industrial biography-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



in　kingdoms　and　commonwealths　that　depend　upon　Trade；　as　discipline

is　in　an　army；　and　where　there　is　want　of　common　Honesty　in　a　kingdom

or　commonwealth；　from　thence　Trade　shall　depart。　　For　as　the　Honesty

of　all　governments　is；　so　shall　be　their　Riches；　and　as　their　Honour；

Honesty；　and　Riches　are；　so　will　be　their　Strength；　and　as　their

Honour；　Honesty；　Riches；　and　Strength　are；　so　will　be　their　Trade。

These　are　five　sisters　that　go　hand　in　hand；　and　must　not　be　parted。〃

Admirable　sentiments；　which　are　as　true　now　as　they　were　two　hundred

years　ago；　when　Yarranton　urged　them　upon　the　attention　of　the

English　public。



On　his　return　from　Holland；　he　accordingly　set　on　foot　various

schemes　of　public　utility。　　He　stirred　up　a　movement　for　the

encouragement　of　the　British　fisheries。　　He　made　several　journeys　into

Ireland　for　the　purpose　of　planting　new　manufactures　there。　　He

surveyed　the　River　Slade　with　the　object　of　rendering　it　navigable；

and　proposed　a　plan　for　improving　the　harbour　of　Dublin。　　He　also

surveyed　the　Dee　in　England　with　a　view　to　its　being　connected　with

the　Severn。　　Chambers　says　that　on　the　decline　of　his　popularity　in

1677；　he　was　taken　by　Lord　Clarendon　to　Salisbury　to　survey　the　River

Avon；　and　find　out　how　that　river　might　be　made　navigable；　and　also

whether　a　safe　harbour　for　ships　could　be　made　at　Christchurch；　and

that　having　found　where　he　thought　safe　anchorage　might　be　obtained；

his　Lordship　proceeded　to　act　upon　Yarranton's　recommendations。*

　＇footnote。。。

JOHN　CHAMBERS；　Biographical　Illustrations　of　Worcestershire。　　London；

1820。

　。。。＇



Another　of　his　grand　schemes　was　the　establishment　of　the　linen

manufacture　in　the　central　counties　of　England；　which；　he　showed；

were　well　adapted　for　the　growth　of　flax；　and　he　calculated　that　if

success　attended　his　efforts；　at　least　two　millions　of　money　then

sent　out　of　the　country　for　the　purchase　of　foreign　linen　would　be

retained　at　home；　besides　increasing　the　value　of　the　land　on　which

the　flax　was　grown；　and　giving　remunerative　employment　to　our　own

people；　then　emigrating　for　want　of　work。　　〃　Nothing　but　Sloth　or

Envy；〃　he　said；　〃can　possibly　hinder　my　labours　from　being　crowned

with　the　wished　for　success；　our　habitual　fondness　for　the　one　hath

already　brought　us　to　the　brink　of　ruin；　and　our　proneness　to　the

other　hath　almost　discouraged　all　pious　endeavours　to　promote　our

future　happiness。〃



In　1677　he　published　the　first　part　of　his　England's　Improvement　by

Sea　and　Landa　very　remarkable　book；　full　of　sagacious　insight　as

respected　the　future　commercial　and　manufacturing　greatness　of

England。　　Mr。　Dove　says　of　this　book　that　Yarranton〃　chalks　out　in　it

the　future　course　of　Britain　with　as　free　a　hand　as　if　second…sight

had　revealed　to　him　those　expansions　of　her　industrial　career　which

never　fail　to　surprise　us；　even　when　we　behold　them　realized。〃

Besides　his　extensive　plans　for　making　harbours　and　improving

internal　navigation　with　the　object　of　creating　new　channels　for

domestic　industry；　his　schemes　for　extending　the　iron　and　the　woollen

trades；　establishing　the　linen　manufacture；　and　cultivating　the　home

fisheries；　we　find　him　throwing　out　various　valuable　suggestions　with

reference　to　the　means　of　facilitating　commercial　transactions；　some

of　winch　have　only　been　carried　out　in　our　own　day。　　One　of　his

grandest　ideas　was　the　establishment　of　a　public　bank；　the　credit　of

which；　based　upon　the　security　of　freehold　land；*

　＇footnote。。。

Yarranton's　Land　Bank　was　actually　projected　in　1695；　and　received

the　sanction　of　Parliament；　though　the　Bank　of　England　（founded　in

the　preceding　year）　petitioned　against　it；　and　the　scheme　was

dropped。

　。。。＇

should　enable　its　paper　〃to　go　in　trade　equal　with　ready　money。〃　　A

bank　of　this　sort　formed　one　of　the　principal　means　by　which　the

Dutch　had　been　enabled　to　extend　their　commercial　transactions；　and

Yarranton　accordingly　urged　its　introduction　into　England。　　Part　of

his　scheme　consisted　of　a　voluntary　register　of　real　property；　for

the　purpose　of　effecting　simplicity　of　title；　and　obtaining　relief

from　the　excessive　charges　for　law；*

　＇footnote。。。

It　is　interesting　to　note　in　passing；　that　part　of　Yarranton's　scheme

has　recently　been　carried　into　effect　by　the　Act　（25　and　26　Vict。　　c。

53）　passed　in　1862　for　the　Registration　of　Real　Estate。

　。。。＇

as　well　as　enabling　money　to　be　readily　raised　for　commercial

purposes　on　security　of　the　land　registered。



He　pointed　out　very　graphically　the　straits　to　which　a　man　is　put　who

is　possessed　of　real　property　enough；　but　in　a　time　of　pressure　is

unable　to　turn　himself　round　for　want　of　ready　cash。　　〃Then；〃　says　he；

〃all　his　creditors　crowd　to　him　as　pigs　do　through　a　hole　to　a　bean

and　pease　rick。〃　　〃Is　it　not　a　sad　thing；〃　he　asks；　〃that　a

goldsmith's　boy　in　Lombard　Street；　who　gives　notes　for　the　monies

handed　him　by　the　merchants；　should　take　up　more　monies　upon　his

notes　in　one　day　than　two　lords；　four　knights；　and　eight　esquires　in

twelve　months　upon　all　their　personal　securities？　We　are；　as　it　were；

cutting　off　our　legs　and　arms　to　see　who　will　feed　the　trunk。　　But　we

cannot　expect　this　from　any　of　our　neighbours　abroad；　whose　interest

depends　upon　our　loss。〃



He　therefore　proposed　his　registry　of　property　as　a　ready　means　of

raising　a　credit　for　purposes　of　trade。　　Thus；　he　says；　〃I　can　both　in

England　and　Wales　register　my　wedding；　my　burial；　and　my　christening；

and　a　poor　parish　clerk　is　entrusted　with　the　keeping　of　the　book；

and　that　which　is　registered　there　is　held　good　by　our　law。　　But　I

cannot　register　my　lands；　to　be　honest；　to　pay　every　man　his　own；　to

prevent　those　sad　things　that　attend　families　for　want　thereof；　and

to　have　the　great　benefit　and　advantage　that　would　come　thereby。　　A

register　will　quicken　trade；　and　the　land　registered　will　be　equal　as

cash　in　a　man's　hands；　and　the　credit　thereof　will　go　and　do　in　trade

what　ready　money　now　doth。〃　　His　idea　was　to　raise　money；　when

necessary；　on　the　land　registered；　by　giving　security　thereon　after　a

form　which　be　suggested。　　He　would；　in　fact；　have　made　land；　as　gold

now　is；　the　basis　of　an　extended　currency；　and　he　rightly　held　that

the　value　of　land　as　a　security　must　always　be　unexceptionable；　and

superior　to　any　metallic　basis　that　could　possibly　be　devised。



This　indefatigable　man　continued　to　urge　his　various　designs　upon　the

attention　of　the　public　until　he　was　far　advanced　in　years。　　He

professed　that　he　was　moved　to　do　so　（and　we　believe　him）　solely　by

an　ardent　love　for　his　country；　〃whose　future　flourishing；〃　said　he；

〃is　the　only　reward　I　ever　hope　to　see　of　all　my　labours。〃　　Yarranton；

however；　received　but　little　thanks　for　his　persistency；　while　he

encountered　many　rebuffs。　　The　public　for　the　most　part　turned　a　deaf

ear　to　his　entreaties；　and　his　writings　proved　of　comparatively　small

avail；　at　least　during　his　own　lifetime。　　He　experienced　the　lot　of

many　patriots；　even　the　purestthe　suspicion　and　detraction　of　his

contemporaries。　　His　old　political　enemies　do　not　seem　to　have

forgotten　him；　of　which　we　have　the　evidence　in　certain　rare

〃broadsides〃　still　extant；　twitting　him　with　the　failure　of　his

schemes；　and　even　trumping　up　false　charges　of　disloyalty　against

him。*

　＇footnote。。。

One　of　these　is　entitled　'A　Coffee…house　Dialogue；　or　a　Discourse

between　Captain　Yand　a　Young　Barrister　of　the　Middle　Temple；　with

some　Reflections　upon　the　Bill　against　the　D。　　of　Y。'　In　this

broadside；　of　3　1/2　pages　folio；　published　about　1679；　Yarranton　is

made　to　favour　the　Duke　of　York's　exclusion　from　the　throne；　not　only

because　he　was　a　papist；　but　for　graver　reasons　than　he　dare　express。

Another　scurrilous　pamphlet；　entitled　'A　Word　Without　Doors；'　was

also　aimed　at　him。　　Yarranton；　or　his　friends；　replied　to　the　first

attack　in　a　folio　of　two　pages；　entitled　'The　Coffee…house　Dialogue

Examined　and　Refuted；　by　some　Neighbours　in　the　Country　；

well…wishers　to　the　Kingdom's　interest。'　The　controversy　was　followed

up　by　'A　Continuation　of　the　Coffee…house　Dialogue；'　in　which　the

chief　interlocutor　hits　Yarranton　rather　hard　for　the　miscarriage　of

his　〃improvements。〃　　〃I　know；〃　says　he；　〃when　and　where　you　undertook

for　a　small　charge　to　make　a　river　navigable；　and　it　has　cost　the

proprietors　about　six　times　as　much；　and　is　not　yet　effective；　nor

can　any　man　rationally　predict　when　it　will　be。　　I　know　since　you　left

it　your　son　undertook　it；　and　this　winter　shamefully　left　his

undertaking。〃　　Yarrantons　friends　immediately　replied　in　a　four…page

folio；　entitled　'England's　Improvements　Justified；　and　the　Author

thereof；　Captain　Y。；　vindicated　from　the　Scandals　in　a　paper　called　a

Coffee…house　Dialogue；　with　some　Animadversions　upon　the　Popish

Designs　therein　contained。'　The　writer　says　he　writes　without　the

privity　or　sanction　of　Yarranton；　but　declares　the　dialogue