wards the Increase of the National Stock. So, in either Cafe, Nation can't lose by Increase of their Capital. I don't know What Mr Hampden may think, but, for my part, I should not be forry, that Foreigners went on increasing their Capital, till they fhould become the only Creditors of the Publick. For, whilft they are thus increafing their Capital in our Funds, by the only Means they can do it, they de prive themselves of fo much of their Subtance as they employ with us, which otherwife they might more ufefully lay out in the Improvement of Manufactures, and Extenfion of Trade.

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But this Patriot Calculator, fingular in all his Pofitions, gradually increases in his Impofitions on the Publick, as he proceeds in his Juftification of his Patrons. For, after he had wrote himself almost out of Breath, to prove that we lose the Seven Millions which Foreigners had add-C ed to their Capital in our Funds, he makes another Supponition more glaringly abfurd, in order to juftify the Conduct of the late Betrayers of their Truft: "That the whole Taxation, fays he, is carried much too high, may appear plainer to fome People in another Light;- -Suppofe the Specie of this Nation to be Eight or Ten Millions, D (for it is uncertain) and the Taxes annually collected to be about Seven Millions; is it not a Demonstration how much more they are too great, as well as what Numbers it must ruin to fupply the Circulation of fo difproportionate a Sum?-These are melancholy Confiderations, &c."IE frankly agree with the Apologift, that, if the Cafe were as he ftates it, Confideration would be fuperlatively melancholy; for as the Manufactures, Commerce, and in general all the Business of the Nation, mult neceffarily be ftagnated by a Taxati on of Seven Millions, if our Specie did not exceed Ten Millions, there is no doubt that a general Beggery would enfue, which would be very foon obferved in the Decrease of all the Branches of the Revenue. But after all, can this Writer be in earnest, when he fupp fes our Specie not to be above Eight or Ten Millions? If he thinks as he writes, his Ignorance is to be pity'd; but if he writes to impofe, as 'tis plain he does, he ufes the Publick with greater Freedom than the Publick ought to allow.

I never knew any Man pretending to Calculations fuppofe the Specie of the Nation to be less than Fifteen Millions. But if the Supputations of our greatelt Men may be rely'd on, our Coin'd Builion mult fall very little fhort of Twenty Millions.

S. EXPORT.

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The Daily Gazetteer, July 21.

Encomium on the Laws pass'd laft Seffion.

and Industry, and difcouraging Fraud, Look upon all Laws promoting Trade Sloth, and Extravagance, to be falutary in the highest Degree.

To view the Laws made in the laft Seffion in this Light, we shall find that, far from having Reafon to lament the late memorable Seceffion, we ought to blefs our Stars, that the Absence of certain thwarting, froward, ambitious Gentlemen, had produced a Calm, which enabled the remaining Patriot Numbers to confult about the true Intereft of the Community, and project and enact Laws, which do themselves as much Honour, as they must neceffarily be of general Utility.

I fhall begin with the Act for the Encouragement of the WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE, by taking off the Duties or Woollen and Bay Yarn imported from Ireland to England; and for preventing the Exportation of Wool from Great Britain, and Wool Manufactur'd from Ireland to Fo reign Parts.

This Law, which had been frequently Seffion, and as often obftructed by certain attempted by the Miniftry before the laft Gentlemen, is, indubitably, the very best, perhaps the only Expedient that could be devis'd, for deftroying the growing Maallocating the Irish in the Improvement nufactures of our Foreign Rivals, and for and Extenfion of our Favourite, Staple, Woollen Trade. If it be true, as I am inform'd it is from incontestable Proofs, that English and Irish Wool is abfolutely neceffary to our Rivals in working up their own coarfer Wool, it follows, that their Competition with us in this valuable Branch must neceffarily ceafe; fince, if this Law is duly executed, they will be deprived of that Ingredient.

As the Confideration of the Woollen Manufacture fhould attract our principal Attention, fo fhould the Encouragement ject of our Care. The Legislature feem of our Sugar Plantations be the next ObRegard paid to thofe enriching Colonies to be of this Opinion, from the tender by the late Act for granting a Liberty to Carry Sugars of the Growth, &c. of the Sugar Colonies, &c. directly to foreign Parts, &c.

This Law likewife was frequently petition'd for and efponfed by the principal Members of the Adminiftration, but as conftantly oppofed by those, who for ma ny Years pait had made Oppofition their fole and favourite Buiincfs. But, happy for the Sugar Planters, happy, indeed,

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As our neighbouring Rivals were enabled to enter the Lifts with us in the Extenfion of their Woollen Manufactures, by inveigling the Covetous amongst us to fupply them with Wool, fo were they enabled to fupplant us in our Sugar Trade, by carrying their Sugars directly to Foreign Markets from their Colonies. That their B late Afcendency over us in this Branch of Trade, is chiefly, if not folely, owing to the aforefaid Indulgence of their Govern ment, is obvious for many Reafons; but particularly from the great Expence of their Navigation, and the confequent Dearnels of their Freights, if compar'd

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Many other excellent Laws pais'd the latt Seffion, which thould endear the attending Members to their Fellow-Subjects H in general, and to their Constituents in particular; fuch as the A for preventing Frauds and afes in Gold and Silver

made publick hereafter; but fhall be receiv'd as juft, wife, and honourable, under certain Pains and Penalties.

If the whole Nation would but pin their Faith upon the Minifter, and receive every Measure as good upon the Truth and Honour of the Perfon who was the Ad- If, by a Vote of Credit, a Power fhould vifer, Actor, and chief Negotiator in it, be given to a Minifter of difpofing of pubI am perfuaded it would tend more to lick Money at Difcretion; if it is aftermake a great Man eafy in his Seat (4 wards declared, that the Services for Point to which all National Points ought A which it was laid out are a Secret, it pafies to be facrificed) than any other Method off and is forgot in a Year (however the that can be made Use of for that Purpose People may fuffer for it;) whereas, the -The Means formerly put in Practice difcovering what Pockets the Money went were Bullying and Bribing, both which into might, perhaps, put the whole Naare attended with fuch an Expence that tion into a Flame. I think this Method fcarce any Nation can bear, for a long would do full as well with Respect to Course of Years, without being undone; B Treatics as Votes of Credit. -to fpeak the best of it, it is but taking Money out of one Man's Pocket to put it into another (which must be looked up. on as a Kind of Robbery) and if it makes a few Friends, it creates Millions of Enemies; and tho' it may not immediately kindle a Civil War, it furnishes Fuel in Abundance for it.

The Preamble of a Convention may make a tolerable Figure without the Articles; it may be there read, that a Convention hath been entered into for putting an End to the Differences fublifting betwixt fuch and fuch a Nation. What is it to the People how they were ended? C Let it fuffice the M- hath go rid of a prefent Uneafinefs.-The Preamble of a Convention is the Cream, which the Men in Power may skim off and prefent us for our Entertainment. Examining into Articles may be like diving to the Bottom, where it is ten to one we may meet with a foul Settlement that will turn our Sto

But to return to our Point of Faith. I would be glad to be inform'd, what we have got by being fo inquifitive into the Articles of the late Convention;-nothing muft ferve us but we must judge for ourfelves, we must fee with our own Eyes, and judge by our own Understandings ;D and what, I fay, have we got by our Curiofity but to fee Doubts, Difcontents, Ill-Humour and the Spleen fpread thro' the whole Nation? How much better would it have been for us to have taken it upon Credit! Methinks, I have now before my Eyes the Figure and Countenance of that bulky Perfon, when, putting on a wife Minifterial Face, he declared, that if we had a Carte blanche we could not write down better Terms for ourfelves, and that it would do Honour to all that had a Hand in it; which was de livered with fuch an Air, as if he did not intend a Jeft, tho' the Sperators could not forbear laughing at the affected Serioufnefs of his Countenance.

I should think it no bad Thing if the Reading of Treaties fhould be prohibited in England, as it is faid the Reading of the Bible is at Rome; for till we place the fame Infallibility in the Minister which the Roman Catholics do in the Pope, I can fee no probable Endof § present Difffettion.

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machs.

No fooner was the Convention made publick, but the Difaffected triumph'd, and the People, moved by different Pallions, both curs'd and approved it; I fay, they did both, for their Reprefentatives are their other felves.

Let the Difaffected call it a Shift, or an Expedient; let them complain of the immenfe Sums it hath coft the Nation to bring it about, and fhew at this Time the Fruit it produces; let them make the most of that wife Declaration of the ableft Politician and prertieft Fellow the Sun ever faw, that by his indefatigable Pains, as well as profound Skill in the Art of negotiating, it was come to pafs that we had not one Ally left to our Backs-There is Room to negotiate ftill, that invincible Prince the Duke of Wolfenbuttle (it is to be hoped) will not retufe our Money; he was to kind to accept of a Subfidy from Gus fome Years ago, it is not doubted but he will do us the fame Favour again, and do England as much Service as he did then, belides, lince the bef re-mentioned Declaration, a Treaty hath been made with Darmark, which, in Confideration of a Subidy to be paid by Great Britain, hath guaranteed Bremen and Vod.u; and it Brinca and Verden he taken Care of, let us never trouble our Heads about what Concerns

There is a late laudable Cuftom which may, indeed, give us fome Hope of a Reformation, and that is, the approving publick Measures first and examining them after; which, with all Submiffion, I think may be carried a little faster, and, Iμ hope, fome Perfon in a proper Place will rife up and move, that no Minifterial Meafure what fuever fhall be examined or

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be an extreme Fondness for Title and Rib. bon, why may not a new Order be inftiSpain? I hope to fee it hanging about the tuted called, The Order of the great Seal of Neck of every Man that had a Hand in the Convention, not excepting the renowned Commifiary.

it; but, to tell the Truth, no publick I could dwell a Year upon the Praise of Meature hath ever been better fupported quaintance, who hath good Intelligence with Encomium: A Bookfeller of my Acin every Thing relating to his own Trade, fifteen Pamphlets and Papers have been affures me, that no less than fourfcore and written and difperfed over the three Kingdoms, by Order of the Great Man, fill'd with nothing but Praises of the Conven tion. It is to be fear'd it hath cost the cand, as much as I like it, I fhould be forry Nation feveral thoufands in Panegyrick, break into the Sinking Fund appropriated to fee fuch a one every Year, left it might for paying the Debts of the Nation; and yet, alas, already it is departed, it died walking Shadow, a poor Player that fretalmoft as foon as it was born:-It was a and then is heard no more.-The Father ted and ftrutted its Hour upon the Stage, of it may fay of this his Darling, this Parents fay of fome poor Thing that dies Child of his old Age, what other fond before its Time,-it had too much Wit to live.

The Spaniards have neither paid the Money, nor vouchfafed to give a Reason why they do not pay it; which is underftood as a higher Insult than any that hath been yet offered to this Nation.-If they have given a Reason, that Reafon is kept fecret. I would not infinuate that this proves it to be a bad Convention; while I am praifing it, I must not forget to do Juftice to the Merit of every Man that had a Hand in it, tho' the Great Man, out of a certain Greedinefs of Glory, took all upon himself, and had like to have de- B prived the Reft of their fmall Share; yet the renown'd Commissary fhall not be forgot; that Commiffary, who received about ten thousand Pounds of publick Money for the great Services he hath done the Merchants, and hath the Modefty to keep it, deferves to have his Praises recorded-Had he not, like a right skilful Commiflary as he is, artfully drawn in the Spaniards to confent to reduce the Pretentions of our Merchants fo low, perhaps this glorious Convention had never been fign'd. Among all the other Contrivances for that Purpofe, let me particularly commend his Wit in the Article of forty five thousand Pounds Abatement, for prompt Payment.-Among Merchants, D fometimes, one or two per Cent. hath been allowed for prompt Payment; but they are fo ftupid to understand nothing to be prompt Payment but Money down upon the Nail.-The abateing therefore of twenty per Cent. for the prompt Payment of what had been due eight or ten Years, and fome Part longer, and which was not E to be paid till four Months after, muit elevate and furprize, and all that—————as little Bays fays.

But to carry this Matter farther; if the Commiffary knew that the Money would never be paid, was he not in the Right not to cavil about any Abatement.

As to Don Benjamin, newly created a Gentleman, the South Sea Proprietors clamour against him, for his Complaifance to the King of Spain (being their Servant) in acknowledging a Debt they pretend they did not owe: But if he acted according to Inftructions, and hath taken as much Care of their Interells as of that of the Nation, from which he receiv'd a much larger Salary, their Complaints are without Foundation.

Our Great Man, to convince the World of the Excellence of this Convention, well obferved, that the great Seal of Spain had been put to it. Sure Nobody ought to obje against any Article of it alter How much geed Senfe fhines in all is Arguments ! -As there feems to

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From the Unibetfal Spectator, July 21. Extract of a Vificn in a Temple where Marriages are diffolu'd.

HE Form was fhort and expressive; the Pricft ask'd it both Parties affented to Separation; and on their an Face of the Man full North, and that of fwering in the Affirmative, he turn'd the the Woman full South; then crying, Part for ever, they both march'd off with their Divorce fully ratify'd.. "Here,

cries my Companion, is a notable Example of the Viciffitude of the human Paffions: That Pair which you just now faw divorced, marry'd two Years ago against the Advice of their Parents for Love alone: He, like a true Knight Errant, fcal'd diftrefs'd Lady, and they were marry'd her Chamber Window, carry'd away his at an infamous Place clandeftinely; atter ing, and fondling, and playing. this they liv'd like two Turtles, ever coo

Such a Husband, fuch a Wife, 'Twas Acme and Septimius' Life." What then, Sir, (reply'd I) could occafion mutual a Satisfaction in their being fo

The old Man denied not the Charge, and the old Dame faid it was no lawful Objection; but both urg'd for their Di orce, as they both came by mutual Confent, and were both ready to give fufficient Reafons for their claiming it. As fuch Reasons were thought to be pretty extraordinary, the Priest enquir'd what they might be; they both unanimoufly infifted they were never lawfully and truly married; therefore, as there had been a material Error in the Ceremony, the whole Marriage ought to be fet afide. On being ask'd what that Defect might be, they both eagerly reply'd, that the Priest had omitted the neceffary and material Form, where he should have wifh'd them to encreafe and multiply. · So unex

fuitable to their juvenile Inclinations." IG BYGOD's Providence we are not yet