seldom managed without
two, three, or four partners, and others that cannot be at all carried
on without partnership; and there are those again, in which they seldom
join partners together.

Mercers, linen-drapers, banking goldsmiths, and such considerable
trades, are often, and indeed generally, carried on in partnership; but
other meaner trades, and of less business, are carried on, generally
speaking, single-handed.

Some merchants, who carry on great business in foreign ports, have what
they call houses in those ports, where they plant and breed up their
sons and apprentices; and these are such as I hinted could not carry on
their business without partnership.

The trading in partnership is not only liable to more hazards and
difficulties, but it exposes the tradesman to more snares and
disadvantages by a great deal, than the trading with a single hand does;
and some of those snares are these:--

1. If the partner is a stirring, diligent, capable man, there is danger
of his slipping into the whole trade, and, getting in between you and
home, by his application, thrusting you at last quite out; so that you
bring in a snake into your chimney corner, which, when it is warmed and
grown vigorous, turns about at you, and hisses you out of the house. It
is with the tradesman, in the case of a diligent and active partner, as
I have already observed it was in the case of a trusty and diligent
apprentice, namely, that if the master does not appear constantly at the
head of the business, and make himself be known by his own application
and diligence to be what he is, he shall soon look to be what he is not,
that is to say, one not concerned in the business.

He will never fail to be esteemed the principal person concerned in the
shop, and in the trade, who is principally and most constantly found
there, acting at the head of every business; and be it a servant or a
partner, the master or chief loses himself extremely by the advances the
other makes of that kind; for, whenever they part again, either the
apprentice by being out of his time, or the partner by the expiration of
the articles of partnership, or by any other determination of their
agreement, the customers most certainly desire to deal with the man whom
they have so often been obliged by; and if they miss him, inquire after
and follow him.

It is true, the apprentice is the more dangerous of the two, because his
separation is supposed to be more certain, and