A. D. I 695. 6y^ 



city is advantageous to the nation ; for the following reafons, viz. that 

 no empire was ever great, without having a great and populous city: 

 that the Romans drew all the conquered cities of Italy into Rome : 

 that the people of Attica were no better than a crew of rude herdimen, 

 and neither flouriflied in war nor in civil arts, till Thefeus perluadcd 

 them to inhabit Athens : that the greatnels of London will befl pr^-- 

 ferve our conftitution ; becaufe, where there is a great and powerful 

 city, the prince will hardly enterprife upon the liberties of the people : 

 in the fame manner, a rich and powerful city feldom rebels upon vain 

 and flight occafions : that there is not an acre of land in the country, 

 be it ever fo diflant, that is not, in fome degree, bettered by the growth, 

 trade, and riches, of London. To which may be added, that the in- 

 creafe of London is not cafual or fortuitous ; but is an obvious and ne- 

 cefTary confequence of the gradual increafe of foreign commerce, navi- 

 gation, and manufadures, in London and the whole kingdom. To all 

 which may be farther added, that in a free commercial country, like 

 England, by fo vaft a capital city as London, whole inhabitants are fo 

 numerous and opulent, the public has often been more fpeedily and ef- 

 fedually relieved in great emergencies, than could otherwife have been 

 done : of which there are many inflances with regard to London : be- 

 •fide that, perhaps, five of her inhabitants do pay more towards excife, 

 cuftoms, and other taxes, than ten times as many can do fcattered up and 

 down in the country. A judicious reader will be able to find other rea- 

 fons in behalf of the increafe of London's being beneficial to the nation ; 

 fome of which we have, in another part of this work, borrowed from 

 Botero, and others *. 



1696. — During the years 1694 and 1695, Dr. Hugh Chamberlain, fe- 

 nior, (an eminent man-midwife of London, already mentioned) publiflied 

 propofals for a land bank of current credit for lending money at a low 

 intereft, on land fecurity ; which was the principal difference between it 

 and the bank of England ; in oppofition to which corporation, now in 

 its infancy, ftruggling with many difficulties, this ill-judged project was 

 fet up. 



It was principally encouraged by thofe of (what was then called) the 

 tory party, and by the earl of Sunderland, Mr. Harley, and Mr. Foley :■ 

 Lord Sunderland's aim therein being to bring the tories into the king's 

 intereft ; although the bulk of the king's belt friends were againtl; it. 

 The anonymous author of Atiglicc tutamen^ obferves, that eftates to a 

 very great value in the feveral counties of England and Wales were fub- 

 fcribed to this projeft in a very fliort fpace ; a deed fettled ;_ a com- 

 pany formed ; and all things difpofed to put this wonderful projed into 

 execution. To raife lands to 30 years purchafe by reducing the inter- 



* Mr. Anderfon does not fcem to think that a juoicious reader can find any reafons on the oppofite 

 fide of the queftion. M. 



