Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	best_a	good_a	great_a	1,494	5	2.3396	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55533	A discovery of indirect practices in the coal-trade, or A detection of the pernicious maxims and unfair dealings of a certain combination of men, who affirm, it is a cheat to be just, and just to cheat To which are added some proposals for the improvement of trade and navigation in general, and of the colliery-trade to New Castle in particular. By Charles Povey.	Povey, Charles, 1652?-1743.	1700 (1700)	Wing P3040; ESTC R212936	31,768	49

the seventh part of a Score full Pay as also That one Chaldron is the One and twentieth part of a Score commonly call'd Water-Measure John Cleavely Sworn Meeters to the City John Davis Sworn Meeters to the City Samuel Barnes Sworn Meeters to the City III. My over-industrious Adversaries use their utmost Endeavours to perswade the Masters of Vessels That they lose a Chaldron of Coals in every Score by Measuring them at my Wharf which is so absurd and extravagant an Asseveration that it would seem much rather to have been utter'd by a Buffoon on a Stage or a Lyer in the Stocks than by a Coal-Merchant at Billinsgate For can it be reasonably supposed That a Fat is capable of holding more at my Wharf than it is at any other Place Or would they induce the World to believe That the Meeters-Office keeps a particular Fat for my Use or that Execution-Dock has an irresitible Charm to oblige the Meeters to break the Sacred Oaths by which they are bound to do justice between Buyer and Seller But if the above-specify'd Assertion holds good viz. That I have larger Measure than any other Dealer in the Coal-trade then it is evident That all Persons have a doubleAdvantage in dealing with me For instead of making twenty one Chaldrons out of every Score they are sure of receiving Twenty two from me whenever they see them Measur'd out of the Ship as many or most doe who take any considerable Quantity So that of Necessity they must wave this Argument or else all their Customers will come to Execution-Dock NOw if such Things as these are allow'd of and encourag'd no Man Living can be safe but is liable to be ruin'd in his Trade and Reputation at the Pleasure of every desperate Villain especially by such proceedings as the Three-penny Indictment For Example suppose a notorious Rogue or any other Malicious Person should come to a Maulster whom he has a Spleen against or send a third Person to Buy two or three Quarters of Mault with Instructions to convey them to a certain Place The Maulster being ignorant of their Treachery orders his Servants to Measure the same according to the aforesaid Directions Whereupon notwithstanding the Mault was deliver'd full Measure from his House partly thro the treachery of a Secret Enemy and partly by the Waste that may happen in the Grain a Peck and half or half a Bushel of Measure is wanting upon the delivery at the Place appointed So likewise if a Brewer should deliver a full Barrel of Beer to his Servants nevertheless by the Jolting of the Dray it might want a Pint or a Quart of being full when brought to the Victualler which every body knows cannot be prevented and many other Instances of the like Nature might be easily produc'd I say if these Things are allow'd every Man is as liable to be ruin'd by the Breath of a spiteful Miscreant as he may be by Devouring Flames or a Rogue that Riffles him of his Substance Nay the Case is worse than either of these for he may recover a Loss by Fire by the Charity of well disposed People or peradventure he may Apprehend the Villain and Regain his Substance But when he is once depriv'd of his Trade and Credit and perhaps without the least Provocation by a set of prosligate Wretches it is a thousand to one whether ever he be able to retrieve it to his Dying Day Many Judicious Persons are apt to believe That the next Age will surpass this in Villany Perjury and Malicious Slanders but I am of the Contrary Opinion For what Age ever did or can out-do this in Subtil Devices Perfidiousness and all manner of sinister Practices especially in such Instances as I have been treating of What would a Turk a Jew or Heathen take Men to be if they should hear of a Three-penny Indictment carry'd on by a Combination of Men under the Colour of Justice that never used any themselves but instead of that are Recorded for the worst of Actions that can be committed in the way of Trade What would they think if they were to see twelve Men Sworn by a Soveraign Prince to do Justice to the best of their Knowledge and according to the Evidence given and at the same time Acting quite Contrary in all Respects I am perswaded they would Conclude That it was a Combination of Men that had met with some Person or other who gave them a Check in the full Career of their fraudulent Dealing And since no Matter of Fact could be prov'd against him they devised a counterfeit Cheat to impair the Reputation of such an over-bold Opposer And as for the Jury they would take them to be Men depriv'd of their Senses or Persons of debauch'd Principles disbelieving a future State Or at the best Conclude That some of the Combination with several of their Agents were Impannell'd with them with a Resolution of defending their bad Old Cause against all manner of Opposition whatever it might cost them even to the making Shipwrack of a good Conscience in this World and to the hazard of their everlasting Happiness hereafter I doubt not but in a few Years the great Council of the Nation will consider it among their most serious Debates so as to impower the Gentlemen of the Meeters-Office with the same Prerogative and Management of the Coal-trade a-shore which they have on board the Fleet in the Pool Then a stop will be effectually put to the Lawless and exorbitant Demands of the Quarterly Winking-mony Then the thirty Bushels instead of a Chaldron will be absolutely laid aside and all Persons will have the same Measure a-shore as they now Receive on board the Fleet In short when Matters are so regulated one of the main Oppressions of the disconsolate Widows and Orphans of this populous City will quite cease and they 'll no longer have any cause to Complain for want of their due Measure in Coals Among many other subtil Contrivances my industrious Adversaries thought fit to give it out That they had a Tract in the Press call'd An Answer to Povey's Advertisement concerning his Method of selling Coals but this proves as false as all the rest of their notorious Slanders However I now peremptorily Challenge the wisest of them all nay the whole Combination together to give such an Answer to the Contents of this small Tract as shall be reputed Satisfactory by any Competent and impartial Judges whatsoever or to produce any authentick Evidences or solid Reasons and Arguments for the making good their Allegations and the heavy Charge they have brought against me If they can do this I shall readily submit to the severest Censure of the World but if they refuse then it will appear That what I have writ is plain matter of Fact To conclude let those Catch-poles who were Disappointed of their Winking-mony be transported with Spleen and Passion let them Swear It is a Cheat to be Just and Just to Cheat let them