the maintenance of free trade-第17章

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e：　and　yet　there　was　nothing　effected　thereby；　the　money　still　altering　beyond　the　Seas；　whereupon　Cardinal　Wolsey　had　to　alter　the　Valuation　of　money　from　time　to　time；　as　he　should　see　cause。　　　　　　Afterwards　the　said　King　in　the　22　yeere　of　his　Raigne；　perceiving　that　divers　Nations　brought　abunance　of　forraine　Commodities　into　his　Realme；　and　received　money　for　it；　which　money　they　ever　delivered　to　other　Merchants　by　exchange；　and　never　employed　the　same　on　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme；　whereby　his　Majestie　was　hindered　in　his　Customes；　and　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme　were　not　uttered；　to　the　great　hinderance　of　his　Subjects：　as　is　there　alleaged：　His　Majestie　caused　a　Proclamation　to　be　made；　according　to　the　aforesaid　Statute；　made　in　the　time　of　King　Richard　the　Second；　That　no　person　should　make　any　exchange　contrary　to　the　true　meaning　of　the　said　Act　and　Statute；　upon　paine　to　be　taken　the　Kings　mortall　enemy；　and　to　forfeite　all　that　hee　might　forfeite；　which　tooke　effect　but　for　a　short　time；　and　no　other　was　to　bee　expected；　it　not　beeing　of　that　moment；　nor　the　principall　meane　to　doe　it。　　　　　　After　this　followed　the　imbasing　of　Moneys　and　then　all　the　price　of　forraine　Commodities　did　rise　immoderately；　which　made　the　native　Commodities　to　rise　at　the　Farmors　and　Tenants　hands；　and　thereupon　Gentlemen　did　raise　the　rents　of　their　lands；　and　tooke　farmes　to　themselves；　and　made　inclosures　of　grounds；　and　the　price　of　every　thing　beeing　deare；　was　made　dearer　through　plenty　of　money　and　Bullion　comming　from　the　West　Indies；　as　is　already　noted；　and　by　these　meanes；　was　the　Office　of　the　Kings　Royall　exchanges　neglected；　because　upon　the　Base　money　no　exchange　was　made；　and　other　nations　counterfeited　the　same；　and　filled　the　kindome　with　it；　and　so　carried　out　the　good　Staple　wares　of　the　Realme　for　it。　　　　　　This　raising　of　money　was　augmented　afterwards　by　Queene　Elizabeth　of　blessed　memory；　in　the　highest　degree；　by　one　full　third　part；　from　45　pence　the　ounce；　unto　60　pence　or　5　shillings　Starlin　Standard：　But　the　exportation　did　never　ceasse；　because　the　course　of　exchange　for　money　did　runne　alwaies　under　the　value　of　the　money；　still　affoording　a　gaine　betweene　the　said　exchange　and　money；　which　caused　the　said　exportation。　And　so　will　it　bee　stil；　if　this　be　not　prevented　by　Direction　in　a　paire　of　Tbles；　much　like　unto　the　Tables　kept　at　Dover　in　the　time　of　King　Edward　the　third；　to　receive　the　passengers　money；　and　by　exchange　in　specie　for　it　beyond　the　Seas；　which　made　them　to　leave　their　moneys　within　the　Realme；　and　this　course　of　exchange　so　directed；　is　the　onely　meane　and　way　to　restore　Englands　wealth　by　importation　of　money　and　Bullion；　advancing　the　price　of　our　native　Commodities；　and　to　prevent　the　Transporation　of　our　moneys：　and　all　other　Remedies　are　Defective；　as　experience　will　proove　and　demonstrate；　if　good　things　can　bee　favoured。　　　　　　The　Statue　of　employment　must　also　bee　observed；　to　make　the　Remedy　more　compleate　with　a　Register　also；　to　record　the　Moneys　which　forraine　Marriners　doe　receive　for　fraight　comming　from　Norway　and　other　places；　which　are　above　one　hundred　voyages　in　one　yeare；　as　also　many　other　Ships；　bringing　corne　into　the　Northerne　and　Westerne　parts　of　the　Realme；　and　exporting　money　for　it。　　　　　　The　Turke；　Persian；　and　Russian　have　herein　beene　more　Politicke　then　we；　keeping　the　price　of　their　exchanges　high　much　above　the　Valuation　of　their　moneys。　So　that　they　have　no　Trade　by　exchange；　nor　moneys；　but　onely　for　Commodities；　whereby　they　prevent　the　over…balancing　of　forrain　Commodities　with　theirs；　as　also　the　exportation　of　their　moneys：　albeit　the　use　of　our　Commodities　in　those　countreys；　is　very　great。　　　　　　The　Objections　made　by　some　against　this　Sole　Remedy　may　easily　be　answered；　for　they　are　grounded　upon　Suppositions　against　assured　experience。　　　　　　1。　Some　make　doubt；　that　the　price　of　exchange　being　risen；　there　will　be　no　takers　of　money；　and　then　the　deliverer　is　more　thrust　upon　the　exportation　of　moneys。　　　　　　2。　Others　say；　that　those　merchants；　which　have　sold　their　Cloth　beyond　the　Seas　shall　receive　a　losse　in　the　making　over　of　their　money　from　thence。　　　　　　3。　Others　say；　that　they　shall　not　be　able　to　vent　their　Cloth；　according　to　the　high　exchange；　expecially　now　that　the　same　is　out　of　request；　and　would　have　the　matter　of　reformation　deferred　untill　an　other　time。　　　　　　The　first　objection　is　answered　before；　That　the　taker　is　ruled　by　the　deliverer；　who　will　not　give　his　money　by　exchange　under　the　true　value　according　to　the　Proclaimation　to　be　made；　and　the　deliverer　being　the　Merchant　stranger　here；　will　sooner　be　thrust　upon　the　Statute　of　employment；　for　by　the　exportation　of　money；　he　shall　have　no　gaine；　whereas　some　of　the　discreeter　sort　would　not　have　that　Statute　too　stricktly　pressed　upon　the　Stranger；　because　the　Trade　should　not　bee　driven　into　their　hands。　　　　　　To　the　second；　the　Proclamation　limiting　a　time　for　execution；　giveth　Merchants　ability　to　recover　their　moneys；　or　to　sell　their　billes　of　debt　for　money；　or　to　buy　Commodities　for　them；　as　the　manner　is。　　　　　　To　the　third；　experience　maketh　a　full　answer　to　both；　that　there　did　not　want　takers；　when　the　late　inhauncing　of　money　at　Hamborough；　caused　the　exchange　to　rise　from　under　28　shillings　to　above　35　shillings；　which　is　more　then　the　present　alteration　will　be；　and　Wooll　was　at　33　shillings　the　Todde；　which　is　now　fallen　under　20　shillings。　So　that　the　vent　of　our　Cloth　was　not　hindered　when　it　was　solde　dearer　by　one　full　third　part：　But　there　was　above　80　thousand　Clothes　sold　yearely；　where　there　is　not　sold　now　40　thousand　Clothes。　The　time　is　also　to　bee　thought　more　convenient　to　advance　a　Commoditie　being　undervalued；　then　to　doe　it　when　the　price　is　high。　For　this　Pleurisie　of　the　Common…wealth　is　dangerous；　and　admitteth　no　time　to　bee　cured；　like　the　fire　in　a　City；　which　permitteth　not　enquiries　to　examine　how　the　fire　beganne；　but　requireth　every　mans　helpe　to　quench　the　same。　　　　　　And　whereas　it　is　alleadged　in　defence　of　the　inhauncing　of　our　Coyne；　That　which　is　equall　to　all；　when　hee　that　buyes　deare；　shall　sell　deare；　cannot　be　saide　to　be　injurious　to　any。　This　opinion　seemes　to　be　eiusdem　farina；　as　the　former；　and　hath　no　consideration　what　the　alteration　of　Weights　or　Measures　betweene　us　and　forraine　nations；　may　produce　to　the　losse　of　the　Common…wealth；　albeit　that　betweene　man　and　man；　it　may　proove　alike　in　some　respects。　　　　　　To　make　this　evident；　suppose　two　Merchants；　the　one　dwelling　in　London；　and　the　other　dwelling　at　Amsterdam；　do　contract　together；　that　the　Londer　sending　Clothes　to　sell　at　Amsterdam；　the　merchant　of　Amsterdam　sendeth　him　Velvets　and　Silkes　to　bee　solde　at　London；　and　in　the　account　to　be　kept　betweene　them　they　agree　to　reckon　the　moneys　in　exchange　but　at　30　shilings　flemish　for　20　shilling　Starlin；　and　so　make　returne　each　to　other　from　time　to　time　as　money　shall　be　received；　both；　here　and　beyond　the　Seas。　Wherupon　put　the　case；　that　there　is　received　at　Amsterdam　1500　lib。　flemish　for　Cloth；　and　at　London　there　is　received　1000　lib。　Starlin　for　Velvets　and　Silkes；　which　by　the　said　rate　&　calculation