INTRODUCTION
that part of it which we call the home or inland trade, is equal, if not
superior, to that of any other nation, though some of those nations are
infinitely greater than England, and more populous also, as France and
Germany in particular.
I insist that the trade of England is greater and more considerable than
that of any other nation, for these reasons: 1. Because England produces
more goods as well for home consumption as for foreign exportation, and
those goods all made of its own produce or manufactured by its own
inhabitants, than any other nation in the world. 2. Because England
consumes within itself more goods of foreign growth, imported from the
several countries where they are produced or wrought, than any other
nation in the world. And--3. Because for the doing this England employs
more shipping and more seamen than any other nation, and, some think,
than all the other nations, of Europe.
Hence, besides the great number of wealthy merchants who carry on this
great foreign negoce [negotium (Latin) business], and who, by their
corresponding with all parts of the world, import the growth of all
countries hither--I say, 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 manufactures, and other goods of the produce of England, for
exportation; and also others who are called wholesalemen, who buy and
take off from the merchants 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, however
remote, and by them to the retailers, and by the retailer to the last
consumer, which is the last article of all trade. These are the
tradesmen understood in this work, and for whose service these sheets
are made public.
Having thus described the person whom I understand by the English
tradesman, it is then needful to inquire into his qualifications, and
what it is that renders him a finished or complete man in his business.
1. That he has a general knowledge of not his own particular trade and
business only--that part, indeed, well denominates a handicraftsman to
be a complete artist; but our complete tradesman ought to understand all
the inland trade of England, so as to be able to turn his hand to any
thing, or deal in any thing or every thing of the growth and product of
his own country, or the manufacture of the people, as his circumstances
in trade or other occasions may require; and may, if he sees occasion,
lay down one trade and take up another 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, whether
product or manufacture, are to be found; that is to say, where produced
or where made, and how to come at them or deal in them, at the first
hand, and to his best advantage.
3. That he understands perfectly well all the methods of
correspondence, returning money or goods for goods, to and from every
county in England; in what manner to be done, and in what manner most to
advantage; what goods are generally bought by barter and exchange, and