第4章

Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients:Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound:Of using neither cloaths,nor houshold furniture,except what is of our own growth and manufacture:Of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury:Of curing the expensiveness of pride,vanity,idleness,and gaming in our women:Of introducing a vein of parsimony,prudence and temperance:Of learning to love our country,wherein we differ even from Laplanders,and the inhabitants of Topinamboo:Of quitting our animosities and factions,nor acting any longer like the Jews,who were murdering one another at the very moment their city was taken:Of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing:Of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants.Lastly,of putting a spirit of honesty,industry,and skill into our shop-keepers,who,if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods,would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price,the measure,and the goodness,nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing,though often and earnestly invited to it.

Therefore I repeat,let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients,'till he hath at least some glympse of hope,that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.

But,as to my self,having been wearied out for many years with offering vain,idle,visionary thoughts,and at length utterly despairing of success,I fortunately fell upon this proposal,which,as it is wholly new,so it hath something solid and real,of no expence and little trouble,full in our own power,and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England.For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation,and flesh being of too tender a consistence,to admit a long continuance in salt,although perhaps I could name a country,which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.

After all,I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion,as to reject any offer,proposed by wise men,which shall be found equally innocent,cheap,easy,and effectual.But before something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme,and offering a better,I desire the author or authors will be pleased maturely to consider two points.First,As things now stand,how they will be able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs.And secondly,There being a round million of creatures in humane figure throughout this kingdom,whose whole subsistence put into a common stock,would leave them in debt two million of pounds sterling,adding those who are beggars by profession,to the bulk of farmers,cottagers and labourers,with their wives and children,who are beggars in effect;I desire those politicians who dislike my overture,and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer,that they will first ask the parents of these mortals,whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old,in the manner I prescribe,and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes,as they have since gone through,by the oppression of landlords,the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade,the want of common sustenance,with neither house nor cloaths to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather,and the most inevitable prospect of intailing the like,or greater miseries,upon their breed for ever.

I profess,in the sincerity of my heart,that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work,having no other motive than the publick good of my country,by advancing our trade,providing for infants,relieving the poor,and giving some pleasure to the rich.I have no children,by which I can propose to get a single penny;the youngest being nine years old,and my wife past child-bearing.

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