400 
C O M 
C O M 
COM 
passage stands, and then the 6lh and seventh 
pages are devoted to subjects the characte- 
ristic words of which begin with A and the 
first voWel is e, as anger, angel, Ac. When 
these pages are full, and another passage of 
the same class is to be entered, took for the 
liext vacant leaf of the common-place book, 
suppose it to be number 12 ; at the bottom of 
p. 7 write t. p. 12, which signifies to turn to 
P- 12, then at the top of p. 12, write 7; 
enter the passage which is to be registered, and 
write 12 in the index, which shews that pages 
12 and 13 are devoted to subjects whose cha- 
racteristic words begin with A and the first 
vowel is e. 
COMMON PLEAS, pleas or suits regular- 
ly divided into two sorts; pleas of the crown, 
which comprehend all crimes and misde- 
meanours wherein the king (on behalf of the 
public) is plaintiff; and common-pleas, 
which include all civil actions depending be- 
tween subject and subject. The former of 
these were the proper object of the court 
ot king’s-bench, the latter of the court of 
common-pleas ; and in this court only can 
real actions, that is, actions which concern 
the right of freehold or the reality, be origi- 
nally brought ; and in this court also, all 
other or personal pleas between man and man 
are determined, but in some of these the court 
of king’s bench has a concurrent authority. 
But a writ of error, in the nature of an appeal, 
lies from the court of common-pleas to the 
court of king’s bench. 3 Black. 37. This 
court can hear and determine causes re- 
moved out of inferior courts by pone, recor- 
oare, or other like writs. They can also grant 
prohibitions, to keep other courts, as well 
ecclesiastical as temporal, within due 
bounds. 
In this court are four judges, created by 
Jotters patent; the seal of the court is com- 
mitted to the custody of the chief justice. 
COMMON PlvAY Eli. It is the particular 
duty of a clergyman every Sunday, Ac. to use 
the public form of prayer, prescribed by the 
book of common prayer. And the 13 and 14 
Ch. II. enacts that every incumbent residing 
upon a living and keeping a curate, shall at 
least once a month, publicly read the common 
prayer, and if there be occasion, administer 
the sacraments, and other rites of the church, 
on pain of 5l. to the poor, on confession or 
conviction thereof before two justices. 
COMMUNICATION of motion, the act 
whereby a body at rest is put into motion by 
a moving body ; or it is the acceleration of 
motion in a body already moving. See Me- 
chanics. 
Communication, lines of, in military 
matters, trenches made to continue and pre- 
serve a safe correspondence between two 
forts or posts ; or at a siege, between two ap- 
proaches, that they may relieve one ano- 
ther. 
COMOCLADIA, a genus of the class and 
order triandria monogvnia. The calyx is 
three-parted; the corolla the same; drupe 
oblong with a two-lobed nucleus. There are 
three species, trees of the West Indies. 
COMPANY, in a commercial sense, is a 
society of merchants, mechanics, or Other 
-traders, joined together in one common in- 
terest. 
When there are only two or three joined 
in this manner, it is called a partnership ; the 
■term company being restrained to societies 
consisting of a considerable number of mem- 
bers, associated together by a charter ob- 
tained from the sovereign. The mechanics 
of all corporations, or towns incorporated, are 
thus erected into companies, which have 
charters of privileges and large immunities. 
Those of London are very numerous. The 
mercers were incorporated in the 17th of king 
Richard II. in the year 1393; the grocers, 
in the 20th Edward 111. aim. 1345; the dra- 
pers, in the 17th Henry VI. aim. 1430 ; the 
fishmongers, in the 28th of Henry VIII. anil. 
1536; the goldsmiths, in the 1 6th of Richard 
If. ann. 1392 ; the skinners, in the 1st of 
Edward III. aim. 1327.; the merchant-taylors, 
in the 17th Henry VII. ann. 1501; the ha- 
berdashers, or hurrers, in 26th Henry VI. 
ann. 1447, and 17th Henry VII. ann. 1501 ; 
the salters, in 20th Henry VIII ann. 1530 ; 
tjie ironmongers, in 3d Edward IY r . ann. 
1462; the vintners, in the reign of Edward 
III. and 15th Henry VI. ; and tl^e clothiers, 
or cloth-workers, in 22d Henry VIII. 
Besides these, which are the twelve princi- 
pal companies of London, there are other very 
considerable ones; as the dyers, brewers, 
leather-sellers, pewterers, barbers, surgeons, 
armourers, white-bakers,' wax-chandlers, cut- 
lers, girdlers, butchers, sadlers, carpenters, 
cordwainers, painters, curriers, masons, 
plumbers, innholders, founders, embroiderers, 
poulterers, cooks, coopers, bricklayers, and 
tylers; also bowers, tletchers, blacksmiths, 
joiners, plaisterers, weavers, fruiterers, scrive- 
ners, bottle-makers, and homers ; likewise 
stationers, marblers, wool-packers, farriers, 
paviours, lorimers or loriners, tallow-chand- 
lers, brown-bakers, wood-mongers, uphol- 
sterers, turners, glaziers, clerks, watermen, 
apothecaries, and throwsters. 
The word seems now more particularly 
appropriated to those grand associations set 
on foot for the commerce of the remote parts 
of the world, and vested by charter with pe- 
culiar privileges. When companies do not 
trade upon a joint stock, but are obliged to ad- 
mit any person, properly qualified, upon pay- 
ing a certain fine and agreeing to submit to 
the regulations of the company, each mem- 
ber trading upon his own stock, and at his 
own risk, they are called regulated compa- 
nies. When they trade upon a joint stock, 
each member sharing in the common profit 
or loss in proportion to his share in this stock, 
they are called joint-stock companies. Such 
companies, whether regulated or joint-stock, 
sometimes have, and sometimes have not, 
exclusive privileges. 
However injurious companies with joint 
stock, and incorporated with exclusive pri- 
vileges, may at this time be reckoned to the 
nation in general, it is yet certain that they 
were the general parents of all our foreign 
commerce, private traders being discouraged 
from hazarding their fortunes in foreign coun- 
tries, until the method of traffic had been first 
settled by joint-stock companies. But since 
the trade of this kingdom and the number of 
traders have increased ; and the methods of 
assurance of shipping and merchandize, and 
the navigation to all parts of the known world, 
have become familiar to us ; experience has 
shown, that the trade of the nation has ad- 
vanced in proportion as these monopolies 
have been discouraged; all restrictions of 
trade whatever having been found manifestly 
prejudicial. 
I. Regulated companies resemble, in ever] 
respect, the corporations of trades, so com 
mon in the cities and towns of all the ditferen 
countries of Europe ; and are a sort of en 
larged monopolies of the same kind. As ml 
inhabitant of a town can exercise an incorl 
porated trade, without first obtaining hi J 
freedom in the corporation ; so in most cased 
no subject of the state can lawfully carry oil 
any branch of foreign trade, for which a rel 
gulated company is established, without first; 
becoming a member of that company. Thd 
monopoly is more or less strict according as; 
the terms of admission are more or less diffid 
cult; and according as the directors of the corn-1 
pany have more or less authority, or have 
it more or less in their power to confine it !<* 
themselves and their particular friends. Thai 
regulated companies for foreign commerce] 
which at present subsist in Great Britain, 
are, the Hamburgh company, the Russia 
company, the Eastland company, tlxj 
Turkey company, and the African com- 
pany. 
1. Tire Hamburgh company is the oldest 
trading establishment in the kingdom] 
though not always known by that name, noi 
restrained to those narrow bounds under 
which it is now confined. It was first called 
the company of merchants trading to Calais, 
Holland, Zealand, Brabant, and Flanders : 
then it acquired the general title of merchant- 
adventurers of England ; as being composed o. 
all the English merchants who traded to the 
Low-countries, the Baltic, and the German 
ocean. Lastly, it was called the company 
oLmerchant- adventurers of England trading 
to Hamburgh. This company was first in-? 
corporated by Edward I, in 1296 ; and theiij 
privileges have' been confirmed by many o 
his successors. The revolutions which hap- 
pened in the Low-countries towards the end 
of the sixteenth century, and which laid the 
foundation of the republic of Holland, having 
hindered the company from continuing their 
commerce with their antient freedom, they] 
were obliged to turn it almost wholly to the 
side of Hamburgh, and the cities on the 
German ocean ; from which the name was 
changed to that of the Hamburgh, com- 
pany, though the antient title of merchant- 
adventurers is still retained in all their writ- 
ings: 
2. The Russia company was first projected 
towards the end of the reign of king Edward 
VI. and executed in the first and second years 
of Philip and Mary ; but had not its per- 
fection till its charter was confirmed by act o 
parliament, under queen Elizabeth, in 1566 
It had its rise from certain adventurers, who 
were sent in three vessels on the discovery 
of new countries, and to find out a north- 
east passage to China: these, falling into the 
White Sea, and making up to the port Arch- 
angel, were exceedingly well received by 
the Muscovites; and at tneir return, solicited] 
letters patent to secure themselves the corn 
merce of Russia, for which they had formed 
an association. This company subsisted with 
reputation almost a whole century, till the 
time of the civil wars. It is said, the’ezar then 
reigning, hearing of the death of king Charlej 
I., ordered all the English in his states to be 
expelled; of which the Dutch taking advan- 
tage, settled in their room. After the Resto- 
ration the remains of the company re-estab- 
lished part of their commerce at Archangel 
