VII. 96. The next thing, is that of Colonies and foreign Plantations; which Plantations. are very neceffary, as Outlets to a populous Nation, and may be profitable alfo, if managed difcreetly. Plantations. 97. The Choic of the Place requires many Circumftances; viz. (1.) that Choice of the Situation be near the Sea, for the fake of a commodious Intercourfe the Place for with England; (2.) that the Temper of the Air and Climate be fuch as may beft agree with the Conftitutions of the English, rather inclining to Cold than Heat; (3.) that the Place be stored with Woods, Mines, and Fruits, which are natural to the Place; (4.) that the Soil be fuch as will probably prove fruitful for Corn, and other Conveniencies; and for breeding of Cattle; (5.) that it have Rivers both for Paffage between Place and Place, and alfo for fifhing; and, (6.) that the Natives be not fo numerous, but that there may be Elbow-room enough for them: all which are likely to be found in the Weft-Indies. 98. The Place also should be such as is not already planted by the Subjects of any Chriftian Prince or State; nor too nearly bordering upon their Plantation. And it would be more convenient, to be chofen by some of those Gentlemen or Merchants who first move in the Work; than to be affigned them from the King: for it must proceed from the Option of the People, else it founds like an Exile; fo that the Colonies must be raised by the leave of the King, and not by his Command. 99. After the Place is chofe, the first step muft be, to choose a fit Go- Their Goververnor; who, altho he have not the Name, yet must have the Power of "ors. a Viceroy and if the Perfon, who principally moved in the Work, be not fit for that Truft; yet he should not be excluded from Command; but then his Defect, in the governing Part, must be supplied by Affiftants to be joined with him, or fuch as he fhall very well approve of. Inftruction. 100. At their fetting out, they must have their Commiffion, or Let- Their Com ters-Patent from the King; that they may acknowledge their Dependance, mission and and be under the Protection of the Crown of England: and they must receive fome general Inftruction how to difpofe of themselves, when they come there; which fhould be in the Nature of Laws to them. 101. But the general Law, by which they must be guided and governed, Their Laws. fhould be the Common Law of England; and to that End, it will be fit that some Man, reasonably skilled in the Law, and otherwife qualified for fuch a Purpose, be inclined, or perfuaded, to go thither as a Chancellor among them, at firft; and when the Plantation is more fettled, then to have Courts of Juftice there as in England. 102. For the Discipline of their Church; it will be neceffary to have Their Religion. it agree with what is fettled in England, elfe it will make a Schifm and a Rent in Chrift's Coat, which must be seamless; and, to this Purpose it will be proper, that, by the King's fupreme Power in Caufes ecclefiaftical, within all his Dominions, they be fubordinate to fome Bishop and Bishoprick of this Kingdom. 103. At Their Forces 103. At the first planting, or as foon after as poffible, they must deand Defence. fend themselves both against the Natives, and Strangers; and to that Purpofe, must have the Affiftance of fome able military Man; convenient Arms and Ammunition; left, on a fudden, they be expofed a Prey to fome other Nation, when they have fitted the Colony for them. 1 Their Beginning. Their Employs. Trades. Shipping. No Outlaws, &c. to be admitted. 104. For their better Defence against a common Enemy; it feems best, that foreign Plantations fhould be placed in one Continent, and near together for if they are too remote from one another, they will be dif-united, and weaker. 105. They must provide themselves of fuch Houfes as they can, for the prefent; and, at more leifure, fuch as are better and they must first plant for Corn and Cattle, &c. for Food and neceffary Suftenance; and after, they may enlarge themselves to thofe things, which may be for Profit, Pleafure, and Traffick. 106. Wood for Shipping, in the first place, may doubtlefs be there had, and Minerals found; however Mines out of the Fruits of the Earth, and Seas, and Waters adjoining, will not be wanting. 107. Regard must be had to employ the Colony in profitable Trades and Manufactures, fuch as the Clime will beft fuit, and such as may be ufeful to this Kingdom; and return to them an Exchange of neceffary things. 108. In a fhort time they may build Veffels and Ships, for Traffick with the Parts near adjoining, and with England alfo; from whence they may be furnished with fuch things as they want; and, in Exchange or Barter, fend from thence others, with which, either by Nature or Art, they may foon abound. 109. But no known Bankrupt, for Shelter; nor known Murderer or other wicked Perfon, to avoid the Law; nor known Heretick or Schifmatick, should be fuffered to go into thofe Countries; or if they do creep in there, they must not be harboured or continued: elfe the Place would receive them bad, and return them to England, upon all Occafions, worse. 110. Let the Trade, to and from the Plantations, be fo ordered, that to be regula- fome few Merchants and Tradefmen may not, under colour of furnishing the Colonies with Neceffaries, grind them, fo as fhall always keep them in Poverty. Their Trade ted. Commiffioners of Plantations. The Duties, how to be laid. 111. And to regulate all these Inconveniencies, which will infenfibly grow upon them, it were advifable the King fhould erect a fubordinate Council in England; whofe Care and Charge it fhould be, to advise and put in Execution, all things which fhall be found fit for the Good of the new Plantations; and who, upon all Occafions, fhall give an Account of their Proccedings to the King, or to the Council-Board; and from them receive fuch Directions as may beft agree with the Government of the Place. 112. The King's reafonable Profits are not to be neglected; and may arife from Refervation of moderate Rents and Services; by Customs and Duties upon the Exportation, and Importation of Merchandize: which, for a convenient time after the Plantation begins, fhould be very eafy, to encourage encourage the Work; but after it is well fettled, may be raised to a confiderable Proportion. Care must be taken, that, when the Induftry of one Man has fettled the Work, a new Man, by Infinuation, or Mif-information, may not fupplant him; which is the Difcouragement of all faithful Endeavours. VIII. 113. We come now to the last thing propofed; viz. the Court and Cu-The Court. riality. The King in his own Perfon, both in refpect of his Houfhold or Kings, how to Court, and in refpect of his whole Kingdom (for a little Kingdom is but be advised. as a great Family) must be exemplary: Regis ad exemplum, &c. But Kings are Men; and feasonable Memento's may be ufeful: and being difcreetly given, cannot but be well taken. And here an Admonition from a dead Author, or a Caveat from an impartial Pen, whofe Aim neither was, nor can be taken, as any particular By-Defign, will prevail more, and have a better Effect, than a down-right Advice; which perhaps may be mistaken, as if it were fpoken magisterially. 114. And in the next Place, the Prime Minister must give no just Caufe The Conduct of Scandal, either by light, vain, or oppreffive Carriage. of the Minifer. Great Officers 115. The great Officers of the King's Houfhold had need be difcreet and provident Perfons, both for his Honour, and for his Profit; they of the Hous must look both Ways, elfe they are but half-fighted: yet in the Choice hold. of them, there is more Latitude left to Affection, than in the Choice of Counsellors, and the great Officers of State, who must always be chofe merely out of Judgment; for in them the Publick has a great Concern. cers. 116. The other minifterial Officers in Court, as for Diftinction fake The other mithey may be termed, alfo require an Eye upon them. They have ufually nifterial Offirifen in the Houfhold by Degrees; and it is a noble Way to encourage faithful Service but the King muft not bind himself to a Neceffity herein; for then it would be held ex debito: neither muft he alter it, without an apparent Caufe. But to difplace any who are in, upon Displeasure, which ufually happens upon the Information of fome great Man, is, by all means, to be avoided; unless there be a manifeft Reafon for it. Green-Cloth. 117. But it seems beft to leave the ordering of the Houfhold-Affairs to The Whitethe White-Staffs, who are those honourable Perfons, to whom it pro-Staffs, and perly belongs, and are anfwerable to the King for it; and to thofe other Officers of the Green-Cloth, who are fubordinate to them, as a kind of Council, and also a Court of Juftice. Tho for the Green-Cloth Law, in the largest Senfe, I have no Opinion of it, farther than it is regulated by the juft Rules of the Common Laws of England. 118. Towards the Support of his Majefty's own Table, and of the The PurveyPrinces, and of his neceffary Officers, his Majefty has a good Help by ance. Purveyance, which juftly is his Due; and, if justly used, is no great Burden to the Subject: but by the Purveyors, and other under Officers, it is VOL. II. E e often The Revenues. No Officers to with Forfei tures. often abused. In many Parts of the Kingdom it is reduced to a Certainty in Money; and if it be indifferently and difcreetly managed, it would be no hard matter to fettle it fo throughout the whole Kingdom; tho to be renewed from time to time for that will be the beft and fafeft, both for King and People. 119. The King must be put in mind to preferve the Revenues of his Crown, both certain and cafual, without Diminution; and to lay up Treafure in Store against a time of Extremity. Empty Coffers give an ill found; and make the People many times forget their Duty; thinking that the King must be beholden to them for his Supplies. 120. I by no means think it fit, that the King should reward any of be rewarded his Servants with the Benefit of Forfeitures, either by Fines in the Court of Star-Chamber, or High-Commilion Courts, or other Courts of Juftice; or that they should be farm'd out, or beitowed upon any, fo much as by Promife, before Judgment given: this would neither be profitable nor honourable. Mafques and publick Entertainments. 121. Laftly; befides Matters of ferious Confideration, in the Courts of Princes, there must be times for Recreation and Sports: when there is a Queen, and Ladies of Honour attending her, there must fometimes be Mafques, and Revels, and Interludes. And when there is no Queen, or Princes, yet at Feftivals, and for the Entertainment of Strangers, or upon fuch Occafions, they may be proper alfo. But Care fhould be taken, that, in fuch Cafes, they be fet off more with Wit and Liveliness, than with Coft and wafteful Expence b. For more upon the whole of this useful Subject, see the Author's Effays, Sect. III. SUP |