the maintenance of free trade-第14章

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Society　may　become　to　be　A　Monopoly　in　effect；　when　some　few　Merchants　have　the　whole　managing　of　a　Trade　to　the　hurt　of　a　Common…wealth；　when　many　others　might　also　Traffique　and　negotiate　for　the　Common　good；　having　their　Stockes　employed　therein　to　sell　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme　with　reputation　at　convenient　times；　and　not　upon　a　suddaine　to　pay　Billes　of　exchanges　or　moneys　taken　up　at　interest。　　　　　　To　make　a　Definition　of　a　Monopoly；　we　neede　not　use　many　words；　for　the　abuse　of　Monopolium　hath　made　the　same　swell　to　be　understood　as　the　word　of　Usura；　I　meane　biting　Usury。　The　parts　of　it　are　to　be　considered。　　　　　　The　Restraint　of　the　freedome　of　commerce　to　some　one　or　few；　and　the　setting　of　the　price；　at　the　pleasure　of　one　or　few；　to　their　private　benefits；　and　the　prejudice　of　the　Common…　Wealth。　And　as　this　may　be　done　by　authority；　so　may　the　above…　said　course　also　be　committed　under　the　color　of　authority　by　the　Princes　grant　or　letters　Patents。　　　　　　Commendable　is　the　custome　of　the　City　of　Norenborough　in　Germany；　where　to　maintaine　the　people　on　worke；　they　receive　all　their　manufactures　and　pay　them　weekely；　&　afterward　sell　them　for　a　reasonable　profit；　which　thereby　become　dispersed　in　all　countreys；　whereby　they　have　made　a　great　Trade　for　the　West　Indies；　&　they　maintaine　therby　their　Common…wealth　as　an　Aristocratick　government：　and　this　is　neither　A　Monopoly；　nor　properly　An　engrossing；　beeing　dome　by　publike　authority。　Such　therefore　as　sel　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme　unto　forraine　nations　with　advantage　of　private　benefite；　（albeit　within　the　Compasse　of　a　Monopoly：）　are　more　to　be　tolerated　then　those　that　undersell　the　Commodities　of　the　kingdome；　and　procure　their　Gaines　by　the　Commodities　of　other　nations　to　bee　solde　deare　within　the　Realme。　　　　　　Here　I　call　to　mind　our　former　observation　of　that　Royall　Commodity　Tinne；　which　above　one　hundred　yeares　past；　was　sold　for　40　shillings　the　hundreth；　when　the　best　velvets　were　sold　for　10　shillings　the　yard：　how　the　Merchants　trading　Turky　found　fault　of　his　Majesties　Praemption；　and　caused　the　same　to　be　abolished；　to　keepe　the　price　at　55　shillings　the　hundred；　and　bringing　in　Corints；　Levant　wines；　Spices；　and　Indicoe　（at　deare　rates：）　used　all　meanes　to　suppresse　the　rising　thereof：　which　caused　forraine　nations　to　fall　into　consideration　thereof；　and　using　meanes　to　incorporate　the　same；　it　brought　that　Commoditiy　in　estimation　againe。　And　the　saide　Praemption　was　reestablished　againe；　which　hath　advanced　the　price　to　double　the　rate；　whereby　the　stocke　or　wealth　of　the　kingdome；　hath　been　since　increased　600　thousand　pounds　Starlin；　and　his　Majestie　hath　received　for　his　benefite　150　thousand　pounds；　which　was　gotten　by　forraine　nations；　who　justly　paid　the　same　according　to　the　value；　the　price　of　forraine　Commodities　considered。　On　the　contrary；　another　Commodity　minerall；　namely　Copperas；　which　was　sold　for　10　and　12　pound　the　Tunne；　and　whereof　a　great　Trade　might　have　beene　made　for　other　Countries：　hath　beene　so　ill　governed　by　workmens　underselling　one　another；　and　for　want　of　good　order；　that　the　same　is　sold　for　3　pounds　the　Tunne；　and　is　become　out　of　request　in　all　countreys。　For　the　best　things　may　be　marr'd　in　handling；　which　by　the　wisedome　of　the　State；　is　to　be　foreseene　by　meanes　of　Merchants　of　experience；　who　might　have　maintained　the　same。　　　　　　In　like　manner　the　sole　importation　of　Spanish　Tobacco；　doth　gaine　and　save　the　kingdome　many　thousand　pounds　yearely。　For　Bayes；　Sayes；　Perpetuanoes；　and　the　like　Commodities；　which　these　two　yeares　have　been　solde　in　Spaine　with　15　upon　the　hundred　losse　to　procure　money　to　buy　the　same；　are　now　sold　to　so　much　profite；　besides　the　benefite　of　his　Majesties　imposition　and　advancement　of　the　Virginia　and　Bermodaes　Plantation：　the　like　may　bee　practised　upon　other　Commodities；　without　incurring　the　inconvenciences　of　Monopolie。　　　　　　Concerning　Companies　or　Societies　to　deale　in　a　joynt　Stocke　or　apart：　it　may　be　thought　convenient　to　have　joynt　Stockes　for　Remote　places；　as　the　East　Indies　and　Persia。　And　albeit　that　some　would　have　the　same　to　be　only　outward　in　the　employment；　but　in　Returne　to　bee　divided　in　kinde　or　Species　of　the　Commodities　which　they　Receive：　yet　the　manner　of　the　Portugals；　is　（by　experience）　found　better　to　sell　aslo　joyntly；　considering　we　sell　unto　other　Nations；　who　pay　for　it；　although　some　part　thereof　is　sold　deerer　thereby　within　the　Realme　to　the　Subjects　and　inhabitants。　But　for　other　places　neerer；　the　Merchants　to　deale　apart　under　some　Government；　may　seeme　convenient。　　　　　　The　generall　intention　of　all　Grants　by　Letters　Patents；　for　the　making　of　any　kinde　of　Manufactures　hath　Relation　to　set　the　people　on　worke；　to　recompence　the　Inventor　for　some　yeares　with　a　priviledge：　but　most　especially；　that　thereby　the　said　Manufactures　or　Commodities　may　be　sold　better　cheape　to　the　Subjects。　What　shall　wee　say　then　of　those　Grants；　which　make　the　Commoditie　deerer　to　the　Subject；　and　sell　the　same　better　cheape　to　the　Transporter　or　Stranger？　Surely　they　may　be　thought　to　be；　for　to　set　the　people　on　worke　upon　the　common　Purse；　but　otherwise　there　is　but　little　pollicie　in　it；　much　like　unto　the　Silver　Mines　of　the　Duke　of　Brownswicke；　which　he　maintained　to　his　charges；　called　the　Wilde　man：　which　causeth　him　to　coyne　Dollers；　having　on　the　one　side　his　Armes；　and　on　the　other　side　a　Savage　man；　holding　a　burning　Candle　in　his　hand　with　an　inscription；　Alijs　inserviendo；　Consumor。　　　　　　To　end　this　point；　wherein　the　said　Author　hath　made　good　distinctions；　I　shall　onely　adde　moreover；　that　when　new　inventions　are　found　out；　for　the　good　of　the　Common…wealth：　That　the　next　is；　to　augment　them　by　Trade　in　forraine　parts。　And　to　prevent　that　the　same　be　not　overthrowne　by　the　knowledge　of　their　servants　or　others；　but　that　by　some　good　priviledges　and　meanes；　they　may　be　maintained　to　the　increase　of　Trade；　for　the　Generall　welfare　of　the　Kingdome。

Chapter　IIII

Of　want　of　Government　in　Trade。

　　　　　Wise　men　have　noted；　that　A　Distinction　only；　doth　dispell　the　foggy　misteries　of　deceitfull　fallacies：　as　the　Sun　drives　away　the　Winde　and　Cloudes。　Therefore　too　many　distinctions　in　a　little　Treatise　may　seeme　superfluous；　especially　when　they　are　grounded　upon　many　Repetitions：　so　that　having　in　the　former　Chapters；　observed　the　Defective　Parts　of　Trade；　and　tacite　answered　some　objections；　I　will　omit；　the　commendation　of　all　the　Societies　of　Merchants；　handled　by　the　said　Author　in　his　fourth　chapter；　as　also　the　effects　of　the　former　Causes；　as　they　may　concerne　the　Kings　Majestie　and　the　Common…wealth　mentioned　in　the　fift　and　sixt　Chapters；　to　avoyd　the　cramming　of　a　man　with　learning；　as　promises　doe　with　hope；　and　so　come　to　his　propounded　Remedies。　　　　　　But　lest　this　Title　of　the　want　of　Government　in　Trade；　should　seeme　to　be　misapplyed：　I　have　thought　good　to　declare；　wherein　Merchants　may　easily　commit　errors；　to　the　prejudice　of　the　Common…wealth；　albeit；　it　maketh　for　their　private　benefit；　namely；　　　　　　In　the　selling　of　their　Cloth　good　cheape　beyond　the　Seas　in　greater　quantitie；　when　they　have　beaten　downe　the　price　with　the　Cl