YOurs I Receiv'd, bearing Date the 3d of the last Month, by which I find you seem to be much afflicted to see the Trade of the Nation Ruin'd, and your Native Countrey brought into so great Calamity as now it is; and desire me to give you some account, if possible, How, and by what means, all these Evils have been brought upon the whole King­dom, which I shall endeavour to do, in as brief [Page 2] a manner as I can, and in order to it shall relate to you some publick Transactions in relation to the Late War, and then leave you and all Rati­onal Men to Judge who it is has been the Grand Instruments of bringing all these Evils upon us.

For the Scituation of our Countrey and the Constitution of our Government, we have al­ways been esteem'd the Happiest Nation in Eu­rope: And no People in the Universe ever en­joyed a longer series of Peace and Plenty than we have done. Yet during the time of the Late War, we have seen the Trade of the Na­tion (some Ages araising) almost totally ruin'd; and a general Poverty and Distress brought up­on the whole Kingdom, and that in the Reign even of the best of Princes.

Trade has ever been the Universal Mistriss of Mankind, Courted and Carrest by all Civi­lized Nations, many Bloody Wars having been carryed on by those that have been Rivals for her favour, for she never fails to bestow unva­luable Blessings upon her admirers, being always attended with Riches, Honour, Power, and all other Earthly Blessings.

[Page 3] Those Nations that obtained her favour, and have not had the Wisdom and Prudence to retain her, we see have grown Weak and Depiseable, and Laine exposed a Prey to other Nations, which appears to be the present Case of Spain.

Our Forefathers enjoyed a large share of her favour, which they carefully handed down to us, but we like unthrifty and undutiful Children have been so far from following their Footsteps, that we have been (as appears by our Actions) great Enemies to Trade, and used all manner of Violence to make her fly the Nation, wherein she had long Cohabited with us, and seem'd un­willing to depart, till our continual Acts of Vio­lence were such as they grew insupportable; So that she has now taken her flight into the Neighbouring Nations, Viz. Holland ^* and Ire­land, by whom she is highly Carrest, and not [Page 4] like to return in haste; and unless she do re­turn, we can expect no other than to be a Mi­serable People (Land it self having a depend­ance upon Trade, and Rises or Falls as that ebbs or flows).

But before we can expect that, it's necessary to be known what way and means it was we took to make her desert us; Unless we do so, we can never expect her Return; for she is Coy and Nice, and will not bear the least Affront, but cleave to those who treat her best.

The first ill usage Trade appears to have met withal from us, was at the breaking out of the Late War. Ever since all manner of Persons, Things or Matters, that have had relation to, or were interessed in Trade, have been evil treated by those whose immediate Duty it was to have encouraged and protected them.

It's well known our Ships (under God) are our greatest Security and the Glory of our Isle, and the Saylors our Mirmidons, whom we ought to cherish as the Apple of our Eye; yet all the [Page 5] time of the Late War, they were most barba­rously treated, even as if they had not been of the Race of Mankind, but a sort of Vermine fit to be rooted out; for what by their evil treatment on board Ship, and frequent turning over without Pay, the unjust pricking them Run, and being harrast with the uncertainty of Payments, many thousands of these poor Wret­ches and their Families have been destroy'd, and great Numbers constrain'd to leave their Native Countrey, and betake themselves to Foreign Service, or (which is worse) turn Pyrates.

This evil treatment of the poor Saylors, tho in it self highly Wicked, seems to have been one of the Least of the Crimes committed in the Government, tending to the destruction of Trade^*; for it appears there was Articles [Page 6] brought into the House of Peers (the Highest Court of Judicature in the Nation against the Lords of the Admiralty, the Commissioners of the Navy, and the Commissioners for the Sick and Wounded Seamen, by one Mr. Crosfield, in the year 1694.

Upon which their Lordships Examin'd di­vers Witnesses at the Bar of the House, and were very Zealous in the Matter; but it seems the Articles were drawn out of the House by the Commissioners for stating the Publick Accounts, who never proceeded therein, though their Lordships issued out two successive Orders for them so to do; but for your better satisfacti­on, and that Posterity may see the Wickedness of the Age, I here give you a true Copy of those Articles, and which are as followeth:

[Page 7] Ar. 1. That the present Commissioners for Sick and Wounded Seamen, and Exchanging Prisoners at War, depending on the Admiralty) not regarding Instructions, or the Good of the Go­vernment, have committed gross Ennormities; as Holding or Conniving at an unlawful Correspondence with the French, and Wronging both the King and Subject in their Accompts, with other great Miscarriages: All which has been about a Year since laid in Writing before the Secretary of State by one Mr. Baston, and by the King's Command examin'd before the Lords of the Admiralty, &c. And it will appear, that the said Commission has been very injurious to the poor Sailors in particular, and very detrimental to the Government in general.

Ar. 2. That the Lords of the Admiralty, and Commissioners of the Navy, have acted contrary to the Publick Good, by coun­tenancing, supporting, and preferring Criminals; and on the contrary, persecuting the Discoverers, and turning just Men out of their Offices.

Ar. 3. That their Lordships have had great Discoveries laid before them of Embezlements, and other great Frauds commit­ted in the King's Yards, attended with Forgery and Perjury.

Ar. 4. That it is manifest some of the Commissioners of the Navy have in that Office advanced themselves from Salaries of 30l. per Annum to vast Estates, having passed great Frauds, and totally discouraged the Discovery of embezled Stores, to the great waste of the Publick Treasure.

Ar. 5. That it has been a long Practice in the Navy to make out False Tickets and Powers, suspending and delaying the poor Saylors in their Just Payments, to the general Discouragement of them, and Starving their Families.

[Page 8] The Commissioners of the Post-Office appear to have as much contributed towards the Ruin of their Countrey, as any persons living, having all along supported their Officers in all their Evil Actions, as Corresponding with known Papists and others disaffected to the Government, stop­ping the King's Mail, breaking open Persons of Qualities Letters, all along Countenancing and Supporting a smugling Trade, by bringing in the Mail, and other ways vast quantities of Flanders Lace,^* &c. being resolved, it seems, to make as plentiful an Harvest as they could, so long as the War lasted. Withal they were not wanting to use all indirect means to Ruin such of their Offi­cers, or others, that detected the Crimes.

All these Matters relating to the foregoing Ar­ticles, and the Commissioners of the Post-Office, [Page 9] were long since published in Print, by divers hands, wherein a more large and ample account has been given of them; and they were Dedica­ted and Presented to our late Representatives in Parliament, who took no more notice thereof than if these things had been acted and done in the Great Moguls Country.

Moreover there appears to have been laid be­fore our Late Representatives, many other mat­ters of the greatest Importance. 1 st. In refe­rence to the Touloun Squadron getting into Brest. It having been declar'd by the House, the Go­vernment had timely notice given whereby the said Fleet might have been intercepted. 2dly. In Relation to the Mint, it did appear to the House the Monyers in the Tower had committed foul Crimes, and that several Dies had been Convey'd away for Coyning false Mony abroad. 3dly. In reference to the Disbanded Troopers that serv'd in Ireland and Flanders, who by their Petition appear to have been most Barbarously treated contrary to His Majesties express Com­mands. 4thly. In reference to the Evil Actions of the Commissioners of the Victualling Office. [Page 10] 5thly. In relation to the 27 Sail of Victuallers being taken by the Dunkerkers, the House having declar'd, the Lords of the Admiralty had timely notice given them, whereby they might have prevented their falling into the Enemies hand.

These with a Multitude of other matters that lay before the House, were dropt by our Late Representatives, who took no manner of Care to do the People Justice^*; Indeed the House appear'd vety zealous in the prosecution of Mr. Duncomb, who (as they alledg'd) wrong'd the King of about 360 l. by the False Endorsement of Exchequer-Bills; though at the same time it plainly appear'd the King and Kingdom had been wrong'd, by means of the Treasury^†, to the [Page 11] value of 20000 l. in relation to Exchequer-Bills. Yet all they did therein, was to take care how to wash them white; and while the War was on foot, our late Representatives seem'd to be very zealous for an Act to be made against the buying and selling of Employments; but when once we had obtain'd an Honourable Peace, they soon dropt the Matter, as conceiving the People then better able to bear their Pack^* than they were before. There's a matter wherein it appears the King has been wrong'd several Thousand Pounds, that was design'd to have been laid before the Late House of Commons, but the Gentleman who intended to have done it, was diswaded from doing it by a Member of the House; who [Page 12] plainly told him of all their Members, they could not make above 100, or 110 at most in the whole House that seem'd to have any re­gard to the wellfare of the Nation: Saying, one had one Employment, another another, touch one and touch all, and said they did and would support one another;^* and so by all means ad­vis'd him to decline it. Now I conceive it's ob­vious by what means, and by whom the Trade of the Nation has been brought to so Low an Ebb, and so many Publick Debts Contracted, by the Consequence of which many Thousands of Honest Industrious Families in London, &c. Are reduced to extream Poverty, at the same time not knowing the true Cause from whence their Evils have risen. These things are very harsh to Flesh and Blood, when we consider how all our Calamity appears to have been [Page 13] brought upon us, by those very Persons in whose hands we entrusted our Lives, Liberties and Estates.

We find King David Complain'd he could not do the Justice he would have done, the Sons of Zurviah were too strong for him, no wonder then if we see our Prince^* under the same Cir­cumstance, who has had so many Sons of Zur­viah to deall withal, who were sensible of the great Interest they and their Friends had in the several Corporations, and how they were able thereby to support one another in whatever they should act or do, and put it out of the Power of any (even the King himself) to call them to an account for their Actions. It's evident ours is a mixt Government, wherein the People have a large share, and if we will not Act our Part (in reference to the Chusing of Members of Parlia­ment) great Pity it is we should ever be reliev­ed, but remain as we are.

[Page 14] By this we may see what a great Duty there lies upon all Gentlemen that live in, or near any Corporation and the Principal Inhabitants there­of, to inform the meaner sort of People therein (who in most Corporations have Votes) the ab­solute necessity there is of Chusing Gentlemen of good Estates to be their Representatives, as have not been in any (or long since declin'd) Publick Employment, during the late War, there being no other means possible, whereby to make them sensible of these past Miscarriages, or we to have such Members as will be able to rectify them, and do the King and Kingdom Justice ^*, Publick Leaks being not to be stopt by the hands that made them.

It's sufficient to make any Englishman blush to consider how strenuously our Fore-fathers with­stood those who made a Breach of the Law, and [Page 15] how indifferent and careless we appear to have been therein ever since the late happy Revoluti­on, not at all considering how Mankind are ge­nerally more liable, and in greater danger of be­ing Ruin'd by the Falshood and Treachery of Friends, than open Enemies; and that those who lay the Foundation of great Estates, for the most part Raise themselves by Fraud, Oppressi­on, and Injustice. And how in all Ages them that were in Publick Employments, or Ambiti­ous of Honour and Preferment, likewise gene­rally have been found too ready to abuse their Prince's Ear, and trample the Laws under their Feet.

We may see by the Bishop of Salisbury's Pasto­ral-Letter (burnt by the Common Hangman) what Sycophants these sort of men are, who care not what Evils they bring upon the rest of Man­kind, so they may but Advance themselves; and Weeds commonly are apt to grow so fast as to over-top the Corn.

Thus, Sir, have I given you a short Relation of such Matters of Fact, which plainly appear, [Page 16] as I conceive, to have been the true Cause all the Blood and Treasure spent in the late War, for want of Justice, in a manner has been lost, like Water spilt on the ground.

Our Trade being in great measure Ruin'd, and the Nation miserably plung'd in Debt, and in danger of being involv'd in a New War, a­bout the Succession of Spain, in which (accord­ing to the present Circumstance, and Manage­ment of Affairs) we are in no Condition to engage. So you may see the Fatal Consequence that Attends the Actions of Men, when they leave the Paths of Vertue, and go along with the Multitude to do Evil. I am, Sir, his Majesty's Faithful Subject, a true Lover of my Country, and,