490 A. D. 1660. 



tobacco In England or Ireland ; which firfl takes notice * of the great 



* concern and importance of the colonies and plantations of England in 

 ' America : and that all due and poflible encouragement fhould be given 

 ' to them ; not only as great dominions have been added thereby to the 



* imperial crown of England ; but alfo, that the ftrength and welfare 



* of the kingdom very much depend on them, in regard to the employ- 

 ' ment of a very confiderable part of its fliipping and feamen, and of 

 ' the vent of very great quantities of its native commodities and manu- 

 ' failures ; as alfo of their fupplying us with feveral commodities for- 

 ' merly furniflied us by foreigners. And forafmuch as tobacco is one 



* of the main produds of feveral of thofe plantations, it is hereby pro- 

 ' hibited to be planted in England or Ireland ; as depriving the king of 

 ' a confiderable part of his revenue by cuftoms : befides that, tobacco 

 ' of our own growth is, by experience, found not to be fo wholeforae 

 ' as our plantation tobacco.' [12 Car. II, c. 34.] 



The earl of Clarendon (lord chancellor) in his own defence, upon his 

 impeachment in parliament, obferved, that foon after King Charles's 

 refloration, he ufed all the endeavours he could to bring his majefty to 

 have a great efteem for his plantations, and to encourage the improve- 

 ment of them : and that he was confirmed in his opinion and delire by 

 the entries at the cuftom-houfe, by which he found what a great reve- 

 nue accrued to the king from thofe plantations : infomuch, that the re- 

 ceipts from thence had repaired the decreafe of the cuftoms, which the 

 late troubles had brought upon other parts of trade. 



As the ingenious author of the Prefent ftate of England, \Fart iii,/). 

 259, ed. 1683] obferves, that afparagus, artichocks, oranges, and lemons, 

 were then but of a late date in England*; we imagine they may 

 have been firfl produced with us, about the time of the refloration ; and 

 probably cauliflower was rather fomewhat, though very little, later than 

 this time; as were alfo fundry kinds of beans, peas, and lalads, now in 

 common ufe. 



In the fame year, the rates of the pofl-office, for England and Ire- 

 land, were eflabUfhed by a6l of parliament, letters of one fheet, to any 

 place not exceeding 80 miles, to be charged 2d ; above the diftance of 

 80 miles, 3^; from London to Berwick, 3^; from Berwick to 40 miles 

 diflance, 2d ; from Berwick farther than 40 miles, \d. From any part 

 of England to Dublin, one fheet, dd ; from Dublin to any part of Ire- 

 land, 40 miles diftance, 2^, and double for a greater diflance. Letters 

 of two fheets to pay double, and larger packets in the proportion of 

 quadruple poflage per ounce. The foreign letters we omit, for brevity's 

 fake, as they are in every counting houfe. [12 Car. II, c. 35.] This 

 revenue was found to bring in L2 1,500 when it and the wine licences 

 were fettled in the year 1663 on the duke of York. All the foregoing 



* Have oranges and lemons ever been cultivated in England but as matters of curiofity ? M^\ 



