fome Order, and enable the Mind to take a methodical and fucceffive View of this Design.

In the Dictionary which we here offer to the Publick we propose to exhibit the Materials, the Places, and the Means of Traffick.

The Materials or Subjects of Traffick are whatever is bought and fold, and include therefore every Manufacture of Art, and almost every Production of Nature.

In giving an Account of the Commodities of Nature, whether thofe which are to be used in their original State, as Drugs and Spices, or those which become useful when they receive a new Form from Human Art, as Flax, Cotton, and Metals, we fhall fhew the Places of their Production, the Manner in which they grow, the Art of cultivating or collecting them, their Difcriminations and Varieties, by which the best Sorts are known from the worse, and genuine from fictitious, the Arts by which they are counterfeited, the Cafualties by which they are impaired, and the Practices by which the Damage is palliated or concealed. We fhall likewife fhew their Virtues and Ufes, and trace them through all the Changes which they undergo.

The Hiftory of Manufactures is likewise delivered. Of every artificial Commodity the Manner in which it is made is in fome meafure defcribed, though it must be remembered, that manual Operations are fcarce to be conveyed by any Words to him that has not seem them. Some general Notions may however be afforded; it is eafy to comprehend, that Plates of Iron are formed by the Preffure of Rollers, and Bars by the Strokes of a Hammer, that a Cannon is caft, and that an Anvil is forged. But as it is to moft Traders of more Ufe to know when their Goods are well wrought, than by what Means, Care has been taken to name the Places where every Ma

nufacture has been carried furtheft, and the Marks by which its Excellency may be ascertained.

By the Places of Trade are understood all Ports, Cities, or Towns where Staples are established, Manufactures are wrought, or any Commodities are bought and fold advantageoufly. This Part of our Work includes an Enumeration of almost all the remarkable Places in the World, with fuch an Account of their Situation, Cuftoms, and Products, as the Merchant would require, who, being to begin a new Trade in any foreign Country, was yet ignorant of the Commodities of the Place, and the Manners of the Inhabitants.

But the chief Attention of the Merchant, and confequently of the Author who writes for Merchants, ought to be employed upon the Means of Trade, which include all the Knowledge and Practice neceffary to the skilful and fuccefsful Conduct of Commerce.

The first of the Means of Trade is proper Education, which may confer a competent Skill in Numbers; to be afterwards completed in the Countinghoufe, by Obfervation of the Manner of ftating Accompts, and regulating Books, which is one of the few Arts which, having been studied in proportion to its Importance, is carried as far as Ufe can require. The Counting-houfe of an accomplished Merchant is a School of Method, where the great Science may be learned of ranging Particulars under Generals, of bringing the different Parts of a Tranfaction together, and of fhewing at one View a long Series of Dealing and Exchange. Let no Man venture into large Business while he is ignorant of the Method of regulating Books; never let him imagine that any Degree of natural Abilities will enable him to fupply this Deficience, or preferve Multiplicity of Affairs from inextricable Confufion.

This is the Study, without which all other Studies will be of little Avail; but this alone is not fufficient. It will be neceffary to learn many other Things, which however may be easily included in the preparatory Inftitutions; fuch as, an exact Knowledge of the Weights and Measures of different Countries, and fome Skill in Geography and Navigation, with which this Book may perhaps fufficiently supply him.

In Navigation, confidered as Part of the Skill of a Merchant, is included not fo much the Art of fteering a Ship, as the Knowledge of the Sea-coaft, and of the different Parts to which his Cargoes are fent, the Customs to be paid, the Paffes, Permiffions, or Certificates, to be procured, the Hazards of every Voyage, and the true Rate of Infurances. To this must be added, an Acquaintance with the Policies and Arts of other Nations, as well those to whom the Commodities are fold, as of thofe who carry Goods of the fame Kind to the fame Market, and who are therefore to be watched as Rivals endeavouring to take Advantage of every Error, Mis carriage, or Debate.

The chief of the Means of Trade is Money, of which our late Refinements in Traffick have made the Knowledge extremely difficult. The Merchant

muft not only inform himself of the various Denominations and Value of foreign Coins, together with their Method of counting and reducing; fuch as the Millereis of Portugal, and the Livres of France; but he must learn what is of more difficult Attainment, the Difcount of Exchanges, the Nature of Current Paper, the Principles upon which the several Banks of Europe are established, the real Value of Funds, the true Credit of Trading Companies, with all the Sources of Profit, and Poffibilities of Lofs.

All

All this he must learn merely as a private Dealer attentive only to his own Advantage; but as every Man ought to confider himself as Part of the Community to which he belongs, and while he profecutes his own Intereft to promote likewise that of his Country, it is neceffary for the Trader to look abroad upon Mankind, and ftudy many Queftions which are perhaps more properly political than mer

cantile

He ought therefore to confider very accurately the Balance of Trade, or the Proportion between Things exported and imported; to examine what Kinds of Commerce are unlawful, either as being expressly prohibited, because detrimental to the Manufactures or other Interest of his Country, as the Exportation of Silver to the Eaft Indies, and the Introduction of French Commodities; or unlawful in itself, as the Traffick for Negroes. He ought to be able to state with Accuracy, the Benefits and Mifchiefs of Monopolies, and exclufive Companies: to enquire into the Arts which have been practifed by them to make themselves neceffary, or by their Opponents to make them odious. He fhould inform himself what Trades are declining, and what are improvable; when the Advantage is on our Side, and when on that of our Rivals.

The State of our Colonies is always to be diligently furveyed, that no Advantage may be loft which they can afford, and that every Opportunity may be improved of increafing their Wealth and Power, or of making them useful to their Mother Country.

There is no Knowledge of more frequent Use than that of Duties and Impofts, whether Customs paid at the Ports, or Excifes levied upon the Manufacturer. Much of the Profperity of a trading Nation depends upon Duties properly apportioned; fo that what is neceffary may continue cheap, and what is of Ufe only to Luxury, may, in fome Measure atone .to

be

the Publick for the Mischief done to Individuals. Duties may often be fo regulated as to become ufeful even to those that pay them; and they may likewife fo unequally impofed as to discourage Honefty, and deprefs Industry, and give Temptation to Fraud and unlawful Practices.

To teach all this is the Design of the Commercial Dictionary, which though immediately and primarily written for the Merchants, will be of Ufe to every Man of Bufinefs or Curiofity. There is no Man who is not in fome Degree a Merchant, who has not something to buy and something to fell, and who does not therefore want fuch Inftructions as may teach him the true Value of Poffeffions or Commodities.

The Descriptions of the Productions of the Earth and Water, which this Volume will contain, may be equally pleafing and useful to the Speculatift with any other Natural Hiftory; and the Accounts of various Manufactures will conftitute no contemptible Body of Experimental Philofophy. The Defcriptions of Ports and Cities may inftruct the Geographer as well as if they were found in Books appropriated only to his own Science; and the Doctrines of Funds, Infurances, Currency, Monopolies, Exchanges, and Duties, is fo neceffary to the Politician, that without it he can be of no Ufe either in the Council or the Senate, nor can speak or think justly either on War or Trade.

We therefore hope that we fhall not repent the Labour of compiling this Work, nor flatter ourfelves unreasonably, in predicting a favourable Reception to a Book which no Condition of Life can render useless, which may contribute to the Advantage of all that make or receive Laws, of all that buy or fell, of all that wish to keep or improve their Poffeffions, of all that defire to be Rich, and all that defire to be Wife,

VOL, III.

U.

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