Volume 1

Modern history or, the present state of all nations. Describing their respective situations, persons, habits, and buildings, manners, laws and customs ... plants, animals, and minerals / by Mr. Salmon ; illustrated with cuts and maps ... by Herman Moll.

  • Salmon, Thomas, 1679-1767.
Date:
1744-1746
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Modern history or, the present state of all nations. Describing their respective situations, persons, habits, and buildings, manners, laws and customs ... plants, animals, and minerals / by Mr. Salmon ; illustrated with cuts and maps ... by Herman Moll. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ vu ] THE i;;; PREFACE ! .v*-, . vfi v . v i iO .-fOnil T O T H E . .. . ■ •' j !(•»»»# v*. ip nv/* • • * ) Jiioon *i ■ iijoti • Former Edition in Octavo. This nation poffibly never made a greater figure than in the reign of the glorious Queen Elizabeth, which is afcribed principally to the genius of the people of that age for maritime affairs, new dif- coveries, and a zeal to extend their commerce through every part of the habitable world. Nature, as has been often obferved, feems to have pointed out the proper employment of the natives of this ifland in her fituation *, and they may reft allured, that while they are jealous of their dominion at fea, and improve their foreign commerce, they will always be in a capacity of ballancing the power of Europe. And as a juft regard for navigation and com¬ merce, and maintaining our empire at fea, is what once rendered us fo confiderable among the neigh¬ bouring nations; the fame condutt, the fame ap¬ plication, if renewed, will infallibly produce the fame effefls it has done in the days of our an- ceftors. But whither is that enterprizing genius, that publick fpirit, fled, for which we were once fo famous! Private intereft, inglorious floth and eafe, and a fond care of our worthlefs felves, are now deemed marks of the moft confummate wifdom; and the man would be accounted frantick who fhould ha¬ zard his perfon or his fortune abroad in the ad¬ vancement of trade, or gaining new acquifitions to the Britifh empire. Some late falfe fteps, it is true, among the trad¬ ing world, has given a colour for this caution, particularly the management of the South-Sea fcheme: for as the beft things abufed have ever the worft effects, fo it happened here. Never was a better laid defign than that of the late Earl of Oxford’s for extending our difeoveries, and im¬ proving our commerce, and at the fame time eafing the nation of a heavy debt of ten millions, under which we had long groaned •, fo obvious, fo certain were the advantages which would have accrued to the nation by this fcheme (if the primitive defign had been purfued that all the world were ready to come into it: and yet this very hopeful propofal, falling afterwards into the hands of defigning men, determined to found their own private fortunes on the ruin of their country, produced a feene of fo much mifery and confufion, fo fwift a revolution in the eftates and fortunes of the fubjedt, as are not to be parallelled even in times of the moft deftruc- tive wars. The gentlemen who had the direction of this af¬ fair had fo infatuated the people, and turned their views entirely another way, that no man from that time would let himfelf to improve his fortunes in the ordinary courfe, but leaving their refpe&ive profeflions, every man hoped to jump into an eftate by fome fpecious projeft, lotteries, ftockjobbing, and other deftrudlive methods, which our forefa¬ thers never heard of; fo that not only our foreign commerce, but our home trade was reduced to the lowed ebb; and how they have flourifhed ever fince, the trading part of the nation are beft able to judge. This unhappy management of the South-Sea fcheme, wherein fuch multitudes were cheated of their fortunes under a pretence of advancing com¬ merce, had rendered all attempts of that kincj abortive for the future, if the Legiflature had not faken that matter into confideration, and expreffeci thdir rcfenttilent at the parricide ; for until fome punilhment adequate to the crime fhould be in- flidled on the wretched authors of our misfortunes^ fuch as might deter others from the like pradtices, the people would certainly be very cautious how they became adventurers again. To proceed ; the fame mean fclfifh fpirit,. fo confpicuous in the late diredlors, has fpread i’tfelf far and wide •, the Governors of our plantations and factories abroad we find fo tainted with it, fo fet upon amafling vaft heaps of treafure, and rai- fing their little names out of their original obfeu- rity, that fome of them have dared to attempt it at the expence of the beft fettlements this nation has abroad. Towns full of rich merchants, equal almoft to thofe of London, have they depopu¬ lated ; and compelled the wealthy inhabitants to remove, by laying them under fuch exactions and reftraints, and monopolizing every profitable branch of trade into their own rapacious hands, as has rendered it impoflible for any befides themfelves to gain a fubfiftence: nay, they have abufed and defrauded their principals who advanced them to thefe pofts; well knowing that ten thoufand pounds well applied among their Diredlors at home, will atone for any crimes they can be guilty of abroad : and this is one reafon that fome com¬ panies are exceeding poor, though all their ma¬ nagers and officers are rich. But fure it was not always thus, nor is it uni- verfally fo at this day ; fome living inftances we have of gentlemen employed in diftant commands and foreign commerce, who have been an honour to the nation, and brought great advantages to their country in general, as well as to their em¬ ployers in particular. Such