the Sea is adioyning and in proprietie to bee esteemed accordingly taking their names of the Countries and Kingdomes adiacent or of their scituation as Mare Britannicum Mare Germanicum Mare Hibernicum and for scituation Mare Mediterraneum obserued by Cosmographers Historiographers and Mathematicians this is performed with the helpe of the Compasse counting of courses soundings colour of the grauell or sands and other wayes to designe Finitum ab ' iâ—finito By the Ciuile Law so farre as is expedient for the certaine reach and bounds of Seas properly apppertaining to any Prince or people wherein the Doctors of the Ciuile Law haue recorded excellent obseruations By the Law of Nation and Customes Baldus saith Vidimus de iure gentium in Mare esse Regna distincta sicut in terra Auda Ad legem 1. de ter diuisione In §. nullius in tratt de iâ—sula Bartolas doth in his opinion allow for princes and people at the sea-side Centum mitliaria which is one hundreth leagues of sea from their coast if they extend their protection so farre called by them Districtus maris territorium which is most plaine in those seas where the Isles of Garnesey and Iarnesey are so sensible and visible to the realme of England Visible Markes of Dominion or where there are such rockes or eminent marks as the Washes at the West seas thereof to which purpose Paulus a renowmed Ciuilian saieth That it is not needfull for him who would possesse himselfe of any land to go about and tread ouer the same but it is sufficient to enter in vpon any part thereof with a mind to possesse all the rest thereof euen to the due marches to be made apparant by the instruments of Geometricians And the like may be designed vpon the seas notwithstanding the soliditie of the one and the continuall flowing too and fro of the other This distinction of dominion hauing continued so many hundreth yeares needeth not to be corroborated with other proofe and arguments yet let vs note obiter That if the same were not distinguished as aforesaid Cases of ciuile Law or Admiraltie one borne vpon the seas should haue no countrie or nation to appeale vnto and a man dying intestate vpon the seas should minister occasion of question to know who should administer his goods and making of a Will how the same should be proued and executed by law without approbation of some Court or Iurisdiction whereas we find many Admiralls of the seas and their seuerall iurisdictions vpon the seas as deputies to their Princes or States who are alwaies absolute Commanders in their precincts according to the treaties and contracts made betweene Princes which are in the nature of lawes and inseperable of the said Princes right on the land concerning the possession of their Kingdomes or Common-weales as the fundamentall cause of their dominion wherein discontinuance of any part of their right cannot be pleaded against them The Kings of England neuerthelesse haue beene prouident and carefull herein for Historiographers haue recorded That King Edgar one of the Saxon Kings long before the Conquest made a suruay yearely of the foure great seas Mathew of Westm. and stiled himselfe lord thereof euen vntill Norway Ranulph Cestriensis and his progresse was most towards the North. It is also affirmed Anno 973. That the said King Edgar caused an inscription to be made vpon his Tombe for a monument calling himselfe Dominus quatuor Marea and as Papinian the Iurisconsult saieth In finalibus questionibus vete ra monumenta sequenda sunt Mare Britanicum But this for the dominion of the Kings of England ouer their seas Mare Hibernicum is not needfull For afterwards William Duke of Normandie after he had subduâ—d the realme of England by conquest Mare Germanicum caused himselfe not onely to be proclaimed King Mare Deucalidon but also that all the goods of the subiects were his and so caused the land to be diuided and yet was contented to change the title of a Monarchie by conquest into a Monarchie Royall and was also Lord of the said foure seas Io Bodinus de Resp. by the former assumpsit which had then continued 200 yeares and his progresse by sea was most Westward For when Princes or Kings do stile themselues by proclamation then the continuance thereof without opposition of other princes is holden and obserued as inuiolable and permanent Now King Henrie the second succeeding William the Conqueror Graftons Chronicle within one hundreth yeares did ioine Ireland to the crowne of England and did reduce Normandie and other places in France to the crowne taking as it were a new possession of the said seas and Henrie the first euerie yeare or within three yeares at the furthest crossed ouer into Normandie hauing taken Robert Duke of Normandie prisoner In the time of King Edward the third Chro. Malmesbuâ—e there was a disputation held with France concerning the fishing of the seas about Brittaine in which it was proued to belong to England Ioh. Hayward and thereupon Fraunce disclaimed therein By ancient records and Treaties c. as appeareth by the said King Edward the third his Proclamation yet extant Which arguments and contracts are as a law effectuall And here I must remember the singular care which the right reuerend father in God doctor Abbot now Archbishop of Canturburie A rare booke remoining with the Archbishop of Canturburie and Metropolitane of England hath had in procuring at his great charges for the good of our posteritie an excellent great Volume or Manuscript which was heretofore taken at Calice in France when the Spaniards tooke the same Anno 1596 and caried to Bruxels in the Low-countries whereof I haue had the perusall and made an Abstract of the Chapters of the same viz. The Treatie of Peace betweene Edward the third king of England and Iohn king of France for themselues and their eldest sonnes namely Edward the Blacke Prince of Wales and Charles Duke of Normandie Regent the French King his father being prisoner to the said King Edward which Treatie was made the eight of May 1360 in Britanie neere Chartres and confirmed at Calice whereupon sixteene Hostages were giuen to the King of England by the French King who was to come thither in person and to pay three millions of crownes for his ransome of two crownes to bee reckoned for an English noble called in King Henrie the eight his time Angell noble being some 750000 〈◊〉 sterling The ransome o' King Iohn of France The ship whereof vpon the one side did signifie the dominion of the seas whereunto old Chaucer the Poet did allude in Henrie the fifth his time This money was to be paied to weet six hundreth thousand crownes at Calice within 4 months after King Iohns arriuall there more foure hundreth thousand crownes within the yeare and so much yearely vntill the full paiment made
salt Francis the first made the same perpetuall as the domaines of the crowne and all men are compelled to buy it at the Magazins vpon paine of punishment This impost is letten to farme for two millions of crownes or six hundred thousand pound sterling yearely The right of the sea belongeth to the King and he may lay impositions thirtie leagues from the land into the sea if no other soueraign prince be not within that precinct There are eight courts of Parlement in France and eight chambers of account At Paris erected 1302 by Philip le Bell. At Paris Courts of parlements At Tholouze also and confirmed by Charles the 7. In Britaigne At Grenoble 1453 by Lewis the 11. At Dion Courts of accounts At Bourdeaux 1462 by Lewis the 11. At Monpellier At Aix 1501 by Lewis the 12. In Dolphine At Dion 1476 by Lewis the 11 for Burgondie In Prouence At Roan 1449 by Lewis the 12 for Normandie At Blois At Rheames 1553 by H. the 2 for Britainie At Roan Of the Salique Law of France IT is an vsuall receiued opinion that Pharamond was the author of this law others thinke it was so called of the Gaules that were called Salie amongst whom that law was established for the auncient Gaules termed all their lawes either Ripuarie or Salique and in the time of Charlemaine they were called Saliques Neuerthelesse it is thought to haue beene inuented of latter time as by Philip le Long to frustrate the daughters of Lewis Huttin or else to haue had the first strength from an vsuall custome of all Barbarians which was neuer to suffer the females to inherit the crowne and so being begun in the first and second line of the kings it hath continued in the third and by custome it is rather confirmed than to be proued to be a law at any time ordained hauing beene little account made thereof vntill the controuersies betweene Philip le Long and Endes duke of Burgondie who claimed it for his neece Iane daughter to Lewis Huttin and Philip de Valois with Edward king of England The booke of the Salique lawes is but a collection howbeit there is no example euer heard of that any woman gouerned Of the lawes of the higher and low Germanie concurring with the Ciuile Law and the Courts of Equitie in substance THe courts of Equitie beyond the seas after bill and answere replication and reioynder and sometimes duplication and at last conclusion with the examination of witnesses in serious manner The whole proceedings are deliuered to certaine Doctors or learned men which are as masters of the Chancerie or belonging to certaine Vniuersities to be abreuiated which is called ad rotulandum who doe cut off all superfluous things which vpon the matter are confessed on both sides To abreuiate long processe or are not materiall to the state of the cause to bring the differences betweene the parties to certaine points or heads wherupon the said parties with the aduice of the aduocates or learned counsell do dispute and debate the said differences to bring them as it were ripe and perfected before the Iudge For if the defendant will take couertly any exceptions against the Iudge of that iurisdiction he may haue the whole processe made vp in the name of A.B. and C.D. as it were complainant and defendant without naming either of the parties and the same to be sent vnder the towne seale vnto Doctors or other learned men of Vniuersities elected thereunto in other iurisdictions which do giue their sentence or iudgement thereupon and returne the same back againe vnder seale before the Iudge where the cause was depending who calling both parties before him demandeth of them whether he shal open the proces and whether they will stand to the iudgement therein contained and if the complainant descend thereunto then is the defendant thereby concluded seeing he had his choice and did in a maner appeale from the Iudge whereupon execution is presently had and matters are ended with expedition By the premisses we may obserue how other lawes are variable and subiect to alteration and that the Law-Merchant is constant and permanent in her customes which therefore are not to be infringed but seriously to be maintained by all the foure precedent meanes or some selected course of execution to be deuised concurring with the same For the better furtherance wherof and more exact explanation by contraries I haue for a Corrollarie of this worke added hereunto three Paradoxes alluding to the said three Essentiall parts of Trafficke which will illustrate the most materiall consideration to be had in the course of Trafficke and Trade CHAP. XVIII Three Paradoxes alluding to the three Essentiall parts of Trafficke HAuing heretofore published a Treatise intituled Englands view in the vnmasking of two Paradoxes which had beene presented vnto the French King Henrie the fourth as a matter of great consequence and considerable in the gouernement of common-weales and finding that the true vnderstanding of them with a third Paradox obserued by me did properly allude to the contents of this booke or the three Essentiall parts of Trafficke namely Commodities Money and Exchange for Money I did resolue to handle the substance of them for a Corrollarie of the same Paradox what it is the rather because Paradoxes are things contrarie to the vulgar opinion and will also make all the premisses more manifest and apparant by their conclusion The said two Paradoxes presented by Monsieur Malestroit one of the officers of the Finances or Treasurie in France were as followeth saying 1 That to complaine of the generall dearth of all things in France was without cause Commodities for there was nothing growne deere these three hundreth yeares 2 That there is much to be lost vpon a crowne Money and or any other money of gold and siluer albeit one do giue the same in payment at the price he did receiue the same The third Paradox which I haue added hereunto is 3 That the imaginarie moneys supposed in Exchanges for money Exchange made by Bills of Exchanges do ouerrule the course and propertie of Reall and Substantiall moneys in specie Monsieur Malestroit saith that since the ancient permutation hath beene changed in buying and selling and that the first riches of men which consisted of cattell was transferred to the gold and siluer whereby all things haue receiued their estimation Gold and Siluer are the Iudges of good cheape or dearth it followeth that those mettalls are the right judges of good cheape or dearth of all things Wee cannot say that any thing is deerer than it was three hundred yeares ago vnlesse that for the buying thereof wee must now giue more Gold and Siluer than wee did then But for the buying of all things wee doe not giue now more Gold or Siluer than wee did then therefore saieth he nothing is growne deerer in France since that time To proue this he doth alledge That during the raigne of
Billes of Debt or any other commoditie which is ordinarily sold payable at some dayes of payment either 4 6 or more monethes and hauing agreed vpon the price of the said commoditie or before hee maketh the seller acquainted what payment or satisfaction hee will giue him in Billes of such and such persons amounting to such a summe either little more or lesse than the commoditie doth amount vnto or to take in commoditie so much as the said Billes doe containe or doe amount vnto and if there bee any remainder due for the commoditie more than the Billes doe amount the same to bee payed in readie money or vpon his owne Bill payable at such a time as they agree betweene them which often commeth to be a great summe Heereupon all such Bills as are of knowne persons are soone accepted of and of the vnknowne persons either himselfe that is the Seller or the Broker will inquire of their sufficiencie and then likewise accept of their Bills in paiment and hauing taken their Bills which are made payable to the Bearer as we haue said the receiuer of these Bills goeth vnto the parties and demandeth of them whether they are contented to pay him those Bills at the time specified therein according to the manner of merchants for commodities which if it be within one moneth after it is accounted to be verie good payment The Debtor maketh answere that he will pay his Bill to the bearer thereof accordingly for if this man will not ride out as they say the time of the payment of the Bills he may go to another man and buy other commodities therewith as if it were with readie money the time onely considered nay more if he will haue readie money for these Bills Selling of Bill Obligatorie he may sell them to other merchants that are moneyed men and abating for the interest for the time and commonly one moneth ouer according to the rate as they can agree and as money is plentifull they shall haue money at all times to imploy in commodities or to deliuer by exchange or to pay debts withall or to carrie home in specie or for any other purpose at their pleasure which is commodious for young merchants hauing small stockes as also for all men vpon all occasions for it is properly as money paied by assignation whereby verie great matters are compassed in the trade of merchandize the commodities are sooner vented in all places General benefits by setting ouer of Bils of Debt the Custome and Impositions of Princes do increase the poore and mechanicall people are set on worke men are better assured in their payments the counterfeiting of Bills and differences are preuented the more commodities there are sold the lesse readie money is transported and life is infused into trafficke and trade for the generall good And herein we see and may obserue That things which be indeed and things which are not indeed but taken to be indeed may produce all one effect and euerie man is enabled with his owne meanes and credit to augment commerce This laudable custome as I said is not practised in England yet sometimes a Merchant Stranger will accept of Bills of Debt in payment for commodities sold with aduantage But then the Bill is made new againe and in the Merchant Strangers name and this is not without some daunger to him that buyeth the commoditie or merchandise for another mans Bill as Factors may doe for their Masters for I haue obserued by good experience A Law Case about the setting ouer of Bills that a Factor in London hauing sold for his Master a Merchant of Antuerpe some commodities to an English Merchant to the value of seuen hundred pounds and taken the Merchants Bills payable at six moneths and six moneths for it his Master of Antuerpe did appoint him to buy Bayes â—or these Bills of another Merchant which he did performe and had the value of 700 ll deliuered vnto him in Bayes accordingly and the Bills were to be altered in the other Merchants name for his Bayes Shortly after it fell out that the English Merchant became insoluent But before it was publickely knowne the Factor brought the Bills altered according to the agreement in the Baye Merchants name who did refuse to accept of them and said the Factor should pay him The Bills were tendered with a Scriuener according to their agreement but still were refused The time of payment being expired the Bay Merchant did arrest the said Factor the matter was tried before the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench by a Nisi prius in London by a partie Iurie of English men and Strangers The verdict was found for the Bay Merchant and the Factor did paie the money and had no remedie against his Master The reason was deliuered by the Iudge That the Common Law in this case requireth a Release or Acquittance for the payment of the Bayes to be made to the Factor otherwise he was still bound by the Law to answere for the said Bayes To establish this Custome in England This custome might with great facilitie neuerthelesse be established in England and would be verie beneficiall to the King and the Common-wealth ingenerall for albeit that the strict Rules of the Law demaundeth a sealing and deliuerie of Deedes and that the Bill cannon conueniently be made payable to the bearer of it or be altered in another mans name as abouesaid neither can it be recouered by a Letter of Attorney which in England is alwaies reuocable before the fact Neuerthelesse if there were a Register kept of the passing and transferring of these Bills from man to man and by an indorsement thereof also vpon the Bill it might be done with ease and the bearer of it should be acknowledged thereby to be the lawfull Attorney in Law and by these meanes the vndecent Plea of Non est factum would be cut off And to preuent fraudulent dealing if any Bills should be lost notice might be giuen instantly to the Register which at Lixborne and Roan is called a Prothonotarie by meanes whereof many questionable parcells or payments are made apparant Office of Prothonotarie at Lixborne and Roan and the Bills for the most part doe remaine in the office at the disposition of the last Assigne or Assignes which is the cause also that most vsually Bills are made for all things bought and sold betweene parties and parties whereby many payments are made by Rescounter Rescounter by Biâ—ls for payment as if it were in banke hereafter to be declared for Merchants do meet and in a manner iumpe together in their said payments And hereby also may the difficultie for the taking of an Acquittance as aforesaid be remoued by entring an acknowledgement of satisfaction before the said Register at the time of the transferring or registring thereof I haue taken paines to haue this to be established here but hetherto things are not rightly vnderstood as is to be wished
within the citie of London being the kings Chamber After this follow the particular Letters for the deliuerie of seuerall countries and townes as Caours Carsin Monstreull Calice Rochell Turaine Poitiers Poitou Xantes Xantogne Dagonois Perigot and diuers others besides many Letters concerning the French Kings libertie and his Hostages and of the homage to be made by the Earles and Barons to the King of England who remaineth with the title of Soueraignetie and Domayne besides many other memorable things so that all matters concerning the seas and land were established for those seas and King Eâ—ward tooke sixe pence a tunne for fishing ships King Henrie the fifth who did conquere all France and had the possession of Mare Britanicum lost nothing of his right no more did Henrie the sixth and King Henrie the seuenth as may appeare by their Proclamations Treaties Chro Hollâ—ngshed and Contracts not onely with the French but with the Archdukes of Burgondie as by Guicchardins Chronicle Chr. Froiszart Guiccâ—arâ—in and the said Treatise or Historicall description of the Low-countries appeareth And as Docter d ee in his booke of Nauigation affirmeth King Henrie the seuenth in consideration of the fishing trade properly belonging vnto England in his seas and dominions had resolued to settle a trade thereupon which he preferred aboue all voyages for in those daies there was no fishing trade established in the Low-countries By original antiquitie And it is not yet one hundreth yeares compleate that one Violet Stephens and other discontented Fishmongers departed the realme of England and went into Holland to the towne of Enckhusen where they procured the inhabitants to fish for them in his Maiesties of great Brittaine seas streames and dominions which inhabitants vpon the decease of the said Englishmen Fishmongers tooke the whole trade to themselues dispersing the same into many other townes whereby the same is admirably increased Queene Marie being maried with King Philip the second of Spaine vnder whom all the seuenteene Low Prouinces were vnited granted a lease vnto the said King for the fishing of his subiects in the North parts of Ireland for one and twentie yeares for a certaine fine and paying one thousand pound yearely into the Treasurie of Ireland and Edward Fitton knight then Treasurer And the Companie of the old Haunce in primo of the said Queene Marie had also libertie to sish within the said seas vpon certaine conditions as appeareth in the Chappell of the Rolls of the Chancerie And for England Northwards licences were giuen at Scarborough Castle To this distinction of dominion of the Seas Inuention of the Porteullis I call to memorie the proceedings of that victorious King Henry the eight who during the time that Calice was vnder the Crowne of England as it hath beene full 211 yeares vsed the inuention of the signe of the Portcullis signifying the power of locking vp of the narrow Seas betweene Douer and Calice which was thought conuenient to bee vsed vpon the coyne made for the East-Indies at the beginning of that trade being peeces of the value of eight Royalls of Spaine whereof there was coyned in the Tower of London for a triall in Ianuarie 1600 some six thousand pounds which could not be made currant there because the Spanish peeces of eight Royalls had beene before that time counterfeited by other nations which made the East-Indians to doubt of our coyne although without cause This noble King Henrie hauing procured the Emperor Charles the fifth to meet with the French King went ouer in person with a great power to besiege the towne of Bulloigne in France and when he saw that the Emperors Tent or Pauillion was made with the two pillars of Hercules and the inscription Plus vltra and likewise the French Kings Tent with the three Flower deluces and the title of Primus Christianorum Rex He caused an Archer to be made vpon his Pauillion with Bow and Arrowes and his inscription was Cui adherio praeest declaring thereby his present strength whereby hee did qualifie those warres and peace was made between the Emperor and the said French King it being true that the state of a Prince doth as much consist by reputation as by strength Our Soueraigne Lord King Iames hath also beene mindfull of his right of distinct dominion for the great blessings which almightie God hath allotted to the Kingdomes of Great Brittaine Ireland and the Isles adiacent vnder his Maiesties Dominions is so visible to all the world as that thereby they are rauished with admiration For albeit that the earthly blessings are produced in seasonable times yet the blessings of the Seas are directed and pointed at by the finger of God at infallible seasons causing those watrie creatures to offer themselues for our sustenance and for the generall good of all creatures in places certaine within his Maiesties Seas Streames and Dominions and not into the maine where fishing cannot bee effected Whereupon his Maiestie before his comming into England did let the fishing of Scotland to the Hollanders for fifteene yeares it being agreed by more ancient Treaties betweene them that the fishing then agreed vpon should be eightie miles from the Coast to the end the Scoles of Herrings should not bee interrupted His Maiestie in the fourth yeare of his Raigne of Great Brittaine made a Graunt to one Collyns of Couentrie for twentie one yeres for the fishing in some parts of Ireland Graunts made for fishing and the like Graunts haue beene made for the Isles of Garnesey and Iarnesey according to the Common Law of England By the Common Law which in this point concerning his Maiesties right of dominion is very copious the handling whereof I leaue to the learned and judicious of the said Law In the seuenth yeare of his Maiesties said raigne his Highnesse caused a Proclamation to be made concerning his Dominion of fishing which being compendious and substantiall I thought conuenient here to be inserted Verbatim IAMES By the Grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland Defendor of the Faith c. To all and singular persons to whom it may appertâ—ine greeting Although We doe sufficiently know by Our experience in the Office of Regall dignitie in which by the fauour of Almightie God Wee haue beene placed and exercised these many yeares as also by obseruation which Wee haue made of other Christian Princes exemplarie actions how far the absolutenesse of Our Soueraigne Power extendeth it selfe And that in regard thereof Wee need not to yeeld account to any person vnder God for any action of Ours which is lawfully grounded vpon that iust Prerogatiue Yet such hath euer beene and shall be Our care and desire to giue satisfaction to Our neighbour Princes and friends in any action which may haue the least relation to their Subiects and Estates as We haue thought good by way of friendly Praemonition to declare vnto them all and to whomsoeuer it may appertaine as followeth Whereas Wee
inhabite in Virginia where they shall haue houses and lands for themselues and their heires for euer and their worke shall be taken from them and they shal be duely paied and that a certaine number onely shall haue this priuiledge for certaine yeares and none others to be admitted albeit the number of people doe increase wherby they may be sure of a certain beneficial liuing And no doubt they wil aduenture that little they haue to inrich their means and estate and persuade their wiues and seruants to go with them who may succeed them vpon other good conditions The like is to be done with Taylors Bakers Brewers and other handicraftes-men and so conceauing a common-wealth within themselues wil resolue and encourage many that are of some meanes to accompanie others of smaller means whereby the base minded will be brought to be also painefull and industrious in time and the charge of the vndertakers will be lesse and more commodious to prouide the voyages with facilitie The like was to be put in practise by the Hollanders in the Island of saint Thomas vnder the line but the extreamitie of the heate of that Climate did bring a disorder and the attempt was giuen ouer It is more like to be established in other places for albeit the warres in Europe will diminish the people yet most countries are populous Politicians although they are much mistaken in the number of parishes of seuerall kingdomes yet are they not in the number of the persons or inhabitants France containing by late estimation about 27400 parishes What people in France in numbers c. esteemed in 44 hundreth thousand families of fiue persons to a familie where in England six persons are accounted to be in a familie is 22 millions of persons England containing 9725 parishes 52 shires and 26 cities is esteemed in 28 hundreth thousand families of six persons which maketh 16 millions and 800 thousand persons Scotland containing aboue 4000 parishes is esteemed to haue about 1500 thousand persons or families of six persons is nine millions of persons Ireland containing 5500 parishes was esteemed not to containe the two third parts of Scotland which is now much increased The prouince of Flanders one of the 17 Netherlands esteemed to containe 140 thousand families of fiue persons is 700 thousand persons which is more than the kingdome of Denmarke being ten times more spacious Now omitting to speake of other countries Too populous is dangerous in Monarchies let vs obserue that in all popular gouernments be it an Aristocracie or Democracie the meanes to make countries populous is thought reasonable which in Monarchies is held to be dangerous The concourse of people causeth the greater consumpsion of all things and the reuenues are great by Impositions and it giueth life to trafficke and commerce The Plantation of Vlster one of the foure Prouinces of Ireland is now verie great and the meanes to set the people on worke are to be taken in hand which may be done by a Corporation of English and Irish Merchants there inhabiting and English Merchants in England to vent the superfluities of the commodities of that kingdome and to increase the manufacture of many needfull commodities to bee made there the realme affording stuffe and materialls thereunto plentiously And here I remember a good obseruation heretofore made touching the kingdome of Ireland Why the same was not brought vnto perfect obedience to their soueraigne these 400 yearâ—s but vnder our most gratious king Iames which is attributed to the mistaking of the place of the plantation of the first aduenturers that were deceiued in their choice Fit places for plantation to be considered of for they sate downe and erected their castles and habitations in the plaines and open countries where they found most fruitfull and profitable lands turned the Irish into the woods and mountaines which as they were proper places for Outlawes and Theeues so were they their naturall castles and fortifications thither they draue their preys and stealths the lurked there waited to do euill and mischiefe for these places they kept vnknowne by making the waies and entries thereunto impassible there â—hey kept their cattle liuing by the milke of the cow without husbandrie or tillage there they increased and multiplyed vnto infinit numbers by promiscuous generation among themselues there they made their assemblies and conspiracies without discouerie but they discouered the weaknesse of the English dwelling in the open plaines and thereupon made their fallies and retraits with great aduantage Whereas on the other side if the English had builded their castles and townes in those places of fastnes had driuen the Irish into the plaines and open countries where they might haue had an eye and obseruation vpon them the Irish had beene easily kept in order and in short time reclaimed from their wildnesse and would haue vsed tillage and by dwelling together in towneships learned mechanicall Arts and Sciences This discourse may seeme strange to the Law of Merchants but when Merchants vndertake Plantations as we see they do no man will hold the same to be impertinent The discouerie of the Southerne countries called Terra Australis And for as much as diuers Mathematicians heretofore haue according to those discoueries made their maps and vpon good probabilitie affirmed and set downe Terra Australis incognita whereof discouerie hath beene made in the yeare 1615 by Ferdinand de Quir a Spanish Captaine let vs consider that many other countries may also be found out albeit this containeth a fifth part of the world for as he saieth to Philip the third late king of Spaine the length thereof is as great as all Europe and Asia the lesse vnto the sea of Bachu Persia and all the Isles as well of the Ocean as of the Mediterranean sea taking England and Island into this account seated within Zona Torrida and a great thereof reacheth vnto the Equinoctiall Circle eleuated vnto them to 90 degrees aboue the Horizon and in some places a little lesse There they liue without Kings or Lawes and know no neighbourhood either of Turkes or Moores and according to this maner of life although they want Yron and Guns they haue not need of any thing But they abound with many excellent commodities whereof the Spaniards will in time make vse especially if they be more assured of Gold there to be found as in part they are of Siluer and Pearles for these are the three most pretious darlings that lie and are cherrished in the bosome of Nature To say nothing of Spices and Drugs whereof they abound with many other commodities by the said Captaine declared And here we may not omit to remember That it is not enough to discouer countries and leaue them without plantation or at the least neglect the vse of them if Merchants do giue ouer their enterprises But it is the part of Princes to see plantations made True causes to make plantations for two maine reasons
vpon the decease of the said Englishmen tooke the whole trade to themselues which afterwards hath beene disperced into many other Townes whereby the trade is so increased that Holland and Zealand haue aboue 2000 Busses or Fishing Ships which doe make ordinarily two or three voyages yearely albeit their countrey is remote from our Seas and England Scotland and Ireland haue the fishing as it were at their doores And such is the blessing of almightie God that aboue sixe hundreth thousand Lasts of fish are taken yearely in the dominions of the King of Great Brittaine onely ommitting the quantitie of fish taken in Denmarke Seas Russia New-found-land Spaine Italy and other dominions And here I am to make a little abridgement of the collection of one Tobias Gentleman a Fisher-man who made a Treatise touching the same intituled Englands way to win wealth and to imploy Ships and Mariners That fishing is lawfull â—easible and profitable proouing first The lawfulnesse of it by his Maiesties subiects of Great Brittaine secondly How feasible it is for them by the exemplarie actions of other Nations that haue nothing growing in their owne land for that vse but are constrained to fetch all out of other countries lastly That the trade of fishing is profitable by the successe seene with the Hollanders being rich and opulent notwithstanding their long warres and which themselues doe call to be their chiefest trade and principall Gold-mine whereby many thousands of their people of trades and occupations are set on worke maintained and doe prosper Proclamation of the States of the vnited Prouinces as may bee seene by their Proclamation annexed to the said Treatise Hereupon hee sheweth That about Mid-may they make readie their Busses and Fisher-fleetes and by the first of Iune their Stile they are seene to sayle out of the Mase Texell and the Vly a thousand sayle together for to catch Herrings in the North Seas being most of them ships of 120 or 100 tunnes and the other 60 tunnes or thereabouts hauing in them 24 men and some 16 and 20 in euery ship they continue their course North-west and by North vntill they arriue at the Isle of Shotland The scituation of Shotland Isle which is the dominion of the king of great Brittaine and the greatest Island of the Orcades lyeth in the height of 60 degrees of Northerly latitude And by the 14 day of Iune which is by their law a time limited to lay their nets they begin to fish do neuer leaue the skoales of herrings but come along amongst them following 500 miles in length lading their ships twice or thrice before they come to Yarmouth sending them away by the Merchants ships that send them victuals barrels and more salt and nets if they need any which ships are called Yagers that is to say Hunters or Doggerbotes and these ships docarry them and sell them in the East countries some to Riga and Reuell some to the Narue Russia Places to sell Herrings Stockholme and all Poland Prussia Pomerland Lituania Statin Lubek and Denmarke returning Hemp Flax Cordage Cables Iron Corne Soapashes Wax Wainscot Clapboord Pitch Tar Deales Hoopes and other commodities with plentie of money and for France they send for Burdeaux Rochell Nantes Morliaix and San Mallous Cane in Normandie Roan Paris Amiens and all Picardie and Calice with the Low-countries of the Archduke of Austria reconciled with the king of Spaine returning other commodities and moneys for the prouenue of their fish For by their laws all those Herrings that they do catch in Yarnmouth seas from Bartholomew tide vntill saint Andrew which are rope-sicke they may not bring home into Holland and these they sell vnto Yarnmouth men for readie money Their fishing for Cod and Lings continually is done with smaller ships of 40 tun burden called Pinkes and Welboats and all this is done with so good order and prouision Good orders in the fishing trade that by night and day all is supplyed and fish taken off instantly And of mine owne knowledge they are so constant in their fishing that they are contented to haue one good yeare for fishing in seuen yeares All fishermen are prouided for and their wiues at home cannot want for in their care they may be compared to Ioseph in Aegypt prouiding for the time of famine They haue besides all this continually in the season another fleete of Fisher-men called Flyboats which are in number some two hundreth or more and these be at the North-East of Shotland hauing small boats with them called Cobles and by meanes of them Lings are taken in great aboundance which they do not barrell but splet and salt them in the ships bulke To say nothing of fresh Fish and other prettie obseruations of the said Tobias Gentleman let vs note the commodious fisher-townes of England as Colchester Harwich Orford Alborough Donwich Commodious towns for fishing in England Walderswike Sould Yarnmouth Blackney Wels Linne Boston and Hull by him named whereunto I may adde Scarborough Hartlepole Whitby Marske Stockton Gysborough New-Castle and other places in the North. And it is to be much admired that this trade hath been so long neglected howbeit some are of opinion That it would hinder much to the trade of cloth if fishing were entertained especially in the returne of our commodities and that the priuiledges granted to diuers societies as the Merchants Aduenturers East-land The first obiection to the fishing trade and Russia Merchants should be infringed therby and so both trades cannot subsist together Others say The second obiection That other nations are more painefull and industrious than we can be and haue more skill in the cutting packing and salting of the Fish and which is more they can send away their Fish and pay no fraight by their ships going otherwise emptie for corne and salt for they pay but foure shillings for a Last which is drinking mony And the Hamborgers hauing heretofore imitated the Hollanders to fish with Buffes for Herrings after 5 or 6 yeares triall haue beene compelled to abandon the fishing and suffer their ships to lie by the rotting because they found a losse and that the Hollander did out sell them hauing the better and cheaper fish and the like would befall England as some haue alreadie found To these two obiections The one being Domesticke and the other Forraine I make this answere which is referred to the iudicious reader Answere to the first That the trade of cloth should be hindered by the fishing trade is not probable being a distinct commoditie which serueth for the bellie and the other for the backe and both are sold by vs and other nations in one more places and we both make our returnes homewards by commodities money and exchange for moneys by Bills so that the difference of the persons maketh not any sollid argument for if we returne commodities for commodities and they returne moneys we may returne both the one and the
haue spent time labour and no small charges in hope that hereafter it may do good to the publicke Pawne houses if some Diuine be moued to further it The first is according to the manner of Amsterdam to which end the substance of the petition of honest and religious men his maiesties subiects is as followeth First that authoritie be giuen to A. B. to erect Pawne-houses in all conuenient places of the realmes of England Ireland and the dominions of Wales for and during the terme of one and twentie yeres vpon these conditions That all person and persons shall and may haue at all conuenient times moneys vpon pawnes of or vpon all moueable goods chattels and leases or any thing which shall be agreed vpon after the rate of ten vpon the hundreth by the yeare That the vndertakers may be authorised or licenced to take for the attendance labour and paines recompence of Officers and Seruants wages house-rent and all other charges incident thereunto as followeth For registring and keeping of all pawnes that do amount to fiftie pounds or more one farthing for euerie pound by the moneth For all pawnes that do amount to ten pounds or more vntill fiftie pounds for euerie pound one halfe pennie by the moneth For all pawnes that do not amount to ten pound for euerie pound one pennie by the moneth For euerie bill giuen for pawnes vnder ten pounds one pennie and being of ten pounds or aboue whatsoeuer it commeth vnto but two pence with such clauses conditions and cautions as shall be requisite for the securitie of the said vndertakers and agreeable with the laws of the realm of England paying vnto the Kings maiestie a reasonable summe of money yearely c. The said allowances are inferiour to the moderation of the Emperor Iustinian his Lawes and will be found verie reasonable considering that by the tolleration of Vsurie politicke men can deliuer their moneys in verie great summes at ten in the hundreth freely and without such trouble CHAP. XIII Of Mons pietatis or Banke of Charitie THe second meane to suppresse the biting vsurie of extortion vpon the common people is by prouiding a course that they may haue moneys vpon pawne without paying any interest or vsurie for the loane of it according to the manner of Bridges in Flanders which is more pleasing but it is not so vniuersall as the Pawne houses are where great summes are to be had to accommodate Merchants and all men to preuent the generall abuse albeit it cannot be denyed but that the extortion vpon the meaner sort of people is more haynous and detestable which was the cause that by the Lawes of the Romans he that tooke vsurie of the poore was more punished than he that did steale from the rich as is before declared In Italie there are Montes pietatis that is to say Mounts or Bankes of Charitie places where great summes of money are by legacies giuen for reliefe of the poore to borrow vpon pawnes and to pay onely after three or foure in the hundreth at the most to maintaine the officers and to beare the charges of such an erected Mount for euer But the manner of Bridges as aforesaid may be thought more reasonable paying the officers out of the contributions which by their means may be much increased according to the orders which are hereafter declared Moneys to be giuen to suppresse vsurie for euerie man is willing to giue for the suppression of intollerable and abhominable vsurie The rich that are charitably disposed will giue because vsurie politicke should not be biting the meaner sort of people will be contributarie because of the commodiousnes of it for who will not giue six pence or twelue pence euerie quarter of the yeare when he may borrow a reasonable summe of money without paying any vse for it for one yere or a longer time according to occasions I am sure of most mens inclinations by an attempt made of the practise hereof some yeares since for after the names taken of aboue 1500 persons that were willing to contribute yearely and some Diuines and others that would lend freely 50 ll 100 ll or more for some yeares and some 500 ll I made an alphabetical register of them which was deliuered into the hands of a great personage who as it seemeth was not worthie of the honour thereof but to my remembrance it amounted to some 2000 ll for moneys giuen and to be lent and aboue six hundreth pounds yearely during the liues of the benefactors so that no man hath cause to doubt of the collection of a great stocke for so godly a worke if authoritie were had when this was done vpon the onely hope and surmise thereof to the effecting whereof I will be willing still to doe my best endeauour Now the orders are as followeth Orders to be obserued for the gouernment of the Mount of Charitie consisting of two houses within the citie of London and the suburbes thereof and one house at Westminster where all men may borrow moneys in small summes without paying any vse or loane for the same vpon pawne to be deliuered for caution or securitie of the said moneys according to the manner of Bridges in Flanders and other countries 1 IMprimis That all men of what qualitie or condition soeuer they be being destitute of money shall haue money at all conuenient times without paying any vse or loane for the same but deliuering onely a pawne of any moueable thing so it be not aboue fortie shillings at any one time vntill a competent stock be raised for the maintenance of the said Mount of Charitie for euer 2 Item Whereas the said stocke is raised and to be increased by meanes of charitable and conscionable persons which either do freely lend moneys without taking interest for the same or do freely giue in money and yearely contributions according to their vertuous dâ—sposition which moneys may in progresse of time amount to a notable summe the Treasurer generall therefore shall be a man sufficient and of honest behauiour carefull to appoint sworne honest men vpon sureties to collect the said moneys and for keeping of the pawnes with their Clarkes and other attendants and the Surueior of accounts shall be a man diligent and skilfull in accounts all for the better incouragement of the said charitable giuers and free lenders for the aduancement of this charitable worke 3 Item Whereas the like House called Saint George was heretofore erected at Genoua in Italie by noble Knights bound in honour to see the people relieued from oppression biting vsurie and extortion which by all vertuous Knights is at all times approued and commended There shall be kept one paire of tables in euerie house containing the names of such honourable persons and vertuous Knights ' as shall be yearely contributaries by quarterly paiments during their naturall liues or lend any summe of money gratis for a time together with the names of such well disposed persons as by
bread and water for a time at the discretion of the Iudge But if the debtor be so poore and notwithstanding hath such a cruell aduersarie that will make dice of his bones that is say to haue his debtor die in prison and to hang vp a bale of dice for him in the Crowne Office as is done by the Officer in place or the Goaler then hath the Law beyond the seas prouided some reliefe for this poore man for the custome is in Germanie France Italie Spain and the Low Countries that no man is imprisoned for debt aboue a yere and a day in which time the creditors haue power to take seise and sell all the estate of the debtor which being done or before the woman in most places may claime her dower for her reliefe children and the rest is diuided amongst the creditors as far as it will go and so the debtor is freed from those debts for euer for by the Ciuile Law Qui vult cedere bonis liberatus est a debito if the debtor do relinquish his estate to the creditor he is free from the debts and all goods falling to him afterwards are his owne But this man is euer after disabled to come to any preferment and such a creditor as is the cause of it will be hated and accounted worse than a Iew or Pagan For the manner of Cedere bonis or to make cession of goods is verie hainous The manner of Cedere bonis and of wonderfull disgrace so that most men will rather die in miserie than to come vnto it because it happeneth not once in twentie yeares yet is it farre inferiour to the punishment of the pillorie or the striking ouer the legge vsed in Russia at the creditors instance whereby the debtor is set at libertie and the debt paid The partie commeth before the towne-house and standeth vpon a stone in the view of all the people and vnloosing his girdle he desireth them and all the world to take notice that he hath nothing left him to pay his creditors and so renounceth all what may be found to be his or what any manner of waies he might pretend and in token thereof he may not weare his girdle any more nor be imployed in any businesse as a liuing man yet afterwards by some composition to be made with the creditors he may be restored by a declaration to be made by some Officer vpon the said stone and then he is permitted to weare his girdle againe In the said countries no gentleman or man of qualitie may be imprisoned at all for debts his estate onely is liable thereunto and yet with reseruation of such necessarie things as Honestie Honour Humanitie and Christianitie doth challenge namely the souldiours Person his Armes his Apparrell Bed and Chamber conueniently and necessarily furnished which may not be taken for debt and the like reseruation is made to euerie other man of qualitie so that imprisonment of men bodies for debt according to the common practise of England is a greater burden and bondage than is to be found in any other christian or heathen countrie And for asmuch as the mischiefe and incoueniences arising to the King and Common-wealth by the imprisoning of mens bodies for debt haue beene propounded heretofore in Parlement by a printed remonstrance which like vnto a Pamphlet may be lost whereby good matters are many times put in obliuion I haue thought conuenient to make an abstract thereof in the maner as the said reasons are laid downe to be inserted in this booke in hope of some releefe vnto decayed Merchants whose estates may remaine liable to answere their creditors without imprisoning of their bodies against the Law of God the Law of man the Rule of justice the Law of conscience and christian charitie and against the Practise of other countries as aforesaid and finally against the creditors owne profit The Law of God willeth and commaundeth euerie man to follow a vocation to doe the honour Against the law of God duties and seruices owing to his Prince and countrie and Parents and to maintaine his wife children and family and to instruct them in the feare of God so that whatsoeuer directly or indirectly forbiddeth the said christian duties in the performing thereof by an imprisonment is against the law of God whereupon all humane lawes ought to be grounded No law of God willeth or commaundeth imprisonments of mens bodies for debt nor is it warranted by any example in the word of God and the efficient meanes bringing men into prison as vsurie is appeareth plainely to be forbidden by the word of God as hath beene noted out of the old law neither hath the law of the Gospell a word of commaund or warrant for imprisoning a christian brother for debt Exod. 22.26 Deut. 23.19 Leuit. 25 35. Ezech. 18 8. Ieremy 34.14 but rather containeth a commaund to relieue him if he be fallen into decay to take care how and wherein he shall sleepe to set him free at sixe yeares end and then to reward him By the Law of man it was not so Ab initio for by the Common Laws of England Against the law of man which are the most ancient most eminent most binding lawes no man may be taken or imprisoned for debt but the creditor was to take satisfaction vpon the debtors estate of goods lands according to Magna Char. 3. H. 3. and 14. Ed. 3. although after accountants onely were to be imprisoned vntill they paied which was made generall against all debtors by the statute of the 25. Ed. 3. cap. 17. yet prisoners in Execution might and did follow their vocation and affaires by baile mainprise or baston as by the statute of 1. Rich. 2. cap. 12. and from that time forwards were prisoners tied vp shorter to the writ of Habeas corpus or the Kings speciall mandate vpon surmises Habeas corpus that the said debtors made secret estates in trust to defraud their creditors or were wilfull and obstinate to pay them being able To answere these obiections it is vniust to punish all promiscuously aswell frauders as non frauders without and before any proofe made yet if the fraud were proued or his abilitie and sufficiencie either there is no cause to imprison his bodie because the law doth giue the estate fourthwith to the creditor whether the debtor will or no so it is still needlesse to imprison the bodie for twentie yeares imprisonment discounteth neuer a pennie of the debt and yet the debtor hath suffered more miserie and punishment than a guiltie Traytor or Rebell suffereth for the highest offence It is against the rule of Iustice and law of Nature Against the rule of Iustice. that men equally free borne should be depriued of the common and equall libertie and bee giuen into the power of another without criminall cause or guilt The debtor is either punished for guilt or cohersion if for guilt it is against the rule of
coynes which is of late yeares established to preuent the inhancing of coyne and yet it cannot be sufficient to preuent the said incertaintie of the price of commodities If the standards of the said moneys were by allay of copper altered much lesse would the aduice giuen that Merchants accounts should no more be kept in liuers and soulz but in French crownes to hinder the inhauncing of moneys which in some countries is secretly practised to bee done of meere policie when by publicke authorie it is forbidden and might be effected as within the realmes of England Scotland and Ireland and other his Maiesties dominions where the moneys are not inhaunced betweene man and man and remaine currant according to their price vntill the kings authoritie doe alter the valuation by Proclamation albeit by exchange it is not so and therefore according to my third Paradox we shall find That the imaginarie moneys in exchaunge doe ouerrule the substantiall moneys in specie The third Paradox For the Merchants valuation of moneys in exchange doth ouerrule the Kings valuation of moneys within the realme For when the King hath valued the shilling peece at twelue pence Merchants vndervalue the same in exchange at 11 ½ d and 11 d not only in the price of exchange but also receiuing beyond the seas the inhanced moneys aboue their values and not valuing of them in exchange accordingly as before hath been obserued concerning the valuation of moneys and the imaginarie coines or rather moneys wherupon exchanges are made for so many seuerall places The late Earle of Donfermelling Lord Chancellor of Scotland did propound vnto the Kings maiestie in the yeare 1610 Proposition of the Earle of Donfermelling a certaine proposition touching the inhauncing of gold his lordship being of an excellent iudgement in mint affaires That the French crowne of the Sunne which went neuer in England to vse his owne phrase all Queene Elizabeths time aboue six shillings English money went now for seuen shillings and three pence and that the English double soueraign of twentie shillings went in France for eleuen francque or twentie two shillings and that both waies there had bin no alteration in the standard Whereupon he did demand in writing what was the cause of the said difference or alteration if this proceed said he from the goodnes of the gold that it is better in finenesse and allay or in weight or from the weakenes of the siluer that it be worse than it was either in finesse allay or in weight then is the cause intrinsick and substantiall and may be easily considered and resolued if it bee good or euill to be intertained maintained and set forward or reiected and stayed from all further course if there be any other cause or reason it must of force bee extrinsicke and accidentall let the same bee searched out if it bee good to the Prince and estates weale and commoditie it should be assisted and continued if it be tried euill proceeding from the policie and craft of trades-men tending onely to priuate gaine and commoditie preiudiciall to the Prince and State to be gainestood and expelled This proportion being sent vnto mee by a great personage then in high place was made plaine by demonstration to proceed of an accidentall cause by aduancing the Valuation of gold partly in England when Crowne gold was valued from fiftie fiue shillings the ounce to three pound and partly in France when they did aduance the French Crowne in specie fiue soulz aduising therewithall that to remedie the same it was not to bee done by inhauncing of our gold still more and more but in the price of exchange betweene France and vs otherwise wee should vnderualue too much the siluer of the Realme to our exceeding losse shewing withall how easily this might bee done without alteration of the proportion obserued betweene gold and siluer for most places But the contrarie was approued and Crowne gold was more inhaunced to sixtie six shillings the ounce by two seuerall Proclamations Nouember 1611. which hath proued the losse of our Siluer in bullion or weightie coyne daily breeding greater inconueniences by the want of our moneys which by reason of the vndervaluation in exchange and not by vndervaluation in specie are continually exported none imported but diuerted by gaine for other places as hath beene declared All which commeth to passe for want of true iudgement and experience in mint affaires with the consideration of the said Essentiall parts of trafficke so often mentioned whereof I hope that in generall meetings for the publicke more regard will be had to the end it bee not recorded of vs as it hath beene of some Parlements in Fraunce that in populi republica sententiae numerantur non ponderantur and then we shall be said to vnderstand the Par by right distinction betweene the actiue and passiue Pâ—ys 3. lib. ca. 3. Aristotle saith that Action and Passion are meerely Relatiues and that they differ no more than the way from Thebes to Athens and from Athens to Thebes let vs discerne therefore the one from the other and we shall find that as the Liuer Money ministreth spirits to the Heart Commodities and the heart to the Braine Exchange so doth the Braine Exchange minister to the whole Microcosme or the whole Bodie of trafficke Let the Heart therefore by the Liuer receiue his tintured Chylus by his owne Mouth and Stomach and the Bloud full of Spirits shall fill all the Veines and supplie the want of moneys the easie course and recourse of whose Exchange shal bring all things in tune serue all mens turnes For euen as there are two courses obserued of the Sun Two courses of Exchange like the two courses of the Sunne the one annuall and the other by dailie declination rising and going vnder within the Aecliptique line euen so must we obserue in Exchange two courses the one according to par pro pari or value for value the other rising or falling from time to time as hath beene sufficiently declared whereof the said Aristotle Seneca nor Cicero nor any other Phylosopher or Orator could take notice in the infancie of trade Exchange not being then inuented neither do we find that any Temporall or Ciuile Lawyer hath entred into this important studie for the welfare of kingdomes and Common-weales by the rule of Equalitie and Equitie hitherto To conclude therfore this Paradoxicall discourse I cannot omit to doe the same with another Paradox by me obserued in the making of moneys of gold and siluer namely That a man may commixe Bullion to make a certaine standard of moneys either of gold and siluer A very strange Paradox and after the commixture made shall alter the standard and make the same better or worse without putting any allay or siluer and gold vnto it That is to say I will melt downe eleuen ounces and two pennie weight of fine siluer and eighteene pennie weight of copper both one pound Troy
purpose as by the graunt appeareth This licence they in short time peruerted to the great disturbance of the ancient course of the Staple whereby the trade of the Realme greatly declined and the Kings Customes decreased so that from 160 thousand pounds yearely payed out of the Staple the Customes came short of 120 thousand pounds The Fraternitie of Saint Thomas of Becket These new Merchants terming themselues The fraternitie of Saint Thomas of Becket were by Act of Parlement and by direction vnder the Great Scale of England in the time of King Henrie the sixth prohibited from doing any act that might preiudice the Staple and so it continued vntill the two and twentieth yeare of King Henrie the seuenth and then there was another great complaint in Parlement against the said fraternitie for decaying of trade and a verie strict law made against them with especiall order that they should admit any of the Kings liege people into their socitie paying vnto them ten markes which vnder pretence of some priuiledges hath beene interrupted and especially by his Maiesties Proclamation in the fifteenth yeare of his Highnesse happie raigne by reason of the controuersie for the dressing and dying of cloth neuerthelesse in all their graunts exception is made That the Staplers should not be preiudiced which in the wisedome of a Parlement will be found most necessarie to be vnited againe to make a free trade vnder gouernment 8 The exportation of the materialls for cloth as woolls Fullers earth woolfells and woodashes is prohibited lately by his Maiesties Proclamation with good orders for the execution thereof according as heeretofore was done by the Correctors of the Staple for other commodities 9 Touching the warres of Christendome let vs obserue that King Edward the third had also great wars in his times with France and in Ireland and neuerthelesse he did receiue a verie great assistance by subsidies of fiftie shillings vpon euerie sacke of wooll exported for and during the time of sixe yeares which amounted to 1500 hundreth thousand pounds when one ounce of siluer was valued but at twentie pence which would now amount to foure millions and a halfe 10 And lastly the immoderate vse of forraine commodities was by the Maior and Constables of the Staple had in consideration for they had alwaies an especiall care to the inriching of the Kingdome because the prouident care of the King did put them in mind thereof insomuch that when the said King became forgetfull therein by reason of the warres and that the Kingdome wanted chaffer wares and necessarie prouisions the Parlement did absolutely deny to giue him any subsidie as appeareth by the Chronicle of Grafton in the one and fiftieth yeare of his raigne so that by the premisses things haue bin in some measure considered of when least disorder in trade appeared A Conclusion to the iudicious Reader THe triuiall vice of Enuie is said to be the mother of wickednesse and accounted to sit in an imâ—ginarie Theater Her Pallace is a dim and hollow vault wherin she waxeth pale and wan as hauing the consumption of the liuer looking a squint as borne vnder Saturne neuer resting as though shee were an arme of Ixâ—ns wheele engendred and hatched by the vgly Megara of Hell that feeds and crams her gorge with Dragons and fomes out againe deadly poyson This vâ—ce hath sent forth triple headed Cerberus vnder the shadow of Zoilus Momus and Mastix Three enuious Satyies to performe her intended tragedie but Zoylus remembring that his railing Commentaries presented by him to Ptolome king of Aegypt and his presumption to bee better learned than Homer did worke his ouerthrow goeth by with silence and shaking his head seemeth to be discontented and vnder hand he doth instigate Momus and Mastix to follow their enuious humors wherupon Momus with his carping eyes dimmed with passion hauing cursorily read ouer this booke taketh vpon him to be a great Pollitician or Statist and findeth fault that many things therein contained which he termeth Mysteries should be published and made knowne especially such as may concerne Princes in their reuenues or secrets of their mints Vnto him therefore I frame this answere confessing and auoiding that true it is That the ancient Monarchies Empires and Common-weales held the knowledge of their reuenues in such reuerence and secret that none but the officers which had the managing thereof were made priuie of them as being sacred things not fitting that the people should take notice thereof which was truely obserued in the Romane Empire and Common-weales of the Grecians But as times produce varietie and the maners of men do change breeding corruption of lawes and customes so was it found that by this secrecie officers were both emboldned and enabled to deceiue the Princes thereby and the people would pretend ignorance to giâ—e vnto them their dues whereupon the Senators of Rome by mature deliberation did ordaine that from that time forward the reuenues of their treasure and the dependances thereupon should be published and made knowne not only vnto the people but vnto strangers also which the Emperor Iustinian caused to beobserued and other Emperors succeeding him as appeareth by the Code and other Bookes which the French Kings haue imitated euer since willing and commaunding that these things should be knowne of euerie one yea euen of the meere strangers of other countries so that this obiection is of small moment especially this booke being moderate in the handling thereof Now Mastix riding a false gallop on a hackney horse being full fraighted of conceits commeth to towne and maketh two exceptions to the methode and contents of the booke first he will not allow the termes of Art by diuiding of the same according to the three essentiall parts of Trafficke next he will not haue Merchants secrets laied open or their trades divulged To the first concerning the being essence or existance of things he will make no difference betweene naturall things and things artificiall and so there is but two essentiall parts of Materia forma albeit that some Philosophers haue established three beginnings of naturall things Matter Forme and Depriuation The Matter hath no other office or function but the changing from one Forme into another Depriuation giuing an inclination thereunto for Depriuation is an imperfection so conioyned to the Matter that without her if she were seperated nothing would be ingendered and therefore in Heauen there is no Depriuation and consequently no generation ne corruption The Forme therefore giueth perfection to the thing and being also and without her the Matter is more imperfect than the eye is without the facultie of seeing or the eares without hearing But in artificialls the being hath her parts as Trafficke hath three namely Commodities Money and Exchange so other things may consist of more being or simples wherein the termes of Art are not excluded neither can they auoid Mastix his enuie To the second the whole contents of this Booke manifesteth to all judicious Merchants how necessarie the knowledge is of the matter therein contained to maintaine Equitie and Iustice by the Law of Nations and that there is no particular secret of any Merchants trade reuealed to the preiudice of any man or nation in so much that they are much pleased with it as being desirous to aduance the good and to banish the euill obseruing that vertue maketh a stranger grow naturall in a strange countrie and the vicious becommeth a meere stranger in his owne natiue soile Let vertue therefore enioy her freedome and possesse her priuiledges by the right of Law and all the people shal flourish with equitie Iustice shall maintaine Peace Peace shall procure Securitie Securitie shall nourish Wealth and Wealth Felicitie No man is to be dismayed at his small tallent or to grudge at anothers greater prosperitie for without doubt Nature hath by her secret motion denied none some perfect qualitie to supplie that want which in himselfe breeds discontent or mislike for euen as the fish hauing no eares hath a most cleere sight so though want of dignitie be a disgrace to some though want of coyne discontent diuers and though lacke of wealth impaires the credit of many yet nature hath supplied that outward ornament with such an internall reward as a loyall and louing heart notwithstanding many hard measures will with constancie spend all his time for the good of the common-wealth being thereunto imployed This worke thus at length happily concluded and commended to the kind acceptation of all gentle and well disposed minds is not compiled to please the vaine appetite of some men according to their nice opinion but is referred to the judiciall and affable judgements of this age to whom I shall during the remainder of my daies alwaies be readie to supplie any thing which in the next impression may be desired not doubting but they will measure it by the iust desert and censure thereof as their owne kind natures haue euer beene accustomed Soli Deo gloria FINIS
subiect to be numbered by Ages Yeares Moneths Daies Houres Minutes and their diuisions and subdiuisions wee cannot in this place omit to particularise concerning the same albeit it may be thought inconuenient to touch the obseruation of the period of Monarchies and Common-weales Periods of Monarchies Common-weales made by some Authors which by many important reasons may be amplified Some distribute the whole ages of the world into three parts ascribing to euerie age 2000 yeares which procâ—edeth from that common opinion of Elias a certaine Rabbin or Iew affirming that the world should stand 6000 yeares and then be disolued of the which they reckon 2000 yeares before the Law 2000 yeares vnder the Law and 2000 yeares vnder Christ which shal be shortned for the elects sake which opinion hath beene receuied by diuers godly fathers supposing that as the world and all things therein was created in six daies So the same should endure 6000 yeares taking each thousand yeares for a day according to the saying of Saint Peter 1. Pet. 3. That one day before the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day In this supputation is some reason for from the beginning to Abraham with whom the first couenant was made and to whom the law of circumcision was giuen wee find to be neere 2000 yeares Of the ages of the world and likewise vnder the law vntill Christ about 2000 yeares and now vnder Christ is aboue 1620 yeares reckoning towards the last 2000 yeares Augustin writing of these ages diuideth them into sixe and reckoneth the first age to be from Adam to Noah the second from Noath to Abraham the third from Abraham to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to the captiuitie of Babylon the fifth from the Captiuitie to Christ the sixt and last vnder the kingdome of Christ vntill the end of the world Others there be that doe distribute the same into foure according to the nature of foure kinds of mettals the Golden Siluer Brasse and Iron Ages alluding to the Prophecie of Daniel of the foure Monarchies Others doe account the same by thousands or millinaries according to certaine obseruations of 6000 yeares in the alterations of things Others doe calculate according to the ages of men supposing 100 yeares for an age and so now being 56 ages and more the number 60 or before the end of the world shall come But let vs obserue the true computation of the Church most generally approoued hitherto Computation of ages by Scripture and reckon from the Creation vntill Noah 1656 yeares when hee entred into the Arke and from the Flooâ— to Abraham 367 yeares and from the departing of the Israelites out of Egypt 430 yeares and from the departing to the building of the Temple by Salomon 430 yeares and from that time to the eleuenth yeare of King Zedekiah deduced by Scripture is 427 yeares So the whole summe of these yeares commeth iustly to 3360 yeares Hereunto 70 yeares being added of the captiuitie of Babylon is 3430 yeares which are 790 Sabbaticall yeares of seuen yeares euery Sabbaticall yeare without any odde number and from that time vntill Christ there is no momentarie difference by Historicall account whereof vnderstanding Merchants ought to bee informed all men take pleasure of this obseruation in their Almanacks From the Creation of the World Aâ—no Domâ— 1620. vntill the last yeare 5582. From the said Creation vntill the Flood 1656. From the said creation vntil the Birth of our Sauior Christ 3962. Since Brute did enter the Iland of Great Brittaine 2727. Since the building of the Temple by Salomon 2649. Since the building of the Citie of Rome 2371. Since the captiuity of Babylon 2258. Since Iulius Caesar was slaine 1669. Since the Birth of our Sauiour Christ vntill the last yeare 1620. Since the Conquest of England by Duke William 553. Since the beginning of the raigne of King Iames the first of that name of England vntill the 24 of March 1620 is 17 yeares compleate but currant 18. Concerning the yeare there are many obseruations Of the seueral beginnings of the yeare and euen of the seuerall beginnings of it And let vs note Obiter that the bodie the soule of man consisting in the bloud hath 365 veines as residences agreeable to so many dayes of the yeare All our Almanackes or Kalenders beginne the yeare from the first day of Ianuary albeit this beginning differeth in many other countries which is conuenient for Merchants to obserue The Astrologians begin at the entrance of the Sun in Arijs which is the 21 of March at 12 of the clocke at noone The old Romanes did begin their yeare ab Hieberno solstitio The Egyptians and old Iewes from the 21 of March with the Astrologians Those of Asia and India ab aquinoctio Autumnali being the 23 of September at 12 of the clocke at noone The Grecians of the longest day of the yeare The Venetians of the first of March The Spaniards from the Annuntiation of the Virgin Marie the 25 of March as England Scotland and Ireland The Portugals and the East-Indies Barbarie Preste-Iohn the 29. of August Moses by Gods commandement ab equinoctio verno which is Easter according to which Easter day Easter day was ordained vpon the full Moone being the foureteenth day of the first Moone after the Sunne entred into the signe of Aries which is also vsed in Aegypt Afterwards in the yeare of our Lord 328 the Councell of Nice did ordaine Easter day alwaies to be vpon the Sabbath day or Sunday next after the full Moone And the Bishop of Alexandria made thereupon a list according to the Circle or Golden number of the Moone beginning from the figure 1 vntill number 19 for that in 19 yeares the Moone maketh her compleate reuolution concurreth with the Sun And if the number did fall out vpon a Sunday then the Sunday after was Easter day The List appointed for Easter day according to this abstract which is now altered by ten daies vpon the alteration of the Kalender by Pope Gregorie the 13. Golden numberâ— 1. The 5 of Aprill 2. The 25 of March 3. The 13 of Aprill 4. The 2 of Aprill 5. The 22 of March 6. The 10 of Aprill 7. The 30 of March 8. The 18 of Aprill 9. The 7 of Aprill 10. The 27 of March 11. The 15 of Aprill 12. The 4 of Aprill 13. The 24 of March 14. The 12 of Aprill 15. The 1 of Aprill 16. The 21 of March 17. The 9 of Aprill 18. The 29 of March 19. The 17 of Aprill Reuolution of the Sunne and Moone The yeare being exactly calculated according to the course of the Sunne or Reuolution in the Zodiake through all the twelue Signes consisteth of 365 daies 5 houres 49 minutes and 16 seconds And the reuolution of the Moone in her going course is 27 daies and about 8 houres and in her returning course about 29 daies and one halfe
5400 Geometricall Miles or 21600 ordinarie Miles But whereas the Miles in all Kingdomes and Countries and almost in euerie Prouince or Shire doe differ I haue thought conuenient to admit one measure of one million of Acres of ground to measure the whole Globe therby according to the Map which is not only intelligible vnto al men but al merchants also may haue vse hereof For by the number of the millions of Acres comparing one Kingdome vnto another or one Countrie vnto another Countrie they may know the bignesse and spaciousnesse thereof which we haue particularly obserued in Europe with a distinction also of the Dominion of Princes in these seuerall Countries knowne by the name France Italy Germany and others which many times falleth into consideration vpon singular occasions This Globe of the world is diuided to be two third parts Water or Seas and one third part Land and of this Land there is one third part not inhabited and the other two third parts are as followeth The whole Circumference by the aforesaid measure is 19 803 575000 which is 29 milliars 803 millions 575 thousand Acres and the milliar is tenne hundreth millions A Milliar is ten hundreth Millions So the ⅔ part water is 19 milliars 869 millions and 50 thousand acres of ground answerable and the other part third is 9 milliars 934 millions 525000 acres Hereof deduct ⅓ part not inhabited which is 3 milliars 311 millions 508 thousand acres So rest 6 milliars 623 millions 17 thousand acres of land inhabited whereof followeth a particular distribution First for Europe or Christendome England containeth 29 millions 568 thousand acres Scotland containeth 14 millions 432 thousand acres Ireland containeth 18 millions So these three Kingdoms with all their dominions of lands and Ilands adiacent vnder the Diademe of King Iames containe 62 millions of acres of ground c. England is by this computation accordingly with the dominion of Wales and all Islands thereunto belonging the thousand part of the whole Globe or the 222 part of the earth inhabited or the 333 part of the whole earth and Scotland may be full the one halfe of this computation that is the 444 part of the earth inhabited or the 666 part of the whole earth and the Monarchie of great Brittaine and the Kingdome of Ireland is the 480 part of the whole Globe vnnecessarie fractions in cypher omitted The bodie of the Sunne is 166 times bigger than the whole Globe of the world and so accordingly for the seas and earth as aforesaid The 17 Prouinces of the Low-countries Containe 10 millions 797 thousand acres whereof The reconciled prouinces with Spaine containe 7 millions 197 thousand acres The vnited prouinces vnder the States containe 3 millions 599 thousand acres The Kingdome of France diuided into 32 prouinces containeth in all 82 millions 879 thousand acres The kingdomes of Spaine being eight in number containe as followeth   m. Castile 25 Millions 730. Andalusia 2 millions 425 Granado 2 millions 128 Nauarre 1 million 458 Leon galisia 9 millions 124 Arragon 13 millions 104 Biscaye 3 millions 412 Portugal 10 millions 154 In all containing 67 millions 535 thousand acres ITALIA Vnder Spaine   m. Naples 11 millions 704 Lombardie 1 million 640 Vnder Venice   m. Treuisana 2 millions 584 Verona 0 millions 480 Frioul 1 million 047 Mantua 0 millions 480 Vnder Rome   m. Liguria 1 million 415 Romagnia 1 million 085 Latium 0 millions 480 Hetruria 0 millions 540 Sauoy 1 million 910 Piedmont 1 million 160 Toscana c. 4 millions 785 Suria and Florence 480 Marca 1 million 412 Ancona Parma 0 millions 885 Sicilia 3 millions 113 Cypres 1 million 601 Candia 2 millions 060 Corsica 1 million 395 Sardegna 4 millions 089 Containing in all 44 millions 257 thousand acres GERMANIA   m. Saxonia 3 millions 484 Misina 3 millions 249 Turnigia 1 million 093 Lusatia 2 millions 572 Bauaria 3 millions 249 Helsatia 3 millions 644 Heluetia 12 millions 328 Basle 0 millions 842 Swebourgh 2 millions 109 Salsbourgh 1 million 063 Trier Ments 4 mill 237 Spiers Strasbourgh and Wormes Iuliers 0 millions 348 Cleaue 0 millions 258 Westphalia 2 millions 300 Osnab 0 millions 358 Silesia 5 millions 706 Bohemia 7 millions 024 Austria 6 millions 121 Morauia 4 millions 114 Pomerania 3 millions 249 Brandenbourgh 6 millions 208 Machalbourgh 2 millions 107 Franconia 6 millions 361 Tiroll 3 millions 249 Carinthia 1 million 588 Stiria 1 million 779 Palantine Rhene 4 millions 361 Wirtenborgh 1 million 223 Embden 0 millions 230 Oldenbourgh 0 millions 449 Liege 0 millions 548 Coloigne 0 millions 215 Containing in all 95 millions 646 thousand acres Prussia 10 millions 240 thousand acres   m. Russia 9 millions 607 Volhimia 5 millions 762 Massouia 1 million 916 Liuonia 34 millions 115 Poland 19 millions 205 Heretofore named Polonia containing in all 80 millions m. 845. DENMARKE   m. Denmarke 10 millions 426 Norway 28 millions 492 Holsten 1 million 065 Ditinars 0 million 337 Containing in all 40 millions 326 thousand acres SVVETHEN Sweathen 57 millions 430 thousand acres Finland 7 millions 531 thousand Gothia 20 millions 936 thousand Containing in all 85 millions 897 thousand acres Part of Russiia or Moscouia and Situam vnder Europe 232 millions 558 thousand acres so that whole Europe or Christendome doth but containe 802 millions 740 thousand acres EVROPE which is not the 12 part of the whole earth Hungarie Dalmatia Transyluania and all Turkie 385 mill m. 367. Moscouiae Pars 128 millions 817 thousand acres Tartaria 299 millions 110 thousand ASIA Persia 385 millions 367 thousand Calicut and East-India 587 millions 200 thousand acres Africa containeth 1541 millions 883 thousand acres AFRICA America containeth 1152 millions 400 thousand acres AMERICA Noua Hispania 1349 millions 133 thousand acres Summa totalis of the inhabited parts of the World six Milliars six hundreth and twentie three Millions and seuen tenne thousand Acres of Land Vt supra THE vse of this description to know the bignesse of one Countrey compared vnto another Countrey is for example England containeth twentie nine Measures and odde Bohemia containing seuen Measures and odde is the fourth part of England or thereabouts The seuenteene Prouinces of the Low Countryes being tenne Measures and odde is the third part of England or thereabouts The Monarchy of Great Brittaine being fortie foure Measures and odd is as big as all Italy and the fiue Ilands of Sicilia Cyprus Candia Corsica and Sardignia and is also more populous And so for all other Countryes insomuch that England onely containing twentie nine of those Measures or Millions 568 thousand Acres of ground if wee deduct the fiue Millions and 568 thousand Acres for wilde waste grounds and High-wayes One penny an Acre is one hundred thousand pounds in England there will remain foure and twentie Millions of Acres which at one penny an Acre amounteth to one hundreth thousand pounds a
fiue Ducatts and the Sinamon of Malabar called De mato for ten Ducatts whereby the pound of the best is about 19 pence and the other about 6 d. Pepper Pepper of Calicut Malabar and the Iland of Sumatra at 10 Ducatts the hundreth bought by the baser of foure Quintalls commeth to 6 d. the pound Long Pepper Long Pepper was sold at 25 Ducatts the hundreth is the pound 15 pence Benjoin Benjoin de Boninas at 55 Ducatts and the other sort of Caregasan at 48 Ducatts is the pound at 2 ss 5 pence and 2 ss 2 d. or thereabouts Campheir Campheir of China was sold at 40 Ducatts is 10 ll and the pound about 22 d. Indico Indico of the better sort called Carquez 40 Ducatts and the common sort of Aldcas 30 Ducatts and the richer sort of Aldcas 70 Ducatts the hundreth which is the pound 22 d. 18 d. and 3 ss or thereabouts This rich Indico is as good as that of the West Indies of Guatimalo West Indies Indico and better than Laurea alias Lahora comming from the said West Indies whereof there was wont to come another sort called Indico Campeche which was an extraction of Logwood Vncertaine Trade for Inâ—ico being ouerlight and frothie without substance which did swimme vpon the water whereby this manner of triall is vncertaine and onely the Cowpe must find the goodnesse of Indico by the working of it Commodities sold by a weight called Man of 24 ll weight China Silke 76 Ducatts Silke in pieces 86 Ducatts Silkes Silke of Lancan 40 Ducatts Silke of the Eagle the best 35 and the common 26 Ducatts Lacre or Hard-Wax sixteene Ducatts the Man Soft-Wax Hard-Wâ—x foure Ducatts Commodities sold by the Bar of 15 Rooues or Arrobas of 28 ll White Sandalo the 20 pieces 160 Ducatts Red Sandall wood Wood of China fiftie Ducatts China Wood 180 Ducatts Ebony Wood 200 Ducatts Commodities which are sold by the Ounce Ambre greis 13 Ducatts is 65 ss Blacke Ambre 3 Ducatts Ambre or 15 ss the ounce Muske in Coads at 2 ½ Ducatts or 12 ss 6 pence the ounce Muske Bezar Stones are sold according to their bignesse more or lesse Besâ—aar stones Commodities sold by the score of twentie pieces as Calico Cloth c. CAlico Cloth of the places following called by seuerall names Calico cloth oâ— diueâ—s places Canequins fine of Cambaya 60 Ducatts is 3 Ducatts or 15 ss the piece Canequins ordinary of the same place 40 ducats is 10 ss the piece Teadas 20 Ducatts is 5 ss the piece Dotins 25 Ducatts Bancais tenne c. Cotonias for Friars twentie foure Ducatts and ordinarie at twentie Ducatts Calico Cloth Dosinde called Iourins fine 70 and ordinarie 45 Ducatts Calico Cloth of the coast of Canaor called Beatillas fine 26 Ducatts and the ordinarie 20 Ducatts Pacharins 25 and Berames 30 Ducatts Calico Cloth of Vengala of two places called Cassas fine 100 Ducats the ordinary Cassas 70 Ducatts Soto pazes 25 Ducatts and Beatillas 100 Ducatts Chaictares fine 40 ducatts ordinaries 25 and cassas of 60 ducats Calico Lawne made of Nettles â— 4 broad Calico Lawne and eighteene yeards long is of diuers sorts from threescore Ducatts to one hundreth twentie and aboue All kind of Druggs differing much in goodnesse Druggs must bee bought accordingly as Mirabolanes called Emblici Belirici Citrici and Indij Tamarinds Calamus Aromaticus Spicanardi Oppium Cassia Mirrhe inanse Aloes Cicatrini Tutia Rheubarbe and the like Lignnm Aloes Saundeâ—s Borax or Atincall and many other commodities All which Spices and Druggs are to bee Garbled for the better and wholsome vse of man for as liquid things in Nature become soure so drie things become bitter in nature wherevpon the Garbellers office was established and granted The office of Garbleâ—ship Aâ—no 1309. first in England by King Edward the second vnto some sufficient persons at the suit of the Pepperers now called Grocers of London which is in effect to separate the good from the bad or pure things from the impure putting them vp euery one accordingly vnder certaine Seales Of the weight goodnesse and values of Pearles and Precious Stones PEarles and Diamonds are bought and sold by the Carrat weight made for that purpose For whereas Gold is sold by the Carrat of 24 to an ounce accounting two Carrats for one ounce of Siluer whereof 12 ounces make the pound weight Troy Difference of Carrats weights This Carrat weight for Pearles and Diamonds is farre lesser for the 150 Carrats make but one ounce so that one Carrat of Gold weight weigheth 6 ¼ part of a Carrat of Diamond weight and the like for Pearles whereof there is a Measure for Round Pearle made correspondent thereunto which is also diuided into 4 graines as the Troy weight is which graines are of lesse proportion of 6 ¼ to one and the diuisions of small weights are made in ½ ¼ â…› and â…™ part albeit the Troy graines are most commonly vsed without this obseruation India weight Diamonds are bought in the East Indies by a weight called Mangear or Mangelin weighing two Tare â…” which â— 3 of a Carrat for 4 Tares weigh a Fanan which is aboue 2 Carrets Rubies are bought by the Fanan and 11 ¼ Fanans make one Mitigall and 6 ½ of them make an ounce But of late yeares Diamonds Rubies and Saphires are bought and sold by the Carrat weight Diamonds the most perfect called Nayfe are found in the Kingdome of Decan and Narsinga and the Iland of Ziclan which as I say are sold by the Mangelin at so many Pardaos or Ducatts of 360 Reis or 9 Royalls of Portugall but accounting the Fanan at six pence and tenne Fanans for the said Ducatt then the Pardao is fiue shillings starling The Nayfe Diamonds are pointed on both sides and they doe grow vpon the Flat Diamonds which are in the superficies of the Bourt of Diamonds and are impure commonly beaten therefore into powder for the vse of the other Diamonds that are cut and polished by the Millne The Flat Diamonds are alwayes valued one third part lesse in price than the Nayfe are so long as they be vncut but being cut are of more or lesse estimation according to their fashion Some are faire Triangles others Flower de Luces Roses Harts Columes Demy Crosses or other fashions of Poly Angles and proportions seruing for the members or parts of the bodies of things to bee made into many workes and Iewels as the Iewellers will apply the same cut with many Fassets or Squares But the thicke Stones are more certainely knowne by their weight hauing their Bisallyes compleat either in Tables or Points wanting no corners or due proportion without spots or sands burbles Properties of good Diamonds flawes and vaines which sometimes although it be in little stones maketh them run 3 and 4 daies vpon the milne spending much time and labour to polish
of fishers nets to make browne paper of skins to make glew of beere leeze to make Aqua vitae and the like And here we may not omit how Almightie God by his diuine prouidence ruleth many times this negotiating commutation when the haruest of Corne faileth in one countrie and is prosperous in another countrie whereby this trade of barter by the rule of Mony doth verie much augment and the price of Corne becommeth to be much deerer Albeit the price be reasonable considering the Fermer may by the cheapnes thereof be made vnable to pay his rent And God who doth euerie thing for the best sheweth vnto vs how one nation may haue need and occasion to vse the help and meanes of other nations and which is more admirable to be noted God in the permitting of it may haue some other work in hand to manifest his glorie or to relieue his children by vnexpected meanes As the sending of the children of Iacob into Aegypt for the want of Corne to maintaine themselues doth demonstrate vnto vs. The like may be applyed for Wines Salt and other commodities for the sustenance of man which although they be corruptible commodities may contrarie to our former assertion by this accidentall or casuall extremitie be preferred in estimation of the Staple commodities which are durable and become valued only by Gold Siluer which is the cause that Spaine and Portugall being subiect to haue dearth of Corne do permit the exportation of Siluer and Gold in returne of the prouenue of it and other victuals Gold and Siluer bartered for Corne and Victuals whereby we find that those countries by reason of the West-Indian treasure being from time to time prouided with Siluer and Gold coine are neuerthelesse most destitute of the same bartring as it were in effect their Siluer and Gold for Corne and other prouisions and hauing their countries stored with meere copper Moneys This treasure passeth from them as if it were conueyed by a channel and because of the aboundance of their said Copper moneys is not so sensible vnto them as it is vnto other countries which haue not the vse of the like Copper moneys which is diuers waies to be considered especially in the time of wars when moneys are called to be the sinewes thereof or Nervi Bellorum which by meere Copper moneys can neuer be vnderstood howsoeuer necessarie in some measure for the commutation of pettie bargaines and contracts whereof more hereafter in handling the matter of Moneys To make application of this negotiating coÌ„mutation in the price of Commodities it is to bee prooued by diuers ancient Merchants bookes that within the age of a man or seuentie yeares the price of forraine Commodities with vs is farre more risen than the price of our home Commodities which by way of Antithesis is worthy the obseruation Redding colour and other mingled colour Clothes did cost 9 ll the Cloth then when Blacke Veluets were sold at 10 shillings the yeard and now the said sort of Clothes are sold but for 11 ll and 12 ll the Cloth and Veluets at 26 shillings the yeard Packe Clothes white at fiftie pound the packe of tenne pieces Cramosin Veluets at 12 shillings the yeard And now Packe Clothes of the same marke at ninetie pound and a hundreth pound and Cramosin Veluets at thirtie shillings the yeard Wooll the Todd of 28 ll weight at 12 shillings Blacke Satine at 5 shillings the yeard Wooll now aboue 20 shillings or thereabouts and Satine 15 shillings Calfe skins the dozen 5 ss Fustians the Bale of 40 ½ pieces at 12 ll the Bale Calfe skins now at 10 ss and Fustians 36 pounds and Millaine Fustians at 18 and 20 shillings the piece now at 3 ll and aboue Sayes of Norwich at 20 ss the piece and vpwards Messina silke 8 ss the pound Sayes are about 40 ss Foraine wareâ— risen 3 to 1. and Messina and the like silke aboue twentie six shillings Northerne Carseyes then 18 ss Spanish Soape 20 ss now 50 ss and Carseyes 22 ss Seuill Oyle the Tunne 12 ll now 35 ll and many times aboue fortie pound French Wine at 5 ll the Tunne now 20 ll or thereabouts Long Proines 5 ss now 15 and 16 ss Sugar 6 pence the pound now 14 and 16 pence Malmeseyes 5 ll the Butt now 18 ll and 20 ll Cotton Wool 4 d. now 15 d. and diuers other commodities accordingly So that an angel would haue bought one yeard of Veluets now three Angels or pieces of gold can be exported for the same Ten Angels would haue bought a Tun of Claret Wine in England which is now sold for aboue twentie pound and twentie foure pound Besides that our Cloth is better made than in those dayes albeit not so good as it might be made victuall and wages are deerer and Woad Mather Oyle and colours are extreamely risen A Merchant might haue sent or carried with him one packe of Clothes white broad or narrow lists and brought in returne one Chest containing nine or tenne pieces of Veluets whereas now he cannot bring aboue three or foure pieces in returne thereof For a Redding Cloth sold beyond the Seas hee might haue returned one Bale of Fustians whereas now for the value of one Bale of Fustians sold in England a Merchant must buy and export three Clothes A London mingled colour cloth would haue bought at Lisborne two chests of Sugar now one chest of Sugar will draw two Clothes out of the Realme So a Kentish Cloth would haue bought at Seuill a Tunne of Oyle and more now one Tunne of Oyle doth counteruaile three Clothes and more and other commodities accordingly giuing as it were three to one in specie for foraine commodities Commutation is compared vnto monyes in kind Compare this commutation to the monyes inhaunced in the Low Countries Germany France and some other Countries which is the same money still in specie for weight and finenesse and onely the valuation is altered and you shall find that within the said time of seventie yeares an Angel worth ten s. then is now aboue twentie sâ—illings a French Crowne six shillings now twelue shillings six pence and all other coynes accordingly or thereabouts whereas in England there is no momentarie alteration of the monyes as heereafter shall be made more apparant And the like consideration will also bee had concerning the Exchanges of monyes by Billes of Exchanges Some men are of opinion that selling our home commodities good cheape maketh a liuely trade augmenteth commerce and maintaineth all the dependances thereupon by setting the people on worke imploying Ships and augmenting the Kings Customes and Impositions But they neuer consider two principall points whereby the wealth of Kingdomes and Common-weales increaseth or decreaseth namely Inconueniences to sell commodities good cheape If commodities imported vnto vs bee dearer than in times past as we haue noted and our home commodities are not sold proportionably in price but wee will
a summe of money of the owners of a ship in consideration that he fraighteth the said ship for a voyage promising to repay the said money at the returne of the said voyage if the said Factor haue fraighted this ship for another mans account this Merchant is to haue the benefit of this money during the time and if the Factor conceale the same he is to repaire the damage thereof which is to be considered both for the interest and aduenture of the seas for the said owners beare the same and it is supposed that the Merchant would haue assured so much the lesse or by imploying that money towards the lading of the ship he should disburse to much money lesse to make the said voyage and it may be thought that in regard of that money the fraight is made the greater whereof the said owners of the ship haue had a consideration by disbursing the same Assurance If a Factor be required to make assurance for a Merchant vpon a ship or goods laden for a certaine voyage and haue moneys in his hands to pay for the Premio or the price of assurance and this Factor doth neglect the same and giueth no notice of it to the Merchant who might haue made assurance in another place and the said ship or goods do perish at the seas this Factor is to answere the damage vnlesse he can giue some sufficient reason for the non-performance of the said order or Commission Composition made without order If a Factor hauing made assurance vpon goods laden which afterwards are taken by the enemie maketh any composition with the assurers for the same without order or Commission for it he is to answere the whole assurance to the Merchant A Merchant caused a ship to be fraighted and laden with commodities for Constantinople by a Factor of London himselfe dwelling at Antuerpe and being a subiect to the king of Spaine in the late warres caused 2000 ll to be assured at London vpon the said goods the ship and goods was taken by the Gallies of Sicilia and brought to Palermo where it was proued that the goods did appertaine to the King of Spaine his subiects but that there was 2000 ll assured at London by English Merchants their enemies in those daies pretending thereupon to take the said goods for forfeited or so much of them as should amount to the summe so assured Hereupon the Assurers hauing intimation from the Factor of it desired to make some composition to auoid that danger whereby the goods also might bee sooner cleered and the possession obtained for the owner and proprietarie thereof which was the Merchant of Antuerp wherein expedition was required The Factor in regard of the said expedition did not stay to receiue an answere from the Merchant what hee should doe but maketh a composition with the assurors for 60 pound for the hundreth pound to be payed instantly The goods were afterwards all recouered whereof so much as had beene assured was formerly relinquished to the assurors for the Merchant would not condescend to make any composition with the assurors So that the Factor did beare the aduenture to lose 2000 ll for some 1200 ll which hee had receiued if the goods had not beene recouered and therefore the said Factor tooke to himselfe the benefit of this composition by the aduice of the experienced Merchants If a Factor by errour of account doe wrong vnto a Merchant Accounts hee is to amend and to make good the same not onely for the principall but also with the interest for the time So on the contrarie if a Factor for his owne wrong haue forgotten to charge the Merchants account with some parcells payed out for him or made ouer by exchange the Merchant is to answere for it with interest for the time In these precedent obseruations are comprised all other cases of differences which may happen betweene Factors and Merchants CAHP. XVII Of the beginning of Sea Lawes HAuing in the former Chapters methodically intreated as also in this hitherto of the matters therein intended neuerthelesse according to the Contents of them the matter being of seuerall natures runneth promiscuously but in the end will performe the worke For as the roundnesse of the Globe of the world is compounded of the Waters and the Earth So this worke of the Law-merchant cannot be compleat without the Sea Lawes so called Lawes because they are written and knowne for without Nauigation Commerce is of small moment so that the Land affaires shall be intermixed with Sea-faring matters accordingly Some doe attribute the first making of Sea Lawes to the Pheniciaus and Carthaginians because Plinie doth ascribe the Art of Sayling vnto them But by the most ancient Records the Beginning must be from the inhabitants of the Island of Rhodes Rhodian Law scituated within the Mediterranean Sea who were most famous for shipping and sayling as Strabo hath written and surpassing all Nations in knowledge of equitie in Maritime causes and the Mediterranean Sea was for aboue one thousand yeares onely ruled by their Law called the Rhodian Law although augmented with some additions of the Romanes At last as some haue recorded when all sorts of Lawes by the euersion and lacerating of the Romane Empire were in a manner buried the Rulers of Rome in the yeare 1075 made new Sea Lawes and Statutes and so did euery chiefe Seafaring Towne vpon the said Mediterranean Coast adding thereunto other ordinances So did they of Marseilles in the yeare 1162 Genoa in the yeare 1186 they of Peloponessus called Morea in the yeare 1200 the Venetians in the yeare 1262 Constantine 1270 Iames King of Arragon the said yeare Peter King of Arragon 1340 and they of Barselona 1434 Which Lawes are collected and extant vntill this day But on the great Ocean Seas The Law of Oleron the first Lawes were made by the inhabitants of the Island of Oleron scituate on the Sea-coast of France neere Saint Martin de Rea against the Riuer of Charante which was called Le Roll d' Oleron by which the controuersies on that Coast were determined and the said Lawes were afterwards dispersed and brought in vse in England and the Low Countries whereupon diuers Statutes both in England and Scotland haue been enacted for Sea-faring businesse and in like manner diuers ordinances in the Low Countries especially since their fishing trade began Edward the third King of England caused with the aduice of diuers men of knowledge and experience in Maritime causes diuers Articles to be set downe Admiraltie Court in France and these were enrolled and obeyed for the gouernement of the Admirall Court and the French King Iohn made his Contracts with King Edward accordingly concerning the fishing trade as by the Records extant in the Tower of London where I haue seene them may appeare Francis the French King and Henrie the third of France haue made some Statute Lawes concerning the Courts of Admiraltie but the substance of all
the Lighter because it is a certaine rule That goods are lyable onely to contribution when ship and goods come safe to the Port. Item contribution should be for the Pilots fee Contribution for Pilots that hath brought the Ship into an vnknowne Port for her safegard as also to raise her off ground when the fault is not in the Master So is it when two Ships rush and crosse one ouer another and the company sweare that it lay not in their power to stay the same contribution must bee made for the repairation of both their losses but not so if one of them perish for which an Action may be brought against the negligent Master or Mariner who did make her loose And therefore if such a chance doe happen in the day time by a Ship vnder sayle against a Ship riding at Anchor then the Master of that sayling Ship shall make good the damage and hurt of the other to the vttermost and the like shall bee done if in the night the riding Ship doe put forth fire and light or make any crying to forewarne the other It also appertaineth to this Argument If some sort of goods as Salt or Corne be laid on heap by diuers parteners in one Ship without distinction and that the Master deliuer to any of them their due measure and before the rest receiue their measures the remaining Salt or Corne washes or loses he that had the hap to bee first serued enioyes it fully without any contribution to the parteners First come first serued because when these goods were put into the Ship it was deliuered to the Master Tanquam in creditum and so hee is become owner as of money lent which men are not bound to redeliuer in the selfe same pieces but in value or such like coyne except there bee some condition past to the contrarie And albeit this is not to be imputed vnto the Master as a fault yet if hee that receiueth a losse thereby will bring in this as an Aueridge and charge the assurors with contribution it is vniust for the reason aforesaid and the Master must of necessitie deliuer to one man before another And therefore in the next Chapter wee will set downe the manner of execution for contributions otherwise called Aueridges Concerning the danger and aduenture of Letters of Mart Letters of Mart. or Contremart Siue ius Reprisaliarum or Letters of Marque euery one knoweth that men hauing these Commissions or Letters from their Prince are very vigilant in all places to surprize Merchants Ships and goods for in this one extremitie doth inforce another extremitie when a man is oppressed with robberie spoyles and violence on the Seas by men falsly professing friends in such sort that no petition intercession or trauell can procure a mans right but that the subiect of one Prince hath open deniall of iustice or restitution of goods cannot be had at the hands of a subiect of another Prince nor of the Prince himselfe who should suppresse iniuries and wrongs Then because such vniust dealing doe import iust cause of hostilitie and warfare may these Letters of Mart bee procured to the end men may haue restitution or recompence of their losses especially because these proceedings seeme to denounce a warre without any Proclamation shewing vnto other Nations the like distastfull fauours as they shew vnto vs which are allowed to bee done by Customes Reasons and also by Statute Law in Scotland and afterwards in England The assurors therefore cannot bee fauoured herein Detainment of Princes The next is Arrests Restraints and detainements of Kings and Princes and of all other Persons happening both in time of warre and peace committed by the publike authoritie of Princes as also by priuate persons both wayes dangerous Priuiledged Ships There are in all Countries Priuiledged Ships and Boates seruing the Countrey or the Prince which haue great Prerogatiues and are free of Impost and Customes and not subiect to arrests therefore the assurors are not to care for them for they are to serue the Prince and all Ships are subiect to this seruice vpon command and if they refuse their Ships are forfeited by the Sea-lawes therefore in these cases the fauour of the Admirall is alwayes required It is an ordinarie matter in Spaine and Portugall to make an Embargo vpon all Ships at the departure of the West-India Fleet or the Carrackes for the East-Indies and many times vpon other occasions whereby Merchants Ships being laden are much hindered especially if it bee with Wines Oyles Raisons and such like perishable wares Now if the owner of the goods shall thinke that his wares doe perish lying two or three moneths laden or if it be Corne that may become hote and spoyled hee may renounce these goods or wares to the assurors and thereby bring a great losse vpon them Yet neuerthelesse he shall not need to abandon the goods for by the Policie of assurance it is alwayes prouided That in case of any misfortune it is lawfull for him A Prouiso in the Policies of assurance his Factor or Assignes or his Seruants or any of them to sue labour and trauell for in and about the defence safegard or recouerie of the goods and any part thereof And that the assurors shall contribute each according to the rate and quantitie of the summe by him assured So that albeit that it doe fall out that the goods be not vtterly lost when the Ship is cast away the assured must recouer his whole money because hee hath authoritie by the Policie of assurance to recouer them or any part of them as aforesaid and he is afterwards to yeeld an account thereof for so much as doth concerne euery man ratably otherwise the assured should bee discouraged if by those meanes he should make his assurance intricate and subiect to all cauilations and to the interruption of so necessarie and laudable a Custome as the matter of assurance is Therefore as in the matter in hand wee haue a care for the assurors that they should not bee deceiued by those that cause assurances to bee made so on the other side we would auoid to minister any occasion whâ—reupon they might become quarrelsome but that all should be left to the Commissioners determination who are or should bee at the least best able to examine the premisses Now concerning the Arrests of particular persons Arrests vpon Ships vpon Ship or goods the assured can make no renunciation to charge the Assurors with any losse either in the totall or part because vpon caution giuen to answere the law the ship or goods arrested are instantly cleered in all places either heere or beyond the seas where the arrests are made wherein the iurisdiction of all courts for sea-faring causes are verie carefull to see expedition vsed Barratrie of the Master and Mariners can hardly be auoided Barratrie of the Master but by a prouident care to know them or at the least the Master
for Merchants credits and reputation for that Merchant which in the storms of aduersitie sheweth to be a good pilot deserueth great commendation of the care and endeuours which he vseth to preuent the ship-wrecke of his reputation and credit especially with a good conscience which will be vnto him a continuall feast although the seas be turbulent for he is armed with patience and not destitute of comfort and on the contrarie those that like cowards become carelesse of their credit or being of an euill disposition seeke to defraud their creditors and to inrich themselues by their breaking paying little or nothing they do not onely deserue a name of defamation but ought to be met withall by some seuere punishment by the Law Seuerepunishment of Bankrupts It is not long since namely in the yeare 1602 that there was a Merchant at Roan in Fraunce who together with his sonne and a Broker had confederated to buy great store of merchandises vpon their credit of purpose to breake and to inrich themselues which being knowne made them to be apprehended and the court of Edicts did proceed criminally against them as theeues to the common-wealth whereof they were also conuicted and all three of them hanged in the market place obseruing that the reprehensiue Prouerbe Dat veniam Coruos vexat censura columbas was to be remembred To punish the small theft or litle theefe and to suffer the great theefe to escape which is vnreasonable The statute against Bankrupts The Statute of Bankrupts made and prouided by our law against Merchants and Citizens only was done to a verie good intent if it were executed accordingly with due consideration of the qualitie of persons and their behauiour But some can preuent the meanes of suing forth the same and so breake the strength of it as easily as a Spiders webbe whiles plaine dealing men are laid hold of that haue an honest intention to pay euerie man according to their abilitie present or future as God shall enable them for Vltra posse non est esse But these well meaning men are oftentimes hindred to performe their honest intentions by the hard and obstinate dealing of some of their creditors to the vtter ouerthrow of them their wiues and children and the generall losse of all the rest of the creditors these men therefore are to bee ouerruled by the Lord Chaunceller who may compell them to bee conformable with the other creditors according to the Customes of Merchants in other countries and there hath beene in times past during the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth Commission for the reliefâ— of prisoners a Commission granted vnder the great Seale of England for the reliefe of distressed prisoners in the prisons of the Fleet and the Kings Bench which Commission if it were renewed for the reliefe of the one and finding out of the other would worke much charitie and contentment to the subiects Howbeit to preuent these extreames is more commendable for many Merchants and Shopkeepers doe flourish and become rich againe if their creditors be fauourable vnto them and doe pay euery man to the full Therefore are the Letters of Licenses deuised amongst Merchants Letters of License giuen to debtors which are as a Pasport for the persons and goods of the debtors giuen by the creditors by way of couenant that they shall not for and during such a time or terme of yeares trouble or molest the persons and goods of the said debtors nor cause to bee molested arrested or troubled vpon paine and forfeiture of their said debts to be pleaded in Barre against them for euer as a full paiment of the same For the better encouragement and to retaine men in their duties The Custome of Merchants concurring with the course of the Ciuile Law herein Restauration of credit doth make a restauration of credit to those that pay their debts to the full notwithstanding their losses which they haue sustained and they may haue a publication made of it by way of intimation to all men vpon the Exchange or other publike places for a perpetuall remembrance to posteritie of their honest religious and commendable endeuours and behauiours to the honour and credit of their house kindred or good descent which is more especially regarded in Spaine A gentlemans priuiledge in Spaine where a Merchant or Cittizen being decayed in his estate and hauing payed according to his abilitie yea although hee doth not pay at all shall be freed from all arrests and troubles touching his person if he make proofe that hee is a Gentleman by birth which extendeth so farre that all Merchants Strangers may haue and inioy the like priuiledge vpon Certificate made by any that is Ambassadour and agent for their countrey who commonly will doe it vpon the verification of it by the Heraulds or otherwise which causeth men not to degenerate in vertuous actions although aduerse fortune playeth her Tragedie which they ouercome with constancie and magnanimitie The said Statute against Bankerupts is made vpon verie great consideration which lieth not against a Gentleman so that to call a decayed Gentleman a Bankerupt although he haue had dealing in the world beareth no action at the Common Law vnlesse hee were a Merchant or Shopkeeper c. Commissioners for the Statute of Bankerupts The Commissioners appointed by the Lord Chanceller vnder the Great Seale to execute this Commission of the Statute of Bankerupt must be Councellers at the Law ioyned with some Citizens or Merchants which are to seize of the partie which by the said Commission is proued to be a Bankerupt all goods debts chattels and moueables into their hands and to appoint one or two of the creditors to be Treasurer of the same which is afterwards to bee distributed by the said Commissioners vnto all such as they shall find and admit to be right creditors to the partie and with his priuitie and consent vpon such specialties bookes or accounts as they shall produce and be made apparant vnto them which must bee done within foure moneths after the date of the said Commission The contents of the said Statute For if it bee after the foure moneths expired they may exclude any creditor if they see cause so that the said distribution shall be done to those only which haue beene admitted within the said time according to their seuerall principall summes due vnto them without any interest for the forbearance since the specialtie was due or any forfeiture howbeit charges in Law expended for the debt shall be by them allowed according to their discretion So likewise is it in the discretion of the Commissioners to admit any creditor to come in where the partie was suretie for another if that partie be likewise decayed For it is vsuall for interest money that two or three are bound together and the collaterall Bonds which they giue each to other to saue harmelesse are to be considered both by the said commissioners and the creditors It is
a man for euery moneth besides the ships fraight and mens wages which may be agreed vpon diuersly And commonly the Company is permitted to haue one third the Owners of the ship one third and the Merchant or Merchandize one third all other incident charges to bee borne accordingly betweene them whereof Indentures of couenants are made Hauing reserued to intreat of this important businesse of Fishing in the end of this first Part of Lex Mercatoria concerning commodities which are compared to the Body of Traffick together with the Sea-lawes obserued therein with all other Customes of Commerce Let vs now proceed to the Second Part touching Moneys being the Soule of Trafficke which in times past were noted to be raised by the fishing trade now so much neglected appertaining to the Kingdoms of Great Brittaine and Ireland as hath beene shewed euen by originall Antiquitie The correspondence and long entercourse between the Societie of Gold-smiths and Fishmongers alludeth hereunto For Saint Dunstane the Bishop The allusion of Saint Dunstone termed to be the Patron of the Company of Gold-smiths had no other Elixer or Philosophers stone than the Gold and Siluer which by the benefit of fishing was obtained whereby the Kingdomes Plate and Bullion was procured For the aduancement of which fishing Trade he did aduise That three fishing dayes ought to be kept euery weeke which caused also more abstinence and hence the Prouerbe came That Saint Dunstane tooke the Deuill by the nose with his pinchers Which Custome if it were better obserued with vs would proue very beneficiall to the State and Common-wealth * ⎠* THE SECOND PART OF LEX MERCATORIA or the Auncient Law-Merchant concerning Moneys compared to the Soule of TRAFFICKE and COMMERCE WEe haue alreadie compared the three Simples or Essentiall parts of Trafficke namely Commodities Money and Exchange of Moneys vnto the Bodie Soule and Spirit And in our first pâ—rt of Lex Mercatoria treated of Commodities as the Bodie of Trafficke with the dependances thereupon as being properly the causes of Commerce with their Effects Adiâ—ncts and Accidents which methode we are now also to obserue in this second part of the Law-Merchant concerning Moneys compared to the Soule which infuseth life vnto Trafficke by the meanes of Eqâ—alitie and Equitie preuenting aduantage betweene Buyers and Sellers And because Money is made of Mettals wherof we haue not spoken in the Chapter of the Commodities whereby Commerce is maintained here we are to begin with the verie originall of Mettals and Mines as a matter worthie the knowledge of Merchants and others First we find That when commodities began much to abound in the world all manner of mettall as Gold Siluer Copper Tin Lead and Yron grew into greater estimation as being fit and more dureable for preseruation and so the purest and finest Mettall most esteemed At which time the riches of men was notwithstanding described to consist of cattel commodities and other moueables Pecuâ—ia non Pecuâ—aâ—ia and there was a commutation of commodities as hath beene declared which was found to be verie cumbersome The beginning of Moneys and did require much carriage of wares vp and downe from one countrie vnto another by reason whereof Money was deuised to be coyned to be the rule and square whereby all other things should receiue estimation and price and as it were become a measure whereby the price of all things might be set Publica Mensura to maintaine a certaine euenhood or equalitie in buying and selling and the same to haue his standing valuation only by publicke authoritie to the end that all things might equally passe by trade from one man to another Denomination of Money Concerning the denomination of Money it is deriued of Moneta which proceedeth a monendo to shew you the name of the Prince vel nummi nota and consequently the price of the peece of coyne by his authoritie made stamped and valued Pecus fuit Pecuniae fundamentum Pecunia is deriued a Pecude of Cattell as of Sheepe and Oxen the figure whereof was coyned thereupon Nummus a numerando vel nomine of the name of the Prince stamped vpon it and also so called Carolus Guildren or Floren so a Ducat of Ducatus the name of a Duke And in times past being called Stipendium was à stipe pendo before the same was coyned with a stampe but made and weighed being siluer as the Cicle of the Hebrewes The Romans in times past vsed copper Moneys calling their Exchequer Aerarium So in Germanie it is called Argentarium of the Siluer and being kept at Strasbourgh that citie is called Argentina The first Siluer moneys coyned was the 484 yeare of the foundation of Rome And the coynes of Gold was sixtie and two yeres after that Since the foundation of Rome vntill the yeare of 1622 are 2373 yeares Sterling Standerd altered in the valuation The sterling Standard of the Moneys of England was first coyned at a place so called by Osbright a Saxon King of England aboue seuâ—n hundreth yeares since at which time an ounce of Siluer was diuided into twentie peeces and so esteemed twentie pence as who should say so many peeces which so continued by denomination vntill King Henrie the sixth his time who in regard of the inhancing of Moneys in forreine parts valued the same at thirtie pence But there was more peeces made out of the said ounce and the former peeces went for three halfe pence vntill the time of King Edward the fourth and then they were currant for two pence and the said King did value the said ounce at fortie pence vntill King Henrie the eight did value the ounce of sterling Siluer at fortie and fiue pence and so continued vntill King Edward the sixth and vntill Queene Elizabeth her time and then the verie same peece or the same penie was valued at three pence and so did all three pences coyned by the said Queene weigh but a pennie weight and the sixe pence two pennie weight and accordingly the shilling and other peeces which made the ounce to be valued at sixtie pence or fiue shillings whereof twelue ounces make the pound Troy weight The pound Troy diuided by weigâ—t which remained diuided neuerthelesse in twentie pennie weight for the said ounce being still the same in weight did retaine the same name and foure and twentie graines also for euerie pennie weight and according to the said pound weight is the finesse of Siluer also diuided For if it be all pure Siluer without any Copper called Allay it is iustly called twelue ounces fine because that pound weighed twelue ounces and hath no mixture in it The pound of Siluer diuided in finesse and so euerie ounce is consequently twentie pennie weight in finesse and euerie pennie weight is twentie and foure graines in finesse The finesse of Gold is twentie and foure Carrats Finesse of Gold and euerie Carrat is foure graines in finesse and was
made an offer to buy the 80 tunnes remaining in the Tower to a great personage to giue it for 24 pound the tun to be transported to my friend into Holland paying readie money time was taken to giue me an answere and then difficultie was made for that treasure was not to be exported vnlesse by returning the quantitie of siluer by weight heereupon conclusion was made to bring in so much Bullion of siluer or royalls of plate But when all came to all with running vp and downe and further offering to deale for greater quantities and to take it in Scotland I was put off with this consideration That it was a dishonour to England not to haue men of as good experience as any were beyond the seas whereby the Kings losse was 2000 ll for his Highnesse gaue the same afterwards vnto Iames Achinson his Grauer of the Mint heeretofore who brought the same to nothing being vnskilfull of the refining of it And thus are good matters marred in the handling Good matters marr'd in the handling and workes brought at a stay or hindered as I haue before set downe There are many rich Mines in Scotland if wee compare them to the West-India Mines and in Wales Plus Pencer que dire where the Lead Mines are poore they containe the more siluer of 1 ½ two and three ounces in the hundreth of the Ore which will not yeeld aboue 40 or 44 ll weight of Lead and the Ore of the Mine which holdeth three ounces containeth but 25 pound of Lead The Mines most knowne are those in Cardiganshire in Wales where master Hugh Middleton of London Gold-smith hath bestowed very great charges as he did in bringing the water-workes to the Citie of London so he bringeth now siluer to the Tower to bee minted the Ore being foure ounces in the hundreth or 80 ounces in the tun and the lesse in Lead for the richer the Ore is in Lead the poorer it is in siluer So one hundreth of the best Ore of Lead will make neere 70 ll of Lead and holdeth but 1 â— ounce of siluer not worth the charges of refining as we shall declare The Lead Mines in Ireland doe containe more siluer than these Mines of Darbieshire and Somersetshire called Peake and Mendisse Lead The Saxons which were procured to come into England had no more no not so much experience as our refiners of London for by sauing of Lead they found lesser quantitie of siluer and so all was giuen ouer The third sort of Mines Royall are the Copper Mines Copper Mines which are found also in diuers Countreys which are not so plentifull in Hungarie where the best is as in times past but are very aboundant in Sweaden howbeit that it is very meane and inferiour in goodnesse There are also Copper Mines in Germany and the Duke of Brunswickes countrey as also certaine naturall Copperas waters wherein they cast from time to time great quantitie of old Yron which within sixe weekes or two moneths doth transmute into Copper Naturall water of Copperas England hath diuers Copper Mines at Keaswike neere Scotland are made some fortie tunnes yearely by certaine Germanes there inhabiting it containeth some Gold Some Mines of Copper Ore are found in Yorkeshire and albeit the charge of making one tunne of Copper be commonly 30 ll yet if seuen tunne of Copper Ore make one tunne of Copper it may yeeld good benefit for whereas 22 fires haue beene vsed it is brought to 12. I haue seene excellent Copper Ore of some Mines in Staffordshire in the hands of master Stonewell Staffordshire Copper Mines which absolutely is the best Ore that euer was found in England hee doth assure mee of great store of Ore It is lamentable that such workes should lye dead for want of vndertakers which indeed are discouraged by the great charges In mine opinion the charge of a tunne of Copper of this goodnesse of Ore will be made for 15 ll There are also good Copper Mines in the West parts of England where I haue seene good Ore in diuers places which must be roasted to destroy the Antimonie Arsenicke and other corruptions which are in it The working of copper Ore by Allome and Copperas water A certaine Nobleman now deceased was imbarked in those Westerne Mines which were promised to be wrought by imbibition of Allome and Copperas water and the Ore after digestion with raine-water would make of six tuns one of Copper hereupon for 300 ll by him disbursed he was offered 1800 ll It pleased his Lordship to take my aduice and to conclude the bargain for when I did calculate the charge of grinding and roasting of the ore the making of the great quantitie of Allome water and Copperas the consumption of yron plates decreasing in weight with all the tubs and vtensills the long time of imbibition and consequently workemens wages I found the charge to exceed and that the course of ordinary melting was to be preferred and so experience hath since proued the same to the great losse of the vndertakers For when workes are clogged with immensiue charges in the beginning it choketh the benefit euer after as we shall presently declare Seeing that profit is the radicall moisture of such and the like actions his Maiestie hath beene graciously pleased to incorporate a Companie of worthy persons The Compaâ—ie of Royall Mines for all Royall Mines by Letters Pattents and hath reserued but one fifteenth part to himselfe But there is none of that Companie that doth aduance any works that I can learne I would to God that the Mines Royal or others would proue to be worth ten thousand pounds yearely and aboue whereby his Highnesse according to the ancient Maxime of the Law might claime his interest as they say for it is well knowne how gracious and bountifull his Maiestie is alwayes The great wealth of the West-Indies would not bee so admirable vnto vs A Spanish Million is 300 thousand pound sterling the Report whereof is greater than the Truth and the Spanish Millions are not sterling Millions Neuerthelesse let vs reckon them with the most which is three hundreth thousand pound sterling And when the Fleet of the West-Indies and Noua Espagna bringeth eight or nine Millions it is a great matter And to make this apparant I haue heere set downe the greatest Treasure that euer came at any one time which was in the yeare 1587 as a prouision for the great Armada then preparing whereunto unto great beneuolences had beene gathered in regard of the meritorious action which God from Inuincible made Inuisible The Register of the treasure was with the most namely From Noua Espana and Terra firme For the King 8100 Ingots of Siluer 12 Chests with Gold 300 thousand Royals of eight 20 Cases with Pearles 1 Chest with Emeraulds 5600 Roues of Cutchenille For particular persons A remembrance of the greatâ—st reuenue of the West-Indies 5 millions Teasted siluer
accordingly The double Guilder of Albertus tenne ounces 15 pennie weight and 14 â…— peeces The single Guilder the halfe and quarters of the same finenes and peeces accordingly The peeces of foure two and one Stiuer since 1590. The peeces of eight Ryalls of Spaine of eleuen ounces foure pennie weight and 13 ½ peeces The said peeces made at Mexico in the Indies eleuen ounces fine and 13 â…” peeces The Lion Doller of the Prince of Orange of nine ounces fine and thirteene peeces The siluer Ryder of Guilders and Frize-land correspondent with the States Doller of nine ounces The Dollers of Guelders and Vtrecht tenne ounces tenne and twelue pennie fine and thirteene peeces The great siluer Royall of the States correspondent with the Phillip Doller The 1 20 part of the said great Royall with the Arrowes accordingly The Doller of Zealand with the Eagles of nine ounces fine and 13 ½ peeces The Edward Doller of England of eleuen ounces two pennie weight fine and 11 ¾ peeces The Doller of Scotland with the crosse Daggers eleuen ounces two pennie weight fine and 11 ¾ peeces The Marke of Scotland eleuen ounces two pennie weight fine and 54 peeces The Doller of Frize-land coyned 1601 of nine ounces fine and 13 ½ peeces Coynes made of meere Copper THe Ortgens whereof foure make one Stiuer and two the halfe Stiuer The Duyts also foure make one Stiuer The Negenmannekens the eight make a Stiuer and foure the halfe Stiuer The three Mites whereof eight peeces to the Stiuer is 24 Mites The sixteene pence Hollandts make one Stiuer and eight the halfe Stiuer For other Copper Moneys read the fifth precedent Chapter of Moneys Error of Triall peeces for the Standard So I doe conclude this Chapter with an errour committed in the making of the Standard Triall Peeces vsed in most Kingdomes and States to charge the Mint-masters to make the Moneys by wherein they doe not proceed according to the Rule of Arithmatike by obseruing true weight and finenesse For if it bee appointed to make a Standard peece of tenne ounces fine they will take certaine ounces of fine Siluer and Copper proportionable thereunto and melt them together and being made into a plate of Siluer diuide the same into three equall parts to be deliuered one to the King another to the Warden and the third to the Mint-master and hereof are Assayes made both of this peece and the moneys and so compared together As if a man should take eleuen ounces two pennie weight of fine Siluer and eighteene pennie weight of Copper both in weight and melt them together making twelue ounces by weight and neuer weight them after they bee commixed But say this is sterling Standard whereas the weight both of the one and of the other doth proportionate the Standard by weight for in regard of the waste of copper this is better than Standard and ought to bee made exactly so that the peeces also are to be correspondent to the pound weight for the foundation riseth from hence as in the following Chapter appeareth CHAP. IX Of the Valuation of Moneys and the Proportion betweene Gold and Siluer VAluation of Moneys is the Spirit which giueth life vnto coynes for without it weight and finenesse are in the nature of Bullion or Materialls This Valuation is twofold Two fold is the valuation of moneys the first is done by publicke authoritie of Princes and States whereby the peeces of coynes are esteemed at a price certaine both for Gold and Siluer to go currant for that value within their kingdomes and dominions the second is the Valuation of Merchants by way of Exchange betweene vs and other nations which is predominant and ouerruleth the former as heretofore hath beene touched and now will be proued The Kings or Princes Valuation is effected three manner of waies Kings valuation viz. by inhauncing the price of the coyne by Proclamation secondly by embeasiling the standard of money by allay and thirdly by altering the proportion betweene Gold and Siluer The Merchants Valuation is also effected three manner of waies Merchants valuation viz. by the price of Exchange for moneys rising and falling from time to time by the tolleration of the coynes at a higher rate betweene them and by the combination with Mint-masters inhanceing the price of the Marke of Gold and Siluer Of all these in order briefely The Kings Valuation is deriued or drawne from the verie peece or peeces made out of the pound weight of twelue ounces or the marke of eight ounces which the Romans did call Nummus à numerando to tell or reckon by The Saxons gaue it the name Pfemimg or Pennimick in Ducth from whence the word pennie is deriued for they cuttâ—ng twentie peeces out of the pound Troy of twelue ounces made twentie pence euerie way that is to say twentie pence in weight twentie pence in value Weight and finesse both alike with the number of peeces and consequently diuiding the finenesse also by twentie pennie weight and euerie pennie weight in twentie and foure graines which was the auncient sterling standard of Osbright the Saxon King seuen hundreth yeares past which Valuation so continued vntill King Edward the third and vntill Henrie the sixth and then was valued at thirtie pence the said ounce and continued vntill Edward the fourth The ounce of siluer aduanced because of the inhancing of money beyond the seas and then valued at fortie pence and so continued vntill King Henrie the eight and then was valued at fortie and fiue pence and so continued vntill Queene Elizabeth who after the decry of the base money made by King Edward the sixth which King Henrie his father had caused to be coyned did restore the sterling standard to her great benefit by valuing the said ounce at sixtie pence or 5 ss inhauncing the same one full third part so that one of those pence became three pence by valuation and Gold was raised according to the proportion of eleuen of fine Siluer to one of fine Gold or eleuen of standard Siluer to one of Crowne Gold which valuation of Siluer hath continued hitherto with little alteration But beyond the seas there hath been great inhancing both for the coynes of siluer and gold as wel in Fraunce as in the Low-countries and Germanie to Englands incredible losse as is at large declared in our * The Canker of Englands Common-wealth Treatise of Exchange This daily inhauncing beyond the seas began in the time of King Henrie the eight who went about to reforme the same but afterwards finding that if he should inhance his price of moneys likewise they would still aduance theirs more and more he began but moderately and whereas the Angell Noble so called was at six shillings eight pence Angell Noble inhanced he â—aused the same to be valued at seuen shillings and foure pence by a Proclamation in the eighteenth yeare of his raigne and within two moneths after at seuen shillings
six pence and withall he did write vnto other Princes concerning the same and Commissioners came ouer about it but all was in vaine whereupon he gaue an absolute authoritie to Cardinall Wolsey by letters patents as followeth HENRIE the eight by the grace of God King of England and of Fraunce defendor of the Faith Lord of Ireland to the most reuerend Father in God our most trustie and most entierly beloued Councellor the Lord Thomas Cardinall of Yorke Archbishop Legat de Leicester of the See Apostolicke Primat of England and our Chauncellor of the same greeting For as much as coynes of moneys as well of gold as of siluer be of late daies raised and inhaunced both in the realme of France Francis the French King and Charles the fifth Emperor as also in the Emperors Low-countries and in other parts vnto higher prices than the verie poiz weight and finesse and valuation of the same and otherwise than they were accustomed to bee currant by meanes whereof the money of this our realme is daily and of a long season hath beene by sundrie persons as well our subiects as strangers for their particular gaine and lucre conueyed out of this realme into the parts beyond the seas and so is likely to continue more and more to the great hinderance of the generalitie of Our subiects and people and to the no little impouerishing of our said realme if the same be not speedily remedied and foreseene We after long debating of the matter with you and sundrie other of Our Councell and after remission made vnto outward Princes for reformation thereof finding finally no manner of remedie to be had at their hands haue by mature deliberation determined That Our coynes and moneys as well of Gold as of Siluer shall bee by our Officers of our Mint from henceforth made at such finesse lay standard and value as may be equiualent correspondent and agreeable to the rates of the valuation inhaunced and raised in outward parts as is afore specified whereupon Wee haue giuen commaundement by Our other Letters vnder our great Seale to the Master Warden Comptroller and other Officers of Our said Mint and to euerie of them to see this Our determination put in execution of the said coynes by Proclamation or otherwise as in the print coyne stroake of the same Wherefore by these presents Wee will and authorise you to proceed not onely from time to time when you shall seeme conueniently by aduice of such other Our Councell as you shall thinke good to the limitation description and deuising how and after what manner and forme Our said coynes and moneys may be brought vnto the rates and values finesse lay standard and print by you and them thought to be requisite but also to appoint Our said Officers of Our Mint duely to follow execute obey and fulfill the same in euerie point according In which doing these Our Letters vnder our great Seate shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge any Act Statute Ordinance or Law or other thing whatsoeuer it be to the contrarie notwithstanding In witnesse whereof We haue caused these presents to be sealed with Our great Seale at Westminster the 23 day of Iulie in the eighteenth yeare of Our raigne c. Graftons Chronicle doth record that all was to no purpose for the inhauncing might on both sides haue run ad infinitum Afterwards in the two and twentieth yeare of his raigne finding that Merchants did transport still the moneys or made them ouer by exchange and made no imployment vpon the commodities of the realme he caused a Proclamation to be made according to an old statute 14 Richard 2 Statute of imployment That no person should make any exchange contrarie to the true meaning thereof vpon paine to be taken the Kings mortall enemie and to forfeit all that he might forfeit Hereupon it fell out that lawlesse necessitie did run to the other extreame of imbasing the moneys by allay whereby all things came to be out of order For base money maketh euerie thing deere Base moneys and ouerthroweth the course of exchange betweene Merchants and causeth much counterfeit money to be made to buy the commodities of the realme and to destroy the good moneys like vnto the seuen leane Kine of Pharaoth which deuoured the seuen fat Kine in a short time as appeared of late within the realm of Ireland which is more dangerous in those kingdomes where their moneys are of a rich standard whereby many commotions happen Commotions about base money as in Fraunce during the raigne of Philip le Bell. And Peter the fourth King of Aragon did for this cause confiscate the Islands of Maiorca and Minorca now kingdomes in the Mediterranean sea whereas the policie of those nations which do vse seuerall standards of moneys doth preuent the same because that promiscuously they make and coine moneys of seuerall standards according to the occasion which is worthie the obseruation ☞ and as all extreames are vicious and defectiue so doth it befall those countries which will haue no base money at all and are made a prey vnto other nations by the exchange for moneys which must be maintained withall as I haue made and shall make more apparant Proportion betweene gold and siluer The third effect or alteration of the Kings Valuation of money is the Proportion betweene gold and siluer being in most countries twelue to one that is to say one pound of siluer for one ounce of gold wherein there is more operation than most men do imagine For you cannot aduance or inhance the one but you abate and diminish the other for they ballance vpon this paralell And whereas England by continuance of eleuen to one hath beene a great looser of gold so now by aduancing the same not onely to twelue to one but to 13 ⅕ for one there hath followed a verie great losse of our siluer which is ouer much abated as may appeare if we do but consider that the French Crowne of sixe shillings was answered with six shillings in siluer and is now full seuen shillings and foure pence and our six shillings in siluer are the verie same for twelue ounces of Crown gold of twentie and two carrats at 3 ll 6 ss maketh 39 ll 12 ss and 108 French Crownes the which are made out of the pound weight of twelue ounces at seuen shillings foure pence maketh also 39 ll 12 ss Hereupon to equalize the siluer vnto gold againe will breed a generall inhauncing of things within the realme for the alteration of the measure of moneys causeth the denomination to follow in number to make vp the tale which requireth great prouidence Exchange fallen by the inhauncing of gold in the Low-countries For we find that other nations perceiuing our gold to be inhanced haue abated the price of exchange according to which the prices of commodities are ruled so that the same goeth at thirtie and foure shillings six pence or thirtie
to one of gold In France the marke of gold valued at seuentie foure Crownes and the siluer at 6 ⅓ Crownes maketh the proportion 11 11 19 parts but valuing the French Crowne at three Frankes is eleuen to one In England the Angel at ten shillings and the siluer at sixtie shillings the pound Troy of 12 ounces being that six Angels did weigh an ounce made also eleuen to one In Germany one marke of Siluer at 8 ½ Gold guilders maketh 11 ⅔ for 1 but the valuation of moneys being altered hath also altered the same In Rome the pound of siluer at 108 Carlini and the Ducat of gold 99 ¼ is 12 to 1. So at Millaine the Ducat 112 and the Teaston 28 is but 9 ⅓ for 1. The siluer being so in request there for the making of gold and siluer threed that is to say siluer threed guilt and white Now for all places of momentarie trafficke it is 12 to 1 and in England 13 ½ to 1 as hath beene declared The valuation of forreine coyne of gold and siluer published in the vnited Low Prouinces on the 21 day of Iulie 1622 with the orders established by the Estates of the said Countries for the better obseruation of the said valuation which neuer the lesse are continually infringed from time to time And the like is done in other countries so that to obserue our owne rule according to Equalitie and Equitie will be found the best and safest course of Politicke gouernment  Guilders Stiuers Flemish The great golden Ryder of the vnited Prouinces 11 6 or 37 s◠8 d The halfe of the said Ryder 5 13 18 10 The double Ducat of the said Prouinces with the Letters 8 10 28 4 The French Crowne 3 18 13 0 The Pistolet of Spaine of foure Pistolets 15 8 51 4 The double Pistolet of Spaine 7 14 25 8 The single Pistolet after the rate 3 17 12 10 The Albertins or ducats of Albertus of Austria 5 13 18 10 The double Rose Noble of England 18 12 62 0 The Rose Noble of Henricus Edward and Queene Elizabeth 9 6 31 0 The Henricus Noble 8 6 27 8 The Flemish Noble old and new of the vnited Countries 8 0 26 8 The old Angell of England 6 4 20 8 The new Ryder of Guelders and Freeseland 3 13 12 2 The gold Guilder of those Mints 3 2 10 4 All which coynes are to bee weighed with their accustomed weight and the remedie of two graines and no more with some little aduantage ouer or at the least being within the rest of the ballance Prouided alwaies that the coynes of their due finenesse although they be lighter shall be currant paying for euerie graine wanting two stiuers Siluer Coynes  Guilders Stiuers Flemish    ss d. The Lyon Doller of the Low Prouinces 2 0 6 8 The Rickx Dollers in generall 2 10 8 4 The Crosse Doller of Albertus 2 7 7 10 The Spanish Ryalls of 8 2 8 8 0 The Doller of Zealand and Frise with the Eagle 1 10 5 0 The Floren or Guilder of Friseland 1 8 4 8 The English Shilling and of great Brittaine 0 10 ½ 1 9 The Marke peece or Thistle of Scotland 0 12 2 0 The Harpe of Scotland and Ireland 0 8 1 4 And if any of the said peeces be found to want of their weight and the appointed remedy within the rest of the ballance or some little aduantage ouer they shall be currant paying for euerie graine wanting two pence Hollandts whereof 16 make one stiuer and the English groats are made bullion or shall not be currant Small Moneys for ordinarie payments THe Shillings of all the seuerall Prouinces respectiuely and of the Mints of Nimogen Deuenter Campen and Swoll 6 Stiuers The halfe Shillings after the rate 3 Stiuers The peeces called Flabs of Groninghen 4 stiuers the double 8 Stiuers The twintigst part of the great siluer Royall 2 ½ Stiuers The double and single stiuers of all these countries 2 1 Stiuer The tenth to be receiued in copper monies 1 Of all which small moneys for the payments of rents interest or abatement of the same as also of all manner of Merchandise exceeding in one parcell the summe of one hundreth Guilders no man shall be bound to receiue more than the tenth pennie 2 The Duyts according to the order of the Prouinces made in the Prouinciall Mints and none other are as yet tollerated for a Duyt and all other copper moneys of the Prouinciall Mints are also tollerated to be paied out for one pennie the peece the 16 whereof make one Hollandts Stiuer and not aboue whereas we do intend hereafter to prohibit the same to be currant for any price because wee will prouide our selues forthwith with so much copper mony as the commodiousnesse shall require 3 We do also prohibit from henceforth no copper moneys to be brought into these countries aboue two stiuers vpon paine often stiuers for euerie peece to be forfeited and whosoeuer shall issue any copper moneys aboue the said price shall incur the like penaltie of ten stiuers for euerie peece 4 And all the said coynes shall be currant in these Prouinces for the prices aforesaid declaring all other peeces for bullion All other coynes made bullion to be molten which by this Our proclamation are not valued prohibiting any of the said peeces to be offered or receiued as also to presse any of those which are valued to be paied at a higher price than they are valued and likewise offer to put forth other coynes of gold and siluer valued which are clipped washed broken mended neiled or otherwise augmented in weight vpon forfeiture of all the said coynes so to be offered at higher rates than this proclamation doth permit and if the fact be not instantly discouered to forfeit the value thereof and moreouer the quadruple or the value thereof or 24 guilders in liew thereof if the said coynes did not amount to sixe guilders for the first time the second time double and for the third time quadruple and moreouer arbitrable correction according to the qualitie of the fact 5 Without that any distinction shall be made whether the said coynes were instantly paied from forreine parts or sent from some one Prouince or Towne into another in which case if the receiuer thereof will be freed of the said forfeiture he is to giue notice of it within twentie and foure houres after the receipt thereof vnto the Magistrates or other Officers to be thereunto appointed to the end they may proceed therein against the sender of the said coyne as it shall or may appertaine 6 Yet shal the said Receiuer keepe the said coyns wholly to himselfe if the said moneys be sent vnto him in paiment of a former debt and neuerthelesse haue his action against the partie for so much as they shall want of the said valuation and if the said coynes be sent for any debt as yet not due or to be made the said
so am endangered to my neighbour for my necessarie payments it is great reason that my debtor beare my losse rather than I should sustaine harme or danger for my good will And this is defined to be a gaine to be taken Vsurie ex damno habito improper ex damno habito and it being so is improperly called Interest in defence of Vsurie In like manner if a shop-keeper lend money freely to his neighbour till such a day hauing then occasion to vse it at some Faire to lay it out in wares if hee breake touch the shop-keeper may in iustice take the benefit for his money losing the profit which he should haue had by the wares which he was hindred to buy Ex lucro cessante and this is taken for lucro cessante But in neither of these was an intention to deliuer money at Interest Some are of opinion That it is better for them to deliuer their money by exchange and that therein they are lesse to be euill thought on than by dealing vpon Vsurie But this difference consisteth onely in the name for they haue both an intention of gaine vpon money and doe beare an aduenture for the losse of their moneys whereas the one is bound to receiue but tenne vpon the hundreth at the most Difference of gaine by Vsurie and Exchange and the other doth expect fifteene or twentie vpon the hundreth at the least onely in regard hee doth beare an aduenture to lose by exchange which is verie seldome but still the intention remaineth which should be the surest guide of conscience to take away all counterfeit pretences The Venetians and others allow no Interest at all but approue the benefit and course of exchange although it be aboue Interest By the aforesaid rules Vsurie is weighed straightly in regard of Charitie albeit it may fall out otherwise that the borrower hath sinned therefore in such cases circumstances are to be considered and then iudgement to be giuen accordingly If I deale with a Merchant that maketh gaine of my money with his trade and commerce and is well able to pay mee againe being chiefly inriched by my meanes why should not I in reason haue part of his benefit and aduantage when by my goods hee is growne rich Suppose foure men are become parteners two doe disburse large summes of money and the other imploy their labour and industrie to make by lawfull trade a great benefit thereby is it not reason that the other two although they were idle at home should haue part of the benefit You will say you hold this reasonable for it is not Vsurie at all but these two men take tenne in the hundreth for their money nay then you reply and say It is Vsurie although the other two had gotten thirtie in the hundreth by it How can this be a biting Vsurie Obiection Answere But they haue not borne the aduenture of the Seas but conditioned a certaintie the answere is That they haue not onely borne the aduenture of the Seas but many other casualties besides and in trusting them that had no meanes of their owne Well therefore say you I will not deliuer my money but to rich men herein you shew no charitie and may be deceiued too for you know not what money a man hath in his purse so that your conscience is stil the surest guide to direct you with prudence as the loadstone doth the variation of the Pole So much for particular persons Now comming to examine what the Kings of England haue done concerning Vsurie wee find that both before the Conquest and after Vsurie hath beene banished by some Kings and by some other Kings it hath beene tollerated according to the times and occasions King Edgar before the Conquest did vtterly forbid all Vsurie Bankers sent out of the Realme so did King Edward the first who did send out of this Realme as well the Italian Bankers that came from Pope Gregory the tenth called Cursini as all manner of Iewes who did mightily oppresse the Realme To omit what other Kings haue done we know that Henrie the eight in the 37 yeare of his raigne made a Statute whereby none were suffered to take aboue tenne in the hundreth vpon loane either for wares or money and this was repealed by the Statute of Anno 5 Edw. 6 which afterwards being found against Policie was abrogated So the Statutes of Queene Elizabeth did succeed which doe tollerate the said ten in the hundreth which are of such strength and continuance at this present that King Iames himselfe is contented to allow the said rate to the Londoners for some moneys borrowed of them wherein as I said before time and occasions do alter things and as the case for the present standeth with England and forraine Nations we haue Vsurie like a Woolfe by the eares dangerous to be kept and more dangerous to abandone the same This Vsurie being indeed exercised to the poore or to the rich without respect of damage ensuing becommeth intollerable But in case of Interest when time of payment is neglected in the state of orphants in mutuall hazard or in hazard publike Where Vsurie is allowable simply to disallow it is to cut off all trade and commerce or reparation of damages and to goe about to remedie a mischiefe with a greater inconuenience The Law of Iustinian the Emperour doth therefore moderate the course of Vsurie which is much to bee regarded where the words are thus as followeth 1. Coâ— C. de Vsuris Wee haue thought necessarie to make a generall Law or Statute touching the quantitie of Vsurie bringing the old hard and most grecuous weight of the same to a certaine moderate stay or meane rate Therefore We command those Noble men that are Earles or their betters that they doe not make any stipulation or firme bargaine by any manner of contract whatsoeuer great or lesse for Vsurie or gaine to bee had aboue foure in the hundreth Those that are guardians or gouernours ouer handie-crafts men or places where Artificers doe worke or else doe vse any lawfull trade of merchandise Wee will that they shall moderate their stipulation or firme promise taken in any bargaine to eight in the hundreth And as for those that doe aduenture their goods beyond the Seas and put out their substance vpon their owne hazard such may lawfully demand by firme promise to receiue twelue in the hundreth and in no wise to take aboue that rate although by the old Romane Statutes it hath beene lawfull to exceed And We will that all other men shall take onely six in the hundreth aboue the principall and the same quantitie of excesse in no wise to bee enlarged in other contracts where Vsurie is wont to bee demanded without stipulation or couenant made neither shall it be lawfull to the Iudge to increase the foresaid taxation or rate made by reason of the Custome vsed in any Countrey c. This Imperiall Ciuile Law hauing
to giue twentie per 100 for the yeare and so from yeare to yeare and dying the principall is theirs One hundreth pounds for eight liues by equalitie decreasing the pennie 8 is 12 ll 10 ss for two liues 11 ll 2 ss for three liues 10 ll for foure liues 9 ll 1 ss 9 pence is 6 ll 5 ss for eight liues The Citie of Amsterdam was wont to giue good consideration and did obserue this order vpon a hundreth Guelders for eight liues gaue 16 13 4 Obseruations of money deliuered vpon liues Of nine liues 19 1 0 Vpon tenne liues they gaue 22 4 5 Vpon eleuen liues 26 13 4 Vpon twelue liues 33 6 8 Vpon seuen liues 14 6 4 Vpon six liues 13 6 8 Here you are to remember the obseruations of Assurors whether the persons be young or old sober in their diet and behauiour much trauelling abroad or staying at home subiect to sickenesse and the like considerations Rents vpon houses Moneys deliuered vpon annuities for rents seeme more reasonable than pensions vpon liues because you beare onely the aduenture of the decay of houses or destruction of them in time of warre and much more should bee giuen without pawne than with pawne or morgage It is commodious for a man hauing wast grounds and intending to build vpon them to take much money vpon rent after 6 ¼ pro cent which many Cities giue continually to increase their wealth and inhabitants And because the valuation of their money doth often alter and is inhaunced whereby all things become dearer Rents payed in specie the parties are aduised to haue their rents paied in specie in Crownes Dollers Ducats to bee paied as formerly they were currant the dangers in times of warres causeth rents to decrease for the ancient rent is alwayes first to bee paied although all others bee losers * ⎠* CHAP. XIX Of the Denomination and Diuision of Moneys of diuers Countreys THE Denomination Diuision and Subdiuision of the moneys of all Countreys is most necessarie for Merchants and all others to be knowne because without it they sayle in the course of Trafficke without Compasse abandoned at all vncertainties and dangers to haue true equalitie and equitie obserued in their buyings and sellings and that more especially if the course of exchanges be neglected as shall be declared hereafter Some of these moneys are imaginarie and some are substantiall or reall in specie and yet not concurring in price or value England IN England concerning Siluer coynes there is the Crowne of fiue shillings and the halfe Crowne of two shillings sixe pence the shilling the sixe pence the foure pence or groat the three pence two pence three halfe pence the pennie and halfe pennie of sterling Siluer and the farthing of Copper The ordinarie Golden coynes are the vnite peeces of 22 shillings the halfe of eleuen shillings and the crownes or quarters of fiue shillings sixe pence and the â…› part two shillings nine pence and the fiue peeces coyned at foure shillings making twentie two shillings with the Rose and the Thistle The Laureat King Iames of twentie two carrats fine of twentie shillings and the halfe peece Scotland In Scotland is the Crosse Dagger peece of eleuen shillings and the halfe of it and their Rider of ten shillings six pence and for their Siluer coyne the Marke peece valued at 13 pence ½ in England and the halfe of the same as also six small peeces of aboue two pence for the said Marke Ireland In Ireland where no Mint hath beene since King Edward the fourth of England the fifteene shilling sterling make twentie shillings Irish and the Siluer Harpe of nine pence sterling is there currant for twelue pence and the moitie thereof accordingly and the abouesaid Gold coynes are currant as in England or in sterling reduced into their Irish moneys one third part more so that the twentie shillings peece of Laureat King Iames is there foure Nobles and all other diuisions of it accordingly So the English shilling is sixteene pence Irish and the parts of it accordingly All other old Irish coyne is out of vse and little quantitie to be found of it In Germanie they make all their moneys by the account of Batsen euerie Batts foure Creutzers coyning peeces of three sixe Germanie and twelue Creutzers So the Ducat of Hungarie maketh 27 Batses the Gold guelder eighteene Batses the Polish guelder or doller fifteene Batses Teastons fiue Batses The said Gold guelder was value Anno 1520 to bee currant in Holland for twentie eight stiuers whereby their corne is bought and sold which is erronious and imaginarie because there is no such peece in specie So was the doller and the Siluer guelder called Gros or Vnciales weighing an ounce The ancient Romans called an ounce a guelder and the eight ounces made one mark and 12 ounces or guelders were reckoned for one pound and there were coyned peeces called Nummi Dragmi alias Grosleyn is the eight part of a doller Angelicies was the â…™ of a doller making three Batses or twelue Creutzers called Schriekenborgers The said Angelici were Tribute penies which being allayd and made worse did obtaine the name of Bats as it were seeking of a benefit which since haue bin more imbased and therefore deserue that name of Batses they are called in Thuringia Gulielmi and in Bohemia Bohemici in regard of the said tribute whereof they haue also 12 peeces diuidedly for 12 pence which pennie is all Germanie ouer two Hellers by way of account The doller was first made vpon sixtie and fiue Creutzers which in those coynes so imbased are answered by 72 Creutzers And in othâ—â— cities of Germanie they reckon as followeth vpon diuers coynes 〈◊〉 made and some imaginarie At Augusta they haue small moneys Grosses of three Batses Augusta Lion peeces whereof two make a Creutzer the Blackepennie foure to one Creutzer Snubourgh Blaphart or Bohomicos of three and 3 ½ Creutzers the Ryckes doller is thirtie Albes of eight pence euerie Albe or seuentie and two Creutzers for the said doller At Frankford they diuide their Florens of sixtie Creutzers Frankford by twentie shillings and euerie shilling in twelue Hellers according to the pound At Norenbourgh in like manner and the Creutzer is foure pence Norenborough euerie pennie two Hellers and fiue pence called a Fynfer or fiue Pennick At Strasborough they vse Blapharts Grosses Strasborough Bohemicos of three Creutzers euerie Blaphart six pence of two Hellers or foure Ortlyn At Bohemia as in Germanie and the Bohemici Bohemia are whitgrosse of three Creutzers the Doller is twentie foure Bohemicos of twelue Angster euerie Bohemico ten pence and one Marke is fortie Bohemicos and Scoc is sixtie Bohemicos Vienna At Vienna the Ryckes Doller is eight shillings and the Ducat twelue shillings Trioll At Trioll the Doller at seuentie two Creutzers of fiue Fynfers or Hellers the Creutzer Hungarie
followers and subiects with better pay Worthie of perpetuall remembrance is that noble Prince King Henrie the seuenth Notable example of King Henrie the seuenth who in his singular wisdome and pollicie knowing how Princes are subiect to bee wronged by their officers in the disposing of their treasure by fraudulent and deceitfull accounts which either by ignorance or otherwise by conniuence do passe did himselfe with great facilitie take an inspection in all his Exchequer Accounts by an abstract of the said Accounts entred in a booke by some experienced and skilfull man in Accounts whereunto his highnesse did subscribe his royall signature before the Officers vpon good certificate made to the Lord Chauncellour could haue their Quietus est passe the great Seale of England And the faid King was pleased many times to enter into particular examination of some of the Accounts whereby he did strike a terror into the hearts of the officers so that they became more carefull and durst not commit any fraud or deceit by combination or tolleration but his treasure was duely administred and preserued This Signature of the Kings in the said booke is extant to be seene in his Maiesties Exchequer Prouidence of the French King Henrie the fourth Vrgent necessitie caused the late French King Henrie the fourth when he was King of Nauarre to be present in the disposing of his treasure in so much that afterwards in possessing the Diademe of all France and calling to remembrance his former obseruation by comparing things to their first principles he found that of euerie French crowne being sixtie soulz which his coffers should receiue there came not aboue the fourth part de claro vnto him Whereupon by rooting out of corruption deposing of needlesse officers profitable emptions of things necessarie and by wise disposing of them he brought è contrario three parts of euerie crowne vnto his coffers and did in progresse of time accumulate a verie great treasure and yet did he increase officers fees according to the alteration of time which by accidentall causes had made euerie thing deerer Factors Accounts Thus much obiter Now if a Merchant be also a Factor for others in the buying and selling of Commodities deliuering of Moneys at interest and by dealings in Exchanges and Râ—changes hauing factoridge allowed vnto him for the same according to the manner of Merchants some more and some lesse as they agree betweâ—ne them the difference in keeping other mens Accounts with whom they haue any correspondence is but small for if it be for goods or merchandises sold they will intitle the Account Goods of the Account of such a man do owe vnto Cash such a summe paied for Custome and Charges or if it be for goods bought he will do the like and discharge the Accounts by making the said Merchant Debitor or Creditor for it is as the said Accounts require which he doth also charge with factoridge or prouision for his sallarie and therfore all Factors keepe a particular Account to know what they haue gotten by factoridge or prouision at the yeares end and then they charge that Account with their charges and all such expences as they haue been at and the remainder is posted to Capitall as in the Account of Profit or Losse whereupon some others do bring their charges and expâ—nces and so carrie all the prouision to Capitall or Stocke Herein euerie man may vse his pleasure for this manner of Account affoordeth many distinctions all which seuerall branches or members of Account may be brought to make vp the the compleat Bodie for by the dismembring of an Account Dismembring of Accounts separating euerie thing in his proper nature you are inabled to find out many errours and intricatenes of Accounts by reducing the Bodie of it to his perfection In this place may be expected a declaration of the seuerall coynes or calculation of moneys wherein the Bookes of Merchants Accounts are kept beyond the Seas But because the same is founded vpon the seuerall exchanges betweene Countrey and Countreys I haue thought good to referre the same in the proper place of exchanges hereafter following and to conclude this Second Part of Lex Mercatoria with that notable question made by the Ciuilians A Question made by Ciuilians about Bookes of Account Whether a Merchant or a Banker keeping two Bookes of Account the one concerning the moneys of his Banke and the other touching trade of Merchandise for wares shall bee censured alike for such moneys as hee oweth vnto his Creditors So that the Creditors after his decease shall all stand in equall degree to be payed either in the whole or in part if the Bankers estate bee not sufficient for the payment thâ—rof Herein the Iudges of Merchants do make no difference but the Ciuilians haue made a great distinction therein and they say That the Booke of the Banke is more to bee credited than the other For saith Benuenuto Straccha the Booke of the Banke was kept publikely and the other as it were secret to himselfe so that the Creditors of the one are to bee distinguished from the other as being two negotiations and to bee dealt therein according to their seuerall natures and the meanes thereof extant with such considerations as may bee incident thereunto To declare my owne opinion I say That the Canon and Ciuile Law making no distinction in the payment of the Testators Debts betweene moneys owing for wares or for interest there ought not to be any difference in the nature of the debts in regard of the Bookes of Accounts * ⎠* The End of the Second Part. THE THIRD PART OF LEX MERCATORIA OR THE Ancient Law-Merchant concerning Exchanges for Moneys by Billes of Exchanges compared to the Spirit or Facultie of the Soule of TRAFFICKE and COMMERCE HAVING in the First and Second Part of this Booke intreated of the Bodie and Soule of Trafficke namely Commodities and Moneys Let vs now handle the predominant part of the course of Trafficke which is the Exchange for moneys by Bils of Exchanges for forrain parts compared to the Spirit or Facultie of the Soule For as moneys do infuse life to commodities by the meanes of Equalitie and Equitie preuenting aduantage betweene Buyers and Sellers so Exchange for moneys by Bills of Exchanges being seated euerie where corroborateth the Vitall Spirit of Trafficke directing and controlling by iust proportions the prices and values of commodities and money as shall be declared Many men cannot well discerne the distinction of the Spirit in sundrie matters because man consisting of Bodie and Soule that which belongeth to the Spirit is comprized vnder the name Soule but if they be willing to vnderstand the necessarie distinction heereof reason in the Theoricke Part will demonstrate the same in the Practike Part of this discourse of Exchanges Saint Paul in the later end of his second Epistle to the Thessalonians wished a sanctification to their spirits and soules 2. Thess. 5.23 and
their bodies vntill the day of Iudgement For albeit the Spirit of man is rightly termed to bee the Facultie of the Soule The Facultie of the Soule is the Spirit of man yet the parts of the Soule concerning Vnderstanding and Will haue their proper relation for that part called Vnderstanding is seated chiefly in the Soule as Will is in the Spirit both to be accompanied with Knowledge The Phylosophers haue made this distinction by their Chimicall obseruation and such as place the Soule in the bloud dispersed through all the veynes of the bodie do also place the Will of man in the spirit residing in the heart of man which the Anatomists demonstrateth to be a little concauitie where the drops of the vitall bloud are placed in the heart which are feared vp and the place is shrunke in bodies which haue been poisoned To make application of this comparison betweene the Soule and Spirit Application of the comparison we shall find by the following discourse that euen as the Spirit of man is predominant ouer the Soule and Bodie in all the actions thereof which by the bloud are quickned and preserued euen so is the Exchange for moneys by Bills of Exchanges ouerruling the course of commodities and moneys in all places where the action of money is felt or seene directing the same by some due proportions accordingly CHAP. I. Of the Beginning of the Exchange for Moneys by Bills of Exchanges THE Exchange for moneys is of great antiquitie for as we haue declared the first Siluer moneys coyned by the Romanes is almost 1900 yeares since And euen as money was inuented to bee made of the best mettalls to auoid the troublesome carriage of commodities vp and downe and from one countrey into another So vpon the like consideration when other nations imitating the Romanes did coyne moneys The cause of the Exchanges Exchange by Bills for moneys was deuised to auoid both the danger and aduenture of moneys and the troublesome carriage thereof This money now being made by diuers Nations of seuerall standards and diuers stamps and inscriptions as a Marke of Soueraigntie caused them to appoint a certaine Exchange for the permutation of the seuerall sorts of coynes in diuers countreys without any transportation of the coyne but giuing Par pro Pari or value for value with a certaine allowance to accomodate the Merchant and the officers to execute the same were called Numularij Argentarij and Collybistae that is to say Numularij of Nummus or the coyne it selfe Argentarij because the Siluer coyne was most vsuall in the course of trafficke and Collybistae because it signifieth a reward for Exchanging Here now let vs obserue foure manner of Exchanges which haue beene vsed and in some countreys are yet continued albeit some of them are abrogated in England commonly called Cambio Commune Cambio Reall Cambio Sicco and Cambio Fictitio which denomination may be admitted The first manner of Exchange called Cambio Commune I Cambio Commune is properly that Exchange which the said Collibistae or common Exchangers did vse by the authoritie of Princes and Common-weales for the lawfull and currant moneys of their Kingdomes and Territories which was found to be verie expedient and necessarie and was established to preuent the exportation of money from one countrie into another countrie and these Exchangers did deliuer in all countries the Money in one specie for the Moneys in other species by them receiued as aforesaid Tables of Exchange Whereupon King Edward the third of England caused certaine Tables to be set vp at Douer and other places of the realme declaring the value of the said sundrie species of coyne of all countries trafficking with his subiects and the allowance which Merchants were to giue to haue their turnes serued as may appeare by the good Lawes made in his time when there was Moneys coyned in diuers places of this Kingdome and not in one mint onely within the Tower of London And this was long before the discouerie of the West-Indies from whence the ocean of Money did run into Christendome And for the gouernment of the said Tables all was at the direction of the Master of the Kings Mint at London and with a correspondence of other Mints namely at Canturburie at Kingston vpon Hull New-castle vpon Tine Bristoll and Exceter And the Exchanger for the King at London did also depute Exchangers in the most places except that certaine Merchants of Florence called Friscobaldi were the Kings Exchangers at Kingston Friscobaldi the Exchangers New-castle and Exceter who made the said Exchanges of value for value with a reasonable allowance and by their meanes were all the said Mints set on worke and the transportation of our Moneys was preuented for as Bishop Tursids booke of Arithmeticke declareth by giuing par pro pari or value for value there was no gaine left to the transporter The Kings of England did constitute these Exchangers Kings Exchangers euen as the Cambiadores and Banquers are vsed in other countries being authorised by the King or Prince of the said countries especially King Edward the first of England who had two Exchangers the one called Custos Cambij infra Turrim who had the charge in buying of bullion and to looke to the coynage of Money within the realme now called the Warden of the Mint the other was called Keeper of the exchange and rechange within or towards this realme for Moneys to be paied in specie by Bills of Exchanges beyond the seas And afterwards the said Exchanges were made without naming the species but according to the value of the seuerall coynes 2 Cambio Reall and this was called Cambium Regis or Royall Exchange which caused Queene Elizabeth to name the Burse in London accordingly This office appeareth to haue been in the eleuenth yere of the said King Edw. by an Act of Parliament made at Acton Burnel since which time the succeeding Kings and Queenes haue continued the same by sixteene seuerall Letters Patents And whereas it seemed that the said two Exchangers could not execute their offices conueniently being asunder it fell out that in Henrie the sixth his time a Law was made by which both offices were put into one mans hand and so continued many yeares vntill the time of King Henrie the eight Exchanges discontinued when he caused base Moneys to be made at the seige of Bulloigne whereupon no certaine Exchange could be grounded albeit that before that time in the two and twentieth yeare of his raigne he caused a Proclamation to be made according to an old Statute made in the time of King Richard the second The Chronicle of Graston That no person should make any Exchanges contrarie to the said meaning or Act of Parliament vpon paine to be taken to be the Kings mortall enemie and to forfeit all that he might forfeit For in his noble fathers time King Henrie the seuenth the Bankers had inuented a course of
a common-wealth for the maintenance of lawes which otherwise would be fruitlesse or made as it is said by some propter terrorem for preuention whereof it is verie commendable to preserue this life of the law consisting in execution which was the cause that commissioners haue beene heretofore appointed to retaine men in their dueties as the Nomophilats in Greece the Censurors amongst the Romans the Ephores at Lacedemon the Areopagits at Athens the Visitors in Spaine Commissioners to retaine Officers in their dueties and the Commissioners of Troyle the Bastort in Edward the first his time for all humane actions are so flexible to euill that they haue need of a continuall remembrancer to vertue for the conseruation of the publicke good If we will make a comparison betweene the execution of Criminall causes and ciuile we shall in a manner find the same to be all one effectually for the generall manner of death imposed by the law is hanging where in other countries they haue diuers manners of executions according as the fact is haynous Murder being a great offence hath in all ages been punished with death but stealing of goods was alwaies taken to be much inferior because the law of God did not punish the same by death as is now vsed and yet a death by sudden execution is better than a lingering death by famine imprisonment and other aduersities before remembred The effect of the kings Prerogatiue Royall to be mercifull euen when law hath had her full course is to be seen rather in causes ciuile than criminall and that in the reliefe of poore distressed prisoners and others Iustice and Mercie in God are not contraries seeing the Mercy of God whose Lieutenants they are on earth is aboue all his Workes which maketh me to remember an error of the common people which thinke the Iustice and Mercie of God to be contraries for if they were they could not be in God because the god-head being but one and alwaies like it selfe cannot admit contraries and contraries they cannot be being both vertues whereas no vertue is contrarie to vertue but onely opposite to vice so that respecting the Kings Prerogatiue in criminal causes when the law hath determined death or punishment by perpetuall imprisonment or banishment the King imitating Gods mercie doth restore life freedome and libertie much more may the King do the same in ciuile causes when the law commaundeth imprisonment vntill satisfaction be made of the iudgement giue libertie and prolongation of time as hauing an interest in the persons of his subiects as we haue obserued I haue herein been the more ample because it concerneth the life of many honest men c. CHAP. XIII Of Denization and Naturalization of Merchants THE manner to make Merchant strangers Artificersâ— or Handie-crafts men to be Denizons or Naturalized was in times past without any difference and they did enioy the like libertie and priuiledges and were most commonly made by his Maiesties Letters Patents vnder the Great Seale of England by his Highnesse Prerogatiue Royall whereby they did enioy all the freedome and immunities that naturall subiects doe enioy and were so reputed and taken by the Lawes of the Realme vpon their oath made in Chancerie of alleageance to the King and the Common-wealth But the same was afterwardes called in question vpon the misdemeanors of some forgetfull persons and then Denizons were made to pay Customes to the King as strangers howbeit they might buy leases lands and houses as English borne subiects and their children heere borne should bee free and pay but English Custome for goods imported and exported and may become freemen of London and buy cloth in Blackewell Hall and all other Markets and transport the same where it pleased them albeit the Merchants Aduenturers haue infringed the same Naturalized distinguished Neuerthelesse some priuiledge to pay English Custome being granted to some particular Merchants by the Princes prerogatiues by Letters Pattents vnder the Great Seale it came to passe that these were named Naturalized which might be placed in offices as Iustices of the Peace and Quorum high Sherifes of the Counties and other places of dignitie and came to bee made Knights and Barronets and some of them buying lands and leases made great purchases married their daughters vnto diuers Gentlemen and others did also sell lands againe and bought other lands which buying and selling of lands did require assurances to be made and therein some Lawyers were of opinion that by the Law the said assurances were not of sufficient validitie without an Act of Parlement and then the Acts of Naturalization were made but the making of Denizons was alwayes continued by his Maiesties Letters Pattents onely and they are not subiect to the Statute of Employment albeit they pay strangers Customes Denizons not subiect to the Statute of Employment and diuers other charges which the natiue subiects doe not pay whereof Merchants are to take notice No stranger which is a Mechanicall person is much inclined to be a naturall subiect by Act of Parlement because of the charge of it which may bee about 30 ll albeit foure or fiue persons may ioyne together by petition to the Parlement and haue one Act for them all the forme whereof is commonly as heereafter followeth And here note that a Merchant is in no danger if hee be neither Denizon nor Naturalized but may deale trafficke and negotiate at his pleasure but he may take no leases nor buy lands IN most humble manner beseech your most excellent Maiestie your humble and obedient Orators I. L. of Florence your Maiesties seruant T. M. c. R. B. and M. Q. That whereas the said I. L. the son of A. L. and L. his wife strangers were borne at Florence in Italy in the parts beyond the Seas and whereas c. And whereas M. Q. being the sonne of M. Q. and C. his wife borne at Bridges in Flanders in the parts beyond the Seas in lawfull matrimonie and hath for the most part these twentie yeares remained and made his abode in London within your Maiesties Realme of England during which time hee hath demeaned himselfe faithfully and dutifully towardes your Highnesse and your Lawes yet for that both he and the rest of your Maiesties Orators were borne in the parts beyond the Seas they cannot take benefit of your Maiesties Lawes Statutes and Customes of your Highnesse Realme of England as other your Maiesties subiects borne within this Realme to their great preiudice losse and hinderance It may therefore please your Highnesse of your most noble and aboundant grace that it may be ordained enacted and established by your Highnes the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons of this present Parlement assembled and by the authoritie of the same That your Maiesties most humble Petitioners I. L. T. M. R. B. and M. Q. and euerie of them shall from henceforth bee adiudged reputed and taken to be your Highnesse naturall subiects and as persons
naturally and lawfully borne within this your Maiesties Realme of England and also that they and euerie of them shall and may from henceforth by the same authoritie be enabled and adiudged able to all intents and constructions to demaund challenge aske haue hold and enioy landes tenements hereditaments and rents as heire or heires to any of their auncestors by reason of any descent remaine reuert or come to them or any of them by any other lawfull conueiances or means whatsoeuer or which hereafter shall come c. as if they and euerie of them had beene your Highnesse naturall subiects borne and to hold and inioy to them and euerie of them ioyntly and seuerally lands tenements and hereditaments or rents by way of purchase gift graunt or otherwise of any person or persons to all constructions and purposes as though they and euerie of them had beene your Highnesse naturall borne subiects and also that they and euerie of them from henceforth may and shall bee enabled to prosecute maintaine and avow iustifie and defend all manner of actions suits plaints and other demands whatsoeuer as liberally frankely fully lawfully surely and freely as if they and any of them had beene naturally borne within your Maiesties Realme of England and as any other person or persons naturally borne within the same may in any wise lawfully doe any Act Law Statute Prouiso Custome Ordinance or other thing whatsoeuer had made ordained or done to the contrarie in any wise notwithstanding And your Petitioners shall daily pray for your Royall Maiestie long in honour and most safetie to remaine ouer vs. This Petition in nature of an Act of Parlement The manner of proceeding in Parlement is deliuered to the Speaker of the Parlement who vpon the second reading in the Commons House procureth the same to bee referred to certaine Committees before whom the Petitioners doe appeare and after examination if there be no apparant cause that might crosse them the Bill is returned into the Parlement and read for the third time as the manner is of all Acts and then it is carried vp to the higher house and there it is commonly of course also read three times and so allowed and there it doth remaine vntill the last day of the Session of Parlement and then the Kings Royall Assent is had therevnto and there is written on the backside or within these wordes Le Roy le Veult And if it be anâ— Act which the King will not passe the Clerke of the Parlement writeth Le Roy S'aduiser'a which is a cleane and absolute refusall and all which was done is void and cannot bee reuiued in another Parlement without to begin all from the beginning againe So much for England In France all strangers that are not borne within the Kingdome and reside or dwell in the same Aubeine in France are subiect to the right of Aubeine so called Tanquam Alibi nati for after their death if they be not naturalized the King doth seise vpon all their goods they haue in France and appropriateth the same to his Exchequer or Finances without that the said strangers can dispose thereof by Testament or Will or that their lawfull heires can claime the same howbeit they may giue them and dispose thereof whiles they liue by contracts made betweene them A stranger also not dwelling within the Realme yet hauing gotten wealth or meanes within the same may dispose of it vnto his heyres and others although they were strangers Also if a stranger trauelling through the Kingdome of France should chance to die his heires shall enioy his goods which hee hath left at the time of his decease in France But when a stranger taketh letters of naturalization then may hee get wealth and possessions within the Realme lawfully and freely which letters of naturalization must be recorded in the Chamber of Accounts vpon paine of a penaltie payed to the King and his lawfull heires shall enioy the said possessions and goods so as hee be nature of the Realme or any other to whom the same be giuen by Will or Testament so as he also be naturalized as aforesaid But Monsieur Papon the Ciuilian saith That it is not sufficient for one to enioy the same to bee borne within the Realme but it must be also of a woman taken in marriage within the Realme and heerevpon alleageth an arrest or sentence of the Parlement of Paris whereby a cosin of a stranger deceased was preferred before the sister because the cosin was born within the realme and dwelling in the same and the sister did not dwell within the Realme and was borne in another countrey albeit she caused her selfe to be Naturalized after the decease of her brother whereof the Court had no regard because the goods by succession were gotten before which could not be made void by the Kings Letters Pattents Monsieur Banquet is of opinion That a Frenchman being departed the Kingdome for to dwell in another countrey that his goods present and to come doe appertaine vnto the King and cannot dispose thereof by Will or Testament as it hath beene proued by diuers Decrees of Parlement The King is Lord of all vacant goods and therefore wiues and children are to take Letters of Naturalization to purchase their quietnesse And if any stranger borne and naturalized should bee out of the Kingdome some eight or ten yeares vpon especiall occasion or otherwise hee is at his returne to take new Letters of Naturalization or a confirmation of the former by some approbation An obseruable consideration And herein is a speciall point to bee noted as a matter of record that those of Flanders Millaine and the French Countie of Sauoy are not bound to take Letters of Naturalization to dwell in this Kingdome because the French Kings pretend that the said countreys are theirs and were neuer alienated by any conseâ—t of theirs but are countries which at all times haue belongeth to the Crowne of France who doth acknowledge the subiects to bee true and loyall Frenchmen But it is requisite if they come to dwell and inhabite within the Realme that they take Letters of Naturalization to the end the Officers do not molest or trouble them By the premisses wee see that the Naturalizing in France is farre more compulsorie for Merchants than in England howbeit that in both Kingdomes if a stranger Naturalized after many yeares that hee hath inhabited the same bee desirous to returne to his father-land or natiue countrey he may surrender his Letters Pattents and bee discharged of his oath * ⎠* CHAP. XIIII Of the determination of Sea-faring causes HAuing now hitherto intreated of the Customes of Merchants with their Adiuncts and Accidents and therein obserued Time Number Weight and Measure as also the three Simples and Essentiall parts of Trafficke with their Effects and Properties let vs now consider of the Manner and Methode of the proceedings therein to see by what meanes they are determined and executed
they shall speake truth to that which shall be demanded of them 3 That they shall not require without iust cause any time of prolongation 4 That they haue not nor wil attempt to corrupt witnesses 6 The sixth time vpon the contestation and interlocutorie sentence you must obserue nine things 1 That the witnesses be presented in presence of the partie against whom they are produced 2 That they bee freemen and honest and not hired nor corrupted 3 That they bee sworne and the producent payeth his charges 4 You may inquire of the partie that doth produce the witnesses as also of the witnesses by certaine articles what may appertaine to the cause in regard of their admittance for to bee sworne because their deposition is the ground of the matter 5 That the plaintife hauing had three seuerall times to produce his witnesses shall not haue any other time to examine any more vnlesse he do sweare that he knoweth not what the former witnesses haue deposed and the Iudge do assent thereunto 6 If the witnesses haue declared any thing obscurely they may declare the same more plainely if the Iudge do desire the same at the intreatie of the partie according as he shall direct 7 After publication of the witnesses depositions there may not any other witnesses be deposed vpon the said interrogatories or any matter touching the same 8 That the witnesses be examined of the time of the place and of the case it selfe whether they haue seene or heard the same what they beleeue or know thereof or of the report they haue heard 9 That to auoid charges there be not too many examined A Maximo of the Law of Arragon The seuenth time is when all must bee alledged which may any manner of waies make for the state of the cause and if it fall out that two witnesses tell one tale as it were verbatim their euidence is voide and the eight time the Iudge proceedeth to a definitiue sentence and the ninth time which must be done within tenne daies the partie may appeale and therupon for the tenth time the pleyto or suite with all the records goeth out of that Iudges court to a higher court where it may not depend aboue a limited time The obseruations doe minister an occasion that many controuersies are ended without law for the parties are not sure to obserue these times and the defendants which seeke delaies are not contented with so short a time of pleading the complainant also may know whether it be safe for him to take his oath as aforesaid that hee is in conscience persuaded of his right To abridge the multiplicities of suits and moreuer paying a fine for wrong molestation abridged with them heretofore the multiplicities of suits Omitting now to speake of other courts of equitie and calling law and Equitie to bee the Common Law so much commended aboue the Ciuile Law by the said M r. Fortescue sometimes Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench in the time of King Henrie the sixth who hath obserued fiue points wherein the same consisteth let vs obserue many more to extoll the excellencie of the said Common Law as followeth summarily 1 First because of the antiquitie thereof Excellencie of the Common Law of England for that in all the times that the Realme was inhabited by fiue seuerall nations the same was still ruled by the said Customes that it is now gouerned withall which if they had not beene good some of the Kings of these seuerall nations mooued either with justice or with reason and affection would haue changed or abolished the same especially the Romanes who iudged all the world 2 Secondly for that the Kings of England at their Coronation doe take a solemne oath to cause all the Customes of the Realme to be faithfully obserued according to the former institution 3 For that the said ancient Customs or Maximes therof are inexpugnable and doe stand of their owne authoritie as Principles which need no reason to confirme their authoritie as the Lawes of Solon Draco Carondas Licurgus Numa Pompilius and the Law of twelue Tables c. 4 Because all differences and controuersies which happen betweene the King and his subiects are tried and determined by the Law and if it be done in Parlement or by the Iudges it is still according to the Law 5 Because the King personally giueth not any iudgement especially when himselfe is a partie seeing it is against the Law of Nature to be both judge and partie 6 For that notwithstanding the decease of the Kings of England from time to time the Iudges of the Courts of Record that is to say of the Chancerie of the Kings Bench of the Common Pleas which doe sit as Iudges by the Kings Letters Pattents doe remaine authorised and their power ended not immediately with the King howbeit the succeeding Kings doe confirme them in their offices whereby all seditions are preuented during the inter Regnum 7 For that with indifferencie without regard of persons it commandeth as well the Nobilitie and other persons of dignitie by way of vtlagare or outlaw as the meanest subiects 8 For exercising a power ouer the Iudges which are not to judge of the Law but by the Law and therefore is the word Iudicium properly attributed to their determinations euen as the word Decretum is vnderstood of the ordinances or sentences of the Magistrates following equitie as it were without Law For there is the like proportion betweene the Law and the execution thereof called Legis Actio as there is betweene Equitie and the dutie of a Magistrate called Iudicis Officium 9 For that the officers thereof are authorised according to the qualitie and due execution of it by a proportionable distribution namely The Iudges for terme of life and officers subalterne changing from yeare to yeare to the end the administration of justice may bee more indifferent 10 For the diuersitie of the triall thereof in seuerall Courts according to Law and Equitie is the cause of an agreeing and most necessarie discord as it were Concordi Discordia whereby the bodie of justice is supported by striuing as the stones vpholding a vault as Cato saith 11 For that the Iudges in criminall causes doe change from time to time their circuits and inferiour Iudges of the Court doe execute the place as well as superiour Iudges whereby partialitie is preuented 12 For that the Law tendeth most carefully for the good and preseruation of life and goods of euerie good and honest man seeing that euen in criminall causes it hath prouided as much as may stand with justice a helpe and fauour permitting the Iudges to order the pleading of offendors and to instruct them to auoid mispleading and giuing them leaue to except against the Iurors which they dislike 13 For that it doth forbid the sale of offices thereby intending due administration of justice for where offices are sold as it were by the Great there justice is commonly solde by
King Philip de Valois in the yere 1328 the French crown of the flowerdeluce as good in weight and finenesse as the French crowne of the Sunne now was then worth but twentie soulz tournois commonly accounted to be two shillings sterling In those daies saieth he the French elle or yard of Veluet was worth foure liuers which is foure crownes or eight shillings sterling the said elle of Veluet doth now cost ten liuers or twentie shillings and the French crowne which was then valued at two shillings is now valued at fiftie soulz or fiue shillings so that foure crownes do make the said twentie shillings yet the said French crownes doe not containe more gold in weight or finenesse than before and consequently the veluet is not now deerer than it was then The gentleman that hath now fiue hundreth liuers by the yere to spend hath no more than he that had one hundreth liuers to spend in those daies and in like manner he proceedeth for Corne Wine and other commodities and thereupon concluded That the dearth of all things is but imaginarie and a vaine opinion to conceiue that things should be deerer now than in those daies The second Paradox THere is much to be lost vpon a Crowne or any other money although the same be giuen in paiment at the price it was receiued This saieth Monsieur Malestroit is an old and common error rooted in the iudgement of most men that are far from the marke and without their reckoning as he will manifest in the former termes In the aforesaid time of King Philip de Valois the French crowne aforesaid was worth but twentie soulz which is now currant for fiftie soulz The gentleman that had fiftie soulz rent or income did receiue for it two crownes and ahalfe or so much in siluer accordingly for which two crownes and a halfe he had halfe a yard and halfe a quarter of veluet after the rate of foure liuers the yard which was the price of veluet then now for this fiftie soulz the gentleman doth receiue but one crowne or so much of siluer money and for that one crowne now he can buy but one quarter of a yard of veluet after the rate of ten liuers that veluet is now worth whereas before hee had halfe a yard and halfe a quarter although hee haue giuen the same in payment for fiftie Sols which is the price for which hee receiued the said Crowne and so proceedeth with other the like examples in the buying of commodities with siluer coyne or in the receiuing of rents or incomes adding further thereunto that if any man will obiect and say I care not what the crowne liuer or soulz is worth so as I hauing a hundreth liuers of rent paied mee and that I can pay out againe the said hundreth liuers This man saith hee must then make proofe that he can haue now as much ware for two soulz as he could haue had in times past for two soulz which were of fine siluer and now almost of copper and in doing so hee should make a third Paradox more strange than the former for hee should goe about to prooue euerie thing to bee become better cheape which cannot bee prooued The substance and intention of these two Paradoxes is saith hee to shew that the King and his subiects doe buy all things as deere as in times past for that they must giue as great a quantitie of gold and siluer as in times past but by the inhauncing of the price of the moneys of gold from whence of necessitie proceedeth the abating of the siluer moneys Inhauncing of gold abateth the siluer in regard of proportion betweene them the King doth not receiue in payment of his reuenues such a quantitie of gold and siluer as his predecessors In like manner Noblemen and Gentlemen that haue great reuenues and incombes doe not receiue such a quantitie of gold and siluer as in times past but are payed as the King is in copper in liew of gold and siluer For which copper according to the second Paradox they cannot haue so much wares as they might haue for the like quantitie of gold and siluer so that the losse which wee haue by the growing deere of all things commeth not by giuing more but by receiuing lesse quantitie of gold and siluer than before whereby wee see manifestly that the more wee doe inhaunce the price of money the more we lose Monsieur Bodine the famous and learned Politician The great French Politician tooke vpon him to make an answere vnto those two Paradoxes being of another opinion and setteth downe other causes of the dearth of things which are fiue in number namely 1 The principall and almost onely cause The aboundance of gold and siluer now extant in the Kingdome more than in times past 2 The Monopolies 3 The Want of things causeth by excessiue Trade and wast thereof 4 The Pleasure of Princes that aduance the price of things 5 The alteration of the Valuation of Moneys To proue the first case and principall he alleageth diuers examples Plutarch and Plinie doe witnesse Examples of great wealth that Paulus Aemilius after the conquest of Macedon against the Persians did bring such aboundance of gold and siluer to Rome that the people were freed of all Imposts and the price of lands aduanced vnto two third parts suddenly The Emperour Augustus brought such great treasure from Egypt that the price of vsurie did decrease and lands became much dearer and the like at Ierusalem by the comming of the Queene of Candace and in the West Indies by the Spaniards conquest there and heereunto hee maketh a comparison of the want of moneys in times past The French King Iohn in England c. for the paiment of the ransome of Princes taken prisoners in those dayes and the meanes of the increase of wealth by the discouerie of the West Indies the propagation of the people in France their trade for Turkie and Barbarie their Banke at Lyons and other accidents Concerning the second cause of Monopolies hee doth passe ouer the same as a matter not considerable and doth limit Monopolies onely to the combination of Merchants and Artificers in the setting of a price to commodities or their handie worke by augmenting their wages Touching the third cause of the dearth of things by the want or waste of them hee obserueth some especiall things that corne and wine are better cheape during the time of warre than peace because the Husbandman is driuen to sell and to make money of his wares and the Gentleman finding the same perishable when the Merchant dare not lade his ships doth abate the price of commodities and maketh the people to liue good cheape which according to the Prouerbe France can neuer be famished would alwaies continue The Fertilitie of France if by the meanes of the stranger their storehouses were not emptied Concerning the fourth cause of the pleasure of Princes imposing a price vpon commodities
which they doe affect Plato saith That it is a generall rule in State matters That Princes doe not only giue Lawes vnto their subiects but also by their example they do change the manners of men The example of Princes doth change the manners of men to which purpose hee doth vse the example of their King Francis the first who being hurt in the head caused his haire to bee cut off wherein the people did presently imitate him We haue seen saith he three great Princes striuing as it were who should haue the most learned men and best artificers namely the said great King Francis the first Henrie the 8 King of England and Pope Paul the third insomuch that the King of England could neuer haue the learned and reuerend Beda and the French King did pay seuentie two thousand Crownes for a Diamond rather than King Henrie should haue had it Hereupon presently the people did giue themselues to studie and to buy precious stones when the Nobilitie did imitate the King and when the King gaue ouer the same the price of them was much abated If any man should here obiect saith Monsieur Bodin that if things should still become deerer partly through the waste and partly for the aboundance of gold and siluer no man should be able to liue because of the dearth of things It is true but the warres and calamities happening to a Common-wealth doe stay the course of it as wee may note that the Romanes haue liued with scarsitie and to speake properly in want and miserie almost fiue hundreth yeares when they had but copper moneys of a pound weight Copper moneys of one pound weight and without stampe for their gold and siluer came vnto them in one hundreth and twentie yeares by the spoile of all the world which was brought to Rome by the Scipions Paul Emilyus Marius Sylla Lucullus Pompey and Caesar especially by the two last for Pompey did conquer so much land Great wealth of the Romanes as made the reuenue of the Empire to bee eight millions and a halfe of Crownes Caesar notwithstanding all his prodigalities brought to the treasurie fortie millions of Crownes hauing giuen at one time vnto Paul Consull 900 thousand Crownes to hold silence and vnto Curion Tribune 1500 thousand Crownes to take his part Marke Anthonie went further as Plutarch and Appian haue written for he gaue vnto his armie for their seruice done 200 thousand Talents being 120 millions of Crownes so did Adrian the Emperour to haue the good will of fortie Legions giue ten millions whereby appeareth great aboundance of gold and siluer to haue been at Rome but it did not last euer for in lesse than three hundreth years the Parths Goths Hercules Hongres and other cruell Nations did ouercome the Empire and all Italy and ouercame the Romanes burned their Citie and tooke the spoile of them The like doth happen vnto all Common-weales to waxe and increase by little and little and to flourish for a time in wealth and power The propertie of Common-weales and afterwards to grow old and decline vntill they bee vtterly ruinated and destroyed Touching the last cause of the dearth of things by the alteration of money hee sheweth how Monsieur Malestroit hath mistaken the matter in the monies themselues made within three hundreth yeares For whereas he saith That Saint Lewis caused the first sols to be coyned worth twelue deniers whereof sixtie foure peeces went to the marke weight of eight ounces and that in Philip de Valois his time the Crowne of the Flower de Luce without number and as good as the Crownes now was valued but at twentie sols and that afterwardes King Iohn caused the Frankes to be made of sine gold which were but valued twentie sols and that the sols of siluer was worth fiue of our sols he doth not say of what weight and finenesse the moneys were in those dayes and in conclusion hee saith That the price of things is not altered by the Valuation of moneys But if Monsieur Bodine according to his wisedome and deepe iudgement in other matters had duely considered of these two Paradoxes hee would haue made a direct answere thereunto before he would haue proceeded in his former discourse The first Paradox being considered with the second will shew a manifest contradiction or contrarietie The contratierie of the Paradoxes for the first doth consist in giuing of more gold and siluer for commodities now than in times past which hee denieth and the second in receiuing lesse commodities for the gold and siluer now than in times past which hee affirmeth which both wayes is to bee taken in nature of commutation Now if wee doe not giue more quantitie of gold and siluer for commodities than in times past how can we receiue lesse commodities for the gold and siluer and thereby receiue a losse as in the second Paradox is alleaged Againe if we doe receiue lesse quantitie of commodities for gold and siluer than in times past according to the second Paradox whereby we sustaine a losse how can the first Paradox bee true That nothing is growne deere for that wee giue no more quantitie of gold and siluer than in times past commodities and moneys lying by this comparison in an equall ballance But let vs admit that Monsieur Malestroit had an intention which hee might haue expressed in few words if hee had the true ground and vnderstood the matter hee went about by proouing onely that when moneys doe alter in weight or in finenesse or in valuation Causes of the denomination of moneys c. or in all three the price of things doth alter onely by denomination if the valuation bee made accordingly yet Monsieur Bodine had not made a good interpretation of the said Paradoxes and mistooke the true ground of the matter in question touching the prices of commodities which hee compared within themselues in the Realme of France whereas the comparison ought to bee of the inhauncing of the price of the commodities of one countrey with the price of the commodities of other countreys and thereby find out whether things are growne deere with vs or with them in effect So that they both mistaking their grounds we haue shewed in the said Treatise That they hauing lost Ariadne her line wherewith they entred into the laborinth of moneys and their properties before declared are like vnto a man who hauing lost his way amongst the woods the further hee goeth the more hee erreth from the right way To intreate therefore of commodities and money in the course of trafficke betweene Kingdomes and Common-weales is not sufficient but the exchange of moneys being the publike measure betweene them must bee regarded as the principall and ouerruling part thereof For if a man should frame a silogisme in manner following he shall find the same full of fallacies and misprision nay a verie Dilemma Nothing causeth Merchants to export more money out of the Realme than they bring
and equalitie of moneys domesticall and forraine A most easie remedie aâ— aforesaid and to let all Merchants exchange one with another by Billes of Exchanges as they now doe and can agree amongst themselues but neuer vnder that price seeing it is against all reason nature and policie to vndervalue the Kings money by exchange and all the commodities accordingly to the incredible losse of the Realme Will not this be as easie to be done as we see the rudder of a ship doth gouerne the greatest carracke or vessell being but a small peece of timber fastened vpon the paralell of the keelne of the ship whereby it is directed according to all the variations of the Compasse as wee haue said elsewhere Let the practise hereof assure vs and we shall not need to seeke the golden Fleece in Colchos which wee haue within our owne Iland of Great Britannia our feeble pulses will be felt when our hammers shall beate in the Mint for moneys and bullion are to the State a second life If any Hedgmint for so doe the States of the Vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands call the Mints of pettie Lords Hedgemints what they bâ— which by falsified standards do imitate to coyne the money of other Princes should seeke to maintaine inequalitie all their imaginations will proue to be but chymeraes and toyes for it will bee easier for the King to alter the price of this equalitie of exchange accordingly than it is for a Miller to turne his mill to grind his corne with all windes insomuch that when it shall bee once established and knowne there will not want some backbiter or Momus to make little estimation of this Columbus voyage to the rich Indias and goe about to disgrace this great seruice to the King and Commonwealth for they shall be able to set an egge on the end by way of imitation as others did when they saw it done before Prerogatiue Royall to set a price for moneys By these meanes shall the ancient Office of the Kings Royall Exchanger bee supplied and it is one of the greatest prerogatiues the King hath to set downe a price on his owne coyne and thereby to giue a certaine measure to buy and sell which is by the Merchants exchange and conniuence of tolleration by forraine States abridged and in a manner frustrated and it imports the King more to reforme this exchange than any other Prince because God hath so blessed England that no Nation of Christendom trafficketh so much in bulke of Staple commodities as this Realme which Boters though altogether Spanish in times past and no friend to England confesseth that two yeares before the taking of Antuerp An. 1584. all the wares of Christendome being valued and summed by the officers of that City which were vented there in one yeare the whole being diuided into sixe parts the English amounted to foure parts thereof which is the cause also that England hath the head of exchange The Basis of Exchange which is our Basis and foundation of our twentie shillings sterling whereupon most exchanges are made and this head may command the members and parts of the body more conueniently by the Kings commandement as before hath beene declared I haue in this Chapter thought conuenient to remember this important matter againe with a varietie of stile to reuiue and recreate the spirit of the Reader to the end all the premisses may in his apprehension and conceit giue more delight and pleasure euen to naturall mother wit whose commendation may not bee omitted CHAP. XIX The due commendation of naturall Mother Wit FOr as much as all humane actions being fallen from perfection to imperfection are to ascend againe from imperfection to some measure of perfection Naturall Mother Wit casting her eyes backe Per varios casus per tot discrimina rerum challengeth the precedencie of Art by way of Prosopopeia by her ingenious obseruation of number weight and measure vnder which she hath noted that all substantiall things vnder the cope of Heauen are subiect Who will denie saieth the intellectuall part of Wit that euen as forma dat esse rei so I caused dame Nature to performe her function by producing spotted lambs when I ouercame the eie-sight in generation Gen. 30. ver 37 so when the teeth of infants come forth orderly and conioyned by my obseruation are they made an obiect for the tongue to play vpon did not I teach those that could not pronounce the letter R to lay little pimble stones vnder their tongue to eleuate the same to make them apt thereunto as also to cause the ligaments to be broken without which the Grammarian cannot ascribe to himselfe Grammatica Vox literata aâ—ticulata debito modo pronunciata By which abilitie the Caldean Hebrew Greeke and Latine letters were afterwards by Arts inuented ypon which foundation Logicke was builded whereby I caused verum falsum to be distinguished and trueth to be descerned which the Logitians haue so much obscured by their Sillogismes and Arguments founded vpon Distinctions Diuisions Subdiuisions Logica Quillets and Exceptions by varietie of termes that without my helpe the trueth can hardly nakedly be knowne which by Art should be made plaine and not intricate for a ripe Wit will dispell the foggie mysteries of deceitfull fallacies as the Sunne driueth away the winds and clouds Poets are beholding vnto me whose Naturall wittie facultie maketh them famous according to the prouerbe Nascimur Poetae fimus Oratores But now Art steppeth in Rhetorica and claimeth the honour of Rhetoricke as deuised by her with the helpe of the facunditie and fluencie of speech and is called Ornatus persuasio whereunto the celeritie of Wit occurreth saying soft sir do not take me to be all Wit without wisdome like vnto trees full of faire leaues without fruit Arithmetica for loe yonder commeth Arithmeticke which is the originall and ground of all the seuen liberall Sciences or Arts without which non of them can subsist her poesie is Par impar This foundation was laied by me amongst the heathens and vnlearned creatures of America and other countries to demonstrate numbers by fingers and toes telling two three foure and so to ten then ten and one and ten and two and so forth still making signes as they speake and when they will reckon twentie they will hold downe both their hands to their feet shewing all their fingers and toes and as the number is greater so will they double and augment the signe obseruing the same by a little bundle of stickes laied or tied together and separated a sunder obseruing thereby their paiments and promisses according to Number Weight and Measure This is that accounting by scores yet vsed whereof their Arithmeticke gaue denomination before any of the said Arts were inuented and this is properly to be attributed vnto me ab origine For I haue noted that in things created and ingendred the Elements are