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also receive his quarterly payments for his reimbursement, as the same shall grow due.

§. 9. That the like method may be pursued from year to year, during the continuance of the war, if the parliament shall see cause to pass acts annually for that purpose, and not otherwise.

§. 10. That in case the four shillings, per pound, shall not amount unto two millions, whosoever shall voluntarily supply and make it up, may have like bills of credit, to the value of one hundred and twenty pounds, for every hundred pounds so advanced by him; and so proportionably. On which terms no doubt but his majesty will be supplied with two millions of the best silver and gold, that shall be in the nation, at the beginning of the next year. And what his majesty shall further want, as §. 21. viz.

His majesty may be supplied with such further numbers and values of these bills, as added to what other present taxes the condition of the nation will bear to have imposed, upon the terms aforesaid, may compleat the sum needful for carrying on the present war, this next year; and so much longer, as that shall continue and also pay off the debts contracted last year, &c. through the deficiency or falling short of the sums, or funds, settled for

the same.

§. 11, 12, 13, 14. Contain the answer of an objection, touching the disrepute of passing bills. To which might have been added, the reason of making use thereof, especially during the new coinage of our monies.

Question IV. How shall our trade be recovered; and what is the necessity thereof, as to the getting and increasing of monies? &c.

§. 15. It is proposed, that there be an encouraging and countenancing of the royal fishery company and trade, by act of parlia

ment, &c.

§. 16. That both guards and convoys be seasonably afforded, &c. 8. 17. That bills of credit will carry on our home-trade, fishery, and manufactures, as well as monies in specie.

§. 18. That if we had twenty times as much in bills, as ever we had in monies, they will proportionably increase our manufactures, fishery, and exports of both; and consequently our wealth; for that the balance must come back in monies or bullion.

§. 19. An instance thereof is given: and it is further shewed, that whatsoever other means may be suggested, for the furnishing or keeping monies amongst us, must and will be fruitless.

§. 20. Another instance, taken from the late experience we have bad of the usefulness of bills, issued by goldsmiths, and by the several banks erected amongst us: which have eeked out our monies, for answering our markets at home, and paying off bills of exchange from abroad; which could not else have continued thus long.

§. 21. The parliament, therefore, may much more make bills current for the preservation of the nation, and carrying on the war, wherein the king has been engaged by their advice, which require far greater credit than all the banks together can give security for, &c. by supplying his majesty with a sufficiency of them, instead of other taxes, which there is not money to pay.

Pag. 378. The objection against bills without a fund is answered, viz.

§. 22. There can be no fund equivalent, but the whole nation: and that can be no way engaged, but by act of parliament, declaring such bills shall be and continue current, in all receipts and payments whatsoever, as monies in specie, whether to, or from the king, or the people of these nations amongst themselves, until the nation be in a better condition to pay them off, by laying moderate taxes on all estates, real and personal, which is a good general fund, and as much as any state or nation, until very lately this, have been exposed unto. Whereof two instances are given, viz.

1. Of the States of Holland.

2. Of the States of Venice.

§. 23. Contains an enumeration of the advantages of bills beyond monies.

§. 24. Answers the objections about the necessity of a fund.

§. 25. Answers the objection about the hazard, that some future parliaments may see cause to make the bills of credit void, without paying them off.

§. 26. Answers the objection, touching raising the price of silver and gold, by two instances. And,

§. 27. Shews the unavoidable mischiefs thereof, viz:

1. In New England, In America.

2. In Pensylvania,

Pag. 380. Answers the objections about counterfeiting the bills of credit proposed: and offers a specimen, evincing the utter impossibility of it, so as to deceive the publick, &c.

Pag. 381. To the end of the treatise, further clears the vanity of that objection, by comparing and preferring these bills of credit, for uncounterfeitableness, above and beyond all other writings, bills of exchange, letters of credit and advice, obligations for monies, deeds and evidences of lands, which may be also counterfeited, as the parties signing, sealing, and witnessing thereunto, cannot deny them to be theirs: yea, our gold and silver coins, exchequer tallies, &c. yet we are not affrighted or taken off from our correspondences and businesses depending thereon. Why then in this case only; wherein, by stumbling at this threshold of the only door of our hopes, we expose ourselves and our posterities to our unavoidable and utter ruin ?

I say, the only, For, 1. propose the raising of whatsoever taxes, if there be not money in the nation to pay them. Or, 2. propose what funds you will, whether for principal or interest, for paying off bills of credit or otherwise, if there be not monies in the nation to pay them. Or, 3. propose what means you will for bringing in monies or bullion, if there be not an excess of our exports above our imports, our monies, as fast as they are coined, must and will be carried away. And, 4. without bills made equivalent, for supplying the uses of monies, we cannot carry on our manufactures or fishery, which, alone, can increase our wealth and power at sea, &c.

Nevertheless if, notwithstanding all that has been said, it shall be judged needful to make a present settlement of a fund, or funds, for paying off such of the said bills, as shall be given forth upon this occasion, within some time limited; it is therefore humbly offered, that, in order thereunto, there may be a thrifty managing and improving of all casual revenues, incomes, profits, and advantages, that may arise, accrue, or be made, whether in England, or Ireland; to which his majesty is, or by inquisitions or other usual ways, means, or methods, may be intitled; some of which may be these following, viz.

Secondly, the Fund.

1. One moiety, the whole in two equal parts to be divided, of all such lawful booty, seizures, and prizes, as shall, or may be hereafter taken in war, whether by land or sea.

2. All French and other prohibited goods, so seized, which may be by act of parliament allowed to be brought in, and sold here, or where else a market may be found for them.

3. All the undisposed lands, within the kingdoms of England and Ireland, forfeited, upon the account of the last defection, war, or rebellion, in, or about the year 1688, or since: and all other lands, tenements, and hereditaments, goods, and chattels, by felonies, murders, treasons, or otherwise escheated, or to be escheated, and accruing to his majesty, his heirs and successors, in right of his crown: and also all rents and profits of such estates, due since the respective convictions, out-lawries, or attainders of such persons.

4. All forests, chaces, and parks, within the said kingdoms, except such as his majesty shall reserve for his royal pastimes, and recreations, &c.

5. In defect, or falling short of these, whereby the said bills of credit, or any of them shall remain unsatisfied, for the space of

years, from the end of this session, &c. that a yearly tax of

pence in the pound of, and upon lands, tenements, rents, and hereditaments; as also of, and upon all annuities, offices, and salaries of above twenty pounds, per annum; and upon all goods, chattels, &c. may be passed this present session, by act of parliament: to commence from, and after the end of this present war, or expiration of the fore-mentioned term or space of

years,

which shall first happen: or sooner, if the parliament shall judge it needful, and that it may be done without hindrance to the carrying on the publick affairs and trade of these nations and that the same may have continuance, and be in force, until the said bills shall be fully paid off, and no longer.

6. And for the better appropriating and securing these funds, and the rents, revenues, and profits thereof, to the ends and uses aforesaid that, by the said act of parliament, it may be made highly criminal, in all and singular person and persons respectively, who shall be concerned, in the levying, raising, receiving, disposing, and paying the same, or any part thereof, to pay, or dispose, the monies that shall be by this act, or by any of these funds raised, to any other use, intent, or purpose whatsoever, than to, and for the paying off the said bills of credit. And that no warrant or order, shall be issued, or if issued, shall be obeyed by the commissioners, or other persons, that shall be intrusted with the charge and care hereof, to any other use or uses whatsoever.

7. And that the way and manner, time and place, order and course of paying thereof, as also the persons to be employed and used herein, be settled by act of this present parliament, so as the said bills may be satisfied, and paid accordingly, without fees, &c. All which, notwithstanding,

Is humbly submitted,

By the Proposer.

Quod omnes tractat ab omnibus tractari debet.

THE HONOUR OF THE GOUT:

OR,

A RATIONAL DISCOURSE,

Demonstrating, that the Gout is one of the greatest Blessings which can befal mortal Man; that all Gentlemen, who are weary of it, are their own Enemies; that those Practitioners, who offer at the Cure, are the vainest and most mischievous Cheats in Nature. By Way of Letter to an eminent Citizen, wrote in the Heat of a violent Paroxysm, and now published for the common Good. By Philander Misaurus. Duodecimo, containing sixtyseven Pages; printed at London, in 1699.

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

This piece, which I present to you, as appears from many passages in it, was wrote towards the beginning of the reign of King

William; whether or no the author be living, I cannot satisfy you; but this I will engage: greater profit, and more agreeable entertainment, were never purchased of a bookseller cheaper,

ADVERTISEMENT.

The author is of opinion, that some epistles dedicatory would do best, standing after the pamphlet; therefore, good reader, pass on, and expect mine in its proper place.

I

SIR,

OWE you a greater observance, more profound respects, and hearty thanks, for favours to which I had not merit to pretend, than I am able to express, should I make words and phrase my study; but I am not like to do that at present; for you have used me so of late, that you tempt me to think you are going to put as much despight in one scale, as ever you put obligation into the other. Why! Sir, I am informed, that your worship, not having a right sense of things, nor the fear of God before your eyes, should, to the disgrace of your own virtue, give your tongue the liberty, in an open coffee-house, to speak ill of the gout. Of the gout, Sir! which if you look on as a disease, you ought to welcome, as the most useful and necessary thing that could have happened to you; but, if you consider it as becomes you, then, with me, you must reverence it as a power divine,

On whose sacred internodial altars I,

Each spring and fall, at least, will sacrifice
Morbifick, painful loads of matter tartarous,
With recrements of nervous juice impregnate.

Would you yourself, Sir, patiently endure the honour of our great master, our rightful and lawful king, to be contemptuously reflected on by ever a recreant piece of consciencious priestcraft*, that infests the town? Then, why should not I be concerned for the honour of my great master, the gout? Who claims not, it is true, the power, he exercises over me, by any hereditary pretence, but from an origin altogether as sacred and indisputable, viz. some voluntary acts and deeds of my own. Yet you could say, that, when the Almighty God had, out of rude chaos, built this goodly frame of nature, which we see, and formed his noble creature, man; he indulged the devil to create some one thing, and his damned envy gave being to the gout. Now I am confident, Sir, and have great authorities for it, that, if the devil ever created any thing, it was the doctor, of whom, since you have made so much use, I know not, but it may be rationally inferred, that you have dealt with the devil. The gout, Sir, whether you know it, or no, was postnate to the creation, and younger, something, than the fall of man; who having incurred the sentence of death, the friendly Alluding to Bishop Burnet's unbecoming insinuation against King William the Third.

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