32                            COMMON SENSE.
out debt. A national debt is a national bond ; and when
it bears no interest; is in no case a grievance. Britain is op-
pressed with a debt of upwards of one hundred and fifty
millions sterling for which she pays upwards of four millions
interest. As a compensation for her debt, she has a large
navy ; America is without a debt, and without a navy ;
yet, for the twentieth part of the English national debt,
could have a navy as large again. The navy of England
is not worth, at this time, more than three millons and an
half sterling.

The first and second editions of this pamphlet were
published without the following calculations, which are
now given as a proof that the above estimation of
the navy is a just one. See Entic's naval history, intro.
page 56.

The charge of building a ship of each rate, and furnishing
her with masts, yards, sails, and rigging, together with
a proportion of eight months boatswain’s and carpenter’s
sea-stores, as calculated by Mr. Burchett, Secratary to
the navy.                                            

                                                      £.
For a ship of 100 guns   - - - 35, 553
                           90  -   -        - 29, 886
                           80 -     -       - 23, 638
                           70      -   -    - 17, 785
                           60     -     -      14,197
                           50          -     - 10,606
                           40      -     -       7,855
                           30     -        -     5,846
                           20     -       -      3,710

And from hence it is easy to sum up the value, or cost rather, of the whole British navy, which in the year 1757, when it was at its greatest glory, consisted of the follow ships and guns:

Ships