SEVERALL CONSIDERATIONS Offered to the Parliament concerning the improvement of Trade Navigation and Comerce more especially the old draperies and other woolen manufactures of England by G. C. a Louer of his country WHereas in former ages the subjects of England lived cheifely by pasturage and tillage they were necessitated to transport their wooles to bring in bullion and other comodities for their support and pleasures But after the invention of gunns and gunpouder Shipping marriners inereasing soe much in forraigne parts from the product of English woole both in number and strenght England could not be defended any longer with bows and arrowes wherefore they slighted many old castles and trusted to new Shipps and even at last to thinke upon trade and comerce which proved the cheifest fortress and support of the King and Kingdome After the dissolution of Monasteries and Abbies the people multiplying soe fast they setled severall Colonies and plantations in Asia and America finding noe roome at home for all yonger brothers to live and gett estates Diverse of them that were naturally adicted to the warrs left the service of other Princes and States where English men sell their skinns and spinn out their lives for brass stivers and sols marques to seeke their fortunes in those Dominions that were added to the Crowne through the great charges and industry of severall well affected persons to their King and Country who since have not only lost their reall possessions but their originall costs by bad goverment and worse conducts When the staple of woole was kept at Midleburgh in Richard the seconds time and at Callais in Edward the thirds time it was ordained that for every sack of woole which should be transported out of England there should be a competent quantity of silver bullion returned besides 50 s. a sack for custome outwards to the King And to prevent all manner of fraudes in those days there were severall offices of the staple errected at West-minster New-castle Yorke Lincolne Canterbury Excester Bristoll and other places soe that a fleece of woole could not be exported without account to the King and a returne to the Kingdome The tenth parte of all wooles being to come to the church their officers served the Crowne gratis for the benefitts they received of maintenance and protection which may be done now by Parochiall and Secular persons as was then by Regulars without any charge to the crowne It is the Custome in England for the cheifest lords in Parliament to sitt upon woole packs to put them in minde of the naturall groweth of their estates and the best dependance of the Crowne and the comon wealth A pack of English woole containing 100. waight Exceeds in value a pack of the finest flax Goates haire or the finest filke of the same waight as farr as 100. waight of English Tin or lead Exceeds 100. waight of Hollands turfe digged out of their silver Mines In regard English woole is of that absolute necessity to most nations of the world for warmth and cloathing when the other is for pleasure and delight 100. waight of fine flax mohaire or silke may sett as many people at worke as a pack of woole but it is not universally of the tenth parte for use of apparell or consumption And the one being of English groweth and the other fforraigne the woole adds to the Kingdome and the other deminisheth 100. Pore men women and children are usually imployed and sett at worke by every 100. waight of English woole viz Combers Spinners Reelers Weavors Kintters Dyers Cloathworkers Rowers Fullers Labourers c. That consumes the graine and victualls of England and soe many people must stand stil beggâ— or starve for want of worke at home for every pack of woole that is transported fâ—om thence into France Flanders or Holland Where there are great quantities of English Irâ—â—h and Scotch woole Notwithstanding all the strikt laws to the contrary Frequently carrieâ— over towards the manufacture of cloath stuffes stockings monmouth capps Tapistry Dornick hangings Ratines Bays Drugetts c. Which canot be wrought alone with their short staple wooles The Kings of France originally granted liberty and priviledges to all nations that would come and inhabite Flanders Brabant c. Whereupon those great populous Citties and townes were suddanly built by strangers of all arts and sciences And many of their best Churches Monasteries and Abbies were founded and erected by Severall Kings of England and noble men in the Saxons time As the records of Flanders makes appeare Amongst which there is a very remarkable History The Queene of France in her progress coming to vissit Brugis and Gant she found the people soe richly cloathed that she sayd she thought there had been but one Queene in France but there she found all the women Queens and wished she had been a Cloathiers wife also most of the inhabitants being Cloathiers Weavors and others that lived upon the manufacture of English woole which soe increased their wealth and beauty to wonder and admiration Afterwards by severall acts of Providence many thousand Weavors Felt makers Knitters and Spinners transported themselves for England when the great Councell of the land had prohibited the transportation of woole and incouraged the woolen manufactures at home Then a Charter was granted to the Marchant adventurers who maintained severall persons in all the sea Port townes of England France and Flanders to make seizures and discoveries of all wooles and fullers Earth that should be conveyed out of his Majesties Dominions to fforraigne parts But since the Charter of the Company was broaken that trade is decayed and the old drapery oâ— England slighted in the Seaventeen Provinces through the great burthens new impositions and exations lately layd upon English manufactures whereby that Comercâ— is neglected and interlopers exposing Cloath Kersies and Searges to contempt by theiâ— pedling offering them to sale in comoÌ„n tavernes and tipling houses Soe that thâ— staple comodities of England will at lenght be unregarded Whereof I have spoken morâ— at large in my remarkable passages concerning the Hollanders since the death of Queeâ— Elizebeth And had prepared theise following considerations during the latâ— treaty with the States Generall for opening the Scheld which I leavâ— to yover grave wisdomes and apprehensions upon all future events CONSIDERATIONS Of the Advantages which the King of great Brittaigne and his subjects may draw by the opening of the navigation in the River of the Scheld to the citty of Antwerpe THere is nothing of more importance to the united Provinces then navigation by which they doe not only subsist but are inriched and render themselves formidable to all the Princes and Potentates of Europe And to the prejudice of all their neighbours and their owne great profit they draw to themselves the Comerce of the whole world as well in respect of the sale of goods in their owne Country as of what they distribue unto others And although their Comerce seeme to be
Rex Senatusque Parlamenti otherwise the united Provinces will keepe the trade and navigation unto themselves as well in times of warr as peace As ther is nothing more shamefull then a peace which giveth way to the Enemies to fortifie themselves Soe there is nothing more infamous then to ley still when the publique interest obligeth to take armes But since victories depend rather upon fortune then valour It s necessary to take all advantages to give the Hollanders a rysing blow by some acts of Parliament that may dissable them from fighting with England a fourth time Great Brittaigne hath the Soueraignity of the Sea being scituated betweene Spaine and Holland opposite to France North westerly to the low Countries and More Easterly to norway Danemerke Sweedland c. Soe that all quarters of the Earth must salute the floating towers of great Brittaigne that infinitly expends vast sums yearely for mayntaining soe many harbours and havens from the raging Seas to preserve the subjects and others Yett many hundreds of the native Marriners were soe degenerate as to serve the states Generall in the late warrs against their owne Prince and Country and then by treaties of state gott themselves indempnified against those base actions which ought by the act of Parliament not only to be attainted in bloud but they and their ffamilies for ever made slaves at Tangier and Iamiaca In the same treaties provisions are made for all those that find themselves greived and oppressed in conscience to transport themselves and their Estates which is absolutly repugnant to the comon law of England and distructive to the very being thereâ—â— If Barbados Surrinam and new England had been annexed to the Crowne by act of Parliament Sr. William Courten and his Heyres had kept their propriety in the first The Lord willoughby and his heyres had not lost the soveraignity of the second And the King of great Brittaigne had not lost soe many subjects in the third by a Charter framed at Leyden by those Professors when the first greived and oppressed ffamilies in their tender consciences went from England to Leyden and from thence to new England with their Estates as a people absolued from their King to seeke an other land VVhich will spoyle the trade and navigation of old England in many partes of the world if not timely prevented Some of all nations left their native Countries to become Herring-fishers 〈◊〉 Carpenters Roapemakers and Sâ—yle Cloath-weavors c. In the united Provinces where they are made slaves And would gladly come now for England upon reasonable termes and better Priviledges to plant themselves and their ffamilies in some convenient places of England or wales where they may be setled by act of Parliament and become subjects to the Crowne of England and would be contented with small Islelands or old decayed townes in suffolk or norfolke c. Nere the Sea Coast where they may improve themselves for the benefit of the King and the Country It is the saying of an Ancient Father in Flanders that there cannot be any good confidence between England and Spaine in regard of the great blows the Spanish Monarchie hath received from England And that there canot be any true ffreindship betweene France and England in regard of the great pretence that the King hath to the Crowne who quarters the Armes of France in his Scutchion but the constitution of times altering there may be exeptions taken to those generall Rules However if England can trust themselves they may contemne all the world wherein the insolent and ungratefull Hollanders and Zelanders that giues litle reverence to treaties or respect to laws wants neither malice nor will to doe all possible Mischeife to England when opetunity serves as may be well apprehended by the late Pattent granted by the states to the West-India Company hereunto annexed whereby they intend to make as great progress and incroachments upon the English in the West-Indies as they have done in the East To conclude all in a word with the staple of England nothing can add more to the flourishing Estate of the Land then to preserue the creditt and reputation of English Manufactures and nothing can soe much advance them to their former Esteeme as good goverment both in the making and dispossinge thereof And for the better regulation of that trade and comerce there is noe way soe propper as to re-establish the Company of Marchant adventures by act of Parliament with a new Charter of Priviledges admitting all persons to be ffree thereof that shall be quallified thereunto accordingly who shall haue noe greater burthens or impositions layd upon English Manufactures then were in the Dukes of Burgoundyes times conformable to the late treaty Concluded by the Earle of Sandwich at Madrid Anno M.DC.LXVII Brussels Aprill 13. 1675.
allwayes able to come up the River for want of water or hindred by eontrary winds being to unloade will doe the same in the vessells of Zeland whereby the towne and inhabitants of Flushing and others will reape the profit of the selling and buying and other expences of seamen and passengers who shall lodge there both at there loading and unloading The Pylotts will be payd for guiding the Shipps up the River and many other profitts And if those of that Province should not permitt this passage without receiving some small customes the same may be agreed on by the tunn or Shipp without being obliged to pay perticularly for Each marchandise or to make declaration of the same If they should not consent his Majesty hath the same power in his hands to exclude and forbid the Shipps of Zeland and others of the states from goeing up the River of Thames but to unlade in English vessells at Graves End obliging them to pay the same imposts and tolls which they Exact from his Majesties subjects It is not just that for any agreement the states made with Spaine they should pretend to Exclude all other nations from sayling on a River which God and nature hath made ffree More Especially great Brittaigne The King being not concerned in the treaty at Munster who ought to injoy the same previledges and liberties granted by all the former treaties betweene the Dukes of Burgundy and Austria and the Kings of England wherby the 17. Provinces hold and injoy those liberties benefitts and advantages of the Kings Harbours Havens Ports Rivers and streames at all times and seasons in England without which the 7. united Provinces that were branches of Austria and Burgundy could not subsist By the treaty which the usurper Cromwel made with the states of the united Provinces it was indefinitly agreed that English men and their Shipps might freely and without trouble trade and sayle with their marchandize in and through all parts and places of the united Provinces to the tewnes scituated within their jurisdictions or without the same And consequently it was beleived and averred that that Article did containe the grant of a ffree passage for his Majesties subjects up the River to Antwerpe being drawne out of the treaty concluded in the yeare 1495. betweene King Henery the 7. and Phillip Duke of Burgoundy and Austria And it ought Ano 1654. to have been put in Execution but was suspended for some reasons Notwithstanding the Hollanders upon all ocations fly to the treaty Ano 1495. for their liberty and ffreedome of ffishing upon the Coast of England In this present conjuncture when the united Provinces are surrounded and attacqued by such Royall powers the sayd Provinces must be reducd to the extremity that they will be obliged to make what agreement they can have However if the Scheld were open to the English they will still serve the spanish netherlands with butter Cheese ffresh ffish salt fish wett and dry And all the 6. states of Zeland viz Flussing Midleburgh Ter-veere Zirrick-zee Ter-goes and Ter-tolen will not be obstructed in any thinge of their other imployment they anciently had by opening the River of Scheld to great Brittaigne that setts open all their Rivers Havens and Harbours to them in times of stormes and distress that must otherwise often times perish IT is most certaine that it is the interest of the King of great Brittaigne for the prosperity and comerce of his subjects to weaken the force of his naturall Enemies by a more strickt Amity and good correspondence with the King of Spaine and for that purpose this ffree passage for the Shipps of his Majesties subjects ought to be procured and agreed upon in the insuing treaty of Peace and that all English manufactures should have noe greater burthen or exactions what soeuer layd upon them either in the Spanish Netherlands united Provinces or in the ffrench Conquests then they payd in the times of the Dukes of Burgoundy for which the crowne of England granted all the liberties and priviledges to those Belgick Provinces in the English Seas c. This generous enterprise without all peradventure will find good success if the King and his Parliament doe rightly understand each other whose Memory will be Eternall amongst all nations for the happy Conclusion of soe noble an undertaking SEUERALL WRITERS Upon the Holland Pollicies doe much comend the states in stopping up the River Scheld but they doe noe less wonder at the councell of England that permitted it seeing it breeds such a vast number of seamen to the prejudice of great Brittaigne that ought by all means to prevent it by sending their Shipps directly to Antwerpe that are forced to unlade their goods in Zeland â—nd Rotterdam in small vessells of theirs which is one of the great Nursereyes of the dutch navigation and that English men cheifly maintaines by those ffraights besids the great advantages the states make by their tolls upon English goods in that River which helps to support their usurped goverment since they fell from the Crowne of Spaine Although there was some reason of state for England to hinder the growth of Spaine â—y assisting the united Provinces yet they wanted good consideration and foresight that lessned themselves with their Neighbours by helping others Spaine never valued trade England alwayes valued their pleasures and Holland ever valued their profit Whereby they make it their busines to bafle all nations and Kingddomes in Publique treaties for their owne interest to the prejudice of other men The Zelanders are a people that upon all occations serves for private men of warr against England and are soe apt for such mischeife by their naturall inclinations and scituation of their country that they ought to be bridled when there is any opertunity to put curbes into their mouths The Hollanders are not contented with ploughing up the English Seas and Harrowing the waues but make marchandises of Gods word in printing yearly many thousand English bibles and practises of pyety at Amsterdam and Leyden counterfeiting the Kings Armes and Epistles to the Readers A forgery not be fuffered The Sabines of old from whome sprunge the Athenians and the Lacedemonians gaue this Motto in all their Ensignes and Banners S. P. Q. R. signifieing Sabino Populo quis resistet Whereupon the Romans caused the same letters to be ingraven upon all iheir gates and Posturnes signifying thereby Senatus Populusque Romanus which Contracted a teadious and distructive warr The Hollanders and Zelanders since the last warr with England have ingraven and painted the Armes of the King of great Brittaigne upon seuerall of their Fly Boates and other Shipps amongst the number that I know upon one they named the ffrendshipp of London richly laden in Zeland bound for Cales and the Straights with dutch and Spanish goods under the notion of English hauing procured a master and other English seamen to Colour their false practises which can only be questioned by S. P. Q. R. viz