CAN any Man doubt my Truth and Sincerity ? I am an East-India Merchant , and speak where my Interest is concern'd .

It is not as easie to demonstrate that the prohibiting the wear of East-India wrought Silks , &c. is a prejudice to England , as to make out that Account to be just and true , which was lately referr'd to the East-India Committee ? and ought not this Bill to be hindred from passing , by the same honest Means , which few years since were used to obtain a Charter and Settlement ?

Are not the Writers for the East-India Company to be believed ? since in order to get it settled by Act of Parliament , they declared that Three parts in four of these East-India Silks Imported , were again Exported ? and now , in order to destroy the Prohibition Bill , they own Three parts in four are consumed in England .

Will not the Nation be ruin'd , if we prohibit the wear of East-India Silks ? for then we shall wear our own Growth and Manufacture , instead of Silks fetch'd in with our Money and Bullion .

Had not a Hundred thousand Poor rather come to their Parishes for want of Work , and all the Land of England fall two years Purchase ; then that the Cook-Maids should not be cloathed in India Silks , and the Ladies in Callicoes ?

Is not this Prohibition a French Invention , who neither understand not pursue their own Interest ? what are they the better for incouraging Trade and their own Manufactures ? and is not their Navigation of late years visibly decreased by it ?

Will not this Prohibition be of great Advantage to the Dutch ? for now we must go to Forreign Markets with these wrought Silks , as well as they .

Is it not demonstrable that this will be the making the Scotch East-India Company ? because if the Bill pass they cannot Retail these Silks in England . Indeed the chief Subscribers are the greatest Sticklers against this Bill ; but Merchants are often mistaken in point of Interest .

Is it not as plain that this is a Partial Bill , calculated for the Interest of Norwich and Canterbury ? since except those Cities , there are only the Landed men concern'd ; and in London , Exeter , Bristol , and the rest of England , there are not above Five hundred thousand People maintain'd by the Woollen and Silk Manufactures .

Is not the Imploying Two thousand Seamen in the India Trade ( whereof above half perish in the Voyage ) to be preferr'd to the Maintenance of such an inconsiderable number .

Since farthest fetch'd is most esteem'd , and they work in India for One penny a day , were it not for the Advantage , as well as the Satisfaction of England , to send all our Wooll thither to be Manufactur'd ?

Were it not better the People of England were oblig'd to go Naked , rather than wear their own Manfufactures ? for so they might send all their Cloths and Stuffs abroad , and bring the Ballance of Trade even .

But since that can't be done at the latter end of a Sessions , why not prohibit the Dutch and Italian Silks ? for they are dearer than our Silks : and incourage the wearing East-India Silks ? for they will even under-sell our Stuffs .

Why should not the Parliament , for the same reason , Repeal the Woollen Act , and oblige every Body to be buried in India Silks ?

What can make England more happy and merry than this East-India Trade will in time ? which Exports so much of our Money to fetch Commodities only consum'd here ? for Contabit vacum —

Do not the East-India Merchants know the Interest of the Nation better than the Country Gentlemen ? have they not always preferr'd the Publick Good to private Gain ? who can be a better Shepherd than the Wolf ? ( if he pleases ) nay , than an East-India Trader ? who will not only preserve your Sheep from being destroy'd , but will not let them be so much as fleec'd .

If the wear of East-India Silks , &c. be prohibited , will not the Indians take it heinously ill ? for they do not so much consider our buying these Commodities , as our wearing them . And unless we are clothed in their Silks , their Horses and Elephants will not be willing to wear our Broad-cloth .

If the Soldiers Wives are not in India Silks , Where shall their Husbands get Gun-powder ? the Indians will let us have no Saltpetre . For a Trader , when he cannot sell what Commodity he pleases , will starve before he will sell any other .

Has not the Price of Land visibly Advanced for these Thirty years last past , which is about the time first Imported these Manufactures ? and for these last Two years , that few or none have been Imported , are not Rents worse paid , and Wooll become a Drug ?

Which Mercer lives best , and is most likely to thrive ? he who Clothes his Family in the richest Silks ? or he who plays the fool and cells them , turns the Penny , and makes his Wife and Children wear Woollen ?

Is not this Prohibition a manifest Injury to that vast number of Gentlemen's Sons bound Apprentices to Linnen Drapers ? since that Trade only consists in selling India Silks and Cottons , and has done so for these many Hundred years before these Goods were known ?

Will not the Customs considerably abate if this Prohibition pass ? for these very Commodities have raised above Ten thousand pounds within these Seven years , and therefore ought to be continued , though to the prejudice of Land . For pray , what has Land furnish'd towards carrying on of the War ?

Is it not apparent this Prohibition Bill is defective , and will not answer the ends proposed by the Landed-men and English Manufactures ? For are not the India Merchants more solicitous to hinder the passing this Bill , then to forward the passing their own Settlement ?

Lastly , If this Bill should pass , it may put the Parliament in the mind of making another Act , for the Incouragement of our own Woollen and Silk Manufactures , That no Silks shall hereafter be Imported , but such as come in Return of our Products and Manufactures , would not such an Act exasperate the French ? who only Import Silks in Return of Money , and be of dangerous Consequence ?