Debtor side with one Hand, and the Creditor with the other; if he be
a Lawyer, he draws his Drafts with one Hand, and Ingrosses them with
the other.

Another part of it furnishes him with such an Expeditious way of
Writing, or Transcribing, that a Man cannot speak so fast, but he
that hears shall have it down in Writing before 'tis spoken; and a
Preacher shall deliver himself to his Auditory, and having this
Engine before him, shall put down every thing he says in Writing at
the same time; and so exactly is this Engine squar'd by Lines and
Rules, that it does not require him that Writes to keep his Eye
upon it.

I am told, in some Parts of China, they had arriv'd to such a
Perfection of Knowledge, as to understand one anothers Thoughts; and
that it was found to be an excellent Preservative to humane Society,
against all sorts of Frauds, Cheats, Sharping, and many Thousand
European Inventions of that Nature, at which only we can be said
to out-do those Nations.

I confess, I have not yet had leisure to travel those Parts, having
been diverted by an accidental Opportunity of a new Voyage I had
occasion to make for farther Discoveries, and which the Pleasure and
Usefulness thereof having been very great, I have omitted the other
for the present, but shall not fail to make a Visit to those Parts
the first Opportunity, and shall give my Country-men the best Account
I can of those things; for I doubt not in Time to bring our Nation,
so fam'd for improving other People's Discoveries, to be as wise as
any of those Heathen Nations; I wish I had the same Prospect of
making them half so honest.