A General View of TEA. 
LETTER XIX. 
301 
'To the fame . 
Madam, 
I F we compare our conduct with that of other nations, we 
fhall fee that no people upon the face of the whole earth, 
are guilty of fo great an abfurdity in commerce. We fhall be 
fenfible that the wisest nation may become foolish; the 
moil valiant, effeminate ; and merchants, from being 
<c the honorable of the earth,” may, in compliance with bad 
cuiloms, become the inilruments of great mischief to their 
country. We who have the moil extenfive notions of com- 
merce, and have moil enlarged the fyilem of it, ought to fee 
this truth in the cleareft light. 
The french are contented to be ferved with tea in china, 
after us, and feldom bring home fuch good tea ; but then they 
pay but little for it ; and of this little, a lefs portion of iilver is 
employed ; whilil they fell at home to a greater amount in tea, 
than they export to china, for this commodity, either in silver, 
or merchandize ; and therefore inftead of loiing, they are 
gainers by the china trade. 
The dutch purchafe the greateil part of the tea they bring 
home, with their fpices, pepper, and fome European goods: the 
Chinese alfo bring great quantities of tea to batavia, where 
they take thefe commodities. And tho’ the united provinces 
confume as much, or more, of this article, in proportion to the 
number of inhabitants, than we do ; for the reafon above men- 
tioned, they are in better circumllances than even the french,. 
with 
