Additional Tax for the Current Service . 335 
queftion if this be fo true as fome reprefent it ; but it is certain 
that examples of virtue among the rich, are become very ne- 
cessary, to encourage induflry amongft the poor. Necessity 
will work .wonders 1 If from great poverty, great riches arife, 
by the mere force of induftry; furely poverty may be prevented 
by the fame means. 
What do vve Hand in need of from other countries to carry 
on war? Masts from Poland, and oak plank from dantzic; 
fome additional quantities of iron from Russia and Sweden ; 
hemp and fome flax from Russia, and salt-petre from india. 
Except thefe few, we have all the neceffaries for war within 
curfelves. We can even make falt-petre upon an emergency ; 
and we have lately revived the art of preparing buff-leather, 
which by negligence we had loft for fome ages. And here I 
muft inform you, that we are obliged for this difcovery, as we 
fhall probably be for many others, to the late eftablifhed society - 
for the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce. 
If therefore we want fo little from abroad, and can gain 
fo much by additional labor at home, what have we to fear ? But 
indeed this is not the only objedt : I have already urged, in my 
xvi th letter on tea, the necessity of retrenching our expences* 
if we really mean to carry on a war. And what do you ima- 
gine the saving of three-pence a day, which is only ^4 . 1 1 . 3 
a year, for half a million of people, will amount to ? ’Tis no 
lefs than £ 2,281,250. You fee here how eafily the fum of 
£ 4,781,250 might be saved and gained towards carrying on 
war, provided this fum be colledted at an eafy expence ; and if 
we 
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