before the revolution. The people of London, before we had any plantations, and but very little trade, were computed at about 100,000; at the death of queen Elizabeth, they were increafed to 150,000, and are now about fix times that number. In those

days, we had not only our naval ftores, but our fhips from our neighbours. Germany furnished us with all things made of metal, even to nails; wine, paper, linen, and a thousand other things came from France. Portugal furnished us with fugars; all the produce of America was poured upon us from Spain; and the Venetians and Genoefe retailed to us the commodities of the Eaft Indies at their own price. In fhort, the legal intereft of money was 12 per cent. and the common price of our land ten or twelve years purchase. We may add, that our manufactures were few, and thofe but indifferent; the number of English merchants very finall, and our fhipping much inferior to what now belong to the northern colonies.

Such was the ftate of our trade when this great princefs came to the throne; but as the limits of our undertaking does not permit us to give a detail of the gradual progrefs of commerce, we flatter ourselves that the British reader will not be difpleafed with the following view of our extenfive trade, at prefent carried on through the various nations of the globe.

Great Britain is, of all other countries, the most proper for trade; as well from its fituation, as an ifland, as from the freedom and excellency of its conftitution, and from its natural products, and confiderable manufactures. For exportation: our country produces many of the moft fubftantial and neceffary commodities, as butter, cheese, corn, cattle, wool, iron, lead, tin, copper, leather, copperas, pitcoal, alum, faffron, &c. Our corn fometimes preferves other countries from ftarving. Our horfes are the most serviceable in the world, and highly valued by all nations for their hardinefs, beauty, and ftrength. With

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With beef, mutton, pòrk, poultry, biscuit, we victual not only our own fleets, but all foreigners that come and go. Our iron we export manufactured in great guns, carcafes, bombs, &c. Prodigious, and almoft incredible, is the value likewife of other goods from hence exported; viz, hops, flax, hemp, hats, fhoes, houfhold-ftuff, ale, beer, red-herrings, pilchards, falmon, oyiters, faffron, liquorice, watches, ribbands, toys, &c.

There is fcarce a manufacture in Europe, but what is brought to great perfection in England, and therefore it is perfectly unnecefiary to enumerate them all. The woollen manufacture is the most confiderable, and exceeds in goodnefs and quantity that of any other nation. Hard-ware is another capital article; locks, edge-tools, guns, fwords, and other arms, exceed any thing of the kind; houfhold utenfis of brafs, iron, and pewter, alfo are very great articles; our clocks and watches are in very great ef teem, There are but few manufactures we are defective in. In thofe of lace and paper we do not seem to excel; but we import much more than we fhould, if the duty on British paper was taken off. As to foreign traffic, the woollen manufacture is still the great foundation and fupport of it.

The commerce between Great Britain and the countries fubject to the grand fignior is carried on by the merchants incorporated into the Levant or Turkey company; but now opened in fuch a manner by a late ftatute, as to be more capable of answering national purpofes, without leffening the particular advantages, which Turkey merchants ought in juftice to enjoy. The commodities we export are chiefly lead, tin, and iron, watches and clocks; and of our woollen manufactures, broad cloth and long ells. It is alfo, faid, that our merchants fend thither French and Lifbon fugars, as well as bullion. We take in return raw filk in great quantities, which however is only proper for the fhute of our damafk, and other

coloured

coloured filks; it will alfo ferve for making ftockings, galloons, and filver and gold lace; but it is not proper for the warp of any filk, nor even for the woof of fome of the finer forts. We import alfo grogram yarn, dying ftuffs of various kinds, drugs, foap, leather, cotton, fruit, oil, &c. While the war continued, it was a great help to us in this trade, as the French are our principal competitors therein; and as they fuffered very feverely, not only by captures, but by the high infurance they paid on all the goods they exported; fo they could not but come very dear to markets, and perhaps we preferve ftill fome of the advantages then acquired.

We export to Italy, of our own commodities, tin and lead, great quantities of fish, fuch as pilchards, herrings, falmond, cod, &c. various kinds of Eaft India goods; and of our own manufactures, broad cloths, long ells, Bays, druggets, camblets, and other ftuffs; as alfo leather and other things. We import from thence prodigious quantities of filk, raw, thrown, and wrought; wine, oil, foap, olives, dying ftuffs, &c. It is from this country, and more efpecially from the dominions of his Sardinian majefty, that we have the fine filk called organzine, which is thrown by an engine, much truer than it can be by hand, of which we have one, and but one, at Derby. That prince, however, has taken care to preserve to his fubjects this precious commodity in its full extent; for we have no Piedmont filk raw, and what we have we pay for in ready money, at a very high rate. This therefore makes the balance of power, and the change of mafters, at leaft in the maritime parts of Italy, a thing of very great confequence to Great Britain; and as fuch, it ought always to be confidered by our mi nifters, and if poffible, in no other light.

We export to Spain, tin, lead, corn, &c. pilchards, herrings, cod, and other kinds of fifh; of our manufactures broad cloth, druggets, bays, and stuffs, of various kinds; as alfo a great variety of different

goods,

goods, which are re-fhipped by them from Cadiz te their colonies in America. On the other hand, we import from Spain, wine, oil, and fruit, wool, indigo, cochineal, and other drugs. It appears from hence, that if the Spaniards are good customers to us, we are also the best customers they have; for it is thought we take off two-thirds of their commodities: fo that confidering them as a nation, nothing can diftrefs the Spaniards fo much as a war with the English. It is very true, that in time of peace we draw a confiderable balance from thence in fpecie or in bullion; but at the fame time, we furnish them with the commodities that are most neceffary, with the manufactures that bring them this bullion, and take alfo vaft quantities of commodities that must otherwife lie upon their hands; whereas the French furnish them with many trifles, as well as fome coftly manufactures, for which they are paid wholly in filver. Hence it appears, that it is the mutual intereft of Spain and Britain to deal with each other, and if this was thoroughly inculcated, it would enrich us and ferve them.

We export to Portugal, tin, lead, corn, fifh, and almost all of our commodities; as alfo broad cloths, druggets, bays, ftuffs, leather, and many other manufactures; we take from them wine, oil, falt, and fruit; fo that though it is generally fuppofed the balance of this trade is as much in our favour as any, yet the Portuguefe find their account in it: for in the first place, we take almost all the commodities they export, and for which, if we did not take them, they could hardly find another market; and we furnish them with the best part of those things they export to the Brazils, and thereby draw that immenfe treasure yearly, which, for its bignefs, renders Portugal one of the richest countries in Europe, Befide, thefe reciprocal advantages have made fuch a connection between our intereits, that upon all occafions we have been ready to cfpoufe thofe of Portugal, and to pro

tect

tect her from the only power fhe has reafon to fear, by the timely interpofition of our maritime force.

We export to France, tin, lead, corn, horn plates, and great quantities of tobacco, fome flannels; but very little elfe of our manufactures. We take from thence, in time of peace, wine, brandy, linen, lace, cambrics, lawns, (unless our late acts can keep them out) and an infinite number of other things which are run in upon us, and whatever elfe the French are pleased to direct: whence it appears, that of all others, the French commerce is to us the most dangerous and destructive.

We export to Flanders, tin, lead, and fome iron ware, as also sugar and tobacco; of our manufactures, ferges, fome flannels, and a few ftuffs. On the other hand, we take from them fine lace, cambrics, lawns, linen, tape, inkles, and other goods of that kind, to a very great value; fo that there feems to be no doubt that the balance of this trade is confiderably against us, which is chiefly owing to the prohibition of our cloth: therefore if any thing be worthy our feeking on the continent, it is the port of Oftend, with a fmall diftrict about it, which at the fame time would be of fervice to our allies, and might contribute to repair the expences we have been at in our feveral land wars. This is mentioned only incidentally.

We fend to Germany, tin, lead, and many other commodities; tobacco, fugar, ginger, and all kinds of Eaft-India goods. Of our woollen manufactures, fome of almost every kind we make. On the other hand, we take from them tin plates, linen, kid fkins, and several other things. The balance of this trade is looked upon to be very much in our favour, but it might be made ftill more; for in many places of late they have prohibited different kinds of our manufactures, and in fome they have prohibited all. But in our treaties of fubfidy, if we had an article to prevent or remove fuch prohibitions, it would be but reasonable for as we pay the Germans for fighting