Though I confefs Mr. Randolph (who was as witty a man as any in the age he lived in) is very fharp upon his Duns; yet confidering they were importunate ones, thofe that have had the fame kind of ufage from them, will think he has but done them juftice.But this, I prefume will be enough to fhew the mifery of wanting money; and what a great unhappiness it is to be forced to borrow it. I fhall next proceed to enquire into the reasons why, or by what means it comes to be fo much wanted; but that fhall be the bufinefs of the next Chapter. CHA P. III. An Enquiry into the Caufes of Men's wanting Money. SINCE NCE money is a thing fo neceffary and fo ufeful, and the want of a competency of it, makes a man fo very miferable; rendering him liable to all the fcorn and contempt that an illnatured world can throw upon him; it seems a little ftrange fo many fhould want it, especially of those that know the worth of it. And therefore it may be worth our enquiring into the caufe from whence this want proceeds;. I mean the common and ordinary caufes; for there are fome causes that are extraordinary, fuch as all our wit and prudence can neither forefee, nor avoid: fuch was that extraordinary and furprising ftorm, in November 1703, whereby many thousands were undone as to their eftates, befides the many lives that were loft and fuch alfo was the dreadful fire of London; whereby fome that had great eftates one week, had fcarce bread to eat the next week. And particular perfons had particular loffes by fire, many times. times fince. Thus, in a time of war, many are unavoidably lofers; but these must not be reckoned the common and ordinary ways that makes and keeps men poor. We know indeed, that by the divine Providence in the body of a Commonwealth, there must be as well poor as rich, even as an humane body cannot fubfift without hands and feet to labour, and walk about to provide for the other members, the rich being the belly, which devour all, yet do no part of the work: but the cause of every man's poverty is not one and the fame: fome are poor by condition, and content with their calling; and neither feek, nor can work themselves into better fortune; yet God raifeth up as by miracle, the children and pofterity of thefe, often-times to poffefs the most eminent places either in Church or Common-wealth, as to become Archbifhops, Bifhops, Judges, Commanders Generals in the field, Secretaries of State, States-men, and the like, fo that it proveth not always true which Martial faith, If Of this condition are the greateft number in every kingdom; other there are, who have poffeffed great eftates, but thofe eftates (as I have feen and known it in fome families, and not far from the city) have not thrived or continued, as gotten by oppreffion, deceit, ufury, and the like, which commonly lafteth not to the third generation, according to the old faying, It feldom is the grand-child's lot To be the heir of goods not justly got. Others come to want and mifery, and spend their fair eftates in ways of vicious living, as upon drink and and women; for Bacchus and Venus are infeparable companions, and he that is familiar with the one, is never a stranger to the other. In one fame way, manner, and end; Some again live in perpetual want, as being naturally wholly given to idlenefs; these are the drones of a Common-wealth, who deferve not to live, Qui non laborat, non manduces: he that laboureth not, must not eat. Labour night and day, rather than be burthenfome, faith the Apoftle Paul: both country and city fwarm with thefe kind of people. The diligent hand (faith Solomon) Shall make rich, but the fluggard shall have a Scarcity of bread. I remember when I was in the Low Countries, there were three foldiers, a Dutchman a Scot, and an Englishman, who for their mifdemeanors were condemned to be hanged: yet their lives were begged by three feveral men, one a Bricklayer, that he might help him to make bricks, and carry them to the walls: the other was a brewer of Delft, who begged his man to fetch water, and do other work in the brew-houfe: now the third was a Gardiner, and defired the third man to work in, and drefs an hop-garden: the first two accepted their offers thankfully; this laft, the Englishman, told his mafter in plain terms, His friends had never brought him up to gather hops; and therefore defired to be hanged firft, and fo he was. Others having had great eftates left unto them by their friends, and who never knew the pain and care in getting them, have, as one faid truly galloped through them in a very fhort time: Thefe are fuch of whom Solomon fpeaketh, who having riches, have not the hearts (or rather the wit) to ufe them: them: these men moft aptly are compared to the willow-tree, which is called in Latin, Frugi perda, or Loofe-fruit, because the palms of the willow-tree are no fooner ripe, but blown away with the wind. I remember, in Queen Elizabeth's time, a wealthy Citizen of London left his fon a mighty estate in money; who imagining, he should never be able to spend it, would usually make ducks and drakes in the Thames with fhillings, as boys are wont with tile-fheards, and oyfter-fhells; and in the end grew to that extream want, that he was fain to beg or borrow fix-pence, having many times no more fhoes than feet; and fometimes, more feet than fhoes, as the Beggar faid in the Comedy. Many also there are, who having been born to a fair eftate, have quite undone themselves by marriage, and that after a two-fold manner; firft by matching themselves without advice of parents or friends in heat of youth, unto proud, foolish and light housewives, or fuch as eternal clacks, that one were better have his diet in hell, than his dinner at home; there to be troubled with her never-ceafing tongue. And this is the reafon, fo many of their husbands travel beyond the feas, or at home go from town to town, from tavern to tavern, to look for company; and in a word. to fpend any thing, to live any where, fave at home in their own houses, where they are fure to have no quiet. Others there are again, who match themselves (for a little handsomeness, and eye-pleafing beauty) into a very mean and poor family, without birth or breeding, and fometimes drawn in hereto by broken knaves, neceffitous parents, who are glad to meet with fuch, that they might ferve them as props to uphold their decaying and ruinous relations, and thefe poor filly young birds, are commonly caught N up before they be fledged, and pulled bare before ever they knew they had feathers; for their fathersin-law (or fome near of kin) as foon as they have feen one and twenty, have fo be-limed them in bonds, that they fhall hardly as long as they„ live, be able to fly over ten acres of that land their friends left them. A Knight of eight or ten thoufand pounds land by the year, doted upon an Ale-wive's daughter, and made her a lady, and then the Devil made her prouder than thofe that are born fo. It cannot be denied, but women of the meaneft condition, may make good wives, fince Paupertas non eft vitium, Poverty is no Vice; but herein is the danger, that when their husbands have taken a furfeit of their beauties (as oftentimes they do) and begin to find their error, they begin (as I have known many) to contemn them, and fly abroad, and not only dote upon others, but devife all the ways they can (being grown defperate) to give away or fell all that they have: befides, thofe up-ftart gentlewomen oftentimes prove fo wickedly imperious and proud, as that they make no confcience to abufe, infult over, and make mere fools of their husbands, by letting and difpofing of his land, gathering up his rents, putting away and entertaining what fervants. they please; and thereby verify that old verfe, There's nothing more perverfe and proud than fhe, An Italian Earl about Naples, of an hundred thousand crowns by the year, married a common Laundrefs: whereupon the old Paquin (an image of ftone in Rome) the next Sunday morning or fhortly after, had a foul and moft filthy Shirt put upon his back, and this tart libel beneath: Why, how now, Pafquin! I thought you would fcorn To |