Plantations or to any Port of England or Ireland it is Forfeit Ship Goods Guns Tackle and Ammunition Pet. 20. Navigation is the only mean of vending our Growths and Manifactures in Forein Trade unless it be into Scotland Pet. 21. The Act against the Importation of Irish Cattel made 18. and 20. Car. 2. cap. 1. hath abated the Trade of England with Ireland for Beer Hops and Bills of Excharge for Money all sorts of Hats and Stockings Cloth and Stuffs of all sorts Victualing Ships of all as well Forein as English c. Pet. 22. All the Canary Wines Imported into England are consumed in it Pet. 23. The Canary Wines Imported do exceed in value the English Commodities Exported into the Canaries I cannot exactly compute the excess but have it from good hands that the Canary Wines yearly Imported are about 13000 Pipes which are valued at 20 l. the Pipe which amounts to 200000 l. yearly and that our Commodities Exported do not neer amount to ¼ so much in value before we did exceed so much in drinking them we Imported them at 10 l. the Pipe and Traded to the Canaries only upon the account of our Commodities in Barter for the Wines Actions or Common Notions 1. Where the means of Improving any business are wanting that business will be so much diminished as the means by which it might have been supplied are diverted 2. Where any thing is wanting and decaied that thing will be so much diminished as the means of supplying it are interrupted 3. If the means of doing any thing be wanting that thing will be so much hindred as the means are diminished 4. The doing of things will be so much hindred as the means of doing them are hindred 5. Every thing will be so much diminished as is abated of it 6. Any business will be so much hindred by how much the means of improving it are excluded 7. Where the consumption of things imported does exceed in value the things Exported the loss will be as the excess is Prop. 1. Theorem 1. The Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much diminished by how much they might have been supplied by those men who are diverted in our American Plantations Subjects The Trades of England and the Fishing Trade Question Whether they be so much diminished by how much they might have been supplyed c. I say they are Ax. 1. For where the means of improving any business are wanting that business will be so much diminished by how much the means by which it might have been suppliep are diverted Pet. 24. But men are necessary to improve Trade Pet. 25. And before we had our American Plantations we wanted men to improve the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade Therefore the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much diminished by how much they might have been supplyed by those men who are diverted in our American Plantations Which was to be demonstrated Corollary 1. By the same reason the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much more diminished by how many men are diverted from supplying them in Repeopling Ireland since the Late Massacre and War there Corollary 2. By the same reason the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are yet so much more diminished by so many men as extraordinarily died in the late great Plague 1665. Annotations upon this Proposition and the two Correllaries Before we had our American Plantations the Coasts of England were in a convenient manner Planted and the Multitudes of Inhabitants in England such that in the 2. and 3. Ph. and Mary 3. the Parliament taking notice that a great number of persons within the Realm had laid their Lands Farmes and Pastures to Feeding of Sheep Oxen Runts Schrubbes Steers and Heifers and such like Cattel having no regard to breed and rear up young Beasts and Cattel whereby was grown great scarcity of Cattel and necessary victual for sustenance of divers sorts of People within this Realm and more like to be if speedy remedy were not provided therefore several provisions were made for breeding and rearing of Cattel Experience had made tryal and proof of the goodness of this Law to be very beneficial and profitable to this Realm and therefore in the 13. El. 25. it was made perpetual and as a very profitable Law the Act of 7. Jac. 8. makes it to extend to grounds which were since inclosed or hereafter should be inclosed Before the Dutch became States or when at least they were but The Poor Distressed States besides our staple at Antwerp we had the sole Trade into Muscovy Turkey and up the Elb whereby Germany Denmarks Jutland Holstein c. were supplyed with our Cloth and Wollen Manufactures We did moreover supply Muscovy with Fish and in a considerable measure France Spain Italy and several parts of the World within the Streights And for the further encouragement of the Fishing Trade and for the preservation of the breeding of Cattel In the 5. Eliz. 5. It was ordained that Wednesday as well as Friday and Saturday should be observed as a Fish day within this Realm upon pain that every person offending should for every time he or they should offend forfeit 3 l. or suffer three Months Imprisonment without Bail or Mainprize and every person who was knowing thereof and concealed it for every such offence should forfeit forty shillings which Act yet continues in force but only the Penalty of eating Flesh upon Fridaies Saturdaies and Wednesdaies is reduced by the 35 Eliz. 7 to twenty shillings and the concealing of it by any Person knowing it to ten shillings Consequences of this Proposition and the two Corollaries After our American Plantations became peopled by us the Dutch began to partake with us in the Turks and Muscovy Trades our Staple at Antwerp diminished in a very great measure to intend the Trades to our Plantations we neglected the Fishing Trade whereby except the Trade of red Herrings which cannot be cured by the Dutch the Dutch in a manner became solely in a short time possessed of it and thereby have accquired this incomparable advantage above us in the Trade of our Plantations that as we imploy only our ablest men in trading to them who in the diversity of Clime and Diet are very subject to Diseases and Mortality and leave the impotent Women and Children at home without imploiment they imploy three times more men in the Fishing trade and four times more to the benefit of their State and also all manner of impotent People Women and Children and have this advantage above us in time of War as well as Peace that all hands imployed in the Fishing Trade are at home and serviceable when they are at War whereas the Inhabitants in our Plantations are of no use or benefit to us in War which was very apparent in our late War with them The Coast of England which should be the Glory Strength and Ornament of an Island in peopling of
possible means of Relief So as our Native Commodities are not valuable as if Trade were free but as a few Merchants please to set a price upon them 2. As in our Native Commodities so in Forein the Merchant and Natives of the place may impose what rates they please and in the mean time we exclude multitudes and concourse of men and Traders which would infinitely advance our Trade thereby and now we complain for want of Trade when as by this Law it seemâ— impossible to be otherwise 3. As this Law makes a few Merchants Masters of all the Trade of England so it makes Mariners the Merchants Masters for being but few and the Merchant being restrained to them if he gives not them what wages they please he must not trade at all Annotations upon the Act of Navigation ingeneral 1. The Title of this Act is an Act for encouraging and encrease of shipping yet it restrains the Navigation of Engl. to English built ships upon no less penalty than confiscation whereas for above 120 years the want and decay of Timber hath been complained of in Parliament and how then this can be a means to increase shipping especially when we have so few builders I shall be glad to be informed But the consequences of Laws of like nature have been observed and reflected upon For by the 4 H. 7. 10. No Gaseoyn wine or Tholouse woad was to Laws of like nature found by experience mischievous to this Nation be imported into England but in Ships English Irish Welch or of the men of Barwick or Callice and the Mr. and greater part of the Mariners to be Subjects of the Realm of England upon pain to forfeit the said Wine and Woads which was supposed to be made for the maintenance of the Navy of this Realm and that the said Wines and Woad might be had at more easie prizes The experience whereof has ever since appeared to the contrary for that the said Wines and Woad were sold at such excessive rates as had not been before seen within this Realm and the Navy thereby never the better maintained and therefore the Stat. of 4 H. 7. 10. was repealed by the 5. and 6. Ed. 6 18. And liberty for all strangers in Amity with the King as well as Subjects to import the said Wine and Woad By the 5 R. 2 3. None of the Kings Subjects might carry forth or bring in any Merchandize but only in ships of the Kings Allegiance this was repealed by the 1 Eliz 13. because that by reason thereof there hath not only grown great displeasure betwixt Forein Princes and the Kings of this Realm but also the Merchants have been sore grieved and damaged Though the 5 of R. 2. 3. did not permit the Kings subjects The impossibility of Executing the Act of Navigation to trade but in ships of the Kings Allegiance yet by the 6 Rich. 2. 8. where no English ships were to be had English men might trade in strangers ships and though by the 4 H. 7. 10. Gascoin Wine and Tholouse Woad might not be brought into the Realm but by the English Ships and English Merchants and Mariners yet if they could not have Fraught in an English or Denizens Ships they might fraught a Strangers whereas by the Act of Navigation though we have not built one Ship for the Trades of Greenland Norway nor Muscovy since the Act of Navigation Yet if we buy any or Fraught any Strangers Ship for any of the Trades it is forfeit with all her Goods Guns Lading Tackle and Ammunition So that though we may possibly have some Trade to Norway for Timber when our Prize Ships are spent upon such terms as the Norwegians please and not otherwise yet it will be impossible to have any Trade to Muscovy or Groenland for the Muscovite Trades not with us and the Whales have no Shipping at all Other Mischiefs and Inconveniences which have ensued the Act of Navigation The 17 Car. 2â— complains that the Importation of Gunpowder from Forein Parts was against Law prohibited and All the mischiefs complained of 17 Car. 21. brought upon us by this Law the making thereof within this Realm ingrossed whereby the price of Gunpowder was excessively raised many Powder Mills decayed the Kingdom very much weakened and indangered the Merchants thereof much damnified many Mariners and others taken Prisoners and brought into miserable Captivity and Slavery Many Ships taken by Turkish and other Pirates and many other inconveniences have from thence enseud and more are like to ensue if they be not timely prevented and therefore this Law permits the Trade free to Strangers as well as English to import Gunpowder and though this Law stands yet in force yet against it and all the reasons in it the Act of Navigation makes it no less than confiscation of Ship Goods Guns Tackle and Ammunition for any English man to import any unless in an English built Ship and Sailed by ¾ English at least or for any Stranger not Native of the making it to import any whether he hath Ships or not Prop. 7. Theorem 7. The Trade of England is diminished by the Acts made 18. and 20. Car. 2. against the Importation of Irish Cattle Subject Is the Trade of England Question Whether it be diminished by the Act against the Importation of Irish Cattel I say it is Ax. 5. For every thing will be so much diminished as is abated of it Pet 21. But the Act against Importation of Irish Cattel hath abated the Trade of England with Ireland for Hops and Beer and in Returns of Mony by Bills of Exchange Cloth Stuffs of all sorts Hats and Stockings of all sorts Victualling Ships c. Therefore the Act against Importation of Irish Cattel hath diminished the Trade of England Which was to be demonstrated Annotations upon this Proposition The reason of this Act is by the Preamble expressed to be the lowness of the Rents of England caused by the multitudes of Irish Cattel imported into England It is true the Evidence of Fact is ever resolved by the testimony of Witness but this is ever done without reason and therefore for strengthening the Authority of him who testifies the Name of God is usually invoked that what is affirmed is true but in reasoning the Testimony of no man is more than another but as the Question in reason is resolved by anteâ—edent Causes nor herein is any man allowed to outsware another who gives a better reason by the 7. Pet. multitudes and concourse of people advance Trade and scarcity of people diminish Trade and therefore if all men should affirm that a great Trade should be made where people are scarce and thin this should never prevail with me since it is against the nature of Trade but on the contrary where people are scarce and thin they are rude Flat Heathenish idle and ever poor and when they take great pains which is very rare for want of Education it is to
little purpose By the first Proposition The multitudes of the English diverted into our Plantations hath diminished as well the Fishing Trade as the Trade of our Native Growths and Manufactures which is more diminished by our re-peopling Ireland since the late War and Massacre there and so much more diminished by how many extraordinarily died of the late great Plague and by the 6 Proposition the Growths and Manufactures of England in Forein Trade are diminished by the Act of Navigation and multitudes and entercourse of Foreiners are excluded by it whereby the Trade of England is every way interrupted and diminished And since the Rents of Land are valuable as the Trade of the place is It is from hence that the Rent of Land is so abated and fallen all over England but much more since the Act against Importation of Irish Cattel so as the end designed by the Law which was the raising the Rents of Land is so far from being attained that from these Reasons the Trade of England being more diminished by this Law the quite contrary hath ensued One of the Reasons alledged by the Act intituled An Act for the Encouraging of Trade made the 14 Car. 2. for the excluding Foreiners to Trade to our Plantations is to hold a greater kindness and nearer Correspondency between the English Nation and them which reason of mutual kindness I am sure will hold stronger between the English Nation and Ireland for if we lose them or any of them we lose no more than the Subjects in them who unless it be in reference to Trade are of no use to England whereas if by reason of this Act we lose Ireland or any part of it the safety of this Nation will be endangered thereby If the Importation of Irish Cattel had abated the Rents of England one half and thereby the Commodities of England had been reduced to half the price the Nation had not been poorer thereby however the Nobility and Country Gentlemen who were in Debt and the Poor Tenants who had Leases of their Farms would have been damnified and undone thereby but in General Navigation and the Trade of the Nation would have been advantaged by it The Reasons in the Act of Navigation are good for England against Foreiners Trading into our Plantations and so is the restraining them from the Trade of Ireland for otherwise other Nations especially the Dutch would have reaped more benefit by them than we should have done but without question our Plantations and Ireland too would have been much increased and inriched by a Free Trade more than by this restraint and by like Reason the Trade of England too would have been much more and the Nation much more enriched than now if no restraint had been put upon the Trade by the Act of Navigation For by the Act of Navigation the greater Trading part of the World are excluded the Trade of Ireland and by the Act against Importation of Irish Cattel upon the matter the Trade between England and Ireland is interrupted and destroyed and here let us see the Consequences hereof Consequences The Imaginary Reason that the Importation of Irish Cattel caused the abatement of the Rents of England is truly caused by the Act in the Southern and Eastern parts of England for the Northern People Welch and Scots taking advantage of this Law have raised the price of lean Cattel so excessively that very small or no profit arises to the Graziers when they are Fatted So as before the Act we bought cheap and sold cheap which was but reasonable whereas now we buy dearer and sell cheaper which is intolerable 2. Before the Act we could Victual Ships with good and substantial Food cheaper than the Dutch and upon all occasions the Dutch and French and other Nations when they were in our Harbours did take a very considerable quantity of our Provision whereas since the Act the Dutch and French Victual much cheaper in Ireland than we can do in England and in Holland and Zealand Irish Beef I am told by Traders thither is sold for a peny a pound so as having as the case stood but one advantage above the Dutch besides the excellency and conveniencies of our Harbours in Navigation by this Law we have given the Dutch a greater advantage over us than we had over them 3. Before this Act the Eastern and Southern parts of England did in a very considerable manner supply Flanders France Portugal and Spain with Butter which now we have interrupted the intercourse of Trade between England and Ireland we have thereby put the Irish upon necessities of making Butter which they do so much cheaper than is possible to be done in England notwithstanding the abatement of our Rents that they supply Flanders and France much cheaper than the English can whereby our Trade for Butter and Cheese is become much worse than that of Grazing of Cattel and now the Irish have established these Trades much more advantageous to them than their Trade was to us with their lean Cattel I understand no remedy hereof but they will increase their advantages and we must yet more continue losers 4. Besides the abatement of our Native Growths and Manufactures caused by the Act against the Importation of Irish Cattel as England was the Storehouse for all sorts of Commodities coming from our Plantations and other Forein Goods as all sorts of Dying stuffs Hides Fruit Sugars Tobacco's and of all sorts of Silks as well wrought as unwrought Ribbands Gold Silver and Silk-Lace so the Trade with Ireland was driven by Commutation of the Product of the mony for their Lean Cattel which being now interrupted this Trade of England with Ireland for these becomes proportionably lestened and diminished Whereas now they transport their Beef into France Holland Zealand and Flanders they make returns in the Growths and Manufactures of those Countries whereby the Irish Trade is become as beneficial to them as it was formerly to us 5. His Majesties Custom for the Lean Cattel is quite extinguished 6. The Shipping and Mariners imployed and built for this Trade are by this Act neglected and made useless about 100 Ships being before imployed in this Trade only 7. That as before English Shipping was generally imployed in the Trade with Ireland so the returns out of Ireland in Hides Tallow Wools and Yarn into Forein parts was in English Shipping whereas now we have not only lost the Profitable Returns of these Commodities but Forein Ships are only imployed in these Trades Proposition 8. Theorem 8. The Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much hindred by how many men and so much mony and stock as are excluded by Corporations Subject The Trade of England and the Fishing Trade Question Whether they be so much hindered by how many men and so much mony and stock as is excluded by Corporations I say they are Ax. 6. For any business will be so much hindered by how much the means of improving it
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
Crown of Spain in the West-Indies acquires new Subjects whereas we in our Plantations wholly people them from our selves And the King of Spain being head of the House of Austria besides the supplies which he draws out of Milan Naples Sicily and Switzerland hath upon all occasions large supplies of men out of Germany Before we had our Plantations England when it was not troubled with Civil Wars did usually in their offensive Wars prevail against France and Scotland I cannot tell whether the Coasts of England be better planted than the Coasts of the King of Spain's West-Indies I am sure the French King and Dutch are more able to attempt the invading of them than the Jamaicans those of the West-Indies By this Law against Naturalization we bid defiance to all the World to continue our Adversaries and deny the Assistance of all Proselytes who otherwise might be of us and assist us Whereas the Prudence and Practice of the Romans and greatest and wisest Princes and Potentates of the World for which they have been and now are celebrated famous have proceeded otherwise and this may be more fully understood in Sir Walter Rawleigh's Safety and Defence of People c. And God himself would not permit the Jews to continue in the Land he had given them unless they did not oppress the Stranger Jer. 7. 6 7. 1. As the Law of Naturalization debarrs us of any future Supply for all the Strength and Trade which this Nation loses in peopling our Plantations and repeopling Ireland so it was the Reason that before we had our Plantations this Nation lost to the Dutch above 48000 pounds per An. in dyng and dressing our Manufactures and above 1646000 pounds per An. in the Fishing Trade for this Nation could have better and by half cheaper have maintained the Managers if this Law had permitted 2. This Law is the Reason that those Multitudes of hands which are imployed abroad in our Woollen Manufactures are not imployed here So that by the severity of many Laws against the Exportation of Wool we restrain our Wool from forein Trade and by this Law we exclude the World from working it here whereby our Wool becomes a drug and of no esteem being neither well wrought at home and not permitted in forein Trade 3. This Law is the Reason that in our Tin and Lead we are the only Drudges to work it out of the Mines whilst all parts of the World but our selves improve Trade and grow rich by Manufactures thereon Corollary 3. By the same Reason the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much more diminished by how much they might be supplied by those hands and so much Money as is diverted from them in relief of idle persons by the Statute of the 43 of Eliz. intit Who shall be Overseers for the Poor their Office Duty and Accounts Annotations Reader That the Mischiefs and Inconveniences which have ensued this Law may better appear take with thee these Considerations First That God hath made Man to eat his bread in the cares of Mind and sweat of his brows that man therefore who neither cares nor labours hath no reason to expect that he shall have any thing to care for Secondly Consider that the Nation was much more inhabited when this Law was made than now From hence then Reader take a Prospect of the Inconveniences which have ensued this Law 1. That where pure Necessity does not require it inverts the end which God hath by Nature made viz. That where Man does not care for and govern he should eat his bread by Labour and Industry 2. That notwithstanding our great loss and want of men for the reasons beforesaid these idle persons provided for by this Act are so more a loss to the Nation than if they had never been by how much the Nation loses in maintaining and providing for them and this is increased to such a height that notwithstanding the want of men more now than when this Law was made yet the charge of maintaining poor people in very many Places is 6 7 8 9 fold more than before and what the further consequences hereof will be if not prevented is most worthy the consideration of the Parliament 3. It is a discouragement to all industrious and labouring people when lazy and idle people shall be maintained in their idleness from the fruits of their Labour and Industry 4. It encourages wilful and evil disposed persons to impose what wages they please upon their labours and herein they are so refractory to Reason and the benefit of the Nation that when Corn and Provisions are cheap they will not work for less wages than when they were dearer so as it often happens that one days indifferent labour shall maintain these persons three or four days after in Idleness which if this Law had not been might have been for a reserve to support themselves and families in adversity and sickness 5. As sundry Laws provided against wandring Beggers and Vagabonds so this Law provides for and relieves stationary Beggers 6 This Law is the principal if not the only reason of the excessive wages of servants as well as labourers in making Provision for such who will neither serve nor labour 7. From this Law therefore it is principally and for the want of good education of the governing part of the Trade of the Nation of which we shall treat hereafter that as Mr. Mun observes in his excellent treatise of England's Treasure by Forein Trade cap. 19. that the English Nation is reproached commonly among strangers for the multitudes of People which in England Cheat Roar Rob Hang Beg Cant Pine and Perish which otherwise might help to encrease and maintain the Wealth and strength of these Kingdomes especially by Sea for our own safety and terrour of our enemies 8. The charity which might be imployed in the releife of truely impotent and aged people is heerby abated and diminished Corollary 4. By the same reason the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much more diminished by how much they might be supplyed by those lazy and idle persons who are diverted from them by living upon Wasts Commons Chases and Forests Annotations So as this difference is between these persons and those maintained by the 43. El. 2. that as those are maintained by the loss of the Nation so these are maintained to no benefit of it but are dangerous as well to the Nation as Government of it This appeas by the Riots and Tumults which they make upon all Endeavours of Improvments notwithstanding compensations are made double and treble to the value of what they reaped thereby The number therefore of these kind of persons encreasing which daily does as well by a succession of those who are born upon such places as otherwise and being at liberty to work or not the Government will be so much more endangered by how much they are encreased and so much more by how much less these