industrial biography-第23章

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handed　him　by　the　merchants；　should　take　up　more　monies　upon　his

notes　in　one　day　than　two　lords；　four　knights；　and　eight　esquires　in

twelve　months　upon　all　their　personal　securities？　We　are；　as　it　were；

cutting　off　our　legs　and　arms　to　see　who　will　feed　the　trunk。　　But　we

cannot　expect　this　from　any　of　our　neighbours　abroad；　whose　interest

depends　upon　our　loss。〃



He　therefore　proposed　his　registry　of　property　as　a　ready　means　of

raising　a　credit　for　purposes　of　trade。　　Thus；　he　says；　〃I　can　both　in

England　and　Wales　register　my　wedding；　my　burial；　and　my　christening；

and　a　poor　parish　clerk　is　entrusted　with　the　keeping　of　the　book；

and　that　which　is　registered　there　is　held　good　by　our　law。　　But　I

cannot　register　my　lands；　to　be　honest；　to　pay　every　man　his　own；　to

prevent　those　sad　things　that　attend　families　for　want　thereof；　and

to　have　the　great　benefit　and　advantage　that　would　come　thereby。　　A

register　will　quicken　trade；　and　the　land　registered　will　be　equal　as

cash　in　a　man's　hands；　and　the　credit　thereof　will　go　and　do　in　trade

what　ready　money　now　doth。〃　　His　idea　was　to　raise　money；　when

necessary；　on　the　land　registered；　by　giving　security　thereon　after　a

form　which　be　suggested。　　He　would；　in　fact；　have　made　land；　as　gold

now　is；　the　basis　of　an　extended　currency；　and　he　rightly　held　that

the　value　of　land　as　a　security　must　always　be　unexceptionable；　and

superior　to　any　metallic　basis　that　could　possibly　be　devised。



This　indefatigable　man　continued　to　urge　his　various　designs　upon　the

attention　of　the　public　until　he　was　far　advanced　in　years。　　He

professed　that　he　was　moved　to　do　so　（and　we　believe　him）　solely　by

an　ardent　love　for　his　country；　〃whose　future　flourishing；〃　said　he；

〃is　the　only　reward　I　ever　hope　to　see　of　all　my　labours。〃　　Yarranton；

however；　received　but　little　thanks　for　his　persistency；　while　he

encountered　many　rebuffs。　　The　public　for　the　most　part　turned　a　deaf

ear　to　his　entreaties；　and　his　writings　proved　of　comparatively　small

avail；　at　least　during　his　own　lifetime。　　He　experienced　the　lot　of

many　patriots；　even　the　purestthe　suspicion　and　detraction　of　his

contemporaries。　　His　old　political　enemies　do　not　seem　to　have

forgotten　him；　of　which　we　have　the　evidence　in　certain　rare

〃broadsides〃　still　extant；　twitting　him　with　the　failure　of　his

schemes；　and　even　trumping　up　false　charges　of　disloyalty　against

him。*

　＇footnote。。。

One　of　these　is　entitled　'A　Coffee…house　Dialogue；　or　a　Discourse

between　Captain　Yand　a　Young　Barrister　of　the　Middle　Temple；　with

some　Reflections　upon　the　Bill　against　the　D。　　of　Y。'　In　this

broadside；　of　3　1/2　pages　folio；　published　about　1679；　Yarranton　is

made　to　favour　the　Duke　of　York's　exclusion　from　the　throne；　not　only

because　he　was　a　papist；　but　for　graver　reasons　than　he　dare　express。

Another　scurrilous　pamphlet；　entitled　'A　Word　Without　Doors；'　was

also　aimed　at　him。　　Yarranton；　or　his　friends；　replied　to　the　first

attack　in　a　folio　of　two　pages；　entitled　'The　Coffee…house　Dialogue

Examined　and　Refuted；　by　some　Neighbours　in　the　Country　；

well…wishers　to　the　Kingdom's　interest。'　The　controversy　was　followed

up　by　'A　Continuation　of　the　Coffee…house　Dialogue；'　in　which　the

chief　interlocutor　hits　Yarranton　rather　hard　for　the　miscarriage　of

his　〃improvements。〃　　〃I　know；〃　says　he；　〃when　and　where　you　undertook

for　a　small　charge　to　make　a　river　navigable；　and　it　has　cost　the

proprietors　about　six　times　as　much；　and　is　not　yet　effective；　nor

can　any　man　rationally　predict　when　it　will　be。　　I　know　since　you　left

it　your　son　undertook　it；　and　this　winter　shamefully　left　his

undertaking。〃　　Yarrantons　friends　immediately　replied　in　a　four…page

folio；　entitled　'England's　Improvements　Justified；　and　the　Author

thereof；　Captain　Y。；　vindicated　from　the　Scandals　in　a　paper　called　a

Coffee…house　Dialogue；　with　some　Animadversions　upon　the　Popish

Designs　therein　contained。'　The　writer　says　he　writes　without　the

privity　or　sanction　of　Yarranton；　but　declares　the　dialogue　to　be　a

forgery；　and　that　the　alleged　conference　never　took　place。　　〃His

innocence；　when　he　heard　of　it；　only　provoked　a　smile；　with　this

answer；　Spreta　vilescunt；　falsehoods　mu　st　perish；　and　are　soonest

destroyed　by　contempt；　so　that　he　needs　no　further　vindication。　　The

writer　then　proceeds　at　some　length　to　vindicate　the　Captain's　famous

work　and　the　propositions　contained　in　it。

　。。。＇



In　1681　he　published　the　second　part　of　'England's　Improvement；'*

　＇footnote。。。

This　work　（especially　with　the　plates）　is　excessively　rare。　　There　is

a　copy　of　it　in　perfect　condition　in　the　Grenville　Library；　British

Museum。

　。。。＇

in　which　he　gave　a　summary　account　of　its　then　limited　growths　and

manufactures；　pointing　out　that　England　and　Ireland　were　the　only

northern　kingdoms　remaining　unimproved；　he　re…urged　the　benefits　and

necessity　of　a　voluntary　register　of　real　property；　pointed　out　a

method　of　improving　the　Royal　Navy；　lessening　the　growing　power　of

France；　and　establishing　home　fisheries；　proposed　the　securing　and

fortifying　of　Tangier；　described　a　plan　for　preventing　fires　in

London；　and　reducing　the　charge　for　maintaining　the　Trained　Bands；

urged　the　formation　of　a　harbour　at　Newhaven　in　Sussex；　and；　finally；

discoursed　at　considerable　length　upon　the　tin；　iron；　linen；　and

woollen　trades；　setting　forth　various　methods　for　their　improvement。

In　this　last　section；　after　referring　to　the　depression　in　the

domestic　tin　trade　（Cornish　tin　selling　so　low　as　70s。　the　cwt。）；　he

suggested　a　way　of　reviving　it。　　With　the　Cornish　tin　he　would　combine

〃the　Roman　cinders　and　iron…stone　in　the　Forest　of　Dean；　which　makes

the　best　iron　for　most　uses　in　the　world；　and　works　up　to　the　best

advantage；　with　delight　and　pleasure　to　the　workmen。〃　　He　then

described　the　history　of　his　own　efforts　to　import　the　manufacture　of

tin…plates　into　England　some　sixteen　years　before；　in　which　he　had

been　thwarted　by　Chamberlaine's　patent；　as　above　described；and

offered　sundry　queries　as　to　the　utility　of　patents　generally；　which；

says　he；　〃have　the　tendency　to　drive　trade　out　of　the　kingdom。〃

Appended　to　the　chapter　on　Tin　is　an　exceedingly　amusing　dialogue

between　a　tin…miner　of　Cornwall；　an　iron…miner　of　Dean　Forest；　and　a

traveller　（himself）。　　From　this　we　gather　that　Yarranton's　business

continued　to　be　that　of　an　iron…manufacturer　at　his　works　at　Ashley

near　Bewdley。　　Thus　the　iron…miner　says；　〃About　28　years　since　Mr。

Yarranton　found　out　a　vast　quantity　of　Roman　cinders；　near　the　walls

of　the　city　of　Worcester；　from　whence　he　and　others　carried　away　many

thousand　tons　or　loads　up　the　river　Severn；　unto　their　iron…furnaces；

to　be　melted　down　into　iron；　with　a　mixture　of　the　Forest　of　Dean

iron…stone；　and　within　100　yards　of　the　walls　of　the　city　of

Worcester　there　was　dug　up　one　of　the　hearths　of　the　Roman

foot…blasts；　it　being　then　firm　and　in　order；　and　was　7　foot　deep　in

the　earth；　and　by　the　side　of　the　work　there　was　found　a　pot　of　Roman

coin　to　the　quantity　of　a　peck；　some　of　which　was　presented　to　Sir

＇Wm。＇　Dugdale；　and　part　thereof　is　now　in　the　King's　Closet。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　Nash；　in　his　History　of　Worcestershire；　has　thrown　some　doubts

upon　this　story；　but　Mr。　Green；　in　his　Historical　Antiquities　of　the

city；　has　made　a　most　able　defence　of　Yarranton's　statement　（vol。i。

9；　in　foot…note）。

　。。。＇



In　the　same　year　（1681）　in　which　the　second　part　of　'England's

Improvement'　appeared；　Yarranton　proceeded　to　Dunkirk　for　the　purpose

of　making　a　personal　survey　of　that　port；　then　belonging　to　England；

and　on　his　return　he　published　a　map　of　the　town；　harbour；　and　castle

on　the　sea；　with　accompanying　letterpress；　in　which　he　recommended；

for　the　safety　of　British　trade；　the　demolition　of　the　fortifications

of　Dunkirk　before　they　were　completed；　which　he　held　would　only　be

for　the　purpose　of　their　being　garrisoned　by　the　French　king。　　His

'