the maintenance of free trade- 第7部分

　for　passage；　to　fetch　the　said　fish。　And　of　mine　owne　knowledge；　I　am　assured；　they　would　willingly　have　paid　the　same　unto　England；　or　a　good　composition　for　it；　had　not　the　greedy　lucre　of　some　persons　hindered　the　same。　　　　　　These　exemplary　Actions　have　long　determined　the　question　of　Mare　liberum；　touching　the　Communitie　or　freedome　of　the　Seas；　which　is　acknowledged　to　be　so；　for　Navigation；　without　that　the　same　doth　any　manner　of　way　prejudice　the　Distinct　Dominions　of　the　Seas　of　all　Princes　concerning　fishing；　that　is　to　say；　the　fishing　Trade。　So　that　it　is　superfluous　to　alleage　the　opinions　of　Orators　and　Poets　about　the　fishing　heretofore　in　the　Mediterranian　Seas；　neither　doth　it　belong　to　this　place　to　cite　the　Determinations　of　the　learned　Civilians　which　are　mentioned　in　the　Treatise　De　Dominio　Maris。　For　the　matter　hath　beene　learnedly　handled　at　the　Councell　Boord；　before　the　Grave　Senators；　many　yeeres　since；　by　our　Civilians　and　others；　which　（to　avoid　prolixitie）　I　doe　omit。　　　　　　Now　from　the　Fishing　we　are　come　to　Clothing　or　Drapery　of　the　Kingdome；　and　the　abuses　thereof；　as　the　fist　cause　of　the　dacay　of　Trade：　wherein　to　use　many　distinctions　of　the　new　and　old　Drapery　（unlesse　it　were　to　Reduce　matters　in　statu　quo　prius：）　shall　be　needlesse。　And　although　the　dressing　and　dying　of　Cloth；　was　insisted　upon　to　be　done　in　England　in　the　yeere　1616。　To　establish　the　Manufacture　within　the　Realme；　（at　which　time　64　thousand　Clothes　were　exported：）　which　was　afterwards　revoked：）　I　cannot　omit　to　observe　the　Practises　which　were　used　by　Combination　with　other　Nations　abroad；　and　domesticke　intelligences　at　home；　whereby　many　good　Actions　are　overthrowne；　to　the　generall　hurt；　and　with　little　advancement　to　the　particular。　　　　　　It　cannot　be　denied；　but　that　the　Drapery　of　forraine　Nations　（not　only　the　making　of　Cloth　in　the　Low　Countries；　but　of　late　yeeres　in　Italy　and　Spaine　also：）　the　Trade　of　Cloth　is　much　diminished；　both　in　the　number　made；　and　in　the　price　thereof；　which　is　a　Canker　to　the　Common…wealth。　But　this　is　not　to　bee　cured　by　abating　the　price　of　our　Cloth　continually　（as　it　were）　striving　to　our　undoing；　to　undersell　other　Nations；　for　Satan　cannot　cast　out　Satan；　as　the　said　Author　alleageth：　which　mich　hereunto　be　better　applied；　if　the　Simile　were　grounded；　for　in　Phisicke　one　deletorious　poison；　is　hardly　tempred；　but　by　one　of　equall　strength。　For　the　underselling　of　our　Clothes　will　not　make　them　more　vendible；　when　the　Accidents　of　great　Warres　doth　hinder　the　same：　wherein　wee　are　to　note　two　principall　points。　　　　　　First；　that　other　Nations　（buying　heretofore　our　Clothes　when　they　were　sold　deerer；　by　the　one　halfe　in　price　then　they　be　now）　did　never　complaine　that　the　Clothes　were　sold　too　deere；　but　they　did　alwaies　complaine　of　the　false　making　of　our　Cloth。　　　　　　Secondly；　that　other　Nations　are　as　willing　to　sell　unto　us　their　forraine　Commodities；　as　we　can　be　to　sell　our　Clothes　to　them；　for　those　that　make　Clothes　in　their　Countries；　have　no　occasion　to　buy　forraine　Wares；　or　the　Commodities　of　others；　but　seeke　to　sell　them　for　ready　money；　or　to　bee　payed　at　some　thimes：　whereby　England　hath　a　great　advantage；　and　may　enjoy　the　benefit　of　it；　in　selling　their　Cloth　with　Reputation；　which　is　ever　accompanied　with　Request；　and　causeth　Commodities　to　be　sold　at　good　rates；　whereas　vilifying　the　price　of　Wares；　can　never　establish　a　Trade；　and　make　Commodities　more　vendible；　for　this　course　is　violent；　and　Nullum　violentum　perpetuum。　　　　　　And　in　this　place　it　may　bee　thought　convenient　to　make　an　answer；　to　the　imputation　and　false　interpretation　which　the　said　Author　maketh；　in　the　last　chapter　of　his　Treatise　upon　the　words　mentioned　in　the　Canker　of　Englands　Common…wealth；　wishing　the　amendment　of　the　above　said　fault；　That　our　Cloth　might　be　sold　at　so　deere　a　RAte；　and　according　to　the　price　of　forraine　Commodities；　that　thereby　other　Nations；　should　take　upon　them；　to　make　our　Cloathes。　And　the　Remedie　is　added；　by　selling　our　Wooles　deerer；　whereof　they　must　make　them；　for　in　those　dayes　of　the　latter　time　of　Queene　Elizabeth　of　blessed　memory；　and　untill　the　second　yeere　of　our　most　Gracious　Lord　King　James；　Wools　were　permitted　to　be　Transported　by　the　Staplers　and　others。　And　one　makers　of　Cloth　beyond　the　Seas；　must　needs　have　them　to　cover　their　Woolles　in　the　Indraping；　which　is　now　prohibited；　and　the　Case　is　altered；　hereupon　this　Moderne　Merchant　out　of　his　deepe　Speculation；　saith；　which　seemes　to　have　in　it；　much　more　Dutch　then　English；　to　deprive　this　Kingdome　of　so　Royall　a　Manufacture；　whereby　so　many　thousands　of　poore　Families　are　maintained：　imitating　herein　the　Butchers　flye；　byting　upon　one　place；　which　seemeth　to　bee　gawld；　as　he　saith；　and　leaving　all　the　sound　body　untoucht。　For　my　Writings　which　are　extant　in　Print　and　Manuscripts；　doe　shew；　that　my　continuall　studie　hath　beene　to　seeke　the　welfare　of　this　Kingdome；　which　caused　forraine　Nations　to　say；　that　I　did　savour　of　too　much　English；　and　had　made　my　selfe　odious　thereby；　so　that　I　may　justly　Challenge　the　misapplied　example　of　the　great　Commander　of　the　Romans　Belizarius；　alledged　by　the　said　Author；　for　Envie　（looking　asquint；　as　if　shee　were　borne　under　Saturne：）　having　deprived　mee　of　the　sight　of　one　eye　with　forraine　Nations；　doth　now　endeavour　to　make　mee　blinde；　to　bring　me　to　say；　Date　obulum　Belizario；　quem　invidia；　non　culpa　caecavit。　The　like　part　shee　plaid　with　me；　for　the　invention　of　Farthing　tokens；　by　accusation；　that　there　was　an　intention　to　bring　the　use　of　Copper　moneys　within　the　Realme；　which　Tokens　are　found　to　bee　very　commodious　and　necessary；　whereby　the　waste　of　much　Silver　is　prevented；　the　meere　poore　releeved；　and　many　of　their　lives　saved；　and　the　Common…wealth　cannot　be　without　them；　unlesse　Leaden　Tokes　were　made　againe　in　derogation　of　his　Majesties　Praerogative　Royall。　Wise　men　have　noted；　that　the　due　observation　of　vertue；　maketh　a　Stranger　grow　naturall　in　a　strange　Countrie；　and　the　vicious　a　meere　Stranger　in　his　owne　native　Soile：　and　to　their　judgements　I　shall　alwaies　appeale　with　the　divine　assistance；　and　also　pray　for　Unitie　and　Concord　where　none　is；　especially　where　the　Spirits　of　neighbouring　friends　shold　be　united　by　true　Religion　to　make　Justice　flourish；　to　which　end；　Wisdome　doth　construe　things　in　the　best　Sense。　For　if　they　had　with　Patroelius　put　on　Achilles　Armour；　and　rid　on　his　Horse　and　durst　never　touch　Achilles　his　Speare：　Surely　our　Achilles　Speare　doth　both　wound　and　heale；　as　his　did；　and　like　unto　the　water　of　Dodona；　both　extinguish　and　lighten　Torches；　whose　continuall　vigilant　care　by　many　Nocturnall　Lucubrations；　hath　no　need　to　bee　remembred　by　the　sight　of　his　Subjects　bloud　in　sheetes；　written　within　and　without；　proceeding　of　？？？？？？　/？？？　a　Revenging　eye。　　　　　　Returning　to　the　Cloth　Trade　and　the　Clothier；　with　a　consideration　of　the　merchants　Adventurours；　Eastland　merchants；　Russia　Merchants；　and　others；　and　the　Wooll　Grower；　or　the　Gentleman；　let　us　carefully　observe　them　in　particular　and　in　generall；　supposing　their　complaints　were　all　heard　at　one　instant　together；　as　also　dividedly；　whereby　Truth　doth　better　appeare　by　observing　their　Pollicies；　partly　declared　in　the　neglect　of　the　fishing　Trade。　The　merchants　Adventurours　having　ingrossed　into　their　hands　by　colour　of　their　last　Letters　Patents；　The　sole　Power　of　exporting　all　white　Clothes；　coloured　Clothes；　Kersies；　Baies；　Sayes；　Serges；　Perpetuanoes；　and　all　other　new　Draperies；　into　Holland；　Zealand；　Brabant；　and　other　parts　of　the　low　and　higher　Germany；　hath　abated　the　Trade。　　　　　　For　all　Merchants　Strangers；　might　and　did　heretofore　export　white　Clothes　out　of　the　Kingdome；　paying　double　Custome；　which　they　now　may　not。　　　　　　The　Merchants　of　the　Staple；　from　all　the　Staple　Ports；　As　London；　Westminster；　Bristol；　South…hampton；　Hull；　Boystone；　and　New…castle；　have　heretofore　exported；　either　Cloth　or　Wooll；　or　both；　which　now　they　may　not。　　　　　　All　other　Merchants　at　large；　as　well　as　London；　as　of　all　other　parts　of　the　Kingdome　have　usually　heretofore　exported；　coloured　Clothes；　Kersies；　Bayes；　Sayes；　Serges；　Perpetuanoes；　&c。　which　now　they　may　not。　So　that　all　the　Trade　of　the　Merchants　of　the　Staple；　of　the　merchant　Strangers；　and　of　all　other　English　Merchants；　concerning　th'exportation　of　all　the　Commodities　made　of　Wooll　into　those　Countries；　where　the　same　are　expecially　to　bee　vented；　is　in　the　Power　of　the　Merchants　adventurours　only；　and　it　is　come　to　be　managed　by　40　or　50　persons　of　that　Company；　consisting　of　three　or　foure　thousand。　Nay　one　man　alone；　hath　compassed　into　his　hands；　the　whole　Trade　of　coloured　Clothes　and　Kersies　for　these　parts；　by　the　meanes　of　exchanges；　and　moneys　taken　up　at　Interest。　It　is　impossible　that　the　same　number　with　the　same　ability；　can　manage　the　same　Trade；　as　to　the　best　profit　in　Times　of　warres；　as　in　Times　of　Peace：　Then　much　lesse　can　a　lesser　number；　with　lesser　abilitie　manage　a　greater　Trade；　in　most　Troublesome　times；　especially　if　they　have　borrowed　50　or　60　thousand　pounds　at　use；　for　the　service　of　the　Company；　and　thereby　engaged　the　Trade；　and　set　themselves　in　debt；　which　causeth　many　of　the　best　merchant　Adventurours　to　give　over　Trade；　and　are　become　purchasers；　or　lenders　of　money　at　Interest。　Many　others　of　them　have　engaged　themselves　in　the　East　Indian　Company；　which　did　carry　away　their　money；　and　left　the　Cloth。　　　　　　This　small　number　to　manage　so　great　a　Trade　incourageth　the　Clothier　to　adventure　to　make　false　Cloth；　because　it　is　impossible；　that　so　few　Merchants　can　search　and　visit　every　Cloth；　as　it　ought　to　bee　done；　and　the　Clothiers　conscience　is　satisfied。　For　he　saith　that　the　falsest　Cloth　is　answerable　to　the　best　price；　because　none　may　export　but　they；　and　therefore　they　will　give　what　price　they　please　for　this　deceitfull　Cloth　hath　cause　great　iarres　and　differences　betweene　the　English　Merchants　and　the　forraine　Nations　for　Tare　or　Rebatements；　and　the　generall　Report　of　the　falsenesse　of　English　Manufactures；　hath　caused　a　wonderfull　decay　of　the　sale　thereof。　　　　　　The　Trade　thus　limited　to　a　small　number　of　a　Company；　residing　for　the　most　part　at　London；　is　a　generall