14. By taking Care that in all Treaties of Peace and other Negotiations with Foreign Princes a due Regard be had to our Trade and Manufactures; that our Merchants be respected, and not affronted by the Governments among whom they reside; that all things be made easie to them, and both their Liberties and Properties secured; that our Manufactures be not prohibited, or burthened with unreasonable Taxes, which is the same in effect; that speedy Justice be done in recovering Debts contracted amongst the Natives, and punishing Abuses put on our Factories by them; These are pressures our Trade hath long groaned under, whereby the Merchants abroad and Manufacturers at home have been much discouraged, and the _English_ Nation hath been forced to truckle under the _French_ in Foreign Parts (especially in _Portugal_, and the Islands belonging to it) only because that King sooner resented Injuries done to his Traders, and took more Care to demand Reparation, than our last Reigns have done; but blessed be God we have now both Power and Opportunity to do the same, and there is no cause to doubt His Majesty's Royal Inclinations to make use of both for the Good of his Merchants when things are duely represented to him. [Sidenote: Liberty of Conscience.] [Sidenote: The Quakers in respect to Oaths.] I should in the last place have added _Liberty of Conscience_, but that being already settled by Law I need not mention it, only this, that it were to be wisht some way might be found out to make Methods of Trade more easie to the _Quakers_ than now they are; I am apt to think that he who appears in the Face of a Court to give Evidence on his word if he be a Man of Couscience looks on himself equally obliged to speak the Truth as if he was sworn, and nothing will deter a dishonest Man like she fear of punishment. [Sidenote: The Importation of Materials to be manufactured will encourage Trade.] Nor will the prohibiting things already manufactured be any way a hindrance to Foreign Trade, but rather an Incouragement; more Ships will be fraighted, and more _Saylors_ imployed by the Importation of Materials, besides the great Advantage to the Nation in the ballance of its Trade, which must then be returned in _Bullion_ by so much more as they cost less abroad than the others; and this will enable us to afford a greater Consumption of Foreign Commodities spent on our Palates, such as _Wines_, _Fruit_, and the like, all which fill our Ships, and are fit Subjects for _Trade_ when the Profits of a Nation enable it to bear their Expence. [Sidenote: Navigation.] [Sidenote: Manning our Ships of War.] [Sidenote: Pressing Saylors.] [Sidenote: Embargoes.]