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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 

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