30 A. D. 1713. 



* to have the methods of commerce, on one part and on the other, more 

 ' thoroughly examined, and to find out and eftabUfli jufl; and beneficial 

 ' means on both fides, fi.)r removing the difficulties in this matter, and 

 ' fi^r regulating the duties mutually. But it is always underflood and 

 ' provided, that all and fingular the articles of this treaty do, in the 



* meanwhile, remain in their full force; and efpecially that nothing be 

 ' deemed, under any pretence whatfoever, to hinder the benefit of the 



* general tarif of the year 1664, from being granted to the fubjedls of 



* her royal majefiy of Great Britain, and the faid Britilh fubjeds, from 

 ' having and enjoying the fame, without any delay or tergiveriUtion, 

 ' within the fpacc of two months after a law is made in Great Britain 

 ' as above-faid ; in as ample manner and form as the fubjeds of any na- 

 ' tion the mod favoured might have and enjoy the benefit of the afore- 



* faid tarif; any thing to be done or difcufled by the faid commiflaries 

 ' to the contrary in anywife notwithfi:anding.' 



When thefe two articles came to be known by the merchants of Great 

 Britain, they were received with the utmofl; furprife and indignation ; 

 and the clamour was loud and univerfal, infomuch, that it occafioned 

 a famous weekly paper to be publifhed, (the joint work ot a number of 

 eminent merchants) with the title of the Britidi merchant, or commerce 

 preferved "*, in defence of our commerce with Portugal, and againft 

 confirming the 8th and 9th articles by law. There were alfo fundry 

 feparate trads publiihed on the fame fide. On the other hand, thofcin 

 power found tools to juftify their condud ; and particularly Daniel 

 Defoe, who publifiied a weekly reply, called Mercator, or commerce re- 

 trieved. But the former having truth and fads on its fide, clearly 

 evinced to the world, that a compliance with thofe two articles would 

 eifedually ruin the commerce we carried on to Portugal, the very befc 

 branch of all our European commerce f. That the oth article put 

 France on an equal footing with Portugal, or any other of our bed: 

 allies, in point of commerce: but that the 9th article fi:ruck more 

 di redly at the very root of our Portugal trade; feeing, by introducing 

 the tarif of 1664, the wines and brandies of France would be poured 

 in upon us, inftcad of thofe of Portugal ; though the later took oft 

 great quantities of our woollen, iron, linen, &c. manufadures, and 

 thereby fent us a large yearly balance of money over and above all the 

 wines, oils, and fruits, which we took from them. 



On the other hand, by agreeing to the two articles, and to the tarif 

 of 1664, France would probably gain annually from Great Britain above 

 a million fterling, not only from the vafl; confumption of their alluring 



• Since coUefted, and puhlilhed in 3 vols. 8vo. /}. coive, how an opinion flionld fo long havj pievail- 



f It lias been fmcc diicovercd, that there may cd, that the trade of fo fmall a country as Portu,- 



fie better branches of European commerce than ^al flioud be the moit valuable of all our branches. 



:iia.t of Portugal. Indeed, il is not eafy to co:i- ofcjramwce. M. 



