men observe the Rules and Method by which it may be advanced more than in any other Place which hath equal conveniences If this Lady were to choose an habitation in all the known World she could not find any so capable of her reception as England I had almost said and Ireland whether it be in regard of the Multitude Excellency and Conveniency of our Ports Abundance of Wool better than in any other place of the World but Segovia and from us they had it Cattle of all sorts equal if not superior to any other place More Horses and more serviceable in Trade than any where else Timber for shipping the best in the World Lead Tin Seacoal and Fullers Earth not to be found out of England so much or so Good and capable of all other things but Wines and we were better without them which may any ways conduce to the supplying the necessities or adorning the convenience of Humane life equal with any other place The Coast enriched with a shore more worth than the King of Spains West-Indies The Inhabitants stout and valiant accompanied with a lively wit and healthful constitution and generaly disposed to her service One would think it strange I might say monstrous that the Dutch Nation who are denied these advantages and are of a more dull and heavy constitution than the English should out-wit us in that wherein God and Nature have given us all the Prerogatives we our selves can desire But we undo our selves by banishing this Lady we so desire and contend for she is already so farr withdrawn that we neither know where to find her nor much better how to recover her Though this beloved Lady is become very Coy to us by Land yet in reason we hope to prevail upon her by Sea In our application we tell her the Swelling Ocean every day beats round about our Shores to invite us to the enjoyment of her and that by a long and uninterrupted series of Ages we have been possessed of her before ever the Dutch Government was formed into States We have moreover in the year 1662. contributed several considerable sums of Mony toward the Advancement of the Fishing Trade but how the Monies have been disposed of and whether the Monies Collected be not yet in the Collectors hands unaccounted for may be worthy Consideration especially considering how great a discouragement it will be to all Publique undertakings when such benevolences are diverted from their designed end Many men not understanding the Reason of this Ladies strangeness to us of late have ascribed it to two causes viz. that we Import more than we Export and that men generally live above their Estate but neither of these though true are Reasons of the decay of Trade for the Dutch we see Import all yet thrive upon Trade and the Irish Export eight times more than they Import yet grow poorer And Trade if it be well managed no where thrives better than where men spend above the ordinary means of living We have lost the Trade upon the matter by Sea and Land at home but before we demonstrate from what causes or propound any Expedients by which we may be relieved let us see how it stands abroad We have lost the Trade to Muscovv and so have that to Greonland the Trade to Norway possessed by the Norwegians and the Reasons given in to the Parliament last Sessions The Trade to Guinney driven by a few and exclusive to other men The Spanish and Turkey Trades abated and in danger So that unless it be in the French and Canary Trades wherein we undo our selves we are making hast to betake our selves to our Plantations only yet shall not be long able to continue that Trade for want of shipping It is true indeed that England of late under King James By what accident England of late became so rich but more especially under King Charles did flourish by Trade and was more Rich than any other Kingdom in these Western Parts of the World but this was by an Accident of the Times not to be again hoped for For the Austrian Family under Maximilian the Second and Philip the Second attained to that Power and Riches when the Netherlands made their defection from the Crown of Spain that it was not only formidable to the Great Turk but to all the Christian Princes of Europe Queen Elizabeth therefore and the French Kings successively openly assisted them in their defection But Philip the Second dying and Queen Elizabeth soon after King James and Philip the Third in the beginning of their Reigns made Peace which continued neer 40 years with little Interruption During which the Warrs continued between the United Netherlands and Spain with little Intermission whereby the English became Proprietors of the Trade with Spain and by consequence great sharers in the Wealth of the West-Indies And this Benefit moreover the English reaped by these Warrs that the Merchant supplied the Spanish Netherlands with Commodities and both Spanish and United Netherlands were supplied with Souldiers from England whereby many of them on both sides especially Officers acquired much Wealth But the Nation not content to enjoy Peace Riches and Plenty From what cause it lost its Riches above any other Nation brought upon itself all the miseries and Calamities incident to a Civil Warr so that Regal Power as to the exercise of it for neer 20 years together was suspended during which in the year 1648. the Dutch made Peace with Spain and Oliver in the year 1654. brake with it which was a folly never to be forgiven in his Politicks nor the losses this Nation susteined thereby ever again to be repaired whereby the Condition of the English and Dutch in reference to the Trade with Spain became quite inverted and this continuing neer seven years the Dutch are so good Masters of Trade that little hopes is left the English of Enjoying it as before From hence it is which being past cannot be helped and for the Reasons in this Discourse which may be helped and for other Causes which only God in his goodness can help From hence it is I say that this Kingdom becomes decayed in Trade and must every day degenerate into worss unless some such Reformation be made with Gods great blessing upon it as may uphold the Riches and Glory of it REASONS OF THE DECAY OF THE English-Trade PART I. Definitions What is Trade Def. 1. Trade is an Art of Getting Preparing and Exchanging things Commodious for Humane Necessities and Convenience Annot. So as Trade happens three ways 1. By acquiring or getting things commodious which are called Growths 2ly By Preparing them which are called Manufactures 3ly By Exchanging these Growths and Manufactures for Mony or other Growths and Manufactures And Trade is twofold viz. Native and Forein 1 Native when the Growths or Manufactures are got Prepared and Exchanged upon the place 2ly Forein when Growths and Manufactures are exchanged in Forein Places What is Mony 2. Mony is the
them and loss of the Fishing Trade soon became decaid nor was there or now is there as the case stands any possible relief herein for necessarily so much as is taken from any thing so much less will be left and the law against Naturalization debarring a future supply the Addition of our Miseries in the Maslacre of Ireland and the late great Plague the supplying Ireland hath not only rendred the Coast desolate but the Country too becomes thin and uninhabited From whence notwithstanding we observe none of the Fish-daies which were above half the year enjoyned by the 5 Eliz. 5. nor the several Laws made by King Philip and Mary Queen Elizabeth and King James for breeding of Cattel and have excluded the Kingdom of Ireland from trading with us in Cattel yet our Markets are plentifully enough supplied with them nay the Graziers are so overstocked that they want Markets for them This Mischief moreover attends this Nation That as Necessity is the Mother of Ingenuity so the Law against Naturalization debarrs all Ingenuous men to plans with us and Ireland and our Plantations are open Gates for all necessitous and ingenuous men to run out from us and settle in them where but especially in Ireland for little they may lead an idle and lazy life In this condition I leave to thee Reader to judg whether it will not be yet so much more pernicious to the Trade of this Nation to endeavour a further discovery of new Plantations and that if the Project of Peopling Carolina from the Residue of the men we have left in England if it succeeds will not so much more enfeeble this Nation and reduce the Trade thereof to so much a less proportion by how many men shall be withdrawn from it We see in some sort the Influence the Law against Naturalization hath upon our Trade Let us consider the influence it hath upon the Strength and Welfare of it now we have peopled our Plantations and repeopled Ireland since the late War and Massacre there and compare it with the Kingdom of Spain Spain in old time if Credit may be given to Livy and Plutarch was the most warlike and continued longest and sharpest Wars against the Romans though it were subject to many little Kings and it is scarce credible with what huge Armies they did maintain it And as in old times so in this later Age when Spain was divided into the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon Arragon Portugal Navarr and Granado in the Reigns of Fernando and Isabella the War against the Moors was prosecuted purely by the Kingdom of Castile and Leon for Arragon refused to contribute to it and Navarr and Portugal stood neuters and were not concerned in it Yet it is admirable to read with what huge Armies for 10 years together for so long the War lasted Fernand and Isabella continued those wars and it was in their Reigns that Columbus made his Discovery and Attempts upon the West Indies whereas all the Spains now are united except Portugal under one Monarchy and have moreover for ought is known accession of greater Dominions than any Kingdoms of the Western or perhaps of the Eastern World it is become so weak and feeble as it is a Question whether it be in the power of Christendom to support it against the power of France and the King of Spain though Lord of all the Treasure of the West-Indies of the greatest and richest is fallen to be the poorest and weakest Prince of Christendom nor can any other reason be given hereof at least that I understand but removing the Moors out of Granado the transporting so many Spaniards into the West-Indies and the Inquisition which barrs out any future Supply Let us take notice of the weakness of Spain both at home and in his West-Indies In some particulars when Portugal made Defection from the Crown of Spain Spain without any success for neer 20 years maintained War against it chiefly by Souldiers brought out of Milan Naples Sicily and such Forces as it hired out of Germany and Switzerland for few could be raised out of Spain But this proving insuccessful trusting to the Gallick faith in the Treaty at Bayonne 1659 the King of Spain brought the Marquess Caracen and the greatest part of the Army in the Netherlands to continue the Wars against Portugal but this Army being broken by the joint force of the English French and Portuguez Spain was ever after forced to continue upon a defensive posture until it was necessitated to seek a peace by the loss of the Kingdom of Portugal and what the consequences of the loss of the Army under the Marquess of Caracen have been to the Spanish Netherlands in the year 1667 is understood very well by the English Dutch and Switz and the consequences yet further feared by them And as the weakness of Spain is such at home so it is more in his Indies from whence his Wealth and Riches flow and for ought is known they are greater than any Prince in the World hath yet being but thinly planted how easily do they every year receive the impulsion devastation and plunder of a few Jamaican Capers But sure it were worthy consideration how to prevent this for the future for if the vast exhausting of the Treasure of the English and Dutch in their French East-Indy Turky and other Eastern Trades were not supplied out of the Spanish West-Indies these Trades must either be discontinued or these Western parts of the World in a short time would be utterly impoverished by them so as it is evident both English and Dutch must necessarily suffer so much by how much these Jamaicans impoverish or interrupt the King of Spain or his Subjects in the returns of his Plate-Fleets and I may safely say the English Nation looses ten times more than the Jamaicans get by every Quicksilver Ship they take from the King of Spain or his Subjects Let us compare the State of England with that of Spain The State of England compar'd with that of Spain and see if from not unlike causes it does not necessarily degenerate into the Condition of it First Ireland and our Plantations do in proportion to England more exhaust it of men than the West-Indies do Spain and if no provision be made will in less time than since the West-Indies came to be subject to the Crown of Spain leave it less peopled Secondly The Massacre in Ireland wherein is said 300000 Protestants were murthered and probably as many of the Rebels suffered the late Plague wherein neer 200000 persons died and our late Civil and Forein Wars do more than equilize the transplanting the Moors out of Granado and Lastly the Law against Naturalization is a greater Bar to a future Supply in England than the Inquisition is in Spain We have compared the Condition of England and Spain now I will instance wherein the Condition of England is worse by our Plantations than Spain is by theirs First in that the
Rabbi Moses and many others flourished Nor do I know any reason but if Learning were taught Youth in the English Tongue whereby the English might be as learned as the Romans and Grecians but the English Tongue would be in as much esteem as the Greek and Latin The Method of Learning in Geometry and Numbers and in all other Learning is by disposing the knowledge in the Petitions and Propositions before known so the knowledge what was before understood to be eternal and necessary in the Axiom that the question of every Proposition not known before may necessarily be known in the conclusion of the Syllogism But this is impossible to be done by any Authority of Aristotle where are no Petitions or mean knowledge in the Subject and those Principles which he establishes are so confounded that as he makes a Line to be a Proposition Principle so he makes a man Anal. Post to be a Universal lib. 2. c. 19. tit 7. yet a Line is as much a Universal as a man From whence as it is impossible any progress of Learning or Rational Knowledge can follow so such knowledge as this will Universals are every where and cannot be perceived by sense Ana. Post l. 1. c. 31. tit 1. A Man is a Universal Therefore a man is every where and cannot be perceived by sense If it be impossible from Principles thus established to learn or know then must it be more impossible to learn by the vulgar Logick where are no Principles at all and all Rules of Learning inverted in the first Definition as it is called which sayes Logick proves not the Consequences but Principles in its own and other Sciences Consequences From hence then it is that in Geometry is no method observed in Reasoning whereby the study of it is rendred perplexed and difficult which is of all others the most natural and easie The construction of the fourth Proposition lib. 1. is from no antecedent knowledge and if the negative part of that triangular demonstration be true which makes two triangle lines tocomprehend no space then is all the doctrine of Triangles false for if a right lined Angle be not space it is nothing yet nothing but two right lines comprehend it And in the vulgar Arithmetick is no reason at all taught but the learners without understanding any reason are required to divide the Product of the second and third by the first and the Quotient will give a fourth proportional number c. But how this comes to pass is not understood whereby learners take no pleasure in learning and soon forget what was told without any possible means of improving knowledge in any other Proposition So as it is from hence that the nobler and better sort of the Youth of England being bred up in these vain and fruitless Studies of Grammar Logick and Arist and being thereby fitted for no Business or Conversations are disposed to lead idle and debauched lives and the Female Sex though it be of mankinde as well as the Male and endued with a rational soul and therefore accountable to God and their Superiours for their Actions are less bred ingenuously in England than in France Spain Italy Germany and the United Netherlands whereby they may be enabled to govern themselves when Virgins and Widows and to be assisting to their Husbands and Families when Wives I have before often treated by Apology as well became me because the King and Laws to which I am Subject were concerned I need none in what is said upon this Proposition I have equal right here with any man and any man with me The method prescribed is not four lines whereby in Geometry as well as Numbers I will by Gods leave from causes before known demonstrate the question of every Proposition not known before whereas by twenty years learning of Grammar Logick and Aristotle this was never done nor possible to be done Proposition 14. Theorem 7. How Dutch Merchants and their Wives generally may govern Trade better than English Merchants and their Wives Subjects Dutch and English Merchants and their Wives Question Whether the Dutch govern Trade better than the English I say they may and do Ax. 15. For they who understand any business better may govern it better Prop. 12. 2. But Dutch Merchants and their Wives genenerally understand Trade better than the English Therefore may govern Trade better Which was to be demonstrated Annotations From hence it is that Dutch Merchants Wives frequently when their Husbands are abroad in Trade or any other business order and govern their Trades as diligently and discreetly as if they were at home which is a very great advantage both to the State and their Husbands and Families and might be of as much or more to the King and Merchants here in England if their Wives were so educated as to be enabled to do so Epilogue SO as Reader thou mayest understand and that by demonstration in the former Treatise from what causes and by what means the English Nation is become so degenerate in Strength Wealth and Trade In this thou mayest understand by what means and degrees the Dutch in less than 100 years have attained such prodigious Riches and Strength by Trade we have little left but the French and Canary Trades wherein we undo our selves and the Trade of our Manufactures and Plantations And in these two the Dutch may out do the English in Forein Trade if their charge in acquiring them does not exceed their charge otherways And herein they may clearly out do the English if it be true which is said that in them English Factors Trade in their own names yet upon the account of Dutch Merchants whereby it much more comes to pass which Sir Walter Rawleigh long ago observed that our Sea and Land Commodities serve only to enrich and strengthen other Countries against our own If we lose the Trade of England we must lose Navigation if we lose Navigation we lose the Sovereignty of the Seas if the Sovereignty of the Seas then read the condition of the Nation in the Danish Invasion and remember it not long since Notwithstanding the Nation is in this condition yet are we so ingaged in Factions and Dissentions that neither the continued series of Gods manifold Judgments these many years upon it by Wars Intestine and Forein Plagues Fires and Hyrricanoes nor the growing greatness of our Neighbours the French and Dutch does any ways alarm or awaken it I might here Reader proceed to a third Treatise by observing the same method and demonstrate that England is capable of greater Wealth and strength than the Vnited Netherlands or perhaps any Country else and that from those natural prerogatives wherewith God hath endued it the Nation may manage a greater better and more valuable Trade upon much less terms than the Dutch can a less worse and less valuable Trade But it will be to no purpose to proceed herein until Trade be relieved wherein we shewed cause The End