the maintenance of free trade-第11章

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de　thus　limited　to　a　small　number　of　a　Company；　residing　for　the　most　part　at　London；　is　a　generall　prejudice　to　the　whole　Kingdome；　which　though　it　have　made　London　rich；　it　hat　made　all　the　Ports　and　other　parts　of　the　Kingdome　poore；　for　it　enforceth　needlesse　and　chargeable　carriage　and　Recarriage　of　divers　commodities；　whereby　they　are　endeared　unto　us；　and　it　hinders　all　the　Ports　（being　the　Walls　of　the　Kingdome）　from　having　either　forraine　or　domesticke　Commodities　brought　unto　them　at　the　best　hand；　which　causeth　them　to　be　almost　desolate　and　forsaken：　and　it　hindereth　the　Clothiers　and　new　Drapers；　（which　dwell　in　remote　parts：）　from　selling　their　Cloth　and　Stuffes　at　their　next　ajoyning　Ports；　for　how　can　they　sell；　when　there　are　no　Merchants？　　　　　　It　causeth　all　Chapmen　to　give　poore　and　faint　prices　for　Wool；　because　when　it　is　indraped；　it　may　not　more　freely　be　exported　to　the　best　advantage。　So　that　the　Grower　is　hindered　in　the　price　of　his　Wooll；　for　every　losse　and　prejudice　that　comes　upon　cloth　and　the　Clothier；　doth　fall　upon　the　Wooll；　and　the　Wooll　Grower。　And　the　Clothier　saith；　hee　is　prevented　of　his　best　Chapmen　for　his　Cloth；　for　that　merchants　Strangers；　or　other　English　merchants　cannot　worke　upon　the　advantage　of　Markets　and　the　Clothiers　necessitie；　which　beates　downe　the　price　of　Cloth；　the　price　of　Cloth　beateth　downe　the　price　of　Wooll；　the　price　of　Wooll　beateth　downe　the　price　of　Lands　which　cannot　be　improved；　and　forraine　Commodities　are　freely　taken　in　Barter　for　the　Returne　of　our　home　Commodities；　when　moneys　nor　Bullion　can　be　imported；　as　that　beene　declared：　so　that　the　Hammers　at　the　Minte；　where　the　pulses　of　the　common…wealth　should　be　felt；　are　the　life　and　moving。　And　it　is　come　to　such　extremitie　with　the　Eastland　merchants；　that　they　cannot　vent　their　Cloth　in　Barter　of　other　Wares　to　make　Returne；　and　by　money　their　losse　would　be　incredible。　　　　　　Shall　this　be　Proclaimed　a　Free　Trade；　when　within　ourselves；　we　are　in　Bondage；　and　have　lost　the　benefit　of　the　Two　essential　Parts　of　Trafficke；　namely　the　Rule　of　money　and　exchanges？　Let　every　man　judge。　　　　　　Today　nothing　of　the　dependances　of　Trade；　as　the　increase　of　Navigation　and　Navigators；　when　Merchants　heretofore　had　more　freedome；　and　the　Ports　were　furnished　and　frequented；　with　great　store　of　shipping；　which　although　they　were　but　small　of　burden：　yet　every　one　had　their　severall　Pilot　and　Mariners；　which　did　daily　supplie　the　Land；　with　plenty　of　Sea…men。　　　　　　The　Merchants　Staplers　have　observed；　that　the　Merchants　Adventurers；　have　an　inevitable　opportunity　of　Combination；　to　set　what　price　they　please　upon　cloth　to　the　Clothier；　of　Wooll　to　the　Grower；　and　of　all　Commodities　exported　and　imported；　and　likewise　to　lay　what　private　impositions　they　please；　upon　any　of　the　said　Commodities；　so　that　whether　they　doe　well　or　ill　for　the　Common…weale；　there　can　be　no　apparant　triall：　for　having　power　to　barre　all　others　from　Trade；　but　themselves；　they　are　like　a　Commoditie　weighed　in　a　Ballance；　that　hath　but　one　end；　where　there　can　be　no　Counterpoize；　and　then　it　seemes　to　bee　great　weight；　although　it　be　never　so　light。　So　that　this　ingrossing　of　Trade　into　few　mens　hands；　hath　caused　our　home　Trades　to　decay；　our　Manufactures　to　decrease；　and　our　home…bred　Commodities　to　lie　upon　our　hands　unsold；　or　to　be　sold　at　a　low　price；　to　the　utter　undoing　of　all　sorts　of　poore　people　in　England；　and　the　great　damage　of　all　his　Majesties　loving　Subjects；　and　whilest　our　merchants　hinder　one　another　from　Trade；　other　Nations　increase　their　own　Manufactures；　and　enlarge　their　Trade；　not　only　for　the　said　Countries　of　high　and　low　Germany；　but　also　for　Russia；　Eastland；　Poland　and　other　places。　　　　　　For　the　making　of　good　and　true　Cloth；　many　excellent　Lawes　have　beene　made　and　enacted；　especially　in　the　fourth　yeere　of　his　Majesties　happy　Raigne；　whereupon　I　have　heretofore　made　a　Demonstration　which　was　exhibited　to　the　Right　Honourable　the　Lords　of　the　Privie　Councell；　shewing　the　weight；　length　and　breadth　of　all　sorts　of　Clothes；　and　that　Weight　and　Measure　doth　controlle　each　other；　whereby　the　Merchant　that　buyeth　the　Cloth；　may　be　enabled　to　finde　out　the　fraud　and　deceit　of　the　Clothier：　but　this　should　bee　done　before　the　selling　of　them；　and　that　by　honest　Officers　or　Magistrates；　according　to　the　said　Acte；　whereof　our　great　Booke　（now　under　the　Presse；）　intituled　Lex　Mercatoria　or　the　Law　Merchant；　doth　intreat　of　more　particularly。　　　　　　The　eight　cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　is　Th'exportation　of　the　materials　of　Wools；　and　Wooll…fells；　from　the　Sea…coasts　of　England；　and　the　Kingdome　of　Scotland；　and　the　Customes　and　Impositions　laid　upon　Clothes　at　home　and　abroad　in　other　Countries；　especially　the　great　Imposition　in　the　Low　united　Provinces　called　Consumption　Money；　payed　by　the　Retaile　of　Cloth　or　Drapery；　only　upon　our　English　Clothes；　and　not　upon　Cloth　in　those　parts；　whereby　their　Cloth　is　more　vented；　and　English　Cloth　in　less　Request。　　　　　　Touching　the　exportation　of　Materials；　there　is　a　provident　order　taken；　to　prevent　the　same　in　England；　by　a　late　direction　and　Proclamation；　prohibiting　the　exportation　of　Woolls；　Wooll　fells；　Wool…yearne；　Fullers　earth；　and　Wood　ashes。　And　the　like　will　be　done　in　Scotland；　and　for　the　better　execution；　there　is　a　Committee　appointed　of　certaine　selected　discreet　persons　under　the　great　Seale　of　England。　　　　　　The　ninth　Cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　are　the　Warres　in　Christendome；　as　also　in　other　Countries　out　of　the　same；　where　our　Cloth　and　Manufactures　have　been　transported；　increased　by　the　daily　losses　sustained　by　Pirats；　and　continuall　breaking　of　Merchants　and　Tradesmen；　all　which　is　meerely　Heterocliton　or　opposite　to　Traffique；　and　they　concurre　all　in　nature；　to　the　interruption　and　overthrowing　of　Trade；　and　this　can　never　be　divereted；　prevented；　nor　remedied；　by　selling　our　Clothes　or　Manufactures　cheape；　to　undersell　other　Nations；　who　meet　with　the　said　hinderances　and　interruption　as　well　as　we　doe；　in　the　Trade　of　the　Clothes　made　by　them：　But　Time　and　quietnesse　must　be　expected　in　some　measure。　The　price　of　Wool　being　fallen　from　33　shillings　the　Todde；　to　18　shillings　and　under　disimproving　the　Revenue　of　lands；　can　never　increase　Trade；　but　improverish　the　Kingdome　and　all　landed　men。　　　　　　Aristotle　saith；　that　Riches　is　either　Natural　or　Artificiall。　The　natural　Riches；　as　lands；　vines　forrests；　meddowes；　etc。　The　Artificiall；　as　Money；　Gold；　Silver；　Cloth；　and　all　things　metalline　or　mineral；　and　manufactures；　proceeding　of　the　Naturall　Riches。　And　as　both　these　doe　receive　their　price　and　estimation　by　mony　（as　the　Rule　and　square）　so　reason　requireth　a　certaine　Equality　betweene　them　in　the　estimation　of　the　value　thereof；　which　dayly　decreaseth　by　abating　the　price　of　our　Commodities；　and　for　the　want　of　moneys；　which　in　some　unskilful　merchants　are　much　to　bee　blamed　in　making　inconsiderate　Barters　for　our　Clothes　beyond　the　Seas；　wanting　vente；　and　being　（by　the　abuse　of　exchange）　deprived　to　import　moneys　and　Bullione。　To　conclude　this　point；　let　us　remember；　that　the　Protection　of　Princes　in　warres　and　against　the　Pirates；　is　to　be　m