deal of company, and the like.

Another, he is asked of the currency of his payments, and he answers
suspiciously on that side too; I know not what to say, he may pay them
at last, but he does not pay them the most currently of any man in the
street, and I have heard saucy boys huff him at his door for bills, on
his endeavouring to put them off; indeed, I must needs say I had a bill
on him a few weeks ago for a hundred pounds, and he paid me very
currently, and without any dunning, or often calling upon, but it was I
believe because I offered him a bargain at that time, and I supposed he
was resolved to put a good face upon his credit.

A tradesman, that would do as he would be done by, should carefully
avoid these people who come always about, inquiring after other
tradesman's characters. There are men who make it their business to do
thus; and as they are thereby as ready to ruin and blow up good
fair-dealing tradesmen as others, so they do actually surprise many, and
come at their characters earlier and nearer than they expect they would.

Tradesmen, I say, that will thus behave to one another, cannot be
supposed to be men of much principle, but will be apt to lay hold of any
other advantage, how unjust soever, and, indeed, will wait for an
occasion of such advantages; and where is there a tradesman, but who, if
he be never so circumspect, may some time or other give his neighbour,
who watches for his halting, advantage enough against him. When such a
malicious tradesman appears in any place, all the honest tradesmen about
him ought to join to expose him, whether they are afraid of him or no:
they should blow him among the neighbourhood, as a public nuisance, as a
common _barrettor_, or raiser of scandal; by such a general aversion to
him they would depreciate him, and bring him into so just a contempt,
that no body would keep him company, much less credit any thing he said;
and then his tongue would be no slander, and his breath would be no
blast, and nobody would either tell him any thing, or hear any thing
from him: and this kind of usage, I think, is the only way to put a stop
to a defamer; for when he has no credit of his own left, he would be
unable to hurt any of his neighbour's.

CHAPTER XVI

OF THE TRADESMAN'S ENTERING INTO PARTNERSHIP IN TRADE, AND THE MANY
DANGERS ATTENDING IT

There are some businesses which are more particularly accustomed to
partnerships than others, and some that are very