the maintenance of free trade-第12章

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point；　let　us　remember；　that　the　Protection　of　Princes　in　warres　and　against　the　Pirates；　is　to　be　maintained　to　prevent　the　decay　of　Trade。　　　　　　The　tenth　and　last　Cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　is　the　immoderate　use　of　forraine　Commodities；　and　the　lesse　use　of　our　home　Commodities：　for　albeit　that　by　the　Superfluity　of　our　native　Commodities；　Trade　is　procured；　yet　if　that　Superfluity　do　abound　so；　that　thereby　the　price　of　it　becommeth　abated：　The　forraine　Commodities　being　more　used　and　worne；　come　in　the　liew　thereof　and　are　advanced；　which　bringeth　an　evident　overballancing　of　Comodities。　　　　　　This　cause　some　Statesmen　in　France；　to　invent　meanes　how　the　Trade　might　be　cut　off；　and　that　no　Commodities　should　be　transported　out　of　the　Realme；　making　account；　that　they　could　live　peaceably　within　themselves　and　very　good　cheape；　without　giving　or　receiving　any　thing　of　other　nations。　This　was　much　contradicted　by　Monsieur　Bodine　the　great　Polititian　of　France；　as　is　noted　in　Englands　View；　who　shewed　that　they　had　neede　of　the　Stranger；　and　most　especially　of　the　Traffique　with　them：　Insomuch；　that　although　they　could　have　lived　without　them　in　regard　of　Commodities：　yet　charity；　humanity；　and　Policy　willeth　us　to　maintaine　friendship　with　our　neighbours；　and　rater　to　give　them　part　of　our　blessings；　then　not　to　deale　or　Communicate　with　them。　True　it　is；　that　it　cannot　bee　denyed；　that　if　any　kingdome　under　the　Sunne；　can　subsist　of　itself；　none　hath　more　cause　of　thankgiving　unto　God；　then　the　Kingdomes　of　Great　Brittaine　and　Ireland；　so　richly　replensihed　with　all　things　serving　and　Victum　&　Vestitum；　for　the　Backe　and　Belly；　as　we　terme　it；　not　onley　for　our　owne　maintenance；　but　also　for　the　supply　of　others。　But　God　caused　nature　to　distribute　her　bennefites；　or　his　blessings　to　severall　Climates；　supplying　the　barrennesse　of　some　things　in　one　countrey；　with　the　fruitfulnesse　and　store　of　other　countries；　to　the　end　that　interchangeably　one　Common…weale　should　live　with　an　other。　And　therefore　is　Traffique　and　Trade　so　much　to　bee　maintained　and　defended；　where　in　all　manner　of　rashnesse　in　the　sale　of　wares　is　to　be　avoided；　but　by　Policy　to　be　prevented　and　upholden；　according　to　the　Policy　of　that　valiant　Captaine　Sertorius；　who　did　preferre　the　same　before　strength　by　setting　the　feeble　Souldior　to　pull　out　the　horses　taile；　which　the　mightiest　man　of　his　campe　could　not　effect；　using　violance：　when　the　feeble　man　did　performe　the　same　by　pulling　out　the　haires　by　little　and　little。　Merchants　can　use　the　like　Policie；　when　they　want　not　monyes；　and　doe　expect　a　convenient　time　to　sell　their　Clothes　with　reputation。



Chapter　III

Of　Governed　Trade；　and　therein　of　Monopoly。

　　　　　Hitherto　（saith　the　said　Authour：）　the　matter　of　Trade　hath　been　considered　in　Money　and　Merchandize；　and　the　exchange　of　monyes　is　past　over　by　him；　as　a　matter　not　worthy　the　consideration：　indeed　it　was　good　for　him　to　saile　between　the　two　Rocks　of　Scylla　and　Charybdis；　without　further　adventure；　and　not　to　suffer　Shipwracke　upon　the　dangerous　Rocke　of　exchanges。　But　divers　merchants　have　much　distasted；　that　a　man　of　their　profession　should　neglect　one　of　the　Essentiall　Parts　of　Traffique；　and　the　most　operative　in　Trade；　being　the　only　measure　betweene　us　and　forraine　nations；　without　which；　all　his　discourse　is　without　Rime　or　Reason。　So　that　he　cannot　finde　any　Parity　nor　Purity　in　exchanges；　like　unto　a　fickle　body；　who　by　reason　of　the　bitternesse　of　his　tongue；　can　not　relish。　　　　　　Monsieur　Bodine　saith；　that　when　a　man　is　noted　to　be　of　experience；　and　to　understand　matters；　wherein　he　is　surpassing　others：　the　Proverbe　is；　Il　entend　le　Par；　he　doth　understand　his　Par　or　Equality；　which　cannot　bee　applyed　unto　him　that　doth　not　understand　the　matter　of　exchange：　for　all　his　arguments　are　fram'd　betweene　Commodities　and　moneys；　from　whence　this　Syllogisme　may　bee　drawne　against　him；　to　maintaine　the　undervaluation　of　our　money　in　specie。　　　　　　Nothing　causeth　Merchants　to　export　more　money　out　of　the　Realme；　then　they　bring　in：　but　onely　the　bringing　of　more　Commodities　into　the　Realme　then　they　carried　out。　The　undervaluation　of　our　moneys；　causeth　no　more　Commodities　to　bee　brought　into　the　Realme；　then　is　carried　out：　Ergo；　the　undervaluation　of　our　moneys；　causeth　not　more　money　to　be　carried　out　of　the　Realme；　then　is　brought　in。　But　lest　this　should　breede　a　Dilemma；　let　us　examine　his　words　concerning　exchanges。　　　　　　It　is　not　the　Rate　of　exchanges；　but　the　value　of　Monyes；　here　low；　elsewhere　high；　which　causeth　their　exportation；　nor　doe　the　exchanges；　but　the　Pleny　and　Scarcity　of　moneys　cause　their　values。　　　　　　There　are　three　waies　to　dissolve　an　argument；　Deniall；　Retorting　and　Distinction。　Deniall　is　too　hostile；　favouring　more　of　obstinacy；　then　of　Arte；　Retortion　is　more　witty；　then　profitable。　But　Distinction　is　like　to　mature　Remedies　compared　to　Purges；　which　clense　and　feede。　Now　the　said　Authour　taketh　the　course　of　Deniall；　and　prooveth　nothing。　　　　　　If　monyes　be　here　low；　and　elsewhere　high；　how　is　this　knowen　but　by　the　Valuation　of　exchange？　considering　the　diversity　of　moneys　of　severall　Standards；　wherein　the　exchange　is　like　to　the　Assay；　whereby　the　finenesse　of　Silver　and　Gold　is　knowne；　grounded　upon　the　quantity；　which　the　exchange　requireth　according　to　the　weight　of　fine　Silver　and　Gold；　contained　in　the　monyes　of　each　Countrey；　which　is　the　intrinsicke　valuation；　and　not　according　to　the　extrinsicke　valuation；　which　is　altered　by　Denomination；　for　the　name　of　a　thing　doth　not　alter　the　value　Really；　but　the　substance　doth　it；　if　it　be　altered；　much　lesse　doth　Plenty　or　Scarcity　of　moneys　cause　their　values；　it　being　contrary　to　the　nature　and　properties　of　money。　The　publicke　Measure；　the　yard　doth　measure　the　Cloth；　but　the　Cloth　doth　not　measure　the　yard。　To　illustrate　the　premisses　by　examples；　I　have　heretofore　shewed　the　consideration　incident。　　　　　　Suppose　that　some　Merchants　Strangers　doe　come　over　into　the　Realme；　to　buy　a　Packe　of　Tenne　Clothes　valued　at　80　pounds　starlin　which　they　are　to　pay　in　Gold　and　Silver；　and　yet　they　doe　not　know；　what　the　weight　and　finenesse　of　our　Starlin　money　is；　neither　doth　the　English　Merchants　know　the　weight　and　fineness　of　the　forraine　Coyne；　which　they　have　brought　over：　hereupon　to　content　both　parties；　the　moneyes　on　either　side　must　bee　tried　by　the　Subtill　Assay　according　to　their　finenesse；　calculated　upon　the　pound　weight　they　answer　each　other　accordingly；　and　so　this　negotiation　is　（in　effect）　but　a　Permutation　of　monyes　for　Commodities；　before　exchange　was　invented。　　　　　　This　being　not　well　observed；　might　cause　men　to　be　deceived；　as　the　Pewterer　（sometimes　an　Alderman　of　London）　was；　who　beeing　used　to　change　old　Pewter　for　new；　taking　a　consideration　for　the　fashion；　would　take　the　like　course　in　the　buying　of　Silver　Plate　of　a　Goldsmith；　delivering　his　money　by　weight；　whereby　he　sustained　a　losse；　because　hee　did　deliver　him　a　quanity　of　old　groates；　which　were　lighter　then　their　value；　as　also　other　Starlin　moneys；　which　were　worne　out　in　continuance　of　time；　and　much　under　their　true　weight。　And　boasting　of　his　good　bargaine；　h