per annum, besides the improvements in reversion; or to the builders, who by slight buildings on long leases, make ten or twelve pounds per cent. of their monies. But, the advantage of these persons being the country's great prejudice, therefore, in my poor opinion, it seems agree. able to reason, that they ought to help to pay the publick debts of the kingdom; and the country, who are hurt by them, should be eased; and for them to pay one year, or a year and half's improved rent to the king, would not be much, considering the greatness of the improvement they have, and are like to make. So that admitting that there are thirty thousand houses, built upon new foundations as aforesaid, and that each of those houses, one with another, should pay but ten pounds, per annum rent, and the king should have but one year's rent from each house, the same would amount unto above three hundred thousand pounds, which would go a great way in the discharging the publick debts; but one year's rent, from each of these houses, it is conceived, would come to above five hundred thousand pounds: and the forcing them, that have built contrary to the statute, to pay such a fine, would deter others from building for the future, of which there can be no need; considering that there are above three thousand brave houses, which, for the honour of the nation, are at great charge, to the ruin of the builders, rebuilt, stand empty within London walls, and are like so to do, by reason that the trade is drawn out of the city, to the new erected buildings in the suburbs, where the inhabitants have these advantages following:

1. They have houses at easier rates, because built at lesser charge, than those in the city, which were built when all materials were very scarce and dear, and workmen's wages extreme high.

2. They are certain, in most places, to raise their rents, by letting lodgings, especially, near the inns of court, Whitehall, and Westminster, the gentry coveting to lodge thereabouts; and they have not only lodgings, but the advantage of their customer also, for such commodities as they sell, and their lodgers want. Which hinders the trade of the city, where little or no benefit at all is made by lodgings.

3. They are not liable to a third penny of charges for taxes, and publick duties, that they are, who live within the city; whereby they can afford to sell at a lower rate, than in London they can do. All which inevitably tends to destruction of the trade, within the walls.

III.

The third thing proposed is a bill of registers; that in every county a register may be settled, to register all bills of sale, judgments, statutes, recognisances, bonds, mortgages, leases, and conveyances of land; than which nothing can be of greater advantage to gentlemen, security to purchasers, or benefit to the publick, without hurt to any, unless the professors of the law, or such who intend and design to defraud purchasers.

Those, therefore, that shall oppose so excellent and beneficial an act as this, must be either, first, such who live by the practice of the law; or, secondly, such as understand not their own interest; or, thirdly, such as design to live by defrauding others. The opposition, arising from the practisers of the law, is not so much from their conviction, that the thing in itself is not good and beneficial to the publick, as from self-interest, which too much governs all sorts of men in this age, men being apt to

prefer private advantage before a general good. I confess, a register may prove a great hinderance to those of that profession; for, in a short time, it would prevent the multitude of suits, that yearly arise between his Majesty's subjects, occasioned by the cheats that are committed for want of such a registry as is proposed, and, perhaps, would save the sub. jects, at least, two or three hundred thousand pounds per annum, which now are spent in those suits; which, if prevented, and the money saved to the people, would be employed in trade, or spent upon the manufactures and provisions of the kingdom; and so the number of attornies would not increase, as of late they have done, there being about six thousand of them, besides sollicitors, who live scattered about the country; most of whom could not subsist, but by making it their whole study and business to promote suits and controversies, and encourage quarrelsome persons to bring actions against their neighbours for small petty trespasses, or a frivolous, hasty, passionate word or two; those persons of that employment taking advantage thereby of inriching themselves by impover ishing the subjects; whereas, were it not for them, such differences might happily be composed in a friendly and amicable way.

The second sort, that I presume may oppose this act, are men not sensible of their own interest and advantage, nor of that of the publick; for, if a register were kept of all sales, leases for years or lives, mortgages, judgments, statutes, recognisances, and of all other real securities, that will or can lay hold on lands, so that in every county, where any gentleman's estate lieth, a man may know, by the register, what estate he hath in that county, and what incumbrances are upon it. Therefore, if it were declared by law, that no incumbrance shall be good, but such as, if made or entered into before the act for settling registers be passed, shall be registered within one year after the passing thereof; or, if made or entered into after the passing the said act, shall be registered within one month, or two, after such conveyances or se curities are entered into or made, or otherwise be void, it would highly be for the advantage of all gentlemen, that either have or may have land to sell, or would borrow money upon mortgages: for then they shall not need to be beholden unto those men, that make it their trades to dispose of gentlemen's money, to help gentlemen to purchasers for their lands, or to take up money upon securities, whom now they are forced to make use of, and pay great sums for brokerage, procuration, and continuationmoney. Whereupon I desire every gentleman to consider, when he comes to London, and wants money, how difficult a thing he finds it to supply himself therewith, though he offer good land-security. What begging, intreating, running from place to place! What expences is he put to! And, when all is done, let him consider, whether he can be accommodated without city-security, which runs him into further obliga. tions and expences to procure; and, if he does get such, whether he be ever the less constrained to pay three, four, or five per cent. for procuring, and sometimes, viis et modis, ten per cent. for what he borrows: and then, it being lent but for a year, the procurers thereof, and their emissaries, being wont to contrive which way to make their further advantage of the borrowers, do commonly, at the nine months end, send them word, that the persons, whose money they borrowed, have great

occasions for the same, and are forced to call it in, and must have it when due: but, withal, they usually advise them not to be troubled, or take any care; for, if they cannot raise the money themselves, they will furnish them elsewhere, having the like consideration for their pains as before; the which these gentlemen are forced to agree unto, because, perhaps, they know not elsewhere to have it: and, when they have thus done, then they go to the persons, whose money they had lent to these gentlemen the year before, and tell them, that the gentlemen that borrowed the same desire to pay it in, when it shall be due; who, finding and believing their security good, are loth to receive it, never having given any direction to call it in, nor knowing how better to dispose thereof, when they receive the same; whereupon, to please them also, they inform them, that other good security is ready for them, so that the money shall not lie dead; and so they get the advantage of the gentleman that had the money, by procuring other sums for them in lieu thereof, and of the persons to whom they lend the money so called in: insomuch that, by frequent shifting the loan-money from one hand to another, they sometimes receive to themselves, from the persons borrowing, as much as the principal sum lent amounted to, for procuration, brokerage, and continuation; whereby the borrowers at last are brought to sell their estates, and, being reduced to such necessities by the subtleties of these persons, are forced to be beholden to them to procure purchasers; which when they perceive, they usually play their game as followeth :-The seller is by them persuaded that they can get no purchaser, but such as doth object against their title, or their persons, using many frivolous delays, till they drive them to such distress, that they must sell at any rate: and then their living remote in the country, or being under protections, as parliament-men or courtiers; or their estates lying far from London, or the uncertainty of what incumbrances may be thereupon, are objections which they raise, pretending, that all men they propose their estates unto (upon these, or such-like accounts) are afraid to deal with them, unless such as wait for good bargains, and will not purchase, except they can buy below the market-price. By which means they so contrive the matter with the venders, that they force them to sell that for thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen years purchase, which really is worth twenty; and, out of that contract, their manner is to bargain for a good gratuity for themselves, although they at the same time have agreed with the purchaser, that is to have the land, for one or two years purchase more than they are to pay to the sellers. And, the better to manage their designs, the buyers are concealed, and the land-brokers and jobbers of land find other persons to personate the purchaser, so that the vender is never suffered to know or see them, till the writings be drawn ; wherein the considerations are frequently expressed to be a year or two's purchase more, than the vender is to receive for the same; which when they question the reason of, they are informed, that it is done only to enable the purchasers to demand better prices, when they sell the same, and to keep up the reputed value thereof. Thus do they inrich themselves, by imposing upon gentlemen in extremity, through an artificial debasing the value of their estates, exacting great gratuities from the purchasers also. This is the common practice of your land-brokers and

jobbers, and their confederates: but, if registers were settled, and all incumbrances registered, so that men might be secure, no dormant securities, after they have lent their money upon mortgages, or purchased for valuable considerations, could be started up to defeat them of their interests; and then gentlemen, that have money lying dead by them, would be as glad to lend it, at easy rates, to honest gentlemen upon good security, as those that want it would be glad to be supplied therewith; and lands, undoubtedly, would come to be worth, as formerly, twenty years purchase, if men could but be secured in their titles. So that all persons, that either have, or suppose they ever may have, any estates to sell, or money to borrow, understand not their own interest, if they oppose the settling of the registers proposed.

The last sort of people, that I presume may be aggrieved at this registry, are such who have lived high, and spent their estates extravagantly, and, perhaps, entered into judgments, statutes, and recognisances to double the value thereof, and have mortgaged their lands over and over, and then get protections, whereby they keep off suits, or abscond themselves, so that they cannot be found by their creditors, and are wont thereby to keep their estates in possession, and can no way for the future live, but by doing further acts of dishonesty; which, whilst their estates remain in their possession, they have opportunity to do: such unrighteous. actions will for the future be prevented, and the present designs of this nature be defeated, if registers be settled; so that such persons are concerned to oppose the same. But, I hope, such creatures as these are, and their designs, will be easily seen through, and have little respect given them by parliament.

In short, were the registry, as desired, settled, and the profit arising thereby brought into the exchequer, the work may be done, good allowances appointed for those that shall be employed therein, and but a small sum would be imposed upon the subjects for registering their claim, and yet, by computation, at least fifty thousand pounds per annum be brought into the treasury; which would be an additional help towards -payment of the publick debts.

IV.

The fourth thing proposed is, that an act be passed for a general naturalisation of all foreign Protestants, and for granting liberty of conscience to such of them as shall come over and inhabit amongst us, and that the like liberty be given to his majesty's subjects at home. There is nothing so much wanting in England as people: and, of all sorts of people, the industrious and laborious sort, and handicraft men, are wanted to tiH and improve our land, and help to manufacture the staple commodities of the kingdom; which would add greatly to the riches thereof.

The two last great plagues, the civil wars at home, and the several wars with Holland, Spain, and France, have destroyed several hundred thousands of men, which lived amongst us; besides, vast numbers have transported themselves, or been transported into Ireland, and other our foreign plantations; who, when they were living amongst us, did eat our provisions, wore off our manufactures; employed themselves in some calling or other, beneficial to the nation; the want of which calls for a

supply of people from some place or other; and it is, in my judgment, worthy our observation, that the men, thus lost from amongst us, are of greater consideration, and the loss more mischievous to the kingdom, than merely the death or removal of so many persons, considering that they were men in the prime of their years, in perfect strength; such, who had they not died, or been killed, or removed, might every year have begotten children, and thereby increased the world; so that three times the number of children might have been better spared than they. For instance: say there be but one hundred thousand men, by these means, gone from amongst us; and, instead of them three hundred thousand children had been taken away, and the men left, it would have been much better; for they in two years and a half, or three years time, might have gotten so many children again: but the men dying, or being gone, and the children living, it may be ten or twenty years before they come to marry and beget children: and, notwithstanding the great mischief this nation hath sustained by the loss of these men, yet so inconsiderate are the inhabitants thereof, concerning their own interest (which, if possible, is to have the kingdom full of people) that they are taking up another way to prevent the peopling thereof for the future, there being, almost all over England, a spirit of madness running abroad, and possessing men against marrying, rather chusing to have mistresses, by whom very few ever have any children: and many married women, by their lewd conversations, prevent the bringing forth many children, which otherwise they might have had. These humours and practices, if continued, will prove so mischievous, that, unless foreigners come in amongst us, in few years there will not be people to manure our lands, eat our provisions, wear our manufactures, or manufacture the staple commodities that are of the growth of the kingdom; without which, it is no wonder if lands yield little rent, or sell not for above fourteen or fifteen years purchase.

And if foreigners must come over, or our estates here grow worse, there must then encouragement be given them so to do: else they will think themselves well seated where they are, following their trades, increasing their estates, enjoying all the liberties and privileges of free-born subjects, know how, and have liberty and encouragement, to improve their estates; and, when they have got them, can keep them; therefore will never come themselves, nor bring over their families or estates amongst us here, to be accounted of as aliens or strangers, such as may not purchase estates amongst us; and, if they do, shall not enjoy the same, nor their children after them. That sort of people which we most want are such, who, though they would come over, and dwell amongst us, yet cannot spare fifty or sixty pounds out of their stock to procure themselves naturalised by act of parliament; especially if they bring over wife and children with them, which would be more advantageous for us, than for them to come over alone: or, if they should spare money to naturalise themselves, yet, perhaps, they may not have so much as to pay for the naturalising of their wives and children; who, as our laws are, cannot be permitted to inherit what their fathers purchase, unless they be naturalised also. So that an act for a general naturalisation is absolutely necessary, if we will be supplied with people from foreign