The Levellers: A Dialogue Between Two Young Ladies Concerning Matrimony, Proposing an Act for Enforcing Marriage, for the Equality of Matches, and Taxing Single Persons

An Epistle to a Member of Parliament. Honoured Sir, Our Fore-fathers, if not now in Being, have passed an Act, prohibiting the Importation of Foreign, and for the Encouragement of the Breed of English Cattle, which, I am told, has much raised the Price of Land in England. With Submission to your better Judgment, I think, An Act, for Increasing the Breed of Englishmen, would be far more advantageous to the Realm. Some say, That our Ships are the Walls of our Island; but I say, Our Men are the Walls, the Bulwarks, and Fortresses of our Country. You can have no Navies, nor Armies, without Men; and, like prudent Farmers, we ought always to keep our Land well stocked. England never prospered by the Importation of Foreigners, nor have we any Need of them, when we can raise a Breed of our own. What you have here presented, is a Discourse of two young Ladies, who, you find, are very willing to comply with such an Act, and are ready to go to Work for the Good of their Country, as soon as they shall have a legal ity; of which, if you are the happy Instrument, you will have the Blessing of ten-thousand Damsels, and the Thanks of Your humble Servant.POLITICA