tness in it; but the best merchants in
the world are come off from it, and now choose to write plain and
intelligibly: much less should country tradesmen, citizens, and
shopkeepers, whose business is plainness and mere trade, make use of it.

I have mentioned this in the beginning of this work, because, indeed, it
is the beginning of a tradesman's business. When a tradesman takes an
apprentice, the first thing he does for him, after he takes him from
behind his counter, after he lets him into his counting-house and his
books, and after trusting him with his more private business--I say, the
first thing is to let him write letters to his dealers, and correspond
with his friends; and this he does in his master's name, subscribing his
letters thus:--

I am, for my master, A.B. and Company, your
humble servant, C.D.
And beginning thus:--Sir,

I am ordered by my master A.B. to advise you that--

Or thus:--

Sir, By my master's order, I am to signify to you that

Orders for goods ought to be very explicit and particular, that the
dealer may not mistake, especially if it be orders from a tradesman to a
manufacturer to make goods, or to buy goods, either of such a quality,
or to such a pattern; in which, if the goods are made to the colours,
and of a marketable goodness, and within the time limited, the person
ordering them cannot refuse to receive them, and make himself debtor to
the maker. On the contrary, if the goods are not of a marketable
goodness, or not to the patterns, or are not sent within the time, the
maker ought not to expect they should be received. For example--

The tradesman, or warehouseman, or what else we may call him, writes to
his correspondent at Devizes, in Wiltshire, thus:--

'Sir--The goods you sent me last week are not at all for my purpose,
being of a sort which I am at present full of: however, if you are
willing they should lie here, I will take all opportunities to sell them
for your account; otherwise, on your first orders, they shall be
delivered to whoever you shall direct: and as you had no orders from me
for such sorts of goods, you cannot take this ill. But I have here
enclosed sent you five patterns as under, marked 1 to 5; if you think
fit to make me fifty pieces of druggets of the same weight and goodness
with the fifty pieces, No. A.B., which I had from you last October, and
mixed as exactly as you can to the enclosed patterns, ten to each
pattern, and can