and maintain the Merchants by all possible means of purpose to draw the wealth and strength of Christendome to themselves whereby it appeareth though the Duties be but small yet the Customes for going out and coming in doth so abound that they increase their Revenues greatly and make great profit by sea and land in serving themselves and other Nations likewise the great Concourse which comes by the same means enableth the Common-people to beare their burthen laid upon them and yet they grow rich together with the great Comerce and Trade occasioned by their convenient Priviledges and commodious Constitutions There was an Entercourse of Traffique in Gâ—â—â—a and in that City was the flower of Comerce as appeareth by their ancient Records and sumptuous Buildings all Nations traded with merchandises to them and there was the Storehouse of all Italy and other places But after they had set a great Custome of XVI per Cent. all Nations left trading with them which made them give themselvs wholly â—o Usury and at this day we have not ships go thither in a year On the contrary the Duke of Florence builded Ligoâ—â— and set small Customes upon merchandise gave them great and pleasing Priviledges which hath made that a rich and strong City with a flourishing State and Trade Concerning the particular of Fishing and the greatest in the wâ—â—ld which is upon the Coast of England Scotland and Ireland the Fishermen living to our shame in the Low-Countries and other Petty-States wherewith they serve themselves and all Christendome In four Towns in the East-Kingdomes within the Sound viz. Quinsborough Elbing Statten and Daâ—zick there is carried and 〈◊〉 in a year between 30 40000 Lasts of Herrings sold at 15 or 16 pounds the Last which is 170000 pounds in such request are our herrings there that they are oftentimes sold for 20 24 30 and 36 pounds the Last England sends not one Barrel into all those Countries The Hollanders send into Russia neer 1500 Lasts sold at or about 30â— the â—â—râ—el which amounteth to 27000 pounds England about 20 or 30 Lasts To Stoâ—d Hamburgh Breame and Embden up the river of Elve Weazer and Embes is carried and vented of Fish and Herrings about 6000 Lasts sold at about 15 or 16 pounds the Last which comes to 100000 pounds yearly England none Cleveland Gulickland and so up the Rhine to Cullen Frankford on the Main and so over all Germany is carried and vented of Fish and Herrings 20000 Lasts sold at 20l the Last which is 440000l and we none Up the River of Maze Leige Mastrick Vendlow Zuâ—phen Deventer Campen Swole and all over Lukeland is carried and vented of Herrings 7000 Lasts sold at 20l the Last which is 140000. and we none To Gelderland Artois Henalt Brabant Flanders up the River of Antwerp all over the Archdukes country is carried and vented between 8 or 9000 Lasts of of Herrings sold at 18l the Last which is 170000l and we none The Hollanders others carried of all sorts of Herrings to Roan only in one year besides all other Ports of France 5000 Lasts of Herrings sold at 20l the Last which is 100000l and we not 100 â—ast thither They are sold oftentimes there for 20 24 and 30l the Last Between Christmas and Lent the Duties for Fish and Herrings came to 15000 Crowns at Roan that year the late Queen decâ—ased Sir Tho. Parry was Agent there then and St. Savours his man knoweth it to be true who handled the businesse for pulling down the Impositions Then what great summes of money came to all the Port-towns to enrich the French Kings coffers and to all the Kings and States throughout Christendome to enrich their coffers besides the great quantity vented to the Straits and the multitude spent in the Low-Countries where there is likewise sold many 100000l worth yearly If this stream were turned to the good of this Nâ—tion to whose Sea-coasts only God hath sent and given these great blessings and multitude of riches for us to take how happy were it The hurt on the contrary that any Nation should carry out of this Realme yearly such great masses of money for Fish they take on our Seas many of which sold againe by them to us must needs be great and as great dishonour to this Nation From any Port Town of any Kingdome in Christendome the Bâ—idge-master or the Wharf-master foâ— 20s a year will deliver a â—â—e Note of the Number of Lasts of Herrings brought to their Wharfs and their Prices commonly sold at The number brought To Dansick Cullen Rotterdam and Enchusen it will cost 3 4 or 5l for a true Note The abundance of Corne groweth in the East Kingdoms but the great Store-houses for Grain to serve Christendome and the Heathen Countries in the time of Dearth is in the Low-Countries wherewith upon every occasion of scarcity and dearth they enrich themselves seven years after and imploy their people and get great fraight for their Ships in other Countries and we not one in that course The mighty Vineyards and store of Salt is in France and Spain But the great Vintage and Staple of Salt is in thâ—Low-Countries and they send neer 1000. Saile of ships with Salt and Wine onely into the East-Kingdomes yearly besides many other places and we not one in that course The exceeding Groves of Wood are in the East-Kingdomes But the huge Piles of Wainscot Clapboards Fir-deale Masts and Timber is in the Low-Countries where none groweth wherewith they serve themselves and other parts and this Kingdome with those Commodities They have 5 or 600 great long Ships continually using that Trade and we not one in that course The Wooll Cloth Lead and Tyn with divers Commodities are in England But by means of our Wooll and Cloth going out rough undrest and undyed there is an exceeding Manufacturie in the Low-Countries wherewith they serve themselves and other Nations which advanceth greatly the imployment of their people at home and traffique abroad and putteth down ours in forain parts where our Merchants trade unto with our own Commodities we dressing and dying it basely they to that perfection that they will not fail colour or be threed-bare in seven years wearing We send into the East-Kingdoms yearly but 100 ships and our Trade chiefly dependeth upon three Towns Elbing Kingsborough and Dantzick for making our Sales and buying their Commodities sent into this Realm at dear rates which this Kingdome beareth the burthen of The Low-Countries send into the East-Kingdoms yearly about 3000 ships trading into every City and port-Port-Town taking the advantage and vending their Commodities to exceeding profit buying and lading their ships with plenty of those Commodities which they have from every of those Towns 20l per cent better cheap then we by reason of the difference of their Coyn and their Fish yieldeth ready mony which greatly advanceth their traffiqueâ— and decayeth ours They send into France Spain Portugal and Italy from the East-Kingdoms that
passeth through the Sound and through our Narrow-seas yearly of the East-country Commodities about 2000 ships and we none in that course They trade into all Cities and port-Port-Towns in France We chiefly to five or sixe They traffique into every City and port-Port-Town round about this Land with 5 or 600 ships yearly And we chiefly but to three Towns in their Country and but with 40 ships Notwithstanding the Low-Countries have as many Ships and Vessels as all the Kingdomes of Christendome have let England be one and build every year neer 1000 ships and not a Timber-tree growing in their own country also all their homebred commodities that grow in their land in a yeare lesse then 100 good ships are able to carry away at one time Yet they handle the matter so for setting them all on work that their Traffique with the Hance-Towns exceedeth in shipping all Christendome We have all things of our own in superabundance to increase Traffique and Timber to build ships and Commodities of our own to load about 1000 Ships and Vessels at one time besides the great Fishing and as fast as they have made their Voyages might lade and so year after year all the year long to continue yet our ships and mariners decline and Traffique and Merchants daily decay The main bulk and masse of Herrings from whence they raise so many Millions yearly that enricheth other Kingdoms Kings and States coffers and likewise their own people procâ—edeth from our Sea and Land and the Return of the Commodities and Coin they bring home in exchange of Fish and other Commodities are so huge as would declare a large Discourse apart All the amends they make us is They beat us out of Trade in all parts with our own Commodities For instance We had a great Trade in Russia 70 years â— and about 14 years past we sent store of goodly ships to trade in those parts and three years past we set out but four and this last year two or thâ—ee But to the contrary the Hollanders about 20 years since traded thither with two ships only yet now they are increased to about thirty or forty and one of their ships is as great as two of ours and the same time in their troubles there that we decreased they increased and the chiefest Commodities they carry thither with them is English Cloth Herrings taken on our Coast English Lead and Pewter made of our Tin besides other Commodities All which we may do better then they And although it be a cheap Country and the Trade very gainful yet we have almost brought it to nought by disorderly Trading Joint-stock and the Merchants bandying themselves one against another We used to have 8 or 9 great ships to go continually a fishing to Wardhouse and this year but one and so pro rato they out-goe us in all kind of Fishing and Merchandising in all Countries by reason they spare no cost nor deny no Priviledges that may encourage Advancement of Trade and Manufacturie IF it stand with the good liking of the STATES to take notice of these things conceived to be fit for their consideration which is tendered unto them out of unfained zeale to the Advancement of the generall good of all Subjects it being apparent that no three Kingdoms in Christendome can compare with this for support of Traffique and continual imployment of the people within themselves having so many great means both by sea and land to enrich multiply the Navy enlarge Traffique make the Nation powerful and People rich who through idlenesse are poor wanting imployment many Land and Coast-Towns much ruinated need of Coyn Shipping Traffique and Mariners decayed whil'st Neighbour-Princes without these means abound in wealth enlarge their Towns increase their shipping Traffique and Mariners and find out such imployment for their people that are all Advantages to their Commonwealth only by ordaining commodious Constitutions in Merchandizing and fulnesse of Trade to all their people in Manufacturie God hath blest this Nation with incomparable benefits As with Copper Lead Iron Tinne Allome Copperas Saffron Fells and divers other native commodities to the number of an hundred and other Manufacturies vendible to the number of a thousand as shall appeare besides Corne whereof great quantity of Beere is made and most transported by strangers as also Wooll whereof much is shipped forth unwrought into Cloth or Stuffs and Cloth transported undyed which doth imploy and maintain neer 50000 people in forain parts our own people wanting that imployment in England many of them being inforced to live in great want and seek it beyond the seas Coals which doth imploy neer 600 strangers ships yearly to transport them out of this Kingdom whilst we do not imploy twenty ships in that course Iron-Ordinance which is a Jewel of great value far more then it is accounted by reason that no other Country could ever attain unto it although they have assayed it with great charge Timber for building of ships and Commodities plenty to lade them which Commodities other Nations want yet wee decline in shipping traffique and mariners These inconveniences happen by three causes especially 1. The unprofitable Course of Merchandizing 2. Want of the true Course of full Manufacturie of our home-bred Commodities 3. Undervaluing our Coynes contrary to the Rules of other Nations For instance The Merchant-Adventurers by over-trading upon Credit or with mony taken up upon Exchange whereby they lose usually 10. or 12. and sometimes 15. or 16. per cent are inforced to make sale of their Clothes at under-rates to keep their credit whereby Cloth being the Jewel of the Land is undervalued and the Merchant in short time eaten out The Merchants of Ipswich whose Trade for Elbing is chiefly for fine Clothes and some few sorting Clothes all died and dressed within this Land do for the most part buy their fine Clothes upon Time and by reason they go so much upon Credit they are enforced not being able to stand upon their Markets to sell giving 15 or 18 moneths day of payment for their Clothes and having sold them they then presently sell their Bills so taken for Cloth allowing after the rate of 14 or 15 and sometimes 20 per cent which money they imploy forthwith in Wares at excessive prices and lose as much more that way by that time their Wares be sold at home Thus by over-running themselves upon Credit they disable themselves and others inhancing the price of forain Commodities and pulling down the Rates of their own The West-Country Merchants that trade with Clothes into France or Spain do usually imploy their Servants Young men of small experience and doth not London so likewise who by cunning combining of the French and Spanish Merchants are so intrapped that when all Customes and Charges be accounted their Masters shall handly receive their Principal-mony As for Returns out of France their silver and gold is so high-rated that our Merchants cannot bring it home but to great losse Therefore
the French Merchants set higher Rates of their Commodities which we must either buy dear or let our money lie dead there a long time untill we may conveniently imploy the same The Northern Merchants of York Hull and Newcastle trade onely in White-Kersies and Coloured-Dozens and every Merchant be his Adventure never so small doth for the most part send over an unexperienced Youth unfit for Mechandising which bringeth to the Stranger great advantage but to his Master and Commonweale great hinderance For they before their goods be landed go to the Stranger and buy such quantities of Iron Flax Corn and other Commodities as they are bound to lade their ships withall which ships they engage themselves to relade within three weeks or a moneth and do give the price the Merchant-stranger asketh because he giveth them Credit and lets them ship away their Iron Flax and other Commodities before they have sold their Kersies and other Clothes by which means extraordinary deare Commodities are returned into the Realm and the Servant also inforced to sell his Clothes underfoot and oftentimes to losse to keep his Credit and to make payment for the goods before shipped home having some 20 dayes or a moneths respite to sell the Clothes and to give the Merchant satisfaction for his Iron Flax and other Wares by which extremities our homebred Commodities are abased Touching Manufacturie THere hath been about 80000 undrest and undyed Cloths yeerly transported Which in 55 years is neere 20 Millions that would have been gained by the labour of poore workmen in that time with the Marchants gains for bringing in dying stuffs and return of Cloths dressed and dyed with other benefits to the Realm besides exceeding in larging of Traffique and increase of Ships and Mariners There would have been gained in that time about three Millions by increase of Custome upon Commodities returned for Clothes dressed and dyed and for dyeing stuffs which would have more plentifully been brought in and used for the same There hath been also transported in that time yearly by Bayze five Northern and Devonshire Kersies white about 50000 Clothes accounting three Kersies to a Cloth whereby hath been lost about five Millions by these sort of Clothes in that time which would have come to poore workmen for their labour with the Custome of Dyeing stuffs and the peoples profit for bringing them in with returns of other Commodities Bayze are transported white unto Amsterdam and being there drest and dyed are shipped into Spaine Portugal and other Kingdomes where they are sold in the name of Flemish Bayze setting their own Town-Seale upon them so that we lose the very name of our homebred Commodities and other Countries get the reputation and profit thereof Lamentable it is that this Land should be deprived of so many aforementioned Millions and that our Native Commodities of Cloth ordained of God for the natural subjects being so royal and rich in it selfe should be driven to so smal advantage of reputation and profit to the people and so much improved and intercepted by strangers considering that God hath inabled given this Nation more conveniency to advance dressing dying and transporting of all Cloths All the Companies of the Land transport Cloths dressed and dyed to the good of the kingdome except the Merchant-Adventurers whereby the Easterland and Turky Marchants with other Companies do increase Customes by bringing in and spending Dyeingstuffs and setting people on work by dressing and dying afore they transport them and they might increase far more Custome to and make much more profit to themselves and this Realm and set many thousands of poore people more on work for dressing and dying and likewise imploy more ships and Mariners for bringing in dyeing stuffs were it not for the Merchant-Adventurers who transport their Cloths white rough undrest and undyed into the Low-Countries where they sell them to the strangers who afterwards dresse dye and stretch them to such unreasonable lengths contrary to our Law that they prevent and forestal our Markets and crosse the just prohibition of our State and Realm by their Agents and Factors lying in divers places with our own Cloths to the great decay of this Nation in general and discredit of our Cloths in particular If the account were truly known it would be found that they make not cleere profit only by Cloth undyed 60000. l. a yeer But it is most apparent in Customes the Merchants in their sales and prizes Subjects in their labours for lack of not dressing ships and Mariners in not bringing in of Dying stuffs and spending of Allome is hindred yearly a million of pounds So that trade is driven to the great hinderance of the people by putting native Commodities to passe rough undrest and undyed by the Merchant-Adventurers Touching Fishing THe great Sea-businesse of Fishing doth imploy neer 20000 ships and vessels and 400000 people are employed yearly upon the Coasts of England Scotland and Ireland with 60 ships of war which may prove dangerous The Hollanders only have about 3000 ships to fish withal and 50000 people are imployed yearly upon the Coasts of England Scotland and Ireland These 3000 fishing-ships and Vessels of the Hollanders doth imploy neere 9000 other ships and vessels and 150000 persons more by Sea and Land to make provision to dresse and transport the fish they take and return Commodities whereby they are inabled and do build yearly 1000 ships and vessels having not one Tymber tree growing in their own Country nor homebred Commodities to lade 100 ships and yet they have 20000 ships and vessels and all imployed King Henry the seventh desirous to make his kingdomes powerful and rich by increase of ships and Mariners and imployment of his people sent unto his Sea-coast Towns moving them to set up the great and rich Fishing with promise to give them needful priviledges and to furnish them with Loans of mony if need were to incourage them yet his people were slack Having traced this businesse and made known to this State the Marchants and others it will do well the able and well-affected set down under their hands for more assurance and promise to disburse sums of mony for building this great and rich large sea-Sea-City which will increase more strength to the Land give more comfort and do more good to all Cities and Towns then all the Companies of the Kingdome having fit and needful priviledges for the upholding and strengthening of so weighty and behoveful a businesse For example twenty Busses built and put into a Sea-coast Town where there is not one ship before there must be to carry recarry transport and make provision for one Busse 3 ships likewise every ship setteth on work 30 several Trades and occupations and 400 persons by Sea and Land insomuch as 300 persons are not able to make one fleet of Nets in 4 moneths for one Busse which is no smal imployment Thus by 20 Busses are set on work neer 8000 persons by sea and