a very plain ground of Laziness attributed to the people for men naturally prefer Ease before Labour and will not take pains if they can live idle though when by necessity they have been used to it they cannot leave it being grown a custom necessary to their Health and to their very Entertainment nor perhaps is the change harder from constant Ease to Labour than from constant Labour to Ease c. The fourth Impediment is the Height of the Interest of Mony for Holland that hath Mony at three per Cent. and England at six eat up Traders in Ireland where Mony is difficult to be procured at ten whereby the one will underfell the other at his own doors and run them down in Manufactures at home and Markets abroad having also the advantage of better and cheaper Workmen The dearness of Provisions necessitating their poor to work the same necessity moves them to inure their Children to Art from their Cradles whereby they will perform more and better in one day than ours in two The fifth Impediment is the lowness of the rate of Land for when a man may purchase a better Rent for 1000 pound in Ireland than he can for two in England or three in Holland or proportionably Farm What prudent man will undergo the Difficulties and run the Hazards of Trade when he may dispose of his Mony with much more ease and safety to his better advantage and from hence it is we have so few wealthy Merchants in this Country for if a man begin with a 1000 pound and improve it to 9 or 10. in Trade like wary Gamesters that have won at Play they will venture no more but lay out their Mony in Land and of a rich Merchant become a Country Gentleman and then parting with a few Guineys to procure a Dub or Patent the Knights Son will blush if you tell him his Father got his Estate by conversing with Tarpolins c. Which brings me to the sixth Impediment The low esteem the generous Calling of a Merchant hath in this Countrey where every pedling Shopkeeper and Pettyfogger is stil'd a Merchant that Ireland breeds Merchants as Beggars do lice from its poverty and idleness For turning Merchant is the last shift a lasie Mechanick or a beggerly Citizen takes to whereas every Trade ought to bear the denomination of their peculiar Faculty For though Clothiers Drapers Mercers Milliners Ironmongers Grocers Haberdashers c. may be of worshipful Rank and principal Citizens yet they are not Merchants for none are properly Merchants but the Adventurers at Sea from whence the most ancient Corporation of Merchants in London was stiled the Company of Merchant Adventurers But from this degrading of the reputation of Merchants that Honourable Calling is of so low repute that few Gentlemen much less Noblemen will put their Sons Apprentice to a Merchant but rather breed them for Divines Souldiers Lawyers Physicians c. though it may happen under those Professions they never attain to be eminent that had they put another Son to a Merchant the Divine might have been glad to become his Brother's Chaplain Whereas in all Countries flourishing in Trade their Nobles and chief Citizens are Merchants as Venice Florence Genoa Lisbon Amst and Lond. where his Royal Highness many of the Nobles about Court are inrolled Merchants in the Affrican and Canary Companies c. which his Royal Highness hath Honoured with bearing Office †Blooms Geography in his Cha. of Traffick pag. 50. c. And this is no novelty for Solomon the most glorious King of Israel was a Merchant it was his Traffick not his Crown-Rents by which he made Silver to be as Stones in Jerusalem and Cedars as the Sicamore * 1 Kings Chap. 10. ver 27. And the Prophet Isaiah recording the glory of old Tyre calls her the Crowning City and Mart of Nations whose Merchants were Princes whose Traffickers are the Honourable of the Earth †Isa 23. ver 8. And this high esteem and noble reputation Merchants hath had both in ancient and modern times in all Countreys knowing the worth of Trade hath commended them for Counsellors and principal Ministers of State to Princes and chief Senators in all Common-wealths whereby the interest of Trade hath been greatly promoted and persons of Honour encouraged to study it as a principal piece of State-policy to know how to encrease their own and lessen their neighbours Trade the advantage thereof we have a notorious example in the modern Politicks of France where it is manifest the Studies and Counsels of one Colbert hath in a few years trebled the Trade and Manufactures of France whereby that aspiring Prince is not only become so powerful on Land but so formidable at Sea above all his Predecessors that he checks the swelling Trade of Holland and threatens the ruine 〈◊〉 the famous Trade of England if not timely 〈…〉 which cannot be done without espousing the Interest of Trade as the Darling of State and publick Counsels be qualified accordingly The seventh Impediment is the lowness of the Credit of the Tradesmen of this Countrey proceeding from their ill performances with their Creditors abroad which they are necessitated unto from these three Causes First from the Delatoriness of common-Common-Law Proceedings in our ordinary Courts of Justice where a man may be a year before he obtain Judgment upon a Specialty and much longer upon a Book-debt especially if either the Defendant or his Sollicitor be well acquainted with Quirks in Law-proceedings To prevent which all Countreys flourishing in Trade keep their Court Merchant which within a few days by a Summery way of proceeding by the Law Meâ—catore will determine a Cause * Lex Mercatoria pag. 458 c. The second Cause of the lowness of their Credit is the smalness of the Stocks of our Tradesmen A person of 500 l. Stock shall accept of 2000 l. Credit which by reason of Goods lying upon hand and Debts out he is no ways able to comply with time but what he buys at six months may be three 6 months unpaid and that intails him upon his Creditor though his Goods be bad and dear he dare not leave him being at his mercy for old scores The third and chief Cause is from the bad payment some of the Gentry make to the Trader whereby the Trading Stock of the Nation is stopt in its course like the Blood stopt in its circulation threatens the ruine of the Body by variety of Diseases For when the Gentleman pays not the Mercer and Draper he cannot pay the Manufacturer nor he his Workmen nor they the Woolman nor he his Landlords Rent That could this one obstruction to Trade be removed most others would fall in course And for removing of this Trade ruining Nation scandalizing evil I would propose that no Merchant or Retayler should recover in any of the Kings Courts any Debt contracted for foreign Manufactures but that it should be admitted a sufficient Bar against
VII Jesuitical Principles the cause of Irelands mischiefs and miseries therefore their interest to explode them above all the Papists in the World p. 258 A brief Narrative of all the Jesuits Treasons against their English Sovereigns from Hen. 8. to this time wherein is observ'd not only the miseries in Ireland but Englands and Scotlands troubles were promoted by them p. 259 to 264 Their Oath of Confederacy in their last Plot p. 265 The pernicious influence of that Plot though disappointed 266 267 His Majesties great tenderness and indulgence towards Dissenters for 20 years past p. 267 268 Dissenters respect to the Protestant Church of Ireland as now established how far p. 269 Dissenters the most dangerous Hereticks in Ireland to Papists p. 270 The great advantage Vnity in Loyalty would be both to Papists and Protestants in Ireland p. 271 An Alphabetical Table of the principle things in the first Part. A. ADventurers and other estated Absentees drain Ireland of Cash p. 84 85. Apparel extravagant ruines a Country pag. 20 21. Apparel of Silks destructive to Ireland Apparel spruce and costly in the meaner sort many ways inconvenient besides its Charge p. 27 28. Apparel spruce and rich contemned by many wise and potent Princes p. 30 31. Ale-topers their Charge to Ireland p. 55. B. Baronets when instituted and how to be qualiffed p. 16 17. Bastards their great Charge to Ireland p. 45 46. C. Court of Wards well regulated useful to Ireland and for what p. 12 13. D. Debaucheries their Charge to Ireland p. 37. Drunkenness the grand Wealth-consuming Debauchery p. 51. It s Trade ruining and Wealth-wasting influence p. 54 to 57. Drinking to excess is as sinful in them able to bear drink as others sooner distempered p. 60. Drunkards c. are the proper Fanaticks p. 61 62. Drunkenness disdained and grievously punished by Turks and Pagans p. 63. Drunkenness the ruine of States and Armies p. 64 to 69. E. England no pattern for Ireland in Expences and why p. 22. Effeminacy attends Debauchery p. 48 49. F. France gains by their fantastick Garbs and why p. 19. G. Gentry their bad Payment to Tradesmen ruines Trade p. 10 11. Gaming its pernicious Effects p. 42 43. H. Holiness-Ceremonial crowded Holiness-real out of the Church p. 70. Honour when disgrac'd p. 14 15 Healthing the great provoker of Drunkenness p. 58 59 Its sinful p. 60 I. Ireland not setled till when p. 2 3 4 Jesuits their under ground work p. 3 L. Laws Sumptuary p 23 24 Needful in Ireland p. 26 Laws Mercanture necessary to govern Trade p. 10 Laws Common too delatory for Trade ibid. Laws against Absentees p. 86 87 M. Merchants Honourable p. 8 9 Merchants few wealthy in Ireland and why p. 7 Merchants low esteem in Ireland lowers c. Trade p. 8 Manufacturies ruined by Silk worn in Ireland p. 20 Merchants Forreigners their damage to Ireland p. 81 82 N. Nobility when ignoble are the shame and ruine of a Country p. 12 13 14. O. Oaths prophane their provoking destructive nature p. 38 39. P. Perjury its sad Effects p. 41 42. Prophane Swearing the mother of false swearing p. 40. Perjury abhorred by Pagans first tolerated by Popes p. 41. Perjury will never be esteemed a mortal sin whilst prophane swearing is esteemed venial p. 42. Pagans their cruel Laws against Adultery p. 49 50. Prophaneness of Christendome whence p. 69. Prophanenists their Faith blasphemous and fanatical if any they have p. 74 75 76. R. Rome the Fountain of all Prophaneness and Debauchery of Christendom p. 72 73. Revenue farmed to Foreigners great loss to the Country p. 80. S. Swearing prophane its sad Effects p. 38 39. Superfluities not regulated ruines a Country p. 18 19. Strumpets to be prescribed their Apparel p. 29 30. Shipping foreign a great Charge to the Country p. 83. T. Trade its Impediments p. 1 to 11. Trade Ireland not capable of till when p. 4. V. Victuals their Plenty obstructs Trade and Manufacture p. 5 6. W. Whoring its Charge and Damage to Irelands Trade and Wealth p. 44. Destructive to Kingdoms and States pag. 48 49. Wine-bibbers their Charge to Ireland p. 5. ERRATA BY mistake of the Author and mislaying of some Papers occasioned by Business which took up his time delayed the Publication of this Book there are some Errors escaped the Press which is made good by reprinting such Leaves over again or where any were left out as between p. 95. and p 96. the several pages are denoted in the Contents by p A and p B c. calling the first p. A the second B c. which the Reader is desired to mark with his Pen. And for Miss-spellings or other Literal escapes I shall leave to his courtesie to correct and only note what harms the Sense which the Reader or rather Bookseller may soon correct with his Pen. PART I. Page 20. for families read females p. 17. for Couler r. Coller PART II. Pape 29. for confine read consigne p. 57. for Minister r. Ministry p. 190. line ult for Object r. An Answer p. 234. for 1612. r. 1600. ibid. for 812. r. 800. p. H. for momentary r. momentous p. 115. for Stilling fleet 106. r. Stillingfleet 206. Advertisement to the Binder At the end of ** in the Epistle Dedicatory there wants the Direction viz. Plebeius g g the Quarter sheet in G Part 1. is to be placed after f f in Part 2. E e the first leaf to be cancelled the last leaf of F f to be cancelled the last leaf of M m to be the first of E e N n fol. 195 196 and 199 200. to be cancelled O o fol. 213 214 217 218 221 222. to be cancelled the said leaves of N n and O o being reprinted THE INTEREST OF IRELAND In its TRADE and WEALTH Stated CHAP. I. The Reasons why Ireland being so long under the Government of England whose Policies in Trade are inferior to few Countreys should yet be so little improv'd in Trade and Wealth 1. FRom the Impediments or Obstructions Ireland hath met with and is subject unto not common to other Countreys The first and chief Impediment proceeds from the unsetledness of the Countrey as to its subjection to England's Government for though they have long prosest Allegiance to England's Crown yet they have paid but a grudging partial obedience to its Scepter And upon all occasions less or more general have been attempting to draw their necks out of England's Yoke as it s briefly but fully evidenced by Sir John Davis in his Intelligent Book dedicated to King James Intituled A Discovery of the true cause why Ireland was never intirely subdued to the Crown of England and he determines until the 9th of King James Ireland was never fully setled in subjection and obedience to the English Law and Government And if we take a view of the State of Ireland since then and allow the Reign of King James and part of King Charles the First to be
vast Trade Spain had ingrossed both in the East and West Indies and in Africa they might yet have enjoyed had not cruel de Alva by his inhumane severities forced the Dutch to cast off the Spanish iron Yoke and defend their Liberties whereby as Sir William Temple observes by the great multitudes of people crowded together in a narrow compass of Land they were necessitated to improve their Industry at Sea and after the Spaniards and Fortugals who were then the Subjects of Spain had entirely enjoyed the enriching Trade of the East Indies c. as before for almost one hundred years viz. from Anno 1498. until 1595. the Dutch sent a Fleet from Amsterdam and then in 1600. the English sent four Ships viz. the Assention the Dragon the Hector and Susan under the Command of Captain Lancaster since which by the prudent Government of that Company hath equalized the Portuguies and Dutch having erected Plantations and Factories at Ormus c. in Persia at Agria Cambasan Suraâ— c. in the Moguls Country at Man Salupan Armagon Pecana Siam on the Coast of Chormandel the Isles of Sumatra Bantam c. that now they furnish Italy and Turkie with all those Indian Commodities which about fifty years ago they bought there to the ruine of the Trade of Syria and Egypt c. who have now only an Inland Trade by Caravans from Aleppo Damasco and Mecha c. And out of the Ashes of their Barbary Company ruined by the Civil Wars of Fez arose the Levant or Turkie the most flourishing and beneficial Company now in England incorporated by King James I do but hint these things here to evidence the undoubted advantage of Company Trade insisting largely upon them in my Treatise of Traffique in the Chapter of Discoveries of new Trades And that this way of Corporation-Trade has not only greatly enlarged Trade but enriched the places of its Residence we have manifold instances the ancient Company of Merchant-Adventurers now called the Hamborough Company erected by Edward the first in 1296. was courted by the Duke of Brabant to make their Residence at Antwerpe where they first settled the English Staple and had granted to them great Priviledges and made the City flourish in Trade which being observed by that inspectious Prince Edward the third he to bring the Trade to his own Ports prohibited the Transportation of Wools and granted great encouragement to Dutch Weavers to set up their Craft in England and soon after prohibited all foreign Cloth from being transported into the Realm confirmed by Edward the Fourth who settled their Priviledges by Charter in the year 1406. which hath been confirmed and enlarged by all his Successors Queen Elizabeth for the better vending their Cloths when their Quantity exceeded home Markets gave them power under the Great Seal to treat with foreign Princes and States for places to settle the Residence of their Factors and Stores upon which all the Princes and States in Flanders Holland and Germany strove who should enjoy them and wheresoever they removed they drew a vast Trade after them their present Residence is at Dortrech for the Netherlands and Hamborough for Germany where the chief Court of their Fellowship now resides they transport all sorts of Cloths dressed and dyed Lead Tin Oyl Stockens Hats Spanish Fruits and Wines and make their returns in Linnings Rhenish Wines Mather Hops Sope Wire Copper Brass Iron Steel Quick-silver Gunpowder Flax Hemp Allom Wax c. This Company hath power by their Charter yearly to elect a Governour Deputy Governour and Assistants and to settle their Residents Courts in any parts beyond Sea and several places in England as London York Hull Newcastle c. with power of making Acts and Ordinances so as they are not repugnant to the Law of England for the better Government of their Trade likewise power to hear and decide Causes to implead sine and punish Offendors This grew to be the most flourishing Company for Trade in the world until Philip and Mary erected the Muscovy Company which soon wrested a great part of their Trade from them which were at first called the Corporation for Discovery of new Trades a Design that would well sute with the present state of Ireland whose great Priviledges were confirmed and enlarged as before by Queen Elizabeth much after the method of the other and their Trade much the same and after this studious Princess for the Improvement of the Trade and Wealth of her Country added to these she found the three other Companies beforementioned viz. the Levant or Turkie Company which made the first Discovery of that vast Trade since driven in the Signorie of Venice and the Dominions of the Grand Seignior and thereby oserved the vast Trade betwixt Aleppo and other Levant Ports with the East Indies managed by Land carriage which encouraged them to enquire into a more cheap and gainful way to obtain East India Commodities at first Hand And that produc'd that most famous Country-inriching Company called the East India Company who obtain'd a Charter for great Priviledges from the Queen and hath managed their Trade by a joint Stock reported to be 600000 l. whereby they have built and maintained a gallnt Fleet of stately Ships for War as well as Burthen imployed multitudes of people in their Plantations Ships and Factories to the great Honour and Wealth of their Country And after this in the 21. year of the Reign of that most famous Queen that is in the year 1579. did she incorporate the Eastland Company and endow them with great Priviledges and Immunities to trade in Denmark Sweden Poland Prusia and Pomerland from the River Odera Eastward And it is worth observing how small beginnings in Trade beget great increase Trade like that Grain of Mustard-seed our Saviour speaks of being cast into the ground grows up to a great tree that the Fowls of the air may lodge in the Branches of it and it is also observable if foreign Traffique did live yet it never flourished in this part of the world until it was managed by united Stocks and Policies as in the forementioned instances in our own Country besides what is of the same kind amongst all our Neighbours flourishing in Trade And as in these many examples from past times evidence that they esteemed this way of Traffique the only way to increase Trade so is their Wisdom approv'd and confirm'd by the prudent in this age His Majesty that now is hath set to his Seal that Corporation-trade is the strength of foreign Traffique by his not only confirming what his Royal Predecessors before did but also by his adding the African and Canary Companies the first not only endowed with priviledge that sounds like Princely Prerogatives as power of Peace and War raising Forts building and equipping Ships of War c. to appoint Governors to constitute Laws c. and dignified with the title of the Royal Company and well they may when His Royal Highness hath bore
propagating Manufactures as I shew at large in that Treatise The second Expedient is to procure Laws against single Life enjoyning all English Protestants to marry the Males before the age of 25. and Females before the age of 22. or from that time to pay a yearly penalty by Statute to be presented by the Grand Juries and limited by the Discretion of the Bench not exceeding the eighth part of their visible Incomes to be imployed towards the maintenance of poor Orphans 1. This would somewhat restrain these abominable Fornications and Adulteries so frequent if we would take St. Pauls counsel Let every Man have his own Wife and every Woman her own Husband c. other mens Wives would not be so often debauched nor our Parishes so charged with Bastards 2. This would much increase an English Breed for the Countries Defence as I elsewhere shew ten of whom are worth twenty bred and brought up in England The neglect hereof gives the Irish a great advantage who are generally more fruitful and besides inure their Children more to hardness in their Nursings from whence they generally live whereas our nice English Women destroy their Children by too tender Nursing c. that if they live many of them are good for little but to make Carpet-Knights on though they do retain Spirit and Courage yet their Bodies are so inured to tenderness and delicacy the hardships of Winter War would kill more than the Sword 3. This would much tend to the planting our Towns for single persons content themselves with a Room in anothers House and Marriage would necessitate them to become House-keepers and Families would require their Industry to maintain but while single they live idlely if not debauchedly And in order to encourage the meaner sort to marry to countenance that ancient English Custom of Bridals wherein every person not receiving Alms in the Parish brings in something according to their ability towards the young Couples Housekeeping to the great incouragement of painful industrious young people and obligeth them whilst single to be the better Labourers and Servants that their honest Reports might increase their Bridals And further that a provision be made where Parents are not able to dispose of their Children to honest Trades to put them out Apprentices on the Country Charge which would much tend to the planting of our walled Towns and promoting the Manufactures as I shew at large in that Treatise But that which would above all other Expedients tend to the strengthening the English Interest would be to endeavour a right understanding and charitable Union betwixt all sober pious Protestants in matters of Religion the want thereof increaseth groundless Jealousies of each other and strengtheneth the Confidence of the common Enemy to the Protestant Interest that they are easily run down as in the Massacre 1641. they at first declared their displeasure was only against the Puritannical party and then only the English not the Scots but I suppose I need not inform you how soon all Protestants became the equall objects of their Fury and barbarous Cruelty Therefore by English Protestants I mean all that are not Papists and agree with the Religion established by Law in all its Fundamentals nay in all its Substantials that believe the same Creed and make the same Translation of the Scriptures their Rule of Faith and Manners and no people can be esteemed of a different Religion that agree in what is Jure Divino though they differ in some things that are Jure Humano Although they may scruple external Communion with some particular Churches yet if they retain internal Communion with the universal Catholick Church in all parts of the world they are no Schismaticks Saith a reverend Prelate Bishop Bâ—â—â—â—â—alls Vindicatioâ— of the Church of England pag. 14 15. The Communion of the Christian Catholick Church is partly internal partly external the internal Communion consists principally in these things to believe the same entire substance of saving necessary Truth revealed by the Apostles and to be ready implicitly in the preparation of the Mind to embrace all other supernatural Verities when they shall be sufficiently proposed to them to judge charitably one of another to exclude none from the Catholick Comunion and hope oâ— Salvation either Eastern or Western or Southern or Northern Christians which profess the antient Faith of the Apostles and primitive Fathers established in the first general Councils and comprehended in the Apostolick Nicene and Athenasian Creed to rejoyce at their well-doing to sorrow for their Sins to condole with them in their sufferings to pray for their constant perseverence in the true Christian Faith for their Reduction from all their respective Errors and their re-union to the Church in case they be divided from it that we may be all one Sheepfold under that one great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls and lastly to hold an actual external Communion with them in votis in our desires and do endeavour it by all those means which are in our power This internal Communion is of absolute necessity among all Catholicks p. 16. But saith he there is not the like degree of obligation to an exact Communion in all externals there is not so great a Conformity to be expected in Ceremonies as in the Essentials of Sacraments c. in the Explication of Articles of Faith as in the Articles themselves nor in the Superstructures as in Fundamentals c. p. 17. nor in Scholastical Opinions as in Catechistical Grounds not to Ecclesiastical Constitutions as to Divine Ordinances not such a strict adherence to a particular Church as to the universal So in his Answer to the Bishop of Chalcedon Essentials must not be pressed too far least we draw out Blood in stead of Milk c. it doth not follow because true Faith is essential therefore every point of true Faith is essential or because Discipline is essential therefore every part of right Discipline is essential or because Sacraments are essential therefore every lawful Rite is essential p. 4. Whatsoever toucheth not the Heart of Religion is not Schism p. 8. Saith my reverend Author 'T is a preposterous Zeal like Hell hot without Light that makes different Opinions different Religions in his Answer to S.W. p. 40. Who please to read this learned Author in point of Schism will find that he differs from those fiery Zealots that dare affirm Schism to be a greater Sin than prophane Swearing Drunkenness or Whoring c. but by the same rule they like the Religion of Bellarmine Suarez Vasquez c. for they say so better than Bishop Hall Sanderson Usher Bramhall or Taylor for not only they but all the pious Divines I have read of the Church of England are of another Opinon most of the sober Dissenters in Ireland will submit their Cause to be weighed in these Protestant Scales and own themselves for Schismaticks if their Character condemn them and it is required by the Divine Law Lev. 19.36