Penny Dreadfuls, 1736 · page 12 of 16
Thoughts on Trade — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose text (page 12), likely from a tract or pamphlet rather than a penny dreadful. The visible text argues against destroying the distillery trade, attributing social wickedness to lack of religious discipline and legal defects rather than to spirits themselves. It advocates for restoring moral discipline, ending fraudulent trading practices, and establishing commercial credit abroad. The author contends that vice among "the Idle and the Vicious" preceded spirituous liquors and will persist regardless. The text is signed "A few" at the bottom, suggesting this is an excerpt from a larger work.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
( 1) as Foreigners, find our Account ih the Diftillery confuming large Quantities of Corn, Sugar, and other Goods, of but {mall Value at Home or Abroad; to root up and deftroy a Branch in Trade, and ruin and diftrefs many Thoufands of Families de- pending on the Diftillery, nothing but the utmoft Extremity ought to be the Motive ; as the pretent ‘Wickednefs of the People may be imputed to the want of Difcipline in Religion, or to the Negle& or Defects in the Laws, and to the Evils and Abufes in Trade. — | | Let us then endeavour to reftore Difci- line in Religion, difcourage Immorality, put an End to’ Clandeftine Trading, and to the Frauds and Deceits in Trade, in making and manuiacturing fuch Goods foreign Trade. depends’ on tor Support ; for to re- cover and eftablifh Credit Abroad, is the Way to increafe and extend Commerce ; when every Trade and Intereft at Home will mend, and the Evils complained of ceafe, unlefsamong the Idle and the Vicious, who. beiore Spirituous Liquors were thought oi, were prone to all manner of Evil, Frauds, Thefts, Rapes, Murders, and will | continue to be wicked, until Time and Hue | man Nature expire. = 1 | A few