Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	france_n	king_n	time_n	18,531	5	4.0048	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87609	A discourse consisting of motives for the enlargement and freedome of trade· Especially that of cloth, and other vvoollen manufactures, engrossed at present contrary to [brace] the law of nature, the law of nations, and the lawes of this kingdome. / By a company of private men who stile themselves merchant-adventurers. The first part. Aprill. 11. 1645 Imprimatur, Na. Brent.	Johnson, Thomas, marchant.	1645 (1645)	Wing J849A; Thomason E260_21; ESTC R212472	22,833	55

prejudiciall in the highest nature to the sale of our commodities for the pettie Shop-keepers and Retailers will not come so farre to buy our Commodities It is too chargeable costly and sometimes dangerous travelling and will not quit cost to travell so farre to buy small quantities Now this inconvenience is fallen upon it that the great traders or buyers of our Cloth which the Dutch call Grossiers and it is a proper name for them because they are engrossers of our Commodities doe come and buy great quantities together and when these men are come to Amsterdam and other remote places then they furnish all those smaller Shopkeepers and other Chapmen with our commodities and these men get a competent gaine thereby which if trade were free our Merchants might gaine so much the more or afford our Cloth so much the cheaper unto the Retailer and by cheap selling we should the sooner beat the Dutch from making But there is a greater harm in it then this for the chief makers of Cloth in Holland and those parts thereabouts be those great buyers or Grossiers who aime at ingrossing our cloth for two reasons first because they get good gaine upon our commodities in selling them as aforesaid to smaller tradesmen but secondly and principally to advance the sale of their owne home-made cloth before our English which is easily done having the sale of both in their owne hands none can hinder them and seeing it is so that the Dutch do make great quantity of cloth and other woollen commodities there is a far greater necessity of a free trade and selling cheape then heretofore when the Hollanders made none or but few for then it was easie to make them give what price we pleased for cloth but now we must not onely endeavour to sell our commodities but should chiefly aime to sell so cheape as might cause the Dutch to desist from making of cloth The greatest bane which ever the commerce of this Kingdome received was that the Hollanders and others fell to the making of cloth and other woollen manufactures and if the Flemming should come to set up woollen Loomes as the Hollander doth to what a low ebbe our trade of cloth would sinke unto it is an easie thing to be a Prophet Therefore there is no one thing that requires the policie of England more then to draw the one and prevent the other from making of cloth and other woollen commodities in that abundance Now there is no way under Heaven to doe it but by devising wayes to sell our Manufactures at cheaper rates and disperse them more up and downe the Countrey which cannot be otherwise effected then by a free Trade and multitude of Merchants and by fitting all places and remote parts with such kind of Manufactures as are most proper for them These reasons no doubt will give good satisfaction to indifferent men who under favour cannot deny but this Company of Merchant-Adventurers is as prejudiciall to this Kingdome as ever the French or Spanish Companies were and to prove they were so it will be requisite here to insert an Act of Parliament in tertio Jacobi by which they were dissolved the Act runs thus VVHereas divers Merchants have of late obtained from the Kings most excellent Majesty under the Great Seale of England a large Charter of Incorporation for them and their Company to trade into the Dominious of Spaine and Portugall and are also most earnest suiters to obtain the like from his said Majestie for France whereby none but themselves and such as they shall thinke fit as being meere Merchants shall take the benefit of the said Charter disabling thereby all others his Majesties loving Subjects of this Realme of England and Wales who during in divers respects greatly charged for the defence of their Prince and Countrey and therefore ought indifferently to enjoy all the benetits of this most happy peace and also debarring them from that free enlargement of common Trafficke into those Dominions which others his Majesties Subjects of his Realmes of Scotland and Ireland doe enjoy to the manifest impoverishing of all owners of Ships Masters Mariners Fishermen Clothiers Tuckers Spinsters and many thousands of all sorts of Handy-crafts men besides the decrease of his Majesties Customes Subsidies and other impositions and the ruine decay of Navigation together with the abatement of the prices of our wools Cloth Corn and such like commodities arising and growing within this his said Majesties Realm of England and the enhancing of all French and Spanish commodities by reason of the insufficiency of the Merchants they being few in number and not of ability to keep the great number of our Ships and Seafaring men a work and to vent the great store of commodities which this his Majesties Dominion of England doth yeeld And by meanes that all Owners and Mariners with divers others if these Incorporations should continue shall bee cut off from their ordinary meanes of maintenance and preserving their estates And finally by reason that all French and Spanish commodities shall be in a few mens hands In respect whereof as for many other manifold inconveniences growing thereby much hurt and prejudice must needs redound to all his Majesties loving Subjects of this his Highnesse Realme of England if reformation for the prevention of so great an evill be not had in due time For remedy whereof be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That it shall and may be lawfull to and for all his Majesties Subjects of this his Highnesse Realme of England and Wales from henceforth at all times to have free liberty to trade into and from the Dominious of Spaine Portugall and France in such fort and in as free manner as was at any time accustomed sithence the begining of this his Highnes most happy Reign in this his Realm of England and at any time before the said Charter of Incorporation was granted paying to the Kings most Excellent Majesty his Heires and Successors all such customes and other duties as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme ought to be paid and done for the same The said Charter of Incorporation or any other Charter Grant Act or any thing else heretofore made or done or hereafter to be done to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding Provided alwayes that this Act or any thing therein contained shall not be of force to enable or give liberty to any person or persons to goe over Seas without licence who by the Laws and Statutes of this Realme or by any Statute hereafter to be made shall be restrained from going beyond the Seas without licence any thing to the contrary notwithstanding Were there nothing more said then what this Act of Parliament relates it is sufficient to convince any rationall man of the unsufferable wrong the Kingdom receives by such illegall Incorporations severall Parliaments have

A DISCOURSE Consisting of MOTIVES FOR The Enlargement and Freedome OF TRADE Especially That of CLOTH and other Woollen MANUFACTURES Engrossed at present Contrary to the Law of Nature Contrary to the Law of Nations Contrary to and the Lawes of this Kingdome By a Company of private men who stile themselves Merchant-Adventurers The First Part. Imprimatur NA BRENT April 11. 1645 LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Stephen Bowtell and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible in Popes-Head Alley 1645. To the Right Honourable the LORDS and COMMONS in PARLIAMENT assembled Right Honourable THE scope and substance of this following Discourse is to demonstrate by clear and unanswerable Arguments the Illegality of the Incorporation of those who soly ascribe unto themselves the names of Merchants Adventurers though they Trade but unto two Townes only and those hard by and to show further how their Patent trencheth upon the native Rights of the freeborn subject which Patent hath been often complaind of and clamord against from time to time as an universall greevance to Town and Countrey tending to the diminution of Trade and of all sorts of Manufactures at home and to the dis-repute of the Policy of this Nation abroad the sayd Patent being accounted no lesse amongst all people then a Monopoly a word odious all the world over This Incorporation hath bin like an Vlcer upon the Body politique of this Kingdome a long time which hath beene often rub'd and lanc'd yet it clos'd againe and gatherd more corruption then formerly and now requires a greater cure then ever Therfore in all humblenesse it is prayed that this Honourable Court and highest Councell of the Kingdom who have already done so many glorious things for the publike Liberty Rights and Immunities of the free borne Subject would be pleased to peruse the ensuing Discourse and poise the weight of the Reasons Arguments and proofes therein produced which are derived from true fountaines and so to doe therein what in their high wisedome and justice they shall think expedient for the redresse of such a Nationall grievance A DISCOURSE Consisting of MOTIVES FOR The Enlargement and Freedome of Trade Especially That of CLOTH and other Woollen Manufactures Engrossed at present Contrary to the Law of Nature the Law of Nations and the Lawes of this Kingdome By a Company of private men who stile themselves Merchant-Adventurers THe Terrestriall Globe in cut out into Islands and Continents both which are created to be a Mansion for men and although they be severd by the work of Nature yet they may be said to be joynd together by Commerce which is that great link of humane Society that golden chaine which unites all Nations And though the Earth and Sea be of themselves as differing Elements as any of the rest yet the Divine providence by a speciall foresight hath so indented as it were and embosomd them one in the other that they make but one perfect Globe to render them thereby more apt for the mutuall Commerce and Negotiation of Mankinde Of all parts of the Earth Islands which by the violence of the Sea are torne off from the rest of the world stand most in need of Commerce as well for the encrease of shipping whereon their security and strength doth principally depend as for divers other advantages conducing to wealth to the expence of the superfluities of their owne native Commodities and the importation of forreigne to intelligence and prevention of dangers and lastly to the improvement of civility and knowledge And this our Island for ought any one knoweth might have remaind to this day in her first simplicity and rudenesse had she not refined and civilized her selfe by Commerce with those of the next Continent and they of the next Continent had they not crossed the Alps to Italy and the Italians themselves had they not had practise with the Levantines and other Eagle-eyed Nations who dwell nearer the Sun rising Amongst the Islands of the old world Great Brittain hath beene cried up for the biggest and best replenished with those Commodities that are most materiall and usefull for the life of man whereof she hath not only a competency for her selfe but enough to spare her neighbours which by way of surplusage she useth to disperse to most Countreys whereby she beates a generall Trade and makes rich returnes with her owne home-growne goods which Trade may bee termed the prime sinew and chiefest support both of her strength and riches Now there is nothing so advantagious and commendable in a Trade as Community and Freedome for in this particular as in most things else the topique Axiome holdeth Bonum quò communius cò meliùs the more common and diffusive a good thing is the better it is The most substantiall and staple Commodity that our Countrey affords for the maintenance of Trade is Cloth with divers Manufactures besides arising from Wooll which makes other Nations call Wooll Englands Golden Fleece and questionlesse the principall reason why in time of Parliament our Iudges who are the Oracles of the Law do sit in the House of Peeres upon Wooll-Sacks was to put them in minde of preserving and advancing the Trade and Manufactury of Wooll Therefore to barre any freeborn subject from the exercise of his Invention and Industry to convert this universall native Commodity to his best advantage at home or abroad is to deprive him of part of his birth-right and of that which God and Nature ordaynd for his subsistence and not only so but it is to set a mark of strangenesse or rather of a kinde of slavery upon him in his own Countrey Hence it may well be inferrd that for one Company or Incorporation to arrogate to it selfe and to engrosse the mannaging expence and vending of this necessary inmated Commodity is an injury to publike right and no lesse then a meere Monopoly And it is held an undoubted principle of State that there is nothing more pernicious and destructive to any Kingdome or Common-wealth then Monopolies which like Incubusses doe suck the very vitall spirits and drive into one veine that masse of blood which should cherish the whole body Nor doth this word Monopoly according to its true Etimology referre only to one individuall person but also to any one Town where many men are incorporated or aggregated into one body who have hooked to themselves the sole exercise and emolument of such and such a trade whereby they only enrich themselves and admit no others to enter into their Society without some exaction The fellowship and Charter of them that terme themselves Merchant-Adventurers under favour is a Monopoly of this kinde and is repugnant both 1. To the Law of Nature 2. To the Law of Nations 3. To the positive Law of the Land First it is repugnant to the Law of Nature in regard that Wooll and the draping and merchandizing thereof being the Cape Commodity wherewith Nature the handmaid of God Almighty hath

furnished this Island and wherein she hath given every freeborn Inhabitant equall interest as matter for his industry to work upon Surely she never intended that a thin handfull of men a small contemptible number in comparison of the whole being but a few trading members though their Company consists of a greater number should appropriate to themselves the disposing and venting of the two thirds of this generall grand Commodity as by diligent computation the Merchant-Adventurers are observed to doe Secondly it is against the Law of Nations in regard that no Monarchy or Kingdom whether elective or successive nor any other Commonwealth or State throughout Europe hath the like example What a hubbub would there bee in France if the vent of Wines were passed over to some peculiar men to furnish England withall or in Spaine or Naples were the fruits and oyles of the one and the silks of the other being their prime Commodities engrossed by a few hands But admit there were some extraordinary restraints in trading to remote Countreys and that there were joynt stocks it maketh nothing to justifie the Company of Merchant-Adventurers We know our East-India Company * Which yet hath beene lately questiened in Parliament as a Monopoly their Charter there disclaimed by themselves at illegall here and in Holland have limitations and have a Bank of their owne because the Purses of private men cannot extend to set forth Ships for making of such long adventurous costly voyages But the Trade which is beaten by our Merchant-Adventurers to Hamburgh and Rotterdam is of another nature for it is hard by home and as it were at our doores and may be performed by Ships of any seize the transfretation being short so that thought they seeme to arrogate soly to themselves the names of Merchant-Adventurers there are none that deserve it lesse their hazard being so small and their voyage so short Thirdly this Incorporation is repugnant to the positive Lawes of this Land as manifestly appears by Magna Charta Petition of Right Statutes of Monopolies and severall others but for brevity sake let it suffice to insert here that famous Statute which was enacted by one of our wisest Kings Henry the seventh which continueth yet in full force unrepealed and runnes thus Lo the discreet Commons in this present Parliament assembled 〈◊〉 H. 7.1.6 sheweth unto your discreet wisdomes the Merchant-Adventurers inhabiting and divelling in divers parts of this Realm of England out of the City of London that where they have their passage resort course and recourse with their goods wares and merchandize in divers coasts and parts beyond the Sea aswell into Spain Portugall Britain Ireland Normandy France Civill Venice Dansk Eastland Freezland and other divers and many places regions and countreys being in league and amity with the Kingour Soveraign Lord there to buy and sell and make their Exchanges with their said goods wares and merchandizes according to the Law and Eustome used in every of the said Regions and places and there every person freely to use himselfe to his most advantage without exaction fine imposition or contribution to bee had or taken of them or of any of them to for or by any English person or persons And in semblable wise they before this time have had used and of right owen to have and use their free passage resort and recourse into the coasts of Flanders Holland Zealand Brabant and other places thereto nigh adjoyning under the obeysance of the Arch Duke of Burgoyn In which places the universall Marts be commonly kept and holden foure times in the year to the which Marts all English men and divers other Nations in time past have used to resort there to sell and utter the commodities of their Countreys and freely to buy again such things as seemed them most necessary and expedient for their pofit and weale of their Countreys and parts that they be come fro till now of late that by the Fellowship of the Mercers and other Merchants and Adventurers dwelling and being free within the City of London by confederacy made among themselves of their uncharitable and inordinate covetousnesse for their singular profit and lucre contrary to every English mans Liberty and to the Liberty of the said Mart there which is that every person of what Nation that he be of should have their free liberty there to buy and sell and make the commutations with the Wares Goods and Merchandizes at their pleasure have contrary to all Law Reason Charity Right and Conscience amongst themselves to the prejudice of all English men made an Ordinance and Constitution that is to say That no English man resorting to the said Mart shall neither buy nor sell any goods wares or merchandizes there except he first compound and make fine with the said Fellowship Merchants of London and their said Confederates at their pleasure upon paine of forfeiture to the said Fellowship Merchants of London and to their Confederates of such merchandizes goods or wares so by him bought or said there which Fine Imposition and Exacion at the beginning when it was first taken was demanded by colour of Fraternity of Thomas Becket Bishop of Canterbury at which time the said Fine was but the value of an old Noble sterling and so by colour of such feigned holinesse it hath beene suffered to be taken for a few yeares passed and afterwards it was encreased to an hundred shillings Flemish and now it is so that the said Fellowship and Merchants of London take of every English man or yong Merchant being there at his first comming forty pound sterling for a fine to suffer him to buy and sell his owne proper Goods wares and Merchandizes that he hath there By occasion whereof all Merchants not being of the said Fellowship and Confederacy withdraw themselves from the said Marts whereby the woollen Cloth of the Realm which is one of the greatest Commodities of the same by making whereof the Kings true Subjects be put in occupation and the poore people have most their living and also other divers Commodities of divers and severall parts of this same Realm is not sold ne uttered as it was in times past but for lack of utterance of the same in divers parts where such Clothes be made they be conveyed to London where they be sold farre under the price that they be worth and that they cost to the makers of the same and at sometime they be lent to long dayes and the money thereof at divers times never paid And over that the Commodities and Merchandizes of those parts which the said Fellowship Merchants of London and others their Confederates bring into this Land is so said to your said Complainants and other the Kings true Subjects at so deare and high exceeding pr●…e that the buyer of the same cannot live thereupon by reason whereof all the Cities Towns and Burroughs of this Realme in effect be fallen into great poverty ruine and decay and as now in