ever manufacture is discouraged, the manufacture of cheating ought not to be encouraged to prevent it. If trade cannot be carried on without sending the tradesmen to the devil, the devil should come and open shop himself, rather than any honest men should trade for him as these do, and, at such a price, raise their fortunes under his conduct. For, indeed, in such cases, it is little better than the devil driving the trade, and the tradesmen's being the devil's journeymen; they certainly carry on the trade for him, and he pays them board wages; thus the tradesmen get the money, and the devil gets the tradesmen.

But, instead of this infamous practice, would the mercers act the honest part to their country, and to the manufacture wrought at home, as they really ought to do, and propagate our own manufactures with their utmost endeavour; refusing universally to sell any French or foreign silks, which really and bona fide there is no manner of need of; and would they, at the same time, tell the ladies plainly, that France cannot furnish anything finer, richer, more beautiful, or more agreeable, than is made by our own weavers; and that all these charming patterns, fine colours, rich brocades, &c., are made at home, and are inimitable from abroad, as is most true.

Would they do thus, I say, as honest dealings. claim they should, they would soon effectually suppress the foolish humour of despising our own manufacture, which is so general among the people; and our own weavers would soon advance their improvements to such a degree, as to send their wrought silks abroad, even to France itself.

This subject we shall no further enlarge upon; but leave it upon the minds of the buyers and sellers too, to regulate their conduct by it for the future, as

the profit of the one, and the conscience of the other, and the honour of the kingdom to them both, may induce them.

CHAP. XXII.

Of fine shops and fine shows. The modern extravagancy in this respect wholly unknown to our ancestors in trade. Of a modern pastrycook's shop and toy-shops. Decency in all outward appearances, whether in dressing a shop, or dressing a man, always the sign of a right head. Frugality recommended. The credit attempted to be raised by a fine shop, not that which should be sought by a substantial tradesman. What are the best recommendations of a shop.

It is a modern custom, and wholly unknown to our ancestors, who yet understood trade, in proportion to the business they carried on, as well as we do, to have tradesmen lay out two-thirds of their fortune in fitting up their shops.

By fitting up, I mean, in painting and gilding, in fine shelves, shutters, pediments, columns of the several orders of architecture, and the like; in which, they tell us now, it is a small matter to lay out two or three, nay, five hundred pounds, to fit up what we may call the outside of a shop.

The first inference to be drawn from this must necessarily be, that this age must have more fools than the last; for certainly such only are most taken with shows and outsides.

It is true, that a fine show of goods will bring

customers; and it is not a new custom, but a very old one, that a new shop, very well furnished, goes a great way to bringing a trade; for the proverb was, and still is, very true, That everybody has a penny for a new shop. But that a fine show of shelves, a fine front, and glass windows, should bring customers, that was never made a rule in trade till

now.

And yet, even now, I should not except so much against it, if it was not carried on to such an excess as is too much for a middling tradesman to bear the expense of; in this therefore it is made a grievance. For now a young man has such a tax upon him before he begins, that he must sink perhaps a third part, nay, half his stock, in painting and gilding, wainscoting and glazing, before he can open his shop; as they say of building a water-mill, two-thirds of the expense lie under the water. And when the poor tradesman comes to furnish his shop, and lay in his stock of goods, he finds a great hole made in his cash; and his show of goods, on which the life of his trade depends, is fain to be lessened, to make up his show of boards and glass to lay them

in.

It will hardly be believed in ages to come, when our posterity shall be grown wiser by our loss, and, as I may truly say, at our expense, that a pastrycook's shop, which twenty pounds would effectually furnish at a time with all needful things for sale; nay, except on an extraordinary show, as on twelfth-day at night for cakes, or upon some great feast, twenty pounds can hardly be laid out at one time in goods for sale; yet that fitting up one of these shops should cost upwards of three hundred pounds. That this was the case some years ago in one these shops, I have good authority for; and it consisted of the following particulars :

1. Sash windows, all of looking-glass plates, twelve inches by sixteen inches in measure.

2. All the walls of the shop lined up with galleytiles; and the back shop with galley tiles in panels, finely painted in forest-work and figures.

3. Two large pier looking-glasses, and one chimney-glass in the shop, and one very large pier-glass, seven feet high, in the back shop.

4. Two large branches of candlesticks; one in the shop, and one in the back room.

5. Three great glass lanterns in the shop, and eight small ones.

6. Twenty-five sconces against the wall, with a large pair of standing silver candlesticks in the back

room.

7. Six fine large silver salvers to serve sweet

meats.

8. Twelve large high stands of rings, whereof three silver, to place small dishes for tarts, jellies, &c., at a feast.

9. Painting the ceiling, and gilding the lanterns, the sashes, and the carved work.

These, with some odd things to set forth the shop, and make a show, besides small plate, china basins and cups, amounted, as I am well informed, to above 3001.

Add to this the more necessary part, which was, 1. Building two ovens, about twenty-five pounds. 2. Twenty pounds in stock for pies and cheesecakes, &c.

So that, in short, here was a trade which might be carried on for about thirty or forty pounds' stock, required three hundred pounds' expense to fit up the shop and make a show to invite customers.

I might give something of a like example of extravagance in fitting up a cutler's shop, Anglicè, a toyman, which is now come up to such a ridiculous expense as is hardly to be thought of without the

utmost contempt. Let a man only take a turn from Temple-bar to Leadenhall, and he will sec instances enough of both kinds, and of very expensive fronts in several other trades, that will confirm all we have said on this article.

But, leaving the just reflection which such things call for, let me bring it home to the young tradesman, to whom I am directing this discourse, and to whom I am desirous to give solid and useful hints, for his instruction; I would recommend it to him to avoid all such needless expenses, and rather endeavour to furnish his shop with goods, than to paint and gild it over to make it fine and gay; let it invite customers rather by the well-filled presses and shelves, and the great choice of rich and fashionable goods; that one customer, being well served, may bring another. And let him study to bring his shop into reputation for good choice of wares, and good attendance on his customers; and this shall bring a throng to him of much better people than those that go in merely for a gay shop.

Let the shop be decent and handsome, spacious as the place will allow; and let the face of a master be always seen in it; and, if possible, be always busy and doing something in it, that may look like being employed: this takes more with wise observers than any other appearance can do.

I have heard of a young apothecary, who, setting up in a part of the town where he had not much acquaintance, and fearing much whether he should get into business, hired a man acquainted with such business, and made him be every morning between five and six, and often late in the evenings, working very hard at the great mortar, pounding and beating, though he had nothing to do with it, but beating some very needless thing, that all his neighbours might hear it, and find that he was in full employ,