Mercantile publick: as that would detract from the Honour of the principal Embaffador. 54. If the Negotiation were upon Merchants Affairs; then the Perfons Negotiations. ufually employ'd were Doctors of the Civil Law, affifted with fome other difcreet Men: and in fuch Cafes, the Charge was ordinarily defray'd by the Company or Society of Merchants, whom the Negotiation concerned. Refidents. Their Inftructions. The Education 55. If Residents, or Agents, were fent to remain at the Courts of foreign Princes or States; as it was ever held fit, to hold Correspondence with them upon all Occafions; such Persons were made Choice of as were prefumed to be vigilant, induftrious, and difcreet; and had the Language of the Place where they were fent: and with these went fuch as promifed to be worthy of the like Employment hereafter. Their Care was, to give true and early Intelligence of all Occurrences, either to the Queen herself, or the Secretaries of State; to whom they had their immediate Relation. 56. Their Charge was always born by the Queen; and duly paid out of the Exchequer, in fuch Proportion, as, according to their Qualities and Places, might give them an honourable Subfiftence abroad: but for the Reward of their Service; they were to expect that upon their Return, by fome fuch Preferment as might be worthy of them; and yet be little Burden to the Queen's Coffers or Revenues. 57. At going out, they had their general Inftructions in Writing, which might be communicated to the Ministers of the States whereto they were fent; they had alfo private Inftructions, upon particular Occafions: and at their Return, they always rendered an Account of fome things to the Queen herself; of fome to the Body of the Council; and of others to the Secretaries of State; who made ufe of them, or communicated them, as there was Occafion. 58. In those Days there was a conftant Course held, by the Advice of the of foreign Mi-Secretaries, or fome principal Counsellors, of fending into feveral Parts benifters. yond the Seas, fome young Men of promifing Parts, to be trained up, and made fit for fuch publick Employments; and to learn the Languages. This was at the Charges of the Queen, and run not high; for they travelled but as private Gentlemen and as their Deferts appeared by their Induftry, fo they were farther employed or rewarded. And this is an ex-cellent Course to breed up a Nursery of fuch publick Plants. Wars. To prevent an V. 59. We come next to Peace and War. Wars are either foreign or domeftick: As for a War of Invafion from abroad; we must not be over-fecure that is the way to invite it. And for Peace at home; Juftice is the best Protector thereof. 60. In order to prevent any Invafion or War from abroad, Care must be had of our Out-works, the Royal Navy, and the Shipping of our Kingdom; which are the Walls thereof. Every great Ship is an impregnable Fort ; Fort; and our many fafe and commodious Ports and Havens, in these 61. No Nation in the World can rival England in the Oak-Timber, Naval-Stores. whereof the Bodies of our Ships are built; and we need not borrow of our Neighbours Iron for Spikes, or Nails to faften them together: but there must be a great deal of Caution ufed, and Provision made, that our ShipTimber be not unneceffarily wasted. 62. But for Tackling, as Sails and Cordage, we are beholden to our Tackling. Neighbours; and buy them for our Money: these therefore must be forefeen and stored up against a time of Need; and not fought for when we are to use them. But we are much to blame, that we make them not at home; only Pitch and Tar we have not of our own. 63. For the true Art of Building Ships, both for Burden and Service, Ship-building. no Nation in the World exceeds us. Ship-Wrights, and all other Artisans belonging to that Trade, must be cherished and encouraged. 64. Powder and Ammunition, of all forts, we can have at home; and in Ammunition. exchange for other home Commodities we may be plentifully fupplied therewith from our Neighbours: which muft not be neglected. 65. This Kingdom is plentifully furnished with Mariners and Sea-men. Sailors. The conftant Trade of merchandizing will fupply us at time of Need; and navigable Rivers will repair the Store, both to the Royal Navy, and to the Merchants, if employ'd, and well paid for their Labour. 66. Sea-Captains, Commanders, and other Officers, must be encouraged, Sea-Officers. and raised by degrees; as their Fidelity and Industry deserve it. And never let brave Spirits, that have fitted themselves for Command, either by Sea or Land, be laid by; as Perfons unneceffary for the Time. Let Arms and Ammunition of all forts be provided and ftored up, as against a Day of Battel; and let the Ports and Forts be fo fitted, as if by the next Wind we fhould hear of an Alarm: fuch a known Provifion is the fureft Protection. 67. And for a foreign War, intended by ourselves, to enlarge the Bounds Foreign Wars. of our Empire; I have no Opinion either of the Juftness or Fitness of it: our own Territories feem large enough, and are naturally bounded by the Ocean. And it were very hard to attempt fuch a War with Hopes of Succefs; as the Subjects of this Kingdom believe it illegal to be forced beyond the Seas, without their own Confent, upon Expectation of an unwarranted Conqueft; but to refift an invading Enemy, or to fupprefs Rebels, the Subject may, and fhould be commanded out. The whole Kingdom must be one entire Body; otherwise that Saying will be verified, Dum fingupugnamus, omnes vincemur. li Holland. 68. Our ftrict League of Amity and Alliance with the Dutch, is a mu- Alliance with tual Strength to both; and the Shipping of both, in Conjunction, being fo powerful, no Foreigner will venture upon it. This League and Friendship muft inviolably be observed. 69. There remains then no Danger to this Kingdom, but from a Civil Civil War. War; which is the most desperate of all. The King's Wifdom and Juf Dd 2 tice Money. Magazines. tice must foresee and prevent it; or if it fhould happen, quench such a Wildfire, with all poffible Diligence. The Cures of a Civil War are effected either by preventive Remedies; which by juft and equal Government take away the Occafion; or by fevere ones, if the other prevail not. The Service and Vigilancy of the Deputy-Lieutenants in every County, and of the High-Sheriffs, will herein contribute much to our Security. But if this fhould not prevail, peccant Humours, and the Difaffected, must by a timely Enquiry be difcovered, purged out, or cut off. Mercy, in fuch a Cafe, is real Cruelty in a King. Yet if the Heads of the Tribes can be taken off, and the misled Multitude will fee their Error, and return to their Obedience; fuch an Extent of Mercy is both honourable and profitable. 70. A King, against a Storm, must ever provide a convenient Stock of Treasure; and neither be without Money, which is called the Sinews of War; nor depend upon the Curtesy of others, which may fail at a Pinch. 71. He must also have a Magazine well-ftored with all forts of Arms and Engines of War; which alfo must be had from foreign Parts, or provided at home; and committed to feveral Places, under the Cuftody of trufty and faithful Minifters and Officers. Experienced 72. He must make choice of experienced and able Commanders, to conCommanders. duct and manage the War, both against a foreign Invafion, and a domeftick Rebellion; who fhould not be young and giddy, but fit to govern others as well as themselves. The Conduct when a Civil 73. Let not fuch be difcouraged, if they deferve well, by Mif-information, or for fatisfying the Humours or Ambition of others; perhaps, out of Envy; perhaps, out of Treachery, or other finifter Ends. A fteddy Hand in governing military Affairs, is more requisite than in Affairs of Peace; because an Error committed in War, may, perhaps, prove irretrievable. 74. When a Civil War is ended, those who have been found faithful in to be observed the Land, must be regarded and rewarded; the traiterous, or treacherous, War is ended, who have mifled others, feverely punished; and the Neutrals and falfehearted Friends and Followers, who have started aside like a broken Bow, be noted.. VI. Trade at home. Tillage. Improvements in Husbandry. 75. We now turn to Trade: and this likewife is either domeftick or foreign. We begin with home Trade; which enables the Subject to live; and lays the Foundation for a foreign Trade, by Traffick. 76. And firft; Tillage must be encouraged, to fupply the Kingdom with Corn for the Natives, and to fpare for Exportation. I remember more than once, in times of Dearth, when it drained much Coin out of this Nation, to furnish us with Corn from foreign Parts. 77. Good Hufbands will find means of improving their Lands by Lime, Chalk, Marle, or Sea-fand; where it can be had: but they should be put in mind thereof, and encouraged in their Industry. 78. Planting: 78. Planting of Orchards, in a Soil and Air fit for them, is very profitable, as well as pleafant. Cyder and Perry are good Beverage in Sea Voyages. 79. Gardens likewife are very profitable, if planted with Artichokes, Gardening. Roots, and fuch other things as are fit for Food; whence they are properly call'd Kitchen-Gardens. 80. The planting of Hop-Yards, and the fowing of Woad, and Rape- Hop-Yards, Seed, are found very profitable for the Planters, in Places fit for them; and Woad, &c. confequently profitable for the Kingdom; which for feveral Years was furnished with them from beyond the Seas. 81. The planting and preferving of Wood-Lands, especially thofe Woods. productive of Timber, is not only profitable, but commendable; to furnish Pofterity, both for Building and Shipping. 82. The Kingdom might be much improved by draining of drowned Draining. Lands, and recovering them from the overflowing both of falt and fresh Waters. And many fuch Grounds would be very fit for Dairies; which when well look'd after, are exceedingly commodious. 83. Much good Land might be gained from Forefts and Chases, more Forefts and remote from the King's Accefs, and from other Places of Common; pro- Commons to be improved.. vided due Care be taken that the poor Commoners receive no Injury by fuch Improvement. 84. The making of navigable Rivers would prove very profitable; they Navigable being as fo many Inlets of Wealth, by conveying Commodities with eafe Rivers. from Place to Place. Flax 85. The planting of Hemp and Flax for Linen Cloth and Cordage, Sowing of would be an unknown Advantage to the Kingdom; many Places therein Hemp and. being as fit for it, as any foreign Parts. Understand the fame of Wool and Leather of the Kingdom, if they be converted into Manufactures. 86. Let the Vanity of the Times be restrained, which the Neighbour- Luxury to behood of other Nations has introduced: and we strive apace to exceed our refrained in Cloaths, Pattern. Let Vanity in Apparel, and which is more vain, that of the Fashion, be avoided. In Spain, they allow the Players and Curtefans the Vanity of rich and coftly Cloaths; but to fober Men and Matrons, they forbid it upon pain of Infamy: a feverer Punishment upon ingenuous Natures than a pecuniary Mulet. 87. Excefs in coftly Meats and Drinks, fetch'd from beyond the Seas, and Dier: fhould be avoided: wife Men will avoid this without a Law; and I wish there might be a Law to restrain others. The Excefs of Wine costs the Kingdom much; and returns nothing but Surfeits and Difeafes. Were we as wife as we eafily might be, within a Year or two at the most, if we would needs drink Wine, we might drink it for half the Cost *. 88. But a See Mr. Bushell's Abridgement of the Lord Bacon's Philofophical Theory, in Mineral Profecutions. *The Author appears to mean, by planting Vines in England; which if well underfood and regulated, would not fail of Succefs; as we learn, not only from the ancient. Hiftories of England; but alfo from modern Experience, The native 88. But instead of crying up all things, which are either brought from Commodities beyond Sea, or wrought here by the Hands of Strangers; let us advance to be used. the native Commodities of our own Kingdom, and employ our Countrymen before Strangers; let us turn the Wool of the Land into Cloths and Stuffs; and the Hemp and Flax growing here, into Linen Cloth and Cordage it would fet many thoufand Hands on work, and thereby one Shilling worth of the Materials, would, by Industry, be multiplied to five, ten, and often twenty times the Value when wrought. But of all forts of Thrift for the publick Good, I would principally recommend the Encouragement of Husbandry; and the Improvement of Lands for Tillage: there is no fuch Ufury as this. The King cannot enlarge the Bounds of these Islands, which make up his Empire; the Ocean being the unremoveable Wall which inclofes them; but he may enlarge and multiply the Revenue thereof, by this honeft and innocent Way of Husbandry. English Laces 89. Our English Ladies are much given to the wearing of coftly Lato be encou- ces, &c. and, if brought from Italy, France, or Flanders, they are in raged. great Efteem; whereas if the like were made by the English, so much Thread as would make a Yard of Lace, being put into that Manufacture, would be five times, or perhaps ten or twenty times, the Value. Grazing. Mining. Fisheries. Merchandi zing. 90. The breeding of Cattle is great Profit; especially the breeding of Horfes, in many Places, not only for Labour, but for the Saddle; the English Horfe, for Strength, Courage and Swiftness, not being inferior to the Horfes of any other Kingdom. 91. The Minerals of the Kingdom, efpecially Lead, Iron, Copper, and Tin, are of great Value, and fet many able bodied Subjects to work: it is great Pity the Business of Mining should not be industriously profecuted. 92. But fcarce any thing is more advantageous than fishing upon the Coasts of thefe Kingdoms; and the Seas belonging to them: our Neighbours, within half a Day's Sail of us, with a good Wind, can fhew us the Ufe and Value thereof. And, doubtlefs, there is Sea-room enough for both Nations, without offending one another; and it would exceedingly fupport the Navy. 93. This Kingdom is much enriched of late by the Trade of Merchandize, which the English drive in foreign Parts; and, if it be wifely managed, it must of Neceffity prove very beneficial: Care being taken, that the Exportation exceed the Importation in Value; for then the Balance of Trade must be returned in Coin or Bullion. This would easily be effected, if the Merchants were to make their Returns in folid Commodities, and not too much thereof in Vanity, tending to Excefs. Monopolies to 94. But fpecial Care must be taken, that Monopolies, which are Canbe prevented. kers of all Trade, be not admitted, under fpecious Colours of publick Good. 95. To put all this under a Regulation; if a conftant Commiffion, to Men of Honesty and Understanding, were granted, and well pursued, for directing the Management of thefe things, both at home and abroad, to beft Advantage; and this Commiffion were made fubordinate to the Council-Board, it is conceived very good Effects would follow. |