A. D. 1 7 14. 4^ 



hand, while, for want of heirs of the queen's body, the fpurious preten- 

 fion of one bred up in the perfecuting bigotry of a very different reli- 

 gion frorn ours, and yet favoured by too many at home, as well as en- 

 couraged by certain foreign potentates, hung over our heads, it is not 

 to be wondered at, that in the later part of that queen's reign, a general 

 diffidence and uneafmefs prevailed among all ranks, till the legal fettle- 

 ment of a proteflant fucceflion, with a numerous royal family, took 

 place. And where fuch a general uneafinefs long continues, commerce 

 will gradually languifh, many perfons will at length leave fuch a coun- 

 try to feek for fweet content and liberty elfewhere ; and as the people 

 will thereby decreafe, fo will likewife their manufadlures and fhipping. 

 But, thanks to kind providence, the reverfe is now, and long has been, 

 our happy condition. 



1 71 5 King Louis XIV of France dying in this year 171 5, we 



fhall only briefly note, that, as during his long reign, he had done much 

 hurt to his country, by driving out of France fo many induftrious ma- 

 nufadurers, artifans, and merchants, whom neceflity prompted to pro- 

 pagate their arts and Ikill in the countries, to which they had retired 

 for fhelter : fo, on the other hand, in his reign foreign commerce and 

 plantations were confiderably improved by the French : he alfo greatly 

 improved and increafed his marine, fo that it fometiraes proved a match 

 for the joint fleets of both the other maritime powers of Europe. And 

 although in this work we have nothing particularly to do with his un- 

 jufl invafions of his peaceable neighbours, any farther than as it affedled 

 the general flate of commerce either in his own kingdom or elfewhere ; 

 yet we cannot avoid remarking, that his perfecution of his protefl:ant 

 fubjeds nearly depopulated a confiderable part of his country, and alfo 

 greatly leflened the former vafl; confumption of French manufactures 

 in foreign countries, as we have elfewhere remarked : his foreign wars 

 alfo confumed great numbers of his people, infomuch that it is doubted 

 by many, whether France would not upon the whole have been hap- 

 pier, more populous, and richer, had Louis folely cultivated the arts of 

 peace and manufadures, and thereby not only would have increafed 

 his own people, but would have likewife drawn thither great numbers 

 of foreigners ; inftead of having, by his unjuft conquefts, extended his 

 dominions on almofl every fide ; and would thereby have alfo increafed 

 his maritime flrcngth, and his American plantations. 



Be this as it may, we fliall only farther note, from Voltaire's Age of 

 Louis XIV, ' that during his whole reign, he expended eighteen thou- 

 ' fand millions of French money, which, on an average, comes to 330 

 ' millions yearly of prt-lent money;' or about fourteen millions fterling 

 per annum, one year with another. 



In Mr. Wood's Survey of trade, {p. 51) he gives us the balance of 

 commerce in our favour, for the years 171 3 and 17 14, on a medium 



F 2 



