[...] may make Gentlemen so sensible of the Benefit of Trade, as to Imploy their Heads and Time to consult the best Laws and Methods to encourage it.

This Method not only Secures the Persons Engaging their Estates in this Design, from being loosers, but makes them great gainers.

It secures the Nation, as well as every particular Person, from any prejudice by the Tickets, because the Money lent as aforesaid, must be paid off, and Discharged by the Rent of the Land Mortgaged, which cannot be denyed, but to be equal to the best Mortgages now in England.

This Method will make us Masters of the best of Trades, and much more National than was ever yet pretended to: For this Company will be obliged to Build all their Ships and Busses, and to make all their Nets, and other Implements of Fishery in Eng­land, tho' they will at first, untill by Custome and Use we grow expert in those Arts and Trades, cost us above 30 l. per Cent. more than we now have them Imported to us from Abroad.

The making all the Necessaries for Fishing in England, will maintain many thou­sands of People now Chargeable to the Parishes: And by increasing Manufactures, that maintain and imploy them (if convenient Laws could be obtained for Encourage­ment of Forraigners, to come and Inhabit here) we should have a great Increase of People, which will cause a great increase of Trade, which is the only way to raise the Value of Land, and to secure the same by Sea and Land against any Enemy.

This Method, or Bank Credit, is no new thing to other Nations: being Estab­lish'd in the best Trading places in the World, tho' under worse Circumstances, as Holland, Hamburgh, Venice, and other places in Italy. Their Banks have no certain Fund, and are by most People Believed not worth one third of what they owe, and yet their Credit is more Valuable than Gold or Silver Money, for 100 l. Bank Credit is frequently transferred for 2, 3, or 4. per Cent. advance, and never so low as for a 100 l. in money, Which is well known to Traders in Holland.

Since then their Banks, with an uncertain Fund, appears by their long continuance, to be so Beneficial and Valuable to Trading Nations, why should not this? having a certain Fund, sufficient in the perfixt time to Pay off the whole Debt, which yearly Lessens, and the Fund accordingly Increaseth in Value: And carrying with it all the same benefits and conveniencies to our Nation: as they reap by theirs: besides the mighty National Advantage of this desired Fishing Trade.

The sum of all is no more but to obtain a Charter to Incorporate such Gentle­men as are willing to engage their Estates to recover the Fishing-Trade, Esteemed so great and desireable a Jewel to the Nation, and now possest by Forraigners.

And, tho' the Bills of Exchange of this Company have equal priviledge with other Persons, to run upon their bare Reputation, yet none of their Bills are proposed to pass, without a greater value of Land be Tackt to them by the Parliament, according to a Method prepared,

And lastly, That their Bills so settled, being more useful and valuable than Money of the best Gold or Silver, may, for the same reasons as Gold and Silver money is im­posed, be made Current in all Publick and Private Payments: which is no more than what time and Custome would introduce of Course, as is Demonstrable by such Bankers having the greatest Credit, as are but reputed to have the best Fund.

And because nothing under Heaven can be so perfect, as not to admit of Objections, it is humbly hoped that it will be considered, whether the great Advantages certain­ly following this Undertaking, do not far out-ballance all the supposed Objections, which can possibly be brought against it, and may be easily cleared, when the Ob­jections shall be Methodically made.

It may not be amiss to add something here in defence of joynt Stocks, because se­veral Papers have of late been dispersed, which condemn them in General: It is confest, joynt Stocks which ingross any Trade, ought not to be granted without good Consi­deration: But such joynt Stocks, as neither Interrupts nor Prohibits any other to Trade the same way, is no more to be discouraged, than a Rich Merchant, because there are Poorer: besides There are these two Advantages in a joynt Stock, first, many things can be put in Practice, which smaller Stocks cannot reach to. Secondly, Things of great hazard will be Attempted, when none can be ruined by their Failures.