The merchants map of commerce wherein the universal manner and matter relating to trade and merchandize are fully treated of, the standard and current coins of most princes and republicks observ'd, the real and imaginary coins of accounts and exchanges express'd, the natural products and artificial commodities and manufactures for transportation declar'd, the weights and measures of all eminent cities and towns of traffick in the universe, collected one into another, and all reduc'd to the meridian of commerce practis'd in the famous city of London / by Lewis Roberts, merchant.

Twenty four hours for Acceptance.

BUt if the party, to whom the Bill of Ex∣change is directed, be a Merchant well known unto you, and when the Bill is pre∣sented him to accept, he shall desire time to consider on it, and so shall intreat you to leave the Bill of Exchange with him, and to come to him the next day, (provided the Post do not go away in the interim) and that then he will give you an answer whether he will accept it or not; herein he doth demand nothing of you but what is usually allowed be∣tween Merchants known one to another: For according to custom of Merchants, the party on whom the Bill is drawn may have four and twenty hours time to consider, whether he will accept of the Bill or not; but that time being expired, you may in civility demand of the party on whom your Bill is drawn, the Bill of Exchange which you left with him to be accepted, if so he pleased; If he then say, that he hath not as yet accepted it, and that he would desire you to call for it some other time, or the like, (the four and twenty hours being expired) it is at your choice to stay any longer or not; and you may then desire a Notary to go to the dwelling house of the party that hath the Bill, and demand the Bill of Exchange of him accepted or not accepted, and in default of present delivery thereof, you may cause Protest to be made in due form.

But though this may be lawfully done, yet notwithstanding amongst Merchants which do know one another, they do not usually proceed so strictly for acceptance, but do leave their Bills with the parties to whom they are directed (to be accepted) sometimes two or three days, if it be not their prejudice, as namely, if the Post do not depart in the interim, but if the Post is to depart within the two or three days, then it is a very reasonable thing (and which men that know the custom of Merchants will not omit) to demand their Bill, accepted or not accepted, that so they may give advice thereof by the first Post (after the receipt of their Letters) unto their Friend who sent them the Bill, or delivered the value thereof: For it is to be noted by the way,