Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	john_n	sir_n	town_n	12,188	5	8.1149	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50266	Of the opening of rivers for navigation the benefit exemplified by the two Avons of Salisbury and Bristol : with a Mediterranean passage by water for billanders of thirty tun, between Bristol and London, with the results.	Mathew, Francis, Esquire.	1655 (1655)	Wing M1287D; ESTC R32418	7,390	15

that Country about Malmsbury and Calne and Coal being sold there constantly for 18 s. 2 d. the London Chaldron to all that will fetch them that is at the price of 6 d. the London Bushel No question is to be made but that a marvelous great quantity will be thus vented to the great blessing of the people who now pay about Calne and Malmsbury never under 12 d. the Bushel and commonly more being carried by horse from Bristol Should 50000 Chaldron only be thus yeerly vented it is a great Revenue and would in the very Profits to the State rise in this sole Commodity of Coal unto 20833 6 8 That is for Passage 12500 0 0 And for the third Coal gained 8333 6 8 And no doubt Bristol so great a place of Traffick would make use of this River as high as Calne towards the transportation of their Merchandize from Bristol to London it being the worst and most hilly part of the way and lieth full in the passage to London   l. s. d. A Billander of 30 Tun laden with Merchandize from Bristol to Calne taking but one Farthing per pound fruits to the State every voyage 62 10 0 It may well make two voyages every Month. This River being thus practiced as high as Malmsbury and Calne should our Seas be at any time infested with Enemy Fleets in such sort as with 〈◊〉 eminent danger London and other parts of this Common-wealth could not be served with Coal from Newcastle and Sunderland How facile a thing it were from Malmsbury lying upon the said River to open a passage for these Billanders of 30 Tun which draw water but three foot and half loaden into the River Isis by Creeklade and Latchlade and so into the Thames all that land-passage being not above 4 or 5 miles inviting the Vndertaker being very low and practicable ground most fit for the Designe By this means there would be a Mediterranean passage from Bristol to London by water Not only for the supply of much Coal in time of necessity but for all other Commodities brought into Bristol which in time of Hostility London could not otherwise enjoy but by excessive Rates for Land-carriages or conveyances by Sea but by this passage once opened all Commodities may be brought from Bristol to London even at one farthing per pound we now paying all the winter-time for carriage by Land between London and Bristol 4 s. per cent and so preserve our horses for the States Service The whole Charge of this Navigable Passage would be paid with the Profits of one only yeer And as for Coal for 2 s. more upon the London Chaldron for fraight they also this way would be brought to London at 20 s. 2 d. the Chaldron London Chaldron Howsoever great caution ought to be used that during times of Peace no Coal should be brought to London this way to the end our shipping which is much imployed in the transportation of that Commodity might still be kept up for the safety benefit and honor of this State It were good that the 2 d. upon every Chaldron were paid towards the defraying of the Salary of Officers upon the VVharf and towards the Passage yeerly at Cardiff the neerest Colliary to Bristol that is upon the Severn excellent Scotish-Coals which also would drive a great trade upon this passage being sold by the Tun. This passage in time of Peace should be used for transportation of Merchandize to London and from London to Bristol only from the first of October to the first of April partly not to obstruct our Navigation by Sea all the Summer-time when the doubling of the Cape of Cornwal is not dangerous nor our Coasts so subject to storms And partly by reason of the Avon and Isis and the Thames it self in those winter-months will not want water which in the Summer they do And for Coal our Seas being not infested none should pass higher then Malmsbury and Calne not to hinder as hath been said our Navigation for that Commodity by Sea which must still be endeavored to be kept up to the full Now who should be the Vndertaker of this great work but the State it self it being too great an expence for any private man or Corporation to lay out and of too great a Profit for them to receive being effected Some endeavors have been used by that noble Patriot Sir John Harrington to make this River Navigable between Bristol and the Bath which work I have seen This to be observed well by by the Cities of Bath and Bristol lest they labor in vain but the Design being too narrow for this our great Proposal it were in vain to be again set upon either by any private man or the said two Towns unless they intended to make the River and their Sasses so large as the River to carry Billanders of thirty Tun and their Sasses to hold half a dozen of these Billanders at once I went down to see Sir Joh. Harringtons intended Sass some two miles below the Bath I found the Engineer to have much abused the noble Knight in his work making his Sass upon the very Dam of the River which would have been a perpetual and forcible enemy to his work Besides I found by measuring his Sass that it would contain but one only Boat and that only of 8 Tun which narrow Design would no way have served to this our Mediterranean Passage But must have been again ript up and destroyed The Sass it self being to be otherwise placed and made far larger He who hath seen the Sass between Ipris and Vuerne in Flanders will confess it a noble work and capable of Publick Service which this I spoke of no way is 〈◊〉 much is the memory of that noble Knight to be honored in shewing himself to his ability a publick man laboring so much for the good of his Country Many Sasses are to be made upon this River of Avon it being so much a fayling-water insomuch it is now forced to be kept up with many Dams every one of which must have his Sass but not upon the Dam but upon the side of it as the Figure expresseth The Proposer of this Paper hath no other interest in this Design than a true Patriot ought to have a desire for the Publick good to see it effected and by it his Country served And if he shall perceive it imbraced it will encourage him to offer up to the Publick service of his Country other improvements of greater Consequence FINIS Aboue and below the Damme Thus the Sasse to goe The Auon The Damme Sir Iohn Harringtons Sasse The Auon