An Advertisement to the favourable reader.

IN the foregoing discourse we have discovered the things, which concern the addresses for outward accommodation, which is but a momentary part of human felicity. The main and principal thing whereat in this office we do aim at, and which we intend, if God inable us to prosecute, is, the work of communication for all spiritual and intellectual advantages, towards the advancement of piety, virtue, and learning in all things divine and human, as they are subordinate unto the glory of God; for whose sake alone we cast ourselves upon these endeavours, and from whom we shall expect our encouragements.

A

FURTHER DISCOVERY

OF THE

OFFICE OF PUBLICK ADDRESS

FOR ACCOMMODATIONS.

London, printed in the year 1648. Quarto, containing thirty-four pages. L. Montague's Essays, the IVth book, the XXIVth chapter.

Of a defect in our Policies.

MY late father, who had no help but from experience and his own nature, yet of an unspotted judgment, hath heretofore told me, that he much desired to bring in this custom, which is, that in all cities there should be a certain appointed place, to which whosoever should have need of any thing might come, and cause his business to be registered by some officer appointed for that purpose. As for example: If one have pearls to sell, he should say, I seek to sell some pearls; another, I seek to buy some pearls: Such a man would fain have company to travel to Paris: Such an one seeketh for an master, another a workman, some this, some that, every one as he needeth. And it seemeth that this means of interwarning one another, would bring no small commodity unto common commerce and society; for there are ever conditions that interseek one another, and, because they understand not one another, they leave men in great necessity. I understand, to the infamous reproach of our age, that, even in our sight, two most excellent men in knowledge have miserably perished for want of food and other necessaries, Lilius Gregorius Giraldus in Italy, and Sebastianus Castalio in Germany. And I verily believe there are many thousands, who, had they known or understood their wants, would either have sent for them, and with large stipends have enter

tained them, or would have conveyed them succour where ever they had been. The world is not so generally corrupted, but I know some that would earnestly wish, and, with hearty affections, desire the goods, which their fore-fathers have left them, might, so long as it shall please God they may enjoy them, be employed for the relief of rare, and supply of excelleut men's necessities, and such as for any kind of worth and virtue are remarkable, many of which are daily seen to be pursued by poverty, even to the utmost extremity, and that would take such order for them as, had they not their ease and content, it might only be imputed to their want of reason, or lack of discretion.

BEFORE

we fell into these last troubles, a brief discourse was presented unto the high and honourable houses of parliament concerning the means to accomplish the work of our reformation; tending to shew that, by an office of publick address in spiritual and temporal concernments, the glory of God and happiness of this nation may be highly advanced.

This discourse hath fully approved itself unto the judgment of all those that have seen it hitherto, and hopefully it would have wrought some effect upon those that manage the affairs of this State, if the danger of this last commotion had not employed all their strength and attention, to save us from sudden shipwreck. Nor is the sea yet quieted after so great a storm; but the fears and expectations of what will follow do keep the minds of most men in suspense, till they see a safe har bour, that is, what the way of our future settlement will be.

And truly this consideration might also suspend our thoughts and sollicitations in this matter; if we would look only to the outward appearance of affairs, and make ourselves, as many do by their conjectures, fearful. For he that observeth the wind, shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds, shall not reap'*: But we have learned to cast our bread upon the waters, in hope that we may find it after many days; and we are willing to give a portion unto seven, and also to eight, because we know not what evil shall be upon the earth. So then, even that, which maketh others less careful of the publick, doth increase our care for it. For most men will not intend any publick aim till they can secure their own interests, and see a way to get advantage by that which they call the publick. But we shall never aim at this; our delight shall be, that all may be advantaged, and the publick interest of the commonwealth settled, although it should be to our cost and disadvantage: For we know the promise, that if we faint not, and become not weary in well-doing, we shall reap in due time the fruit of righteousness. Therefore, on the grounds laid in the former discourse, we shall endeavour to proceed to offer some particulars; which, perhaps, will take more with most men, than that which we aim at principally. For our aim is mainly to lay the grounds of that reformation in this change of our affairs, which may reach the spirits of men to affect them with a

Eccles. xi. 4.

gospel-frame: But, if we therein cannot come near them immediately, yet weshall endeavour to come as near as we may by the things whereof they are capable; because we are resolved rather to venture the losing of our labour, than to sit still, and not give ourselves this satisfaction that we have discharged a good conscience in performing our duty.

We shall declare then, with that simplicity which becometh a good conscience in the presence of God, that our desire is to serve all men freely in the publick interest so far as God doth inable us; and that by this design we aim at a special advantage to the gospel of Christ rather than at any thing else; and if we can but awake those that are in places of power and authority, to take notice of the means whereby all men's talents may become useful to each other in this commonwealth, that, for their own temporal ends, they would countenance and promote the same, we shall have our end at this time in this undertaking.

Therefore now we make our application as to all indifferently, that love the prosperity of Sion, and the welfare of this state; so more particularly to those whom God hath appointed to be our leaders in every good work, and encouragers of those that apply themselves thereunto; that, whether they lay the matter to heart or no, they may not be without a witness before God and the world, that this is a duty belonging to their charge; which, without any charge, trouble, or difficulty, may be most easily brought to pass, by a few words in the way of order, to authorise the undertaking of such an office, for the unspeakable benefit of all, and without the least imaginable inconveniency unto any.

And, that the thing itself may manifest the truth of this, we shall come to a more particular discovery of the office in matters of temporal accommodation; which unto the men of this world are sensible inducements towards all enterprises.

Let us then consider, what it is that maketh a commonwealth, and all those that are in it happy, as to the life of nature. The chief end of commonwealths is society, the end of society is mutual help, and the end and use of help is to enjoy from one another comforts; that is, every thing lawfully desirable or wanting to our contentation. Wheresoever then, in a commonwealth, such a constitution may be had, whereby the members thereof may be inabled to enjoy from each other all the helps which nature doth afford unto them for our mutual contentation, there the state, and all those that are in it, may be said to be as happy as this world can make them.

For no man can be more happy in nature, than to have all his lawful desires supplied so far as they are attainable. But in this commonwealth such a constitution may be had, and that easily, which will do this: Therefore this commonwealth, and all the members thereof, may be as happy as this world can make them, if their rulers will either assist them, or at least suffer them to become so.

Now this constitution whereof we speak is nothing else, but the designation of a certain place, whereunto it shall be free for every one to make his address upon all occasions, as well to offer unto others, as to receive from them, the commodities which are desirable, and the informations of things profitable to be taken notice of in a private or a publick way.

In this place an officer is to be appointed, who should have power to direct and order the work of the constitution. He should have certain men under him, so many as he should think fit to keep registers, and make extracts thereof, to give to such as should desire the same for their information.

These registers should be of all things which either may be any way offered by one man to any or to all, and desired by another from any or from all; or which otherwise may be of publick use, though not at all taken notice of by any to that end.

And the end, wherefore these registers are thus to be kept, is only, that therein may be settled a center of encounters to give information to all of all useful matters; for one of the great causes of our misery in this present life is this: that we are not only in the dark, not knowing what good things are extant in private, or publickly attainable for use, but we are in disorder and confusion, because, when we know what things are attainable, yet we have no way contrived how to encounter readily and certainly with them ourselves, when we have need of them, or, when we have them, to impart them to such as want them.

Now, to remedy both these evils, this office may be an instrument, by being made a common intelligencer for all, not only of things actually offered, or desired by some to be communicated, but also of things by himself and others observable, which may be an occasion to raise matter of commuuication for the information of all.

The multitude of affairs in populous places doth naturally run into a confusion, except some orderly way be found out to settle times and places, wherein those, that are to attend them, may meet together for the transaction thereof. If there were no exchanges, nor set hours thereof for merchants to meet and transact matters, what a disorder and obstruction would there be in all trading! and, if a man, that hath to do in the Exchange with five or six men, doth come to it when it is thronging full, and knoweth not the ordinary walks of those several men, nor any body that can tell him where their walks are, he may run up and down, here and there, and weary himself out of breath, and not meet with any of them, except by great chance he light upon them; but, if he doth know their constant walks and hours, when they come upon the Exchange, he may be able to meet with them in an instant. So it is with all other men, in respect of all other conveniencies, in great and populous cities, or kingdoms: they run up and down at random to seek for their accommodations, and, when they have wearied themselves a long time in vain, they sit down oft-times unsatisfied; but, if there were but a place of common resort appointed, like unto the Exchange, where they should be sure to receive information of all that which they would desire to know, they might, without any loss of time, come instantly to the enjoyment of their desires, so far as they are attainable.

This place, then, is that which we call the Office of Address. Here sufficient registers should be kept of all desirable matters of human accommodations, shewing where, with whom, and upon what conditions they may be had; and this would be, as it were, a national Ex

VOL, VI.

change for all desirable commodities, to know the ready way of encountering with them, and transacting for them.

This, then, is the proper end and use of this office, to set every body in a way, by some direction and address, how to come speedily to have his lawful desires accomplished, of what kind soever they may be.

This constitution will be a means mightily to increase all trade and commerce amongst merchants and all sorts of people, but especially to relieve the necessities of the poor, for whose sake alone it doth deserve to be entertained, although there were no other conveniency in it. But, to shew that by the advantage of such an address, as is intended by this office to be set on foot, all trade will be mainly advanced, consider how, for want of it, occasions of trading and transacting of businesses are hindered between man and man, to their mutual disadvan tage, and the detriment of the commonwealth. As for example: I am desirous to let out a parcel of ground and an house upon it to be rented; another is desirous to have some ground with an house upon it to farm; we, for want of knowing each other's desires, do not meet to treat upon the business, and cannot find our accommodations, perhaps, in a year or two, to our content. Here, then, the commerce, which we might have with each other, is stopped; the publick notary is not employed between us; the counsellor, whose advice is to be used in drawing the leases, is not employed; I want money, which I might trade withal another way, to my great profit, and the publick benefit; the farmer is idle, the house not inhabited, and out of repair; the ground either not at all, or not so well cultivated, as otherwise it would be; the inheritance doth go to decay; less fruit is reaped off the ground, less employment for labouring men, less works and manufactures of tradesmen and shopkeepers used; fewer customs and duties paid to the publick; and consequently, in every respect, both to myself, and others to whom I am associated, a disadvantage doth befall, because I cannot encounter with the conveniency, whereof I stand in need, nor the farmer with his accommodation; but, if we could have met with each other, and transacted ou, business to our mutual content, all these inconveniencies would have been prevented, both to us and the publick. It is undeniably true, that the multitude of people doth beget affairs, and the ready transaction of affairs in a state is the only means to make it flourish in the felicity of the inhabitants; and that nothing can advance such a ready transaction so much, as a common center of intelligence for all such matters, is quite out of doubt.

As for the benefit of the poor, and the relief of their necessities (which ́alone might move us to the prosecuting of this business) there is nothing imaginable that can be more beneficial unto them. For consider, amongst all the causes of human poverty, which are many, this main one; namely, that most men are poor for want of employment, and the cause why they want employment, is, either because they cannot find masters to employ them; or because their abilities and fitness to do service are not known to such as might employ them: or, lastly, because there is perhaps little work stirring in the common-wealth for them. All these causes will be clearly remedied by this constitution;