woman Pays this for Twenty Year, and Claims at last, she is Gainer enough, and no extraordinary Loser if she never Claims at all: And I verily believe any Office might Un∣dertake to Demand at all Adventures not above 6 l. per Ann. and secure the Subscriber 500 l. in case she come to Claim as a Widow.

I forbear being more particular on this Thought, having occasion to be

larger in other Prints; the Experiment being resolv'd upon by some Friends, who are pleas'd to think this too useful a Project not to be put in execution; and therefore I refer the Reader to the Publick Practice of it.

I have nam'd these two Cases as spe∣cial Experiments of what might be done by Assurances in way of Friend∣ly Society; and I believe I might without Arrogance affirm, That the same Thought might be improv'd in∣to Methods that shou'd prevent the General Misery and Poverty of Man∣kind, and at once secure us against Beggars, Parish-Poor, Alms-Houses, and Hospitals; and by which, not a Creature so Miserable, or so Poor, but should claim Subsistence as their Due, and not ask it of Charity.

I cannot believe any Creature so wretchedly base, as to Beg of mere

choice, but either it must proceed from Want, or sordid prodigious Covetousness; and thence I affirm, There can be no Beggar, but he ought to be either Reliev'd, or Punish'd, or both. If a man begs for mere Cove∣tousness, without Want, 'tis a baseness of Soul so extremely sordid, as ought to be us'd with the utmost Contempt, and punish'd with the Correction due to a Dog. If he begs for Want, that Want is procur'd by Slothfulness and Idleness, or by Accident; if the latter, he ought to be reliev'd; if the for∣mer, he ought to be punish'd for the Cause, but at the same time reliev'd also; for no man ought to starve, let his Crime be what it will.

I shall proceed therefore to a Scheme, by which all Mankind, be he never so mean, so poor, so unable, shall gain for himself a Just Claim to a comforta∣ble Subsistence, whensoever Age or

Casualty shall reduce him to a neces∣sity of making use of it. There is a Poverty so far from being Despicable, that 'tis Honourable, when a man by direct Casualty, sudden Providence, and without any procuring of his own, is reduc'd to want Relief from others, as by Fire, Shipwreck, Loss of Limbs, and the like.

These are sometimes so apparent, that they command the Charity of others; but there are also many Fa∣milies reduc'd to Decay, whose Con∣ditions are not so publick, and yet their Necessities as great. Innumera∣ble Circumstances reduce men to want; and pressing Poverty oblige some people to make their Cases pub∣lick, or starve; and from thence came the Custom of Begging, which Sloth and Idleness has improv'd into a Trade. But the Method I propose, thoroughly put in practice, would remove the

Cause, and the Effect wou'd cease of course.

Want of Consideration is the great reason why People do not provide in their Youth and Strength for Old Age and Sickness; and the ensuing Proposal is, in short, only this, That all Persons in the time of their Health and Youth, while they are able to Work and spare it, shou'd lay up some small inconsiderable part of their gettings as a deposit in safe hands, to lie as a Store in bank to relieve them, if by Age or Accident they come to be dis∣abled, or uncapable to Provide for themselves; and that if God so Bless them, that they nor theirs never come to need it, the overplus may be em∣ploy'd to relieve such as shall.

If an Office in the same nature with this, were appointed in every

County in England, I doubt not but Poverty might easily be prevented, and Begging wholly suppres'd.