The Virginia Gazette

June 25. The Conduct of the Great (the Nobility and Gentry) at the West End of the Town, is at this Time highly censurable. The major Part of them have quitted the Town, without paying their Tradesmen. Some few indeed have the Consideration and Humanity to reflect that a Man in Trade cannot shuffle Week after Week, be from home, say call again (after having called twenty Times) the Steward shall pay, &c. and therefore by paying once a Year, with which every reasonable Man is contented, are deserving the highest Praise. But what Stigma is severe enough for that profligate Part of the Great who dissipate their Fortunes in Pleasures, and then have not Money, or have not Principle, to pay those who have furnished them with Necessaries; who would rather spend their Money at the Gaming Table, or any Place of Diversion, than pay the industrious Tradesman who gives Bread to Hundreds! Nothing can be so melancholy as this shocking Spirit of Dishonesty, which prevails so generally among the People of Fashion, that, upon a moderate Computation, it may be said two Thirds of the Quality (or those who call themselves Quality) are infected with it. There seems but one Way of curing this Distemper, and that is, for the Tradesmen to refuse serving such Noblemen and Gentlemen as do not pay their Bills once a Year. Every one of the late Failures was in Consequence of this scandalous and most enormous Abuse of Credit, though in different Ranks of People; and surely the many and great Mischiefs occasioned by them will be a sufficient Warning to Tradesmen to conduct their Affairs with more Regularity, and to insist upon being paid once a Year. If this Rule were once established, Failures would then be in Consequence of Extravagance only.