london in 1731-第24节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Towards　autumn；　when　the　town　is　thin；　many　of　the　citizens　who　deal　in　a　wholesale　way　visit　the　distant　parts　of　the　kingdom　to　get　in　their　debts；　or　procure　orders　for　fresh　parcels　of　goods；　and　much　about　the　same　time　the　lawyers　are　either　employed　in　the　several　circuits；　or　retired　to　their　country　seats；　so　that　the　Court；　the　nobility　and　gentry；　the　lawyers；　and　many　of　the　citizens　being　gone　into　the　country；　the　town　resumes　another　face。　　The　west　end　of　it　appears　perfectly　deserted；　in　other　parts　their　trade　falls　off；　but　still　in　the　streets　about　the　Royal　Exchange　we　seldom　fail　to　meet　with　crowds　of　people；　and　an　air　of　business　in　the　hottest　season。

I　have　heard　it　affirmed；　however；　that　many　citizens　live　beyond　their　income；　which　puts　them　upon　tricking　and　prevaricating　in　their　dealings；　and　is　the　principal　occasion　of　those　frequent　bankruptcies　seen　in　the　papers；　ordinary　tradesmen　drink　as　much　wine；　and　eat　as　well；　as　gentlemen　of　estates；　their　cloth；　their　lace；　their　linen；　are　as　fine；　and　they　change　it　as　often；　and　they　frequently　imitate　the　quality　in　their　expensive　pleasures。

As　to　the　diversions　of　the　inferior　tradesmen　and　common　people　on　Sundays　and　other　holidays；　they　frequently　get　out　of　town；　the　neighbouring　villas　are　full　of　them；　and　the　public…houses　there　usually　provide　a　dinner　in　expectation　of　their　city　guests；　but　if　they　do　not　visit　them　in　a　morning；　they　seldom　fail　of　walking　out　in　the　fields　in　the　afternoon；　every　walk；　every　public　garden　and　path　near　the　town　are　crowded　with　the　common　people；　and　no　place　more　than　the　park；　for　which　reason　I　presume　the　quality　are　seldom　seen　there　on　a　Sunday；　though　the　meanest　of　them　are　so　well　dressed　at　these　times　that　nobody　need　be　ashamed　of　their　company　on　that　account；　for　you　will　see　every　apprentice；　every　porter；　and　cobbler；　in　as　good　cloth　and　linen　as　their　betters；　and　it　must　be　a　very　poor　woman　that　has　not　a　suit　of　Mantua　silk；　or　something　equal　to　it；　to　appear　abroad　in　on　holidays。

And　now；　if　we　survey　these　several　inhabitants　in　one　body；　it　will　be　found　that　there　are　about　a　million　of　souls　in　the　whole　town；　of　whom　there　may　be　150；000　men　and　upwards　capable　of　bearing　arms；　that　is；　between　eighteen　and　sixty。

If　it　be　demanded　what　proportion　that　part　of　the　town　properly　called　the　City　of　London　bears　to　the　rest；　I　answer　that；　according　to　the　last　calculations；　there　are　in　the　city　12；000　houses；　in　the　parishes　without　the　walls；　36；320；　in　the　parishes　of　Middlesex　and　Surrey；　which　make　part　of　the　town；　46；300；　and　in　the　city　and　liberties　of　Westminster；　28；330；　in　which　are　included　the　precincts　of　the　Tower；　Norton　Folgate；　the　Rolls；　Whitefriars；　the　Inns　of　Court　and　Chancery；　the　King's　palaces；　and　all　other　extra…parochial　places。

As　to　the　number　of　inhabitants　in　each　of　these　four　grand　divisions；　if　we　multiply　the　number　of　houses　in　the　City　of　London　by　eight　and　a　half；　there　must　be　102；000　people　there；　according　to　this　estimate。　　By　the　same　rule；　there　must　be　308；720　people　in　the　seventeen　parishes　without　the　walls；　393；550　in　the　twenty…one　out…parishes　of　Middlesex　and　Surrey；　and　240；805　in　the　city　and　liberties　of　Westminster；　all　which　compose　the　sum…total　of　1；045；075　people。

Let　me　now　proceed　to　inquire　into　the　state　of　the　several　great　trading　companies　in　London。　　The　first；　in　point　of　time；　I　find　to　be　the　Hamburg　Company；　originally　styled　〃Merchants　of　the　Staple〃　（that　is；　of　the　staple　of　wool）；　and　afterwards　Merchant　Adventurers。　　They　were　first　incorporated　in　the　reign　of　King　Edward　I。；　anno　1296；　and　obtained　leave　of　John；　Duke　of　Brabant；　to　make　Antwerp　their　staple　or　mart　for　the　Low　Countries；　where　the　woollen　manufactures　then　flourished　more　than　in　any　country　in　Europe。　　The　business　of　this　company　at　first　seems　to　be　chiefly；　if　not　altogether；　the　vending　of　English　wool　unwrought。

Queen　Elizabeth　enlarged　the　trade　of　the　Company　of　Adventurers；　and　empowered　them　to　treat　with　the　princes　and　states　of　Germany　for　a　place　which　might　be　the　staple　or　mart　for　the　woollen　manufactures　they　exported；　which　was　at　length　fixed　at　Hamburg；　from　whence　they　obtained　the　name　of　the　Hamburg　Company。　　They　had　another　mart　or　staple　also　assigned　them　for　the　sale　of　their　woollen　cloths　in　the　Low　Countries；　viz。；　Dort；　in　Holland。

This　company　consists　of　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　fellowship；　or　court　of　assistants；　elected　annually　in　June；　who　have　a　power　of　making　bye…laws　for　the　regulation　of　their　trade；　but　this　trade　in　a　manner　lies　open；　every　merchant　trading　thither　on　his　own　bottom；　on　paying　an　inconsiderable　sum　to　the　company；　so　that　though　the　trade　to　Germany　may　be　of　consequence；　yet　the　Hamburg　Company；　as　a　company；　have　very　little　advantage　by　their　being　incorporated。

The　Hamburg　or　German　Merchants　export　from　England　broad…cloth；　druggets；　long…ells；　serges；　and　several　sorts　of　stuffs；　tobacco；　sugar；　ginger；　East　India　goods；　tin；　lead；　and　several　other　commodities；　the　consumption　of　which　is　in　Lower　Germany。

England　takes　from　them　prodigious　quantities　of　linen；　linen…yarn；　kid…skins；　tin…plates；　and　a　great　many　other　commodities。

The　next　company　established　was　that　of　the　Russia　Merchants；　incorporated　1st　and　2nd　of　Philip　and　Mary；　who　were　empowered　to　trade　to　all　lands；　ports；　and　places　in　the　dominions　of　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　and　to　all　other　lands　not　then　discovered　or　frequented；　lying　on　the　north；　north…east；　or　north…west。

The　Russia　Company；　as　a　company；　are　not　a　very　considerable　body　at　present；　the　trade　thither　being　carried　on　by　private　merchants；　who　are　admitted　into　this　trade　on　payment　of　five　pounds　for　that　privilege。

It　consists　of　a　governor；　four　consuls；　and　twenty…four　assistants；　annually　chosen　on　the　1st　of　March。

The　Russia　Merchants　export　from　England　some　coarse　cloth；　long…　ells；　worsted　stuffs；　tin；　lead；　tobacco；　and　a　few　other　commodities。

England　takes　from　Russia　hemp；　flax；　linen　cloth；　linen　yarn；　Russia　leather；　tallow；　furs；　iron；　potashes；　&c。；　to　an　immense　value。

The　next　company　is　the　Eastland　Company；　formerly　called　Merchants　of　Elbing；　a　town　in　Polish　Prussia；　to　the　eastward　of　Dantzic；　being　the　port　they　principally　resorted　to　in　the　infancy　of　their　trade。　　They　were　incorporated　21　Elizabeth；　and　empowered　to　trade　to　all　countries　within　the　Sound；　Norway；　Sweden；　Poland；　Liefland；　Prussia；　and　Pomerania；　from　the　river　Oder　eastward；　viz。；　with　Riga；　Revel；　Konigsberg；　Elbing；　Dantzic；　Copenhagen；　Elsinore；　Finland；　Gothland；　Eastland；　and　Bornholm　（except　Narva；　which　was　then　the　only　Russian　port　in　the　Baltic）。　　And　by　the　said　patent　the　Eastland　Company　and　Hamburg　Company　were　each　of　them　authorised　to　trade　separately　to　Mecklenburg；　Gothland；　Silesia；　Moravia；　Lubeck；　Wismar；　Restock；　and　the　whole　river　Oder。

This　company　consists　of　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　twenty…　four　assistants；　elected　annually　in　October；　but　either　they　have　no　power　to　exclude　others　from　trading　within　their　limits；　or　the　fine　for　permission　is　so　inconsiderable；　that　it　can　never　hinder　any　merchants　trading　thither　who　is　inclined　to　it；　and；　in　fact；　this　trade；　like　the　former；　is　carried　on　by　private　merchants；　and　the　trade　to　Norway　and　Sweden　is　laid　open　by　Act　of　Parliament。

To　Norway　and　Denmark　merchants　send　guineas；　crown…pieces；　bullion；　a　little　tobacco；　and　a　few　coarse　woollens。

They　import　from　Norway；　&c。；　vast　quantities　of　deal　boards；　timber；　spars；　and　iron。

Sweden　takes　from　England　gold　and　silver；　and　but　a　small　quantity　of　the　manufactures　and　production　of　England。

England　imports　from　Sweden　near　two…thirds　of　the　iron　wrought　up　or　consumed　in　the　kingdom；　copper；　boards；　plank；　&c。

The　Turkey　or　Levant　Company　was　first　incorporated　in　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　their　privileges　were　confirmed　and　enlarged　in　the　reign　of　King　James　I。；　being　empowered　to　trade　to　the　Levant；　or　eastern　part　of　the　Mediterranean；　particularly　to　Smyrna；　Aleppo；　Constantinople；　Cyprus；　Grand　Cairo；　Alexandria；　&c。　　It　consists　of　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　eighteen　assistants　or　directors；　chosen　annually；　&c。　　This　trade　is　open　also　to　every　merchant　paying　a　small　consideration；　and　carried　on　accordingly　by　private　men。

These　merchants　export　to　Turkey　chiefly　broadcloth；　long…ells；　tins；　lead；　and　some　iron；　and　the　English　merchants　frequently　buy　up　French　and　Lisbon　sugars　and　transport　thither；　as　well　as　bullion　from　Cadiz。

The　commodities　received　from　thence　are　chiefly　raw　silk；　grogram　yarn；　dyeing　stuffs　of　sundry　kinds；　drugs；　soap；　leather；　cotton；　and　some　fruit；　oil；　&c。

The　East　India　Company　were　incorporated　about　the　42nd　of　Elizabeth；　anno　1600；　and　empowered　to　trade　to　all　countries　to　the　eastward　of　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　exclusive　of　all　others。

About　the　middle　of　King　William's　reign　it　was　generally　said　their　patent　was　illegal；　and　that　the　Crown　could　not　restrain　the　English　merchants　from　trading　to　any　country　they　were　disposed　to　deal　with