620 A. D. 1685. 



* fhould be far from compulfion, either by fpiritual or bodily punifh-- 



* ments. How prejudicial fuch coercive practices are, efpecially in ricli 

 ' trading cities, Lubeck, Cologne, and Aix-la-Chapelle, may inflrudl us, 

 ' where both the rulers and fubjedls of thofe lately fo famous cities 

 ' have, fince the reformation, loft moft of their wealth, chiefly by fuch 

 ' compulfion in religion ; many of their inhabitants being thereby driv- 

 ' en out, and ftrangers likewiie difcouraged from coming to refide in 

 '- them.' 



In this firft year of King James II an ad; of parliament [c. 4] granted 

 to him new duties on tobacco and fugar ; and this, we muft obferve, 

 was the firft time that tobacco and fugar of our own colonies were par- 

 ticularly taxed by name ; there being till now only 1 2d per pound (or 

 5 per cent on their value) laid on them, under the general name of 

 poundage, as on all other imported goods : but fince this time thofe 

 two moft valuable commodities have proved very confiderable aids to - 

 the nation in its revenue. 



French merchandize being prohibited to be imported into England 

 in the year 1678, as we have feen, for three years to come, and to the 

 end of the next feflion of parliament, and there having been no parlia- 

 ment during the remamder of King Charles IPs reign, King James IT, 

 in the very beginning of his reign, having great occafion for the friend- 

 fhip of the French king for enabling him to accomplifh the two grand 

 points he had in view, viz. the eftablifhment of popery and of defpotic 

 power in England, got an ad: of parliament paffed [c. 6] abfolutely re- 

 pealing that prohibition ; whereupon enfued an inundation of French 

 commodities, to the value of above four millions fterling, within the 

 compafs of lefs than three years, whereby all the evils formerly com- 

 plained of were renewed, infomuch that the nation would have been 

 foon beggared, had it not been for the happy revolution in the year 

 1688, when all commerce with France was eftedually barred. 



It appears from the cuftom-houle books that the linen alone imported 

 in the year 1686 was valued at no lefs than L398,6ii : 14 : 10, befides 

 clandeftine importations thereof: and at a medium of three years, viz, 

 1686-7-8, there were annually imported from France 18,150 tons of, 

 wine, and 4000 of brandy. 



And in the fame three years there were upon an average imported 

 annually from France, 



Linens to the value of - L700,ooo o o 



Luftrings and alamodes - 212,500 o o 



Other filk fabrics - - 500,000 o o 



Paper _ _ _ - 50,000 o o 



[Britijh merchant, pp. 319, 325.] 



Sueh, however, was the kindnefs of Louis in return, that but two 



