A merchant writes to his factor at Lisbon:-- 'Please to send, per first ship, 150 chests best Seville, and 200 pipes best Lisbon white.

May value yourself per exchange L1250 sterling, for the account of above orders.

Suppose you can send the sloop to Seville for the ordered chests, &c.

I am.' Here is the order to send a cargo, with a _please to send_; so the factor may let it alone if he does not please.[8] The order is 150 chests Seville; it is supposed he means oranges, but it may be 150 chests orange-trees as well, or chests of oil, or any thing.

Lisbon white, may be wine or any thing else, though it is supposed to be wine.
He may draw L1250, but he may refuse to accept it if he pleases, for any thing such an order as that obliges him.
On the contrary, orders ought to be plain and explicit; and he ought to have assured him, that on his drawing on him, his bills should be honoured--that is, accepted and paid.
I know this affectation of style is accounted very grand, looks modish, and has a kind of majestic greatness 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.