The Novels And Miscellaneous Works Vol-Xvii

Front matter

THE NOVELS

AND

MISCELLANEOUS WORKS

Preface

The work which, is here offered to the public is a collection of useful instructions for a young trades¬ man ; which are the more necessary, as there never were so many bankruptcies or failures in trade as of late.

Had I not seen, in a few years’ experience, many young tradesmen miscarry for want of the very cautions which are here given, I should have thought this work needless, and I am sure, had never gone about to write it; but as the contrary is manifest, I think the world wanted either this or something better.

I make no doubt but there is, generally, as much trade now, and as much gotten by trading as for¬ merly. There must then be some reason why the tradesman cannot support himself and family as well as before. Nor need we be afraid to speak out; the case is but too obvious. The expenses of a family are quite different now from what they have been; tradesmen cannot live as tradesmen in the same class used to live; custom, and the manner

X

PREFACE.

of all the tradesmen round them, they think, com¬ mand a difference ; and he that will not do as others do, is esteemed as nobody among them.

The following directions are calculated to enable the young tradesman to stem the attacks of those fatal customs, which otherwise will inevitably send him the way of all the thoughtless tradesmen that have gone before him.

Here he will be effectually encouraged to set out well, and to avoid all those rocks which the gay race of tradesmen so frequently suffer shipwreck upon; and here he will have a true plan of his own prosperity drawn out for him; by which he may square his conduct in an unerring manner, and fear neither bad fortune nor bad friends.

Here he will learn the absolute necessity of trading within the bounds of his own stock, and the certain ruin of that modern custom of trading upon borrowed credit or borrowed money, with the dismal consequences of high discount, and taking up money at interest.

Here also he will find brief specimens for book¬ keeping, and directions for keeping a pocket-ledger, in case of fire. And in order to make this work a complete directory for tradesmen of all denomina¬ tions, I have thought it necessary to discourse, though as briefly as I could, of the several branches of our home trade, especially those which neces¬ sarily embark the inland tradesman in some parts of foreign business, and so make a merchant of the

PREFACE.

XI shopkeeper, almost -whether he will or no. For example:—

Almost all the shopkeepers and inland traders in seaport towns, and even in the waterside part of London itself, are necessarily brought in to be owners of ships, and concerned at least in the vessel, if not in the voyage; some of their trades, perhaps, relate to or are employed in the building, fitting, or furnishing out ships; as at Shoreham, Ipswich, Yarmouth, Hull, Whitby, Newcastle, and the like; others are concerned in the cargoes, as in the herring-fishery at Yarmouth, and in the ad¬ jacent ports, the colliery at Newcastle, Sunderland, &c.

In this case the shopkeeper is unavoidably, some¬ times, both a tradesman and a merchant adventurer at the same time; and some of his business runs into sea adventures ; as in the salt trade at North and South Shields, in the counties of Northumber¬ land and Durham, and likewise at Lymington, and again in the coal trade from Whitehaven in Cum¬ berland to Ireland, and the like.

These considerations urged me to direct due cautions to such tradesmen, and such as would be particular to them especially, not to launch out in adventures beyond the compass of their stocks, and withal to manage those things with due wariness.

I have also given a general description of the whole inland trade of England, that prodigy of a business, in which our tradesmen are ordinarily

PREFACE.

xii

taken up, and without a right notion of which they cannot be said to be complete tradesmen; and more particularly of that branch of inland business, the corn trade, with the coal trade, the fishing trade, and the coasting trade; also of the carriage of goods in England, whether by water or by land; which is a wonderful article, and equal in itself to the whole commerce of some nations, and employs infinite numbers of ships, horses, and men.

The breeding, feeding, and fatting of cattle is likewise a vast extended business, which embarks in one interest the gentleman, the tradesman, and the poor.

In all these there are useful observations, proper for the tradesman in every branch of the inland trade.

There are many other useful things relating to the trade and tradesman of this nation, which will be seen in the work itself, to which we refer.

Chap. VI. Of over-trading - - - - 36

Chap. VII. Of the tradesman in distress, and be¬ coming bankrupt; with advice to break in time -------45

Chap. VIII. Of the ordinary occasions of the ruin of tradesmen. How requisite it is for the tradesman to choose a situation proper for his business : that his shop be filled with a useful assortment of goods ; and that he have an invincible stock of patience to bear with the impertinence of every kind of customer. An humorous letter from a

XIV

CONTENTS.

mercer, on the trouble given him by ladies, who intend not to buy - - - - 56

Chap. IX. Other reasons for the tradesman’s disas¬ ters; and first, of innocent diversions, as they are called : how fatal to the trades¬ man, especially to the younger sort - - 65

Chap. X. Of extravagant and expensive living, another step to a tradesman’s disaster : in which are included expensive housekeep¬ ing, extravagance in dress, expensive com¬ pany, and expensive equipage - 76

Chap. XI. Of suretiship ----- 85

Chap. XII. The bad consequences of a tradesman marrying too soon. Many a young trades¬ man ruined by marrying even a good wife.

How requisite it is that a wife should know' her husband’s circumstances, in or¬ der to square her way of living and house¬ keeping by what he can afford - - 87

Chap. XIII. Of the tradesman’s leaving his busi¬ ness to servants : danger to a master that does so, even from a good servant; much greater than from a bad. Great remiss¬ ness in masters now-a-days, with regard to the morals of their servants. Wholesome rules enjoined by a certain eminent trades¬ man to his servants, and good effects thereof. Great difference in the family government of the last and present age.

Our author’s opinion in relation to the mo¬ nies taken with apprentices : brief remarks thereupon. Duty of a good master with respect to his apprentices. - -99

Chap. XIV. Of tradesmen making composition with debtors or with creditors. That they,

CONTENTS.

XV

Page of all men, from the contingent nature of trade, have reason to compassionate the unfortunate. The justice of making a bankrupt’s wilful concealment of his effects felony. Benefit from the late Acts of Bankruptcy, both to debtor and creditor, to what it was formerly. That the first proposal is always the best. Reasons for it. In what cases the debtor does and does not deserve compassion. Of statutes taken out with a fraudulent intention. Clause in the new Act of 5 Geo. II. which seems framed to cure an evil complained of by our author. - - - - -117

Chap. XV. Of the unfortunate tradesman com¬ pounding with his creditors. What it be¬ hoves both the creditor and debtor to do in this case - • 129

Chap. XVI. Some brief heads of the statute passed anno 5. Geo. II. in relation to bankrupts, so far as it behoves a complete tradesman to know speculatively ; referring' to the act itself for a more practical knowledge of it 138

Chap. XVII. Of the peculiar value of credit and a good name among tradesman, illustrated by two remarkable instances. How careful men in trade, of all people, should be of raising or propagating slander against one another. A tradesman in continual dan¬ ger from evil tongues, as well from the ladies as his own sex. A remarkable in¬ stance of it. How persons should act when others inquire of them concerning their neighbours’ characters. Inference from the tradesman’s liableness to ruin from rumour, that it behoves him to be modest and humble, and make no enemies. An insidious /'ay of wounding a neighbour’s

XVI

CONTENTS.

reputation. How the person using it should be treated by mankind - - - 149

Chap. XVIII. Of partnership in trade. What trades are generally carried on in partner¬ ship. Partnerships, in what instances most dangerous. At what time a man should take a partner to ease himself. Mutual diligence and application, in general, the only safe partnership. How one partner may honestly ruin another. The honester and more diligent the one partner, the more dangerous; especially if the other relaxes in his care and industry. Further instances of the danger of partnerships. Particulars in which one partner may greatly damage another. Partnerships, upon the whole, to be generally avoided; but, if they are entered into, in what cases most, and in what cases least eligible. - 184

Chap. XIX. Of honesty and veracity in dealing.

In what cases a little latitude seems allow¬ able to a tradesman ; which even the buyers make necessary. How much to be wished that all falsehoods could be avoided in trade. Of breaking promises of payment. Arguments with relation to the morality of this. Custom has seemed to lessen the crime in breaking through those sort of promises. The cases distinguished where the breach is excusable, and where not. Best to oe as little positive in a pro¬ mise as possible. - - - - - 177

Chap. XX. Of the customary frauds of trade, which some allow themselves to practise and pretend to justify to the rules of ho¬ nesty ; and 1. Of receiving and putting off false money. 2. Of the various arts used by tradesmen to impose' on the judg-

CONTENTS. XVU

Page

ment of the buyer, by false lights, artificial side windows, trunk-lights, &c., and in what cases art is excusable; in what not. 3.

Of shop rhetoric ; it is generally a corrupt means to a vicious end. Garbling for¬ merly designed to cure this rhetorical ly¬ ing. The subject humorously illustrated by a short dialogue between a shopkeeper and his customer, put into plain English.

A happy medium in this point recom¬ mended ------- 18S

Ciiap. XXL The vast improvements made in the English silk manufacture, which ex¬ ceeds that of the French. The foppish humour peculiar to the English, of unjustly, preferring foreign manufactures to our own. A gross trading fraud among the mercers on this occasion discovered and exploded - - - - - -199

Chap. XXII. Of fine shops and hue shows. The modern extravagancy in this respect wholly unknown to our ancestors in trade. Of a modern pastrycook’s shop and toyshops. Decency in all outward appearances, whe¬ ther in dressing a shop or dressing a man, always the sign of a right head. Frugality recommended. The credit attempted to be raised by a fine shop, not that which should be sought by a substantial trades¬ man. What are the best recommendations of a shop ------ 205

Chap. XXIII. Of the tradesman’s letting his wife be acquainted with his business. Advice to the wives of such not to be above get¬ ting an insight into their husbands’ trade.

The want of doing this subjects them to greater meannesses; sometimes to marry beneath them, &c. Reasons that should c. e. t. i. b

CONTENTS.

prevail on the tradesman in this particular, for the sake of his family. Two sorts of husbands, who are for keeping their wives in ignorance, An instance in point. Par¬ ticular address to such wives as think themselves too well born, though they stoop to marry a tradesman, to descend to the knowledge of business. Ridiculous pride of such ladies of small fortunes, as think the\ r demean themselves by marry¬ ing a tradesman. That the gentlemen of families act more laudably in this case than the ladies - - - - - -213

Ciiap. XXIV. Extracts from the genealogies of several illustrious families of our English nobility, some of which owe their rise to trade, and others their descent and for¬ tunes to prudent alliances with the fami¬ lies of citizens - 227

Chap. XXV. Of the dignity of trade in England, more than in other countries. That Eng¬ land is the greatest trading country in the world; that our climate is the best to live in ; that our men are the stoutest and best; that the tradesmen in England arc not of the meanest of the people ; that the wealth of the nation lies chiefly among them ; that trade is a continual fund for supplying the decays in the rank of gentry ; that an ordinary trader can spend more than a gentleman of £d00 a year; that an estate is a pond, but trade a spring; that the descendants of tradesmen here, for gallantry of spirit and greatness of soul, are not inferior to the descendants of the best families. Further hints to the ladies whose pride will not let them stoop to marry a tradesman. To trade, and not to conquest, is owing the present grandeur of

CONTENTS.

XIX

Page the English nation. How much the landed interest owes to trade. - - - - 241

Chap. XXVI. Of the inland trade of England ; its magnitude, and the great advantage it is of to the nation in general. The vast consequence of London to the whole king¬ dom. Of the increase of this commerce by credit - 254

Chap. XXVII. Of credit in trade ; and how a tradesman ought to value and improve it.

That our English tradesmen excel all others in the management of credit. How easily lost, and how hard to be recovered. Honesty and industry the two great sup¬ ports of credit - 26f)

('hi av. XXVIII. Of the tradesman’s punctual pay¬ ing his bills and promissory notes, and the credit he gains by it. Of protesting bills. Error of the country manufacturer in over¬ loading the factor. A tradesman ought not to suffer himself to be overdrawn. What punctualities are required in bills of exchange and promissory notes. Of the three days of grace. The nature of foreign bills of exchange, and the niceties to be observed in them. Advantages to a trades¬ man who pays his bills well. Forms of bills drawn on several occasions - - 277

Chap. XXIX. Of the tradesman in distress bor¬ rowing money at interest, whether by bond or otherwise, to carry on his trade. Rules and cautions to be observed by such. In¬ terest, though legal, a canker-worm. The true nature and sad effects of it. The still more dreadful effects of taking up money where extortion is used. If a tradesman gains twenty per cent, and pays but five.

XX

CONTENTS.

he must be, probably, ruined at long* run ; except he were to give no credit and sus¬ tain no losses - - - - - -291

Chap. XXX. .Of discounting and endorsing bills, and of the scandalous practice of passing promissory notes, on purpose to borrow money by discount. Its ruinous conse¬ quences exemplified in the ruin of a clubof tradesmen, who joined in coining money, as they called it. The discounters to be deemed as birds of prey, which arc to be shunned by all tradesmen. This ruinous practice owing chiefly to overtrading - 301

Chap. XXXI. Of the tradesman’s keeping his books, and casting up his shop. A re¬ markable story of a man keeping his ac¬ counts in a large business, without being able to write. The necessity of exact book-keeping. Of balancing the cash¬ book. Cautions on this head necessary to be observed. Exact book-keeping indi¬ cates a man is determined to thrive, if pos¬ sible ; as negligence in this respect de¬ notes the contrary. The credit a man gains in the former case, even though he prove unfortunate. Numberless lawsuits preventable by exact book-keeping. Next to taking care of his soul, a tradesman should take care of his books. The com¬ fort of so doing in case of sudden illness,

ENGLISH TRADESMAN.

Introduction

Being to direct this discourse to the tradesmen of this nation, it is needful in a few words to explain who it is we are to understand by the word c trades¬ man,’ and how he is to be qualified in order to merit the title of 4 complete.’

The term tradesman is understood in several places in a different manner ; for example, in the North of Britain, and in Ireland, a tradesman is taken to be a mechanic; as a smith, carpenter, shoe¬ maker, and the like, whom we call here handicrafts¬ men. Abroad, they deem tradesmen such only as carry goods about from market to market, or from house to house, to sell; which we usually here call £ petty chapmen,’ in the North c pethers,’ and in our ordinary speech, £ pedlars.’

But in England, and especially in London, all sorts of warehouse-keepers, shopkeepers, whether wholesale dealers or retailers of goods, are called tradesmen ; such are our grocers, mercers, linen and woollen-drapers, Blackwell-hall factors, tobacconists, haberdashers, glovers, hosiers, milliners, booksellers, stationers, and all other shopkeepers, who do not actually manufacture the goods they sell.

On the other hand, those who make the goods they sell, though they keep shops, are called handic. E. T. I. B crafts; such as smiths, shoemakers, founders, joiners, carpenters, carvers, turners, and the like; those who only make goods for others to sell, are called manu¬ facturers, artists, &c.

As there are several degrees of people employed in trade below these, such as workmen, labourers, and servants, so there is a degree of traders above them, which we call merchants; where it is needful to observe, that in other countries, and even in the North of Britain and Ireland, as the handicraftsmen and artists are called tradesmen, so the shopkeepers, whom we here call tradesmen, are all called mer¬ chants ; nay, even the very pedlars are called tra¬ velling merchants. But in England the word mer¬ chant is understood of none but such as carry on foreign correspondences, importing the goods and growth of other countries, and exporting the growth and manufacture of England to other countries.

Besides these, we have a very great number of considerable dealers, whom we call tradesmen, who are properly called warehouse-keepers, who supply the merchants with all the several kinds of manu¬ factures and other goods of the produce of England, for exportation; and also others, who are called wholesalemen, who buy and take off from the mer¬ chants all the foreign goods which they import; these, by their corresponding with a like sort of tradesmen in the country, convey and hand forward those goods, and our own also, among those country tradesmen, into every corner of the kingdom, how¬ ever remote ; and by them to the retailers; and by the retailer to the last consumer, which is the last article of all trade. These, by whatever particular circumstances distinguished, are the people under¬ stood by the word tradesmen in this work, and for whose service these sheets are made public.

Having thus described the person whom I under-

ENGLISH TRADESMAN.

stand by the English Tradesman, it is needful to inquire into his qualifications, and what it is that renders him a finished or complete man in his bu¬ siness.

1. Then, it will be found that our Complete Tradesman ought to understand all the inland trade of England, so as to be able to turn his hand to any¬ thing of the manufacture of his own country, as his circumstances may require; and may, if he sees occasion, lay down one trade and take up another, or extend his dealings when he pleases, without serving a new apprenticeship to learn it.

2. That he not only has a knowledge of the species or kinds of goods, but of the places and peculiar countries where those goods are produced or made, and how to come at them at the first hand.

3. That he understands all the methods of corre¬ spondence, returning money or goods for goods, to and from every county in England; what goods are generally bought for ready money, and what for time; what are sold by commission from the makers, what bought by factors, or by giving commission to buyers in the country, and the like; what markets are the most proper to buy everything at, and when; and what fairs or marts are proper to go to, to pro¬ mote his own particular business.

In order to complete the English tradesman in this manner, the first thing to be done is to lay down such general maxims of trade as are fit for his instruction, and then to describe the English or British product, being the fund of its inland trade, whether we mean its produce as the growth of the country, or its manufactures as the labour of her people ; then to acquaint the tradesman with the manner of the circulation where those things are found; how and by what methods all those goods

P 2 are brought to London, and from London again conveyed into the country, where they are princi¬ pally bought at best hand, and most to the advan¬ tage of the buyer, and where the proper markets are to dispose of them again when bought.

These are the degrees by which the complete tradesman is brought up, and by which he is in¬ structed in the principles and methods of his com¬ merce, by which he is made acquainted with busi¬ ness, and is capable of carrying it on with success; after which, there is not a man in the universe de¬ serves the title of a complete tradesman like the English shopkeeper.

Chap. I

Of the tradesman in his preparations while an apprentice .

The first part of a trader’s beginning is ordinarily very young; I mean, when he goes apprentice, and the notions of trade are scarce got into his head ; for the first three or four years they are rather to be taught submission to family orders, subjection to their masters, and dutiful attendance in their shops or warehouses; but this being a part already well performed 3 , we shall not dwell upon it here.

But after they have entered the fifth or sixth year, and begin to think of setting up for themselves, then is the time to instruct them in such things as may qualify them best to enter upon the world, and act for themselves when they are so entered.

The first thing a youth, in the latter part of his time, is to do, is to endeavour to gain a good judg¬ ment in the wares of all kinds that he is like to deal in. The first years of his time he of course learns to weigh and measure either liquids or solids, to pack up and make bales, trusses, packs, &c., and to do the coarser and laborious part of business; but all that gives him little knowledge in the species of

a In a little piece, entituled “ The Apprentice’s Vade Mecum, or Young Man’s Pocket Companion,” which, besides some other very needful things, contain general rules and directions for a young man’s behaviour in his apprenticeship.

goods he is to deal in, much less a nice judgment in their value and sorts; which, however, is one of the principal things that belong to trade.

It is supposed, that by this time, if his master is a man of considerable business, his man is become the eldest apprentice, and is taken into the counting-house, where, among other things, he sees the bills of parcels of goods bought, and thereby knows what everything costs at first hand ; what gain is made of them, and what loss, if any; by which he is led, of course, to look into the goodness of the goods, and see the reason of things: if the goods are not to expectation, he sees the reason of that

loss, and he looks into the goods, and sees where and how far they are deficient: this, if he be careful to make his observations, brings him naturally to have a good judgment in the goods, and in the value of them.

If a young man neglects this part, and passes over the season for such improvement, he very rarely ever recovers it; for this part has its season; and that

lost, never comes again. A judgment in goods, taken in early, is never lost; as a judgment, taken in late, is seldom good.

For want of this knowledge, he is liable to be imposed upon in the most notorious manner by the sharp-sighted world; for his bad judgment cannot be hid : the very boys in the warehouses of whole¬ sale-men and merchants will play upon him, sell him a worse sort for a better; and, when they have bubbled him, will triumph over his ignorance behind his back; and the further consequence is, he sells, as he buys, an inferior sort for a better; and this is the way to blast his reputation; since it will be charitable to think no worse of him, than that he has been imposed upon himself, and is ignorant of his business.

2. The next thing to be recommended to an ap¬ prentice, in the latter part of his time, is to choose to cultivate an acquaintance, as his opportunities will give him leave, with young people of his own standing, who serve those who are his master’s chapman and customers, and who have the prospect of beginning the world much about his own time ; and even with such of his master’s chapmen them¬ selves, as, by dealing with several tradesmen of the same business, may, upon an opinion of his good behaviour in his apprenticeship, and knowledge in his business, dispense to him some part of their business.

What I mean by this is, not that the young man should confine himself absolutely to such as are of like standing with himself, and not seek, as occasion offers, to make himself friends among his master’s customers, in a fair, and not undermining manner ; for this would be to circumscribe him too unreason¬ ably, and is what no master, who takes an appren¬ tice, ought honestly to expect. If any inconveni¬ ences are likely to arise to a master on such account, he ought to have considered them before he took an apprentice, and not think to abridge the young man of any honest means to get his livelihood, when the time of his service is expired; so far otherwise, he ought, in conscience and duty, to do all in his power, that is not absolutely detrimental to himself, to further and promote the young man in his setting out in the world; and to do by him as he would have been glad to be done by, whether he was so or not, at his own beginning.

But what I mean is, in the first place, to hint to the young man to choose his acquaintance and friends principally from among those that are most likely to contribute to his future welfare ; and next, that as the less detriment he shall do to his master, on beginning for himself, cannot but be most pleas¬ ing to an ingenuous mind; so, by such a choice of companions or intimates, he will strike out, as it were, a new train of business, and possibly receive and confer a reciprocal benefit, without hurting any other person.

But where this more eligible course cannot be taken, the young man, no doubt, is to acquaint himself with his master’s chapmen of both sorts ; that is to say, as well those he sells to, as, still more particularly, those he buys of, that he may be able, in the latter case, to purchase upon the best terms, and so form his conduct, as well upon his master’s, as his own experience.

To hinder an apprentice from an acquaintance with the dealers of both sorts, is somewhat like Laban’s usage to Jacob ; viz., keeping back the be¬ loved Rachel, whom he served his seven years’ time for, and putting him off with a blear-eyed Leah in her stead ; it is, indeed, a kind of robbing him, tak¬ ing from him the advantage which he served his time fox*, and, perhaps for which his friends gave a considerable sum of money with him ; and sending him into the world like a man out of a ship set ashore among savages, who, instead of feeding, are indeed more ready to eat him up and devour him.

An apprentice who has served faithfully and di¬ ligently, ought to claim it as a debt to his inden¬ tures, that his master should make him master of his business, or enable him, as he ought, to set up in the world ; for as buying is the first, so selling is the last end of trade; and the faithful apprentice ought to be fully made acquainted with them both, or how can he be said to be taught the art and mys¬ tery which his master engages to learn him ?

3. In the next place, the apprentice, when his time is near expiring, ought to learn his master’s method of bookkeeping, that he may follow it, if good ; and learn a better, in time, if not.