nndef the Ueign of King Charles II. that King by Pro- 
cJamation gave Leave for all Foreigners to import Ar- 
tillery, Ammunition, Timber, Hemp, and Flax^ and 
in -fhort, all Sorts of Military and Naval Stores, in 
their own Bottoms ", which if he had not done, that War 
could not have been carried on •, and therefore this is 
among the Number of the few Adlions in that Reign, 
which we find approved and commended by Mr. Roger 
Coke^ who certainly was no Flatterer, either of that Mo- 
narch, or any of his Family. I might add to this fe- 
veral other Inftances, but that I look upon them as un- 
neceflary, fince there is an unwritten Law in regard to 
Commerce, as truly fundamental as the A6l of Navi- 
gation, viz. That whatever will promote it, either is 
lawful, or ought to be made fo. It is an abfurd Notion 
to fuppofe, that while Trade remains a fluduating 
Thing, which it ever was, and ever will be, there can 
be any Laws made about it that it ought to remain in- 
variable. 
It is indeed true, that with refpeft to the Ad of Na- 
vigation, as with regard to every other Ad made upon 
right Motives, and with due Deliberation, we ought to 
be very cautious in making Alterations ; but provided 
they are made with Caution, no doubt fuch Alterations 
fhould be made when they appear necefiary, or which 
is the fame Thing, advantageous. This has been al- 
ways thought allowable in Time of War, when done 
by the Royal Authority only, notwichftanding the juft 
Apprehcnfions that have been entertained of allowing 
too great Latitude to the Prerogative ; but with fen- 
fible People the Laws and the Prerogative both will 
ftand upon the fame Foot with, regard to the publick 
Good ", that is to fay, it will be expeded, that either, or 
both of them fhould give Way upon fuch an Occafion, 
and the proper Judges of this Occafion, are, without 
doubt, the 'Leg'ifiature. The Humour therefore of 
giving a peculiar, and, as it were, facred Authority to 
particular Ads, and treating them as fuperior in their 
Nature to the reft of our Laws, is, to fay the beft of it, 
no better than political Enthufiafm, which may be at- 
tended with very bad, and can beveryfeldom produc- 
ti\se of any good Confequences. There is no Doubt, 
that while Things remain in their prefent Channel, or 
any thing near it, and while there is no Danger that any 
of our Neighbours may fupplant us, by drawing to 
themfelves the Diftribution of Indian Commodities and 
Manufadures brought into it would be very 
abfurd and chimerical to make any Change in the Ad 
of Navigation relative to this Point by Way of Precau- 
tion. But on the other Hand, if ever fuch a Trade 
through Ruffia fhould become pradicable, it would be 
to the full as abfurd and ridiculous to pretend that no 
Alteration ought to be made in this Law, but that we 
niuft ftill remain tied down to the old Method of car- 
rying on this Commerce, though ever fo much to our 
Difadvantage. 
I dare fay, that no body will difpute this with me 
at prefent, but will as readily grant the latter as I do the 
former ", neither is it impoffible that fome may think it 
is to no Purpofe to dwell upon this Head, which of it- 
felf is fufficiently clear. So for any thing I know it may 
be, but when the Paffions of Mankind are moved, 
when their Prejudices are thwarted, and both thefe hap- 
pen when-ever their particular Intereft,s are ever fo 
lightly touched, all Things change their Faces, and 
what before was thought as clear as the Sun at Noon- 
day, begins to be oblcured, and in a very little time is 
not fo much as difcernable. So many Inftances of this 
Sort have happened within the Compafs of my own Ob- 
fervation, that I cannot help providing againft them ; 
and I muft defire my Readers to obferve, that whatever 
Conceffions are made me now, will remain juft as rea- 
fonable, when fome People, for Caufes that will be then 
vifible enough, may take it in their Heads to retradt 
them, and let up once more this Notion, that the A6l 
of Navigation is a fundamental and conftitutional Law, 
no Part of which is to be repealed or altered on any Pre- 
tence, or for any Reafon whatever. 
The third Objedion on this Side, will in all Appear- 
ance arife from the Privileges of the Eajt India .Com- 
Account of Book III. 
pany ; and indeed, this I think by much the moft for- 
midable Objection of all, becaufe it is the moft rea,- 
fbnable. It will be faid that this Company hath great 
Merit ; that it has^rendered great Services to the Na- 
tion i that its Proprietors are a very confiderable Body ; 
that they have received high Immunities from the Fa- 
vour of the Crown ; and that thefe have been confirmed 
to them by the Legiflature. To all this it might be 
anfwered in general, That all Privileges, thofe of ex- 
clufive Trade not excepted, are granted in Truft for 
the publick Benefit, and that tho’ this may not be ex- 
prefs’d, yet it is always to be prefumed and underftood j 
for a Law made for private Advantage to the Detriment 
of the publick, is void in itfelf ; neither is this any Im- 
peachment of the Power of the Legiflature, becaufe it 
muft be fuppofed that it was obtained by Deception 
that is, by giving falfe Colours to Things, to which the 
higheft Tribunals may be fubjetft, becaufe the higheft 
human Aflembly cannot be infallible. Upon thefe To- 
picks, I fay I might infift, in order to furnifh a general 
Anfwer •, but I declare I do not rely upon them, tho’ 
at the fame Time, I am very far from admittino- that 
they are not juft and reafonable, for the Good of the 
whole ought certainly always to take place, and no Body 
of Men, however confiderable, can have a Right to any 
Thing that is either dangerous or deftruftive to the 
Nation. 
Yet the Anfwer I depend upon is this. That in fuch 
a Cafe, Expedients are to be fought for that may recon- 
cile the Interefts of the Company to thofe of the Na- 
tion ; neither will it be difficult to find fuch Expedients, 
for when fuch a Trade fhall be found beneficial. Care 
may be then taken, firft to fix it by a Treaty of Com- 
merce, and then the Benefit of that Treaty may be 
made over to the Company, provided always due Care 
be taken that this Privilege fhall not be abufed, or fo 
managed, as to turn to the Emolument of that Compa- 
ny, and the Prejudice of the Publick. 
Thus I have taken the Liberty of difeuffing this Mat- 
ter thoroughly, not from any prefumptuous Opinion of 
my own Judgment, or from a Defire of didating in a 
Matter of fo high Importance, but merely becaufe I 
think any Man may fpeak' and write freely as to a Cafe 
that he thinks may happen, and which others, who are 
perhaps wifer than he, will conclude may never happen. 
One of the moft judicious Hiftorians of Antiquity 
thought his Time not thrown away in examining a 
Matter ftill more chimerical than this, which was. Whe- 
ther Alexander the Great would have fucceeded, if he 
had attempted to fubdue the Romans ? Some great 
Criticks have imagined, that all he meant was to pay a 
Compliment to his Countrymen. I fhould be glad to 
have the fame mild Cenfure fall for the prefent upon 
this Difeourfe, in which I think it is moft evident that 
I can have no private Views, and therefore hope it will 
be no inexcufable Piece of Vanity, if I flatter my felf up- 
on this Occafion, with, having thought for the Publick. 
IF after all I have faid, it fhould fall out that nothing 
of this Kind ever happens, why then it is plain, that 
whatever I have advanced can do no Hurt. But if, on 
the other Hand, my Conjedures fhould happen to hit 
the Mark, or even to come near it, no body will deny, 
that the previous Confideration of the Subjed may be 
of Ufe ; for thefe Arguments, how little Authority foever 
they may derive from their Author, muft neceflfarily 
carry with them this Weight, that they proceeded pure- 
ly from a Spirit of Reafoning, and were not didated 
from any particular, private, or felfifh Confideration. 
I muft alfo defire it may be remember’d, that I have 
already confider’d the Point of fecuring, improving 
and- promoting our Eaft India Trade in many other 
Lights, which evidently fhews my fincere Defire that 
we may avail ourfelves of our own Skill, our owa 
Lights, our own Naval Power, and our prefent Cir- 
cumftances, rather than wait, till by our Indolence and 
Negled we come to fall under the Neceflity of being 
fome way beholden to others. Until fuch Time as 
this fhall become the Cafe, there is no Need of recur- 
ring to this Syftem ; but if ever it fhould become the 
Cafe, there will be no Harm in having this Syftem to 
recur 
