lete_.

This is necessary, because the said term tradesman is understood by
several people, and in several places, in a different manner: for
example, in the north of Britain, and likewise in Ireland, when you say
a tradesman, you are understood to mean a mechanic, such as a smith, a
carpenter, a shoemaker, and the like, such as here we call a
handicraftsman. In like manner, abroad they call a tradesman such only
as carry goods about from town to town, and from market to market, or
from house to house, to sell; these in England we call petty chapmen, in
the north pethers, and in our ordinary speech pedlars.

But in England, and especially in London, and the south parts of
Britain, we take it in another sense, and in general, all sorts of
warehouse-keepers, shopkeepers, whether wholesale dealers or retailers
of goods, are called tradesmen, or, to explain it by another word,
trading men: such are, whether wholesale or retail, our grocers,
mercers, linen and woollen drapers, Blackwell-hall factors,
tobacconists, haberdashers, whether of hats or small wares, glovers,
hosiers, milliners, booksellers, stationers, and all other shopkeepers,
who do not actually work upon, make, or manufacture, the goods they
sell.

On the other hand, those who make the goods they sell, though they do
keep shops to sell them, are not called tradesmen, but handicrafts, such
as smiths, shoemakers, founders, joiners, carpenters, carvers, turners,
and the like; others, who only make, or cause to be made, goods for
other people to sell, are called manufacturers and artists, &c. Thus
distinguished, I shall speak of them all as occasion requires, taking
this general explication to be sufficient; and I thus mention it to
prevent being obliged to frequent and further particular descriptions as
I go on.

As there are several degrees of people employed in trade below these,
such as workmen, labourers, and servants, so there is a degree of
traders above them, which we call merchants; where it is needful to
observe, that in other countries, and even in the north of Britain and
Ireland, as the handicraftsmen and artists are called tradesmen, so the
shopkeepers whom we here call tradesmen, are all called merchants; nay,
even the very pedlars are called travelling merchants.[5] But in England
the word merchant is understood of none but such as carry on foreign
correspondences, importing the goods and growth of other countries, and
exporting the growth and