76 



A. D. 1 71 9. 



warm ali* to every individual part of this vaft machine, containing in all 

 its buildings half a quarter of a mile in length. The model of it is faid 

 to have been taken by Mr. Lombe from the original in Piedmont, un- 

 der the difguife of a common workman, by fecretly drawing the plan 

 on paper. Thefe engines have faved a great deal of money to the na- 

 tion, which they formerly paid for organzine, or thrown, filk to the 

 Piedmontefe, altogether with ready money. And (that we may take 

 in all this matter together) the 14 years being run out before Sir Tho- 

 mas Lombe could make fufficient advantage thereof, upon his applica- 

 tion to parliament in the year 1732, Li 4,000 was granted to him from 

 the public, as a confideration for the eminent fervices he has done the 

 nation, in difcovering, introducing, and bringing to full perfedion, at 

 his own great expenfe, a work foufeful and beneficial to this kingdom : 

 provided, however, that his majefty may and fhall diredl proper perfbns 

 to view the faid" three engines, and to take an exact: model thereof, to 

 be depofited in fuch place as he fliall appoint, to fecure and perpetuate 

 the faid art for the advantage of this kingdom. This ftatute mentions 

 ' the great obflrucftion to this undertaking by the king of Sardinia, in 

 ' prohibiting the exportation of the raw filk which the engines were 

 ' made to work'. [5 Geo. I, c. 8.] 



1720. — We now enter upon the year 1720; a year remarkable, be- 

 yond all others, for extraordinary and romantic projeds, propofals, and 

 undertakings, both private and national ; as well refpeding commercial 

 concerns, as the great internal interefts of two of the mofl potent king- 

 doms of Europe ; which, therefor, ought to be had in perpetual re- 

 membrance, not only as being what never had its parallel, nor, it is to 

 be hoped, ever will hereafter ; but likewife, as it may ferve for a per- 

 petual memento to the legiflators and minifters of our own nation, never 

 to leave it in the power of any hereafter to hoodwink mankind into fo 

 fhameful and baneful an impofition on the credulity of the people, 

 thereby diverted from their lawful induftry ! 



We have feen in the preceding year, to what extravagant lengths the 

 famous Law had led the duke-regent of France, in order to get clear off 

 the public incumbrances, by giving the unhappy proprietors of the 

 French national debts what, in the end, proved little better than nothing. 

 And we are forry to be obliged to add, that we have in part alfo already 

 {^tn our own Britifli parliament and minillry approaching too near, 

 though not intentionally, to fuch unjuft and vifionary fchemes for lef- 

 fening the Britifli national debt, by liftening to the propofals of crafty 

 projectors, calculated for deceiving and hoodwinking the proprietors of 

 thofe debts, by altering or changing the names, fhape, and pofition, of 

 them, too much refembling, what is vulgarly called, flight-of-hand, ra- 

 ther than for any folid lefiening of thofe incumbrances, as if any other 

 method whatever, confiftently with national juftice and honour, could 



