P E D 
tries where towns are diftant from each other, and the 
communication between them unfrequent and irregular, 
pedlars are confidered as very ufeful members of the 
community. In Spanifh America, for inftance, the bufi- 
nefs was fo profitable, that it was thought by no means 
diflionoarable ; and many gentlemen in Old Spain, when 
their circumftances were declining, fent their Tons to the 
Indies to retrieve their fortunes in this way. Almoft all 
the commodities of Europe are diftributed through the 
fouthern continent of America by means of thefe ped¬ 
lars. They come from Panama to Paita by fea ; and, in 
the road from the port lafl mentioned, they make Peura 
their firft voyage to Lima. Some take the road through 
Caxamalia ; others through Truxillo, along (hare from 
Lima. They take their paffage back to Panama by fea, 
and perhaps take, with them a little cargo of brandy. At 
Panama they again dock themfelves with European goods, 
returning by fea to Paita, where they are put on-fhore ; 
there they hire mules and load them, the Indians going 
with them in order to lead them back. Their travelling 
expenfes were next to nothing; for the Indians were 
brought under fuch fubjeftion, that they found lodging 
for them, and provender for their mules, thinking it an 
honour done them for their guefts to accept of fuch en¬ 
tertainment, gratis, as they could furnifh. The above 
account applies, of courfe, to a period anterior to the be¬ 
ginning of the revolution which is now in progrefs. 
In Poland, where there are few or no manufactures, 
almoft all the merchandife is carried on by pedlars, who 
are faid to be generally Scotfmen, and who, in the reign 
of king Charles II. are faid to have amounted to no fewer 
than 53,000. 
Mr. Heron, in his “Journey through the Weftern 
Counties of Scotland, 1792,” has placed the profeffion 
of a pedlar in a new and interefting point of view; and, 
we. may fay, railed it to a degree of dignity and Importance: 
“ I am induced to obferve, that chapmen or pedlars are 
the great civilizers of countries and nations. We learn 
from Caefar and other Roman writers, that the travelling 
merchants who frequented Gaul and other barbarous 
countries, either newly conquered by the Roman arms, 
or bordering on the Roman conquefts, were ever the 
firft to make the inhabitants of thofe countries fami¬ 
liarly acquainted with the Roman modes of life, and to 
infpire them with an inclination to follow Roman fafhions, 
and to enjoy Roman conveniences. In North America, 
travelling merchants from the fettlements, have done 
and continue to do much more towards civilizing the 
Indian natives, than all the miffionaries, Papift or Pro- 
teftant, who have ever been fent among them. There is 
reafon to expeft, that much may be equally done for the 
civilization of the natives of New Holland, by chapmen 
travelling, with fuitable wares, from our new-formed 
fettlements at Botany Bay. Nothing can be more natu¬ 
ral than that thefe things fhould fo happen. A rude 
people will hardly go in learch of commodities of which 
they know not the names, the nature, or the value, and 
which they have little, if any, money to purchafe. Yet, 
when fuch commodities are brought among them, ex- 
pOfed to their view, and recommended as fafttionable or 
ufeful, they feldom fail to take a fancy for them, and will 
often give in exchange any thing, of however effential 
utility, that they already poflefs. They learn to labour, 
that, they may have means with which to purchafe thofe 
foreign commodities. They learn to difdain the ufe of 
thofe coarfe clothes, or rude utenfils, with which they 
were before content; and, with- the new conveniences, 
they infenfibly adopt that improved fyftem of manners 
to which fuch conveniences properly correfpond. In the 
ftage of the progrefs of fociety in which this change is 
begun, no fuch alteration could poflibly take place, 
without the intervention of chapmen or pedlars.” 
The following will caufe a fmile on the face of the 
London reader: “ It is further to be obferved, for the 
credit of this mod ufeful clafs of men, that they com- 
L A R. 461 
monly contribute, by their perfonal manners no lefs 
than by the fale of their wares, to the refinement of the 
people among whom they travel. Their dealings form 
them to great quicknefs of wit, and acutenefs of judg¬ 
ment. Having conftant occafion to recommend them¬ 
felves and their goods, they acquire habits of the molt 
obliging attention, and the moft infinuating addrefs. As, 
in their peregrinations, they have opportunity of con¬ 
templating the manners of various men and various ci¬ 
ties; they become eminently fkilled in the knowledge of 
the world. As they wander, each alone, through thinly- 
inhabited diftrifls, they form habits of refiedlion and of 
fublime contemplation. With all thefe qualiftcatibns, 
no wonder that they fhould often be, in remote parts of 
the country, the bed mirrors of fajhion , and cenfors. of 
manners; and fhould contribute much to polilli the 
roughnefs, and foften the rufticity, of our peafantry. It 
is not more than twenty or thirty years, fince a young 
man going from any part of Scotland to England, on pur- 
pofe to carry the pack, was confidered as going to lead the 
life, and to acquire the fortune, of a gentleman. When, 
after twenty years’ abfence in that honourable line of 
employment, he returned, with his acquifitions, to his 
native country, he was regarded as a gentleman to all in¬ 
tents and purpofes. When he had purchafed a little 
eftate, he commonly made improvements, and fet up in a 
ftyle of living by which the tafte of the whole country 
was mightily correffed and refined. I believe in my con- 
fcience, that at leaft a fifth part of our fecond-rate gentry, 
whofe gentility is not of ancient military origin, may 
trace it to the ufeful iiidultry of this deferved clafs of 
citizens. 
“ But, to trace fomewhat farther the progrefs of that 
refinement which is begun through the mini ft rati on of 
itinerant merchants. When curiofity, tafte, induftry, 
and fancy, have, by their endeavours, been roufed; the 
purchafers of their commodities learn next to meet them 
at fairs. By affembling upon thefe occafions, they be¬ 
come more focial in their tempers, they are taught to 
vie with one another in their manners and appearance, 
they gain feme knowledge of traffic, and become ac¬ 
quainted with more of the conveniences of life. The 
time of the fair becomes a period to which their hopes 
look forward, and an asra from which every one dates 
fame increafe or other of his perfonal importance. 
Every one returns home from it, too, with refolutions 
to earn money or to prepare commodities which may 
enable him to make greater purchafes by the return of 
next fair. The fpirit of induftry and of focial inter- 
courfe which is by thefe means ftirred up, continues to 
operate, till yet more frequent meetings for the purpofes 
of traffic become requifite. Markets are next eftablilhed. 
The chapmen become fhopkeepers. And the improve¬ 
ment of the country, if not impeded by the operation 
of oppofite caufes, goes rapidly on. This is no fanciful 
or ludicrous deduction. The progrefs of induftry and 
of luxury advances by thefe very fteps. Chapmen are 
undeniably of all that confequence in fociety which I 
have aferibed £0 them. I know not if the Society for 
Propagating Chriftian Knowledge in the Highlands 
and I (lands of Scotland, had not better employ chapmen, 
inftead of preaching miffionaries, or unite the two charac¬ 
ters of the chapman and the preaching miffionary in the 
fame perfon.” 
PED'LERESS, f. A female pedler.-—The companion 
of his [the tinker’s] travels is fome foul fun-burnt 
quean, that fince the terrible ftatute recanted gypfifme, 
and is turned pedlerefs. Overhury's CliaraSl. 
PED'LERY, adj. Sold by pedlers.—Images, reliques, 
and other pedlarye wares. Bale on the Rev. —-The buffer¬ 
ings of thole of my rank are trifles in comparifon of 
what all thofe are who travel with filh, poultry, ped/ery 
ware, to fell. Swift. 
PEJD'LERY, f. The articles fold by pedlers.—Fearing 
that the quick-lighted proteftant’s eye may at one time 
or 
