1. SInce some very good Friends , of both Old and New Stocks , are endeavouring , by all honest ways , together , to joyn , and in order thereto , are Writing , Pleading , and Printing their Cases ; and since Losers have always the Liberty to speak , why may not I as well Print and Plead my Case ; For I am sure I have as much , nay more reason to do it than they ?

2. If these two contending Stocks be made one , and the English Manufacturers Case be not taken some care of , I can , without Star-gazing , plainly foresee , That they , and some other Folks , soon Ruin'd will be ; And therefore pray , Mind what I say ; If not for their sakes , for your own , be pleas'd to take care on 't .

3. Is it not much more demonstrable , That the East-India Trade is of greater advantage to England than 't was two Years ago ; For since that time , it has in a great measure Ruined the Canterbury Silk Trade , and obliged most of the London Silk Weavers , Throwsters , &c. to give over their several Trades and Employments ?

4. Will not this be of great Advantage to all the Clothing Counties in England , because some of these poor People , rather than starve , are gone to Ireland , and set up Trade there ; others fall'n to Comb , Card , and Spin ; make Cloths ; Stuffs and Serges ; who being at the Principal Market , can make and sell them as well , or better , than the Country Weaver and Clothier can do ?

5. Does not Sir Jos. Child , who is well known to be Skilful in Trade , prove plainly , That the Discourse of Trade . The Preface . East-India Trade ought to be greatly Encouraged , when he tells us in Print , That the Expence of Foreign Commodities , especially Foreign Manufactures , is the worst Expence a Nation can be inclinable to , and ought to be prevented as much as possible ?

6. Has not the Author of the Essay on the E. India Trade , as sufficiently proved it Gainful , not Essay on the East-India Trade page 14. only to us , but all Europe , when he tells us , They had been Richer by a full Third than they now are , if that Trade had never been Discovered or Undertaken ; and that it bears hard only upon those Countries that Consume those Commodities ?

7. Is it not plain , That it bears not hard upon England , since it could never be proved ( and I challenge any now to do it ) That we Consume at Home , in Ireland , or our Plantations , above nine parts in ten : Or that in Foreign Parts ( except our Plantations , &c ) there are Consumed above one eighth part of the Wrought Silks , Bengals , and Printed Callicoes ?

8. Since 't is allowed this Trade is hurtful to Europe , and all are agreed in a General Peace , What if they should agree to Banish it out of all their Dominions ? But if not , Why should we restrain any part , Since we have nothing from thence of solid Use , ( but ) Materials for Luxury , and Page 12. perishable Commodities , for our Gold and Silver , which is there buried , as the same Author tells us ?

9. Is it not better we should be at four or five hundred thousand Pounds Charge per An. for Indian Vanities , having such plenty of Money , than for the sake of imploying our own Poor , upon our own Wooll , disoblige several Maids and their Mistresses , who would then be at a loss how to Dress up themselves , their Chambers , Parlours , and Closets ?

10. Is it not our Interest ( as the Essayer tells us ) to wear these Indian Manufactures , because they would soon bring down the price of our own so low , That we may Export them to all Foreign Page 29. Markets , and be able to under sell all Nations ; For ( surely ) they neither can , or will ever think of falling in their Prices as we do .

11. Or if they should , rather than leave off and starve , sell their Commodities as cheap as we , Pray what shall we get by this Learned Advice , since , after all , our Reducing the Indian , that Work for a Peny a Day , will out do us all , unless we 're resolv'd to Work as Cheap , or Cheaper than they ?

12. Will not the Falling the Prices reduce the Wages of the Poor , and by that means make the Nation grow Rich , since Sir Jos. Child has very well observed , That where ever Wages are high , Preface . throughout the whole World , it is an infallible Evidence of the Riches of that Country ; And where Wages for Labour runs low , 't is a proof of the Poverty of that Place ?

13. But if bringing down the Prices will be such an Advantage , Why may we not as well send for the Corn we spend to the East Country , for theirs is much cheaper than ours ? And then we may send our own Corn with our own Cloth , &c. to seek Abroad for a Market ; Would not this soon Raise the Value of all the Rents and Lands in England ?

14. And to save yet the more , employ the Dutch Shipping , for they always Sail much cheaper than we do , and then we may send our own Ships to all Foreign Nations , that either want , or will hire them , or else save the Building of more , to the much greater Preservation of both our Seamen and Timber ?

15. And if nought but cheap Working will vend our Commodities , let 's to 't in good earnest , Page 27. and Employ the Twelve hundred Thousand which the Essay tells us receives Alms , which by the way is a very great Number , and shews how much we want the poor Indians to Work for us , and they sure will bring down the Prices so low , that when our Money is gone , the Indians will take some Stuffs for their Callicoes .

16. What if the Landed Men should apprehend , that this would Begger their Tenants , and Fall all their Rents , Can't we by another Essay , with Rhetorical Flourishes , amuse them , and then by imaginary , or fabulous Computation , &c. prove this cannot be ; Or that 't is our Interest it should be so , rather than restrain the East-India Trade ?

17. Has not this Nation been great Gainers for many Years by the use of Muslings and Callicoes , which are worn in the room of German Linnens , Silesia Cambricks , and Lawns ? For the first we have had for our Money and Bullion : The last were the Return of our own Woollen Mannfactures , which now we can keep for our own use at Home .

18. Were not the Silesians very great Fools , when we would not take off their Cambricks and Lawns , to set up the making of Woollen , with which they now supply both themselves and their Neighbours ; Whereas we could yet have very well served them both for their Money ? And may not some others soon follow such foolish Examples ?

19. If the Parliament would be so kind as to take off the Duty from course Callicoes , which being from twenty to fifty per Cent. is a very great Clog upon them ; We could then also soon beat them out of most of the rest of their Linnens , which might be as much more for the Profit and Gain of this Kingdom .

20. But if this will lessen the Customs , we 're content they should double the Duties on all Wrought Silks ; for they may well bear about 25 per Cent. And being such Bulky Commodities , sure none will Run them to save such small Customs , or the Ladies wear them when they 'll be so dear : And will not this please the Clamorous Silk Weavers ?

21. Or if they complain still , Can any one think the Parliament may not have some regard to so considerable a Company of poor Manufacturers as they are ? When as , with no very great difficulty , they lately pass'd an Act for Relief and Support of the Hair and Silk Button-Makers ?

22. If the East India Company had Imported these Commodities , would it not have been easier for these Button Makers to have gained their Bill ? And since the Parliament have past an Act in favour of the Trimmings , may they not in time do as much for the Principal Parts of the Garments ?

23. And now to conclude : To your selves be so kind , These Quericals mind , For they are design'd , To inform all Mankind , So as Truth they may find , If not wilfully Blind : But whosoe'r by private Interest is sway'd , Or Money have paid , To the East-India Aid , I am very much afraid , That for all I have said , They will me upbraid , And cry out I am Mad.

24. But if they do , I must tell them plain , I find in my Brain , So much Sense still remain , As the Cause I 'll maintain , 'Gainst them and their Train : Therefore don't disdain , My Querical Strain , And I shall remain , Your Friend as before , To stand at your Door , To plead for the Poor , And have yet in store , Of such Quericals more , At least a whole Score : Which you may have when you please .