famous and learned Maister Iohn Bodine making answer vnto these two Paradoxes first sheweth how M. Malestroit hath abused himself to vse the example of veluet to proue his assertions For he proueth that veluets were yet vnknowne in France during the raign of Philip surnamed the Faire And that although he should admit the example of veluets yet it were no consequence for all other things which were not so deare proportionably And concerning the price of wines and corne he doth prooue the same to be dearer 20 times and more or lesse vpon occasions concluding that those examples are also vnfit And then he cometh to the price of lands which cānot increase or diminish nor be altered of their goodnesse if they be manured Whereupon he taketh occasion to shewe the fertilitie of France and that certaine Dukedoms Earledomes and Baronnies are now worth of reuenue as much yearely as they were sold for in times past The lands being so much risen in price he sheweth that within sixtie yeares all things are growne deare tenne times the price comparing it to any mony in Fraunce and so setteth downe the causes of this dearth which are 5 in number 1 The principal almost only cause The abundance of gold and siluer nowe extant in the kingdome more then in times past 2 The Monopolies 3 The want of things caused by excessiue trade and wast thereof 4 The pleasure of Princes that aduance the price of things 5 The alteration of the valuation of money Concerning the first and principal cause he saith that the enhauncing of the price or dearth of all things in what place soeuer proceedeth of the abundance of that which giueth price and estimation vnto things and herupon doth alledge diuerse examples Plutarch and Plinie do witnesse that Paulus Aemylius after the conquest of Macedon against the Persians did bring such abundance of gold and siluer to Rome that the people was freed of all imposts and the price of lands aduaunced vnto two third partes in a moment The Emperour Augustus brought such great riches from Egipt that the price of vsurie did decrease and the lands became much dearer then before which was not for the want of lands which cannot increase or diminish nor for the Monopolies which can take no place in this case but it was the abundance of gold and siluer which abated the estimation thereof as it happened at Ierusalem at the time of the Queene of Candace and in the West Indies when the Spaniards became maisters thereof By which reason the Emperour Tiberius was much mistaken to cause him to be beheaded that would haue made glasse soft and malleable fearing that gold and siluer would thereby haue lost their estimation whereas the abundance of glasses which are made almost of all stones and many herbes would haue diminished the reputatiō thereof as it falleth out with all other things Therefore saith he we are to shew that there was not so much gold and siluer in times past three hundred years ago as there is now which may easily be known For if there be mony within the realme it cannot be so wel hidden but that Princes in their necessitie and occurrences will find the same whereas it is well knowne that king Iohn in his great necessitie could not find 60 thousand frankes let it be crownes for his raunsome but did remaine a prisoner to the king of England for the space of 8 yeares In like sort the king of Scots being prisoner could not find means for his ransome of a hundred thousand nobles vntill the French king Charles the fift payed the same making alliance with Robert the king of Scots anno 1371. King Saint Lewis was in the like predicamēt being prisoner in Egypt And the auncient histories do record that for want of siluer money was made of leather with a naile of siluer Wherby appeareth the great want of siluer and gold in Fraunce in those daies whereas comming to our age we shall find that the king did find in Paris in sixe moneths besides the incomes and reuenues more then three millions 4 hundred thousand pounds which after 10 pounds for the pound starling is 340 thousand pounds starling Herunto he hath added a comparison betweene certain reuenues and monies giuen in mariage with Princes and their kindred in those dayes with the like done by Princes of late yeares and how Italie through peace and meanes of their trafficke had drawne all the gold vnto them the treasure in Europe being generally increased since the discouerie of the West Indies For it is incredible saith he and yet true that since the yeare 1533 there came frō Peru more then one hundred millions of gold and twise as much in siluer Then he commeth to the causes of the increase of the wealth and treasure of France shewing how the Spaniard running to the vttermost corner of the world for gold siluer and spices doth come vnto them for their corne linnen cloth and diuerse other commodities On the other side how the English man Scot the people of Norway Swaden and Denmarke are continually digging an infinite number of mynes euen to the very center of the earth for mettals and minerals for to buy their wines prunes and other Commodities and most especially their Manna of salt which God sendeth as it were from heauen their Climate being more apt thereunto then that of other countries which causeth the Flemmings to come with their emptie vessels to buy the same for readie mony for the maintenance of their trafficke of salt-fish And this is the first cause The second is the increase of people which by reason of the ciuill wars which ceassed betweene the houses of Orleance Burgundie are much augmented vntill the troubles for Religion Whereas the warres of neighbor countries was but a necessarie purgation of the ill humors of the bodie of their Commonwealth and the wars at home had before that time wasted the countrey ouerthrowne husbandrie and spoiled all handiworke the Englishman hauing sacked their townes burned their villages murthered and robbed the most part of their people and gnawed the rest to the bones howbeit within these 100 years the towns haue bene reedified villages new builded woods increased the people augmented in such sort that colonies of Frenchmen haue bene sent into other countries to inhabite them and the Spaniard being negligent and lazie is for the most part in Arragon and Nauarre without any labourers or any other workmen but only Frenchmen which are more seruiceable and actiue Another cause of the riches of Fraunce is the trade had since their king Francis the first with the Turke and Barbarian the Banke of Lyons erected in his time brought aboundance of gold and siluer into Fraunce when he payed 8 vpon the hundred for money and his successor ten afterwards 16 and 20 vpon vrgent necessitie which made the Florentines Lugueses Genowaies Germaines and others to come dwell in the realme By which meanes also the
rentes leauied vpon the citie of Paris are brought to amount vnto 3 millions and three hundred and fifty thousand pounds tournois yearely And the citie would be much richer if there were a house as at Genes called the house of S. George which taketh al the money that men will bring after the rate of 5 vpon the 100 and doth deliuer out the same to the merchants to trafficke therwith after two and three vpon the hundred like as the great Emperours Antonie and Alexander Seuerus did which did deliuer mony at 4 per 100. And Augustus deliuered mony freely without interest to them that wold giue sureties to restore double the value if they did not pay it at the time limited By these means their subiects got much and Princes were not driuen to borrow or to pill their subiects but did rather diminish their imposts And so he concludeth that the aboundance of gold and siluer is the cause partly of the derth of things The second cause of the dearth of things namely the Monopolies he doth passe ouer as a matter not considerable to the things intreated of which is saith he when merchants artificers or laborers do assemble thēselues to set a price vpon the Commodities or their handiworke with the augmēting of wages For the preuenting whereof hee commendeth the abolishing of their fraternities or companies procured by the meanes of their Chauncelor The third cause of the dearth by the want of things commeth to passe by the excessiue trade of the things and by the wast thereof It is certaine saith he that we haue our corne and wine better cheape during the warres with the Spaniard and Flēming then after the warres when the trade is permitted For the husbandman being 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 bringeth downe the price of Commodities and maketh the people to liue good cheape which according to the Prouerbe Fraunce can neuer be famished would alwaies continue if by the means of the stranger their storehouses were not emptied The Spaniard doth buy and transport their corn before it is ripe because his countrey except Arragon and Granado is of great sterilitie therfore haue the corn merchants great priuiledges for bringing corne vnto them and are onely licensed to export mony for the same From the Spaniard saith he we haue but their oyles and spices and yet the best drugges come vnto vs from Turkie and Barbarie From Italie we haue their allumes some silkes and other Commodities Oyles we may haue within our dominions of Languedock and Prouence more then we do need and there are as good silkes made with vs as at Florence and Genes Touching allumes if we would cut the veines of the Pireney mountaines we should find an infinite number of allume and copresse as hath bin sufficiently proued whereas France doth spend farre aboue the value of one million thereof yearely and the wast of things is incredible The fourth cause of the dearth of things proceedeth from the pleasure of Princes which do impose a price vnto the things which they affect For it is a generall rule in state matters that Princes do not onely giue lawes vnto their subiects but also as Plato hath noted they do chaunge by their example the maners of men To which purpose he doth vse the example of their king Francis the first who being hurt in the head caused his haire to be cut off wherin the people did presently imitate him as following the will of Princes praising that which they do commend We haue seene at one time saith he three great Princes striuing as it were who should haue the most learned men and best artificers namely the great king Francis the first Henry king of England and Pope Paul the third in such sort that the king of England could neuer haue the learned and reuerend Beda and the French king did pay 72 thousand crownes for a Diamond rather then king Henry should haue had the same Presently the Nobilitie and the people did giue themselues to studie and to buy precious stones and whē king Henry beganne to make litle account of the stones their generall estimation and price was abated wherof there are many examples in like sort for the art of painting The Princes of the East and Alexander the Great had brought them into such credite that a picture of Venus issuing out of the waters which Apelles had made was bought for 60 thousand crownes Alexander gaue for his 200 talents that is 36 thousand pound starling Apelles himselfe made no difficultie to buy a picture of Protogenes for 50 thousand crownes concluding with other examples that the pleasure of Princes maketh things deare as aforesaid And so returning to the wast or consumption of things wherein their example is also imitated he doth reprehend the cutting of silke vpon silke or any other stuffe so that it can serue but once for one person which caused the Turkes to call vs mad men And further he findeth fault that our Lackies and seruants are apparelled therwith and that so much stuffe is put into the apparell disguising with new fangled fashions the proportion of our person or bodie contrarie to the ancient modestie when as the fashion of the apparell will many times cost more then the apparell itselfe To this is linked the desire of costly houshold stuffe and daintie and delicate fare of al sorts of meate and drinke whereof he alleaged examples which are better cōcealed then spoken of for they bring with them all licentiousnesse and excesse as a spring of vices of the calamities and miseries of a Common-wealth If any man shold here obiect saith he that if things did still become dearer partly through the wast and partly also for the abundance of gold and siluer no man should be able to liue because of the dearth it is true But the warres and calamities happening to a Common-wealth do stay the course hereof as we may see that the Romaines haue liued with great scarcitie and to speake properly in great miserie almost fiue hundred yeares when they had but copper monies of a pound waight and without stampe vntill king Seruius and they made no siluer monies but 485 yeares after the foundation of Rome and 62 yeares after they made monies of gold And here he taketh occasion to compare the price of things altered during the gouernment of the Romaines and the lawes made by them for the suppressing of abuses and that all their gold and siluer came vnto them in a hundred and twentie yeares by the spoiles of all the world which was brought to Rome by the Scipions Paul Aemylius Marius Sylla Lucullus Pompey and Caesar especially by the two last For Pompey did conquer so much land as made the reuenue of the Empire to come vnto 8 millions and one halfe of crownes Caesar notwithstanding all his expences prodigalities brought to the
did send vnto the Duchesse whiles her husband was in Germany desiring her to value the angell at 10 shillings Flemish but he could not obtaine the same Which seemeth very strange considering that the aduancing of the price of money doth cause the money to be transported to the places where it is aduaunced whereby all the angels might haue bin caried into her dominion But she like a wise and politicke Duchesse caused the matter to be examined and considered of sending men skilfull in mint causes into England And finding that the golden fleece aliâs Toison d'or was the money then most currant with her and that the same was worth both in regard of waight finenesse asmuch as the angel was also valued at 9 shillings 7 pence she could not graunt the kings requests without altering also her money vnlesse shee would haue suffered the English merchants to bring angels vnto her for 10 shillings and to carie away the golden fleeces for 9 shillings 7 pence to be conuerted into angels to the great losse of her dominions both in the money and to leaue the Commodities of her country vnuented so long as there were a gaine vpon the mony which abated the price of cōmodities These two Paradoxes being thus vnmasked are easily conceiued of any man of iudgement to be far from the truth and therefore will the vnderstanding thereof be accounted a matter of small moment as all things else are when they be known like vnto the egge of Columbus who hauing discouered the West Indies and hearing some say at a dinner that if he had not done it another might and wold called for an egge and willed all the guests one after another to set it vp on end which when they could not do he gently bruising the one end of it did make it flat or rather by swinging did breake the yolke within and so set it vp shewing how easie it was to do that which a man had seene done before him Now let vs examine the answer of Maister Bodine Maister Malestroit was of opinion That nothing was growne dearer in three hundred yeares as is before shewed But Maister Bodine was of a contrarie opinion and sheweth fiue causes of the dearth of things as we haue also declared Whereunto for a generall and direct answer by way of Replication we say that to shew the alteration of the price of things and the causes therof is of small moment the true ground of the matter being by him mistaken Which true ground must be by making a comparison of the enhauncing of the price of the Commodities of one countrie with the price of the Commodities of other countries and thereby to find out whether things are grown deare with vs in effect and whether we pay more proportionably for the forraine Commodities within the aforesaid time of three hundred yeares then we doe receiue for the price of our home Commodities For if we do now pay more for corne wine and all other victuals and sell our Commodities for more then we were wont to do proportionably here is no alteration in effect but in name onely so long as the substance of the money is not altered in propertie But if we sell our Commodities dearer and buy our victuals dearer then heretofore and that ouer and aboue the price thereof we must pay farre dearer for the forraine Commodities then proportionably the price of our Commodities is risen this causeth vs to be aloser in particular and bringeth by an ouer-ballancing of forraine Commodities with our home Commodities a generall losse to the Common-wealth which to supply causeth vs to make vp the inequalitie with mony which is the treasure of the realm The consideration then must be not to compare things within themselues in the Commonwealth where we do liue but betweene vs and other nations with whom we deale either by way of permutation of Commodities for Commodities or Commodities for money in specie or by exchange So that we must examine the course of Commodities Money and Exchange which are the three simples vnder the which all the trade and trafficke is performed whereof we shall intreate when we shall haue examined the matters by him alleaged in particular The fiue causes of the dearth of things by him alleaged are to be distinguished according to our forme obseruation For the first last cause concerning plentie of gold and siluer and the alteration of the valuation of money may be causes that generally things are deare But the other three touching Monopolies the want and wast of things and the pleasure of Princes can but make things particularly deare according to the vse thereof wherein the time maketh also now and then an alteration vpon occasion as when armes are dearer in time of warre then in time of peace victuals in time of famine wood in winter and water in desert places and such like Seeing then that plentie of money maketh not onely the Commodities of a countrie deare but that they are also Nerui bellorum the sinewes of warre euery Prince is to haue a singular care for the preseruation and augmentation therof especially those Princes that haue no mines of gold or siluer within their dominions or such as haue had them and are now without them The gold was wont to come much out of the mountaines of Boheme and riuers of Pannonia and Swaden Out of Spaine there was wont to come both out of the riuers and monntaines aboue 20 thousand pound weight yearely which is all exhausted then it came from the West Indies first from Santo Domingo and other places where it doth also cease now it commeth from Peru by certaine millions which will also take an end The siluer is brought also frō the West Indies and was much found in Germanie but is now in many places drawne out The most noble Kings of this realm haue alwaies had a singular care to accumulate treasure deeming therfore that it was neither expedient nor conuenient for them to suffer the transportation of their monies or bullion out of the same as by diuers acts of Parliament may be seene whereby it was made fellonie for the space of many yeares continuing William the Conqueror caused a description to be made of the realme and the land to be measured reseruing so much thereof as he thought conuenient for the Crowne and the rest he deuided amongst his Barons and knights who did pay him therefore a certaine summe of money whereby he did gather a treasure Henry the second succeeding him within one hundred yeares hauing had many great warres and ioyned Ireland to the Crowne of England conquering also Scotland and reducing Normandie and other places in Fraunce to the Crowne and hauing raigned 35 yeares had neuer cause to impose any tribute subsidie or taxe vpon his subiects and left notwithstanding behind him in treasure 900 thousand pounds which in those daies was not only a great matter the West Indies not being discouered but also for
vse of melting or transportation and to pay out the light ones especially in siluer Counterfeiters washers and falsifiers of money will be sooner detected and the false money knowne when peeces of one sort shall be of one bignesse and thicknesse and of one sound and fairnesse of stampe with their priuate marke for the time the thicknesse will be seen the waight will be found and the sound will be heard by comparing one peece to another especially when the rednesse or colour of the money doth giue suspition that the same is counterfeited For there is great difference in the lumpe of mettals of equall waight as we may partly perceiue and is exactly found by the last triall made thereof The masse or lumpe of gold to the lumpe of siluer doth differ as much as 9 to 5 that the bodie of siluer is bigger then that of gold which is 1 ⅘ Betweene copper and siluer is as much difference as betweene 11 and 13. Lead to siluer as from 15 to 14 but that will not ioyne with any other mettall then tinne which is lighter then siluer and doth differ from it as 9 to 13 and from the gold as 7 to 18. Iron doth differ from siluer as 4 to 3 and from the gold as 6 to 9 that the bodie of gold is lesser Quicksiluer which is volatile commeth nearer vnto gold and doth differ as 3 to 4 the fixing wherof is difficult Touching the scisell which commeth by the making of monies by mils or engines it is soone made and conuerted into monies and may be lessened by good casting of the mettall into plates proportionate which by degrees may be reformed according to the increase of the quantitie of gold and siluer To which end it will not be amisse to exhort and require all Goldsmiths and others to be vigilant and diligent in bringing of bulliō into her Maiesties mint where they may haue very speedie and assured payment thereof at all appointed times And in this place we must not forget that care may be had that the Moniers which worke by the hammer may be prouided for their lining or be set on worke by the milles or engines Lastly it were very conuenient commodious as also good for the poore to make small monies of copper as halfepence and farthings which might be called Pledges of the poore and would increase charitie towards them Whereby also all leaden tokens vsed in Tauernes and by such as sell small wares would bee taken away and would be very commodious in so populous a kingdome being made exactly to preuent counterfeiting which generally we do hold so difficult to be done as is the counterfeiting of the hand of an excellent writer amongst the ordinarie writings of most men And the making thereof can breede no inconuenience in the Commonwealth in the prices of Commodities wheras some Princes do vse to coyne some monies for to remain within their dominions some other kind of monies for to be transported into other countries reaping a great gaine by the coynage thereof And omitting to shew the important causes and reasons which Princes haue to maintaine a standing treasure we do not hold it impertinēt to reduce to memorie that which is recorded of the treasure of Princes in times past to awaken care in others The greatest meane that the Romaines had to saue their state when Hanniball had almost brought them to ruine was 450 thousand crownes that the treasure did amount vnto which was gathered by the redemption of slaues and neuer touched vntill that time Pope Iohn the 22. left 23 millions of gold Sardanapalus 40 millions of crownes Cirus 50 millions the Athenians 60 millions Tiberius the Emperour 67 millions Alexander the Great found in the treasurie of Darius Occhus the Persian king 80 millions But the greatest treasure mentioned in the Scripture which king Dauid left was 120 millions which did exceede farre the treasure recorded of the Romaines when they flourished most vnder Traian the Emperour which is 74 thousand talents being 44 millions 400 thousand crownes To say nothing of the siluer and gold found vpon the discouerie of the West Indies and the ransomes which were collected when Atabalippa king of Peru gaue onely for his raunsome ten millions 326 thousand duckets Let vs consider what great treasures Princes might haue now adaies when money doth abound whereas it is reported that king Henry the 7 of England left in bullion after his decease 53 hundred thousand pounds starling in those daies when an ounce of siluer was valued but 40 pence And so cōcluding for monies let vs come to the matter of exchaunge which is the third and last meane whereunder the trade is performed But because my Treatise of The Canker of Englands Cōmonwealth doth handle that matter particularly therefore shall it suffice to make mention onely of the Contents thereof As money doth rule the course of Commodities so the exchaunge for monies with vs doth not onely rule both the course of money and Commodities but being abused by the merchandizing thereof is become predominant and doth ouer-rule the course of them both to Englands great and incredible losse whereas the right exchange is most commendable necessarie and conuenient for the maintenance and traffick of entercourse betwixt merchant and merchant or countrie and countries beeing grounded vpon the waight finenesse and valuation of the money of each countrie according to value for value which accordingly should be kept at a certaintie as a measure betwixt vs and other nations For we haue amply declared and proued that when the exchange doth fall or rise in price the same being either high or low it turneth euery way to the losse of the Realme both for the price of our home Commodities and the transportation of our monies and by aduancing the price of forraine Commodities causing an ouer-ballancing in nature before alleaged which to supply draweth or expelleth our treasure For we doe in effect giue the same to boote vnto other nations with our home Commodities to haue their Commodities for it Some men of iudgement haue found my writing to be inuectiue and patheticall against Bankers wherein they are not mistaken For the vse of Bankes is incompatible in any well ordered Commonwealth as time will manifest more and more daily The French kings Lewis the 9 and Philip the Faire did with great cause confiscate the Bankers goods and for the discouerie of their debts ordered their subiects to pay onely the principall money vnto their Treasurers Philip de Valois did the like and indited them as couseners of the Common-wealth For it was found that in a short time with 24 thousand pounds starling they had accumulated and gotten aboue 2 millions 400 thousand pounds Others which through enuie malice or other passions haue the eyes of their iudgment blinded haue censured my writing to be Apologeticall for the erection of a Banke vnder the colour of the restauration of the office of the auncient Kings Exchanger which
doth decrease and it were his expences do become greater or surmount his incomes and reuenues This kind of equalitie is interrupted and ouerthrowne by the merchandizing exchange as in the Treatise of The Canker of Englands Common-wealth is declared For as all the trade and trafficke betweene vs and other nations is performed by three simples namely Commodities Money and Exchange so as we haue proued is the course of exchaunge being abused become predominant and ouerruling the course of money and Commodities whereby the wealth of the Realme doth decrease And this wealth cannot properly increase but two manner of wayes namely by bringing of money and bullion into the Realme or any other things which are not bought for our money or bartered by way of permutation for our Commodities and by buying the forraine Commodities better cheape then we sell our home Commodities And so may the father of the great familie become a seller and not a buyer as is before alleaged We haue hertofore noted the propertie of money to be That plentie of mony maketh generally things deare and scarcitie of money maketh likewise generally things good cheape whereas things are also particularly deare or good cheape according to the plentie or scarcitie of the things themselues or the vse of them According to which plentie or scarcitie of money aforesaid things generally became deare or cheape whereunto the great store or abundance of mony and bullion which of late yeares is come from the West Indies into Europe hath made euery thing dearer according to the increase of money which like vnto an Ocean deuiding her course into seuerall braunches in diuerse countries hath caused a great alteration and enhancing of the price of euery thing and most especially because the money it selfe was altered in valuation in most countries So that the measure being altered and made lesser by denomination there went more number to make vp the tale and of necessitie other things went and were named accordingly in price For money must alwayes remaine to be the rule and square to set a price vnto euery thing and is therefore called Publica mensura the publike measure whereby the price of all things is set to maintaine a certaine equalitie in buying and selling to the end that all things may equally passe by trade from one man to another This money must haue his standing valuation onely by publike authoritie of the Prince to whom properly belongeth the disposing thereof as a matter annexed to his Crown and dignitie And as the money doth set a price to the naturall riches of lands so doth it also set a price to the artificiall riches proceeding of the lands And therfore reason requireth a certaine equalitie betweene the naturall riches and the artificiall riches That plentie of money maketh things deare is found by daily experience whether it be in bullion of gold and siluer or the same conuerted into mony But so long as it is in bullion it remaineth in nature of Commoditie which is giuen by way of permutation or barter in exchange for other Commodities Plentie or scarcitie of Commodities doth also alter the price of the things wanting or abounding according to the vse thereof which is grounded vpon estimation by consent after the pleasure and sensualitie of man The Historie of the West Indies maketh mention that during the great quantitie or abundance of gold and siluer that was found about fourscore yeares past and the rarenesse of other things a cloake of cloth was sold in Peru for a thousand duckets a paire of breeches of cloth for three hundred duckets a good horse foure or fiue thousand duckets and other things then in vse and rare accordingly The Romaines after the conquest of the Persians brought such abundance of gold and siluer to Rome that the price of lands did rise aboue two thirds And on the contrarie concerning scarcitie of money Grafton in his Chronicle of England hath recorded that king Edward the third hauing great warres with Fraunce and Scotland and incorporating the money into his handes for the maintenance thereof caused through the lacke of money the price of Commodities so to fall that a quarter of wheat was sold for two shillings a fat oxe for a noble a sheepe for sixe pence and other things after the rate The consideration of the premises maketh the two Paradoxes of Maister Malestroit one of the Officers of the French kings Exchequer to be most Paradoxicall that is to say farre differing from the vulgar opinion which Paradoxes vpon complaint of the people of the dearth of things in Fraunce he presented vnto the king thereby to qualifie the cause of their complaint The substance whereof I haue thought most expedient to set downe and the aunswer also which Maister Iohn Bodine the greatest Polititian or Common-wealths man of Fraunce hath made thereunto together with my explication thereof and Replication to his answer whereby the truth wil appeare and how things are to be considered of for the good of the Common-weale The first Paradox To complaine of the generall dearth of al things in Fraunce is without cause seeing that there is nothing growne dearer these three hundred yeares The second Paradox There is much to be lost vpon a Crowne or any other mony of gold and siluer albeit one do giue the same in payment at the price he did receiue the same Since that the auncient Permutation saith he hath bene chaunged in buying and selling and that the first riches of men which did consist of cattel was transferred to the gold and siluer whereby all things haue receiued their estimation and haue bene praised and sold for it followeth that those mettals are the right iudges of the good cheap or dearth of al things We cannot say that any thing is now dearer then it was three hundred yeares ago vnlesse that for the buying thereof we must now giue more gold or siluer then we did then But for the buying of al things we do not giue now more gold or siluer then we did then saith he Therefore since that time nothing is growne dearer in Fraunce To proue this he doth alleadge that during the raigne of king Philip de Valois in the yere 1328. the French Crowne of the Flower-de-luce as good in waight and finenesse as the French Crowne of the Sunne now was then worth but twentie sols tournois which for the better vnderstanding being valued according to the common computation of ten sols for a shilling starling is two shillings In those dayes saith he the French elle or yard of veluet was woorth foure liuers which is foure crowns or 8 shillings starling the said yard 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 sols or fiue shillings So that foure crownes do make the said 20 shillings yet the said french crownes do containe no more in gold in weight or in finenesse then before wherby there
1 400. m. Limborgh and Walkenborgh 233. m. Flaunders Lyle and Doway 1 559. m. Henault 1 050. m. Artois 722. m. Holland 572. m. Zealand 101. m. Ouerysle 840. m. Freezeland 464. m. Malnies 15. m. Namure 196. m. Vtricht 227. m. Grocninghen 250. m. Zutphen 357. m. Meiers 35 m. and other places of the Empire 141. m.  All 10. 049. m. measures Italie which lyeth on the South-side of the Alpes and Germanie and stretcheth it self out in length towards the South East may thus be described Vnder Spaine Naples 14 700. m. Lombardie 2 100. m. Vnder Venice Treuisana 3 290. m. Verona 740. m. Frioul 1 400. m. Mantua 570. m. Vnder Rome Liguria 1 865. m. Romagnia 1520. m. Latium 570. m. Hetruria 642. m. Sauoy 2 520. m. Piamont 2 100. m. Tuscane Florence 6 160. m. Siena 570. m. Marca ancona 1 790. m. Parma plaisance 2 015. m. Sicily 4 200. m. Cyprus 2 100. m. Candia 2 800. m. Corsica 1 680. m. Sardegnia 5 600. m.  All 55 580. m. measures Prusia lying on the East North corner of Germany 11 200. m. Poland lying on the East side of Germanie containeth 21 000. m. Russenia 10 500. m. Volhimia 6 300. m. Massouia 2 098. m. Liuonia 30 152. m.  All 70 050. m. measures Denmarke lying on the North side of Germany hauing on the North and East side the kingdome of Sweden on the North side West of Sweden lyeth the kingdome of Norway containing all with their dominions as followeth Denmarke 13 643. m. Norway 37 296. m. Sweden 64 000. m. Finland 8 392. m. Holsten 1 398. m. Ditmars 442. m. Gothia 23 334. m.  All 148 505. m. measures The great Monarchie of Russia or Moscouia beginning on the East side of Sweden extending it self from Lapland and Finmarke vnto the Caspian sea containeth in it a great part of Europe and part of Asia whereof we are to make a deuision hauing only purposed to make a particular description of Europe That part which is vnder Europe containeth 302 957. m. measures So all Europe containeth 940 198. thousand measures of land Hungarie containing 21 000. m. Dalmatia 4 900. m. Transiluania 7000. m. with whole Turky cōtaining 527,100 m. and Moscouia 187,143 m. Tartarie containing 420,000 m. Persia 560,000 m. and the lands of Calicout 840,000 m. maketh all Asia to containe 2567 143. m. measures Africa all Egypt 2240,000 m. America containeth 1674,286 m. Noua Spania containeth 1960,000 m. Summa tot 9 381 627. m. measures the whole earth of 1000. measures for a league of 4 English miles The territorie of Rome after the foundation of Romulus did containe but 18 thousand iourneys of land which he did deuide into three equall parts allotting the one third as it were Ecclesiasticall lands for the defraying of the sacrifices the other third to the common wealth as it were Crowne land and the last third part was deuided betweene three thousand citizens of all sorts after the rate of two iourneys for euery one William the conqueror caused after the conquest a description to be made of the Realme of England and the land to be measured reseruing for the Crowne so much as he thought conuenient and bestowing the rest vpon his Barons and Knights he caused an imposition or taxe to be made of sixe shillings vpon euery hide of land being twenty acres making 160 acres to be a Knights fee. And so hauing left the Dukedome of Normandy vnto Robert his eldest sonne did thereby maintaine his royall estate dignitie The Grecians had diuerse meanes to maintaine their estate but the Romaines hauing a very large and spatious iurisdiction had most means by conquest and tribute of other nations The ordinary meanes that Princes haue now a dayes for the maintenance of their royall estates or dignities may be comprehended vnder these three The first vpon the estimation of the body of their lands and dominions of all immoueable goods according to their value by a computation vpon the hundreth or a proportion of the fruits thereof which is comprehended vnder Natural riches The second vpon the things which are consumed proceeding thereof namely of victuals as of flesh fish wine beare fruit and such like of rents as of houses and farms liberties and franchises manors and townes of fire as of wood and coales of apparell as of wollen clothes silkes furs flaxe and such like The third vpon the trade and trafficke of merchandise and vpon the persons of men according to their degree and quality Which meanes are increased by the inhabiting of countries and multitude of people which causeth Princes to study to make their countries populous and to increase the cōmerce trafficke by the gaines whereof the wealth is increased For albeit that the multitude of people maketh the price of lands to rise and victuals to become dearer yet the Prince and the subiects meanes of maintenance do also increase and one doth liue by another alwayes so as there be had a singular care to set poore men on work and that the idle droane do not consume the sweete honey Hereupon two speciall points are incidently to be handled namely that as I haue made a commparison of country and countries vnder the dominion of the Princes in Europe so is it not very difficult for me to make a comparison of the wealth thereof and likewise of the ordinary meanes which these Princes do vse for the maintenance of their estates and what ordinary charges and expences they do sustaine whereby would appeare manifestly that England is able to hold out with any kingdome in Europe But fearing the reprehension of some Apelles this being a matter of State I will containe my selfe within the compasse of my profession The second part is to delare many and diuerse extraordinary meanes which Princes haue vsed heretofore and might vse in their necessities and occurrences But this would proue vnnecessary considering we do liue vnder so gratious a Princesse whom God long preserue to raigne ouer vs whose most royal disposition and clemency doth rather moderate impositions and taxes then inuent any that neuer were her subiects also being most dutifully obedient and thankfully inclined to make her Maiestie voluntarie offers of subsidies and other meanes for the generall defence of the Realme not expecting that the same should be of them required Yet to giue some glaunce of comparison betweene England France the greatest kingdome of Europe let vs take notice of the obseruation of Polititians which affirme England properly to be deuided into 52 thousand villages or hamlets as there are weekes in the yeare much after the deuision which the Athenians made of their land in 365 parts as there are dayes in the yeare and to containe as they say 2800 thousand families euery family 6 persons is 16800 thousand persons England containing by our computation but 34 millions 438 thousand measures of land square whereas Fraunce containing 91 millions 350 thousand
measures of land is but esteemed to haue 4400 thousand families and fiue persons to euery family which is but 22000 thousand persons The commodities of France are not so rich and of estimation as the commodities of England much lesse the commodities of Denmarke Russia Poland and other great countries Wherefore let vs now examine for the second point concerning Artificiall riches the goodnesse of our commodities Maister Bodine doth call Salt to be their manna and we may call our wools to be the Golden fleece which we shall not need to seeke in Colchos but here in England in regard both of their goodnesse and quantity Great was the losse and hinderance which the Realme receiued by the licence which king Edward the third gaue vnto king Iohn of Aragon for to transport into Spaine certaine number of Cotswold sheep both in respect of wools and wooll fels For we see what great quantity of wools bettered vnder their climate doth continually come from diuerse places of the king of Spaines dominions into Fraunce and the Low-countries especially in Flaunders where diuerse fine stuffes are made and brought vnto vs and other nations causing a decrease of the custome of the Prince as may be knowne by this that the custome of wooll in this king Edward his time came to aboue threescore and fiue thousand pounds yearely the ounce of siluer being valued but at 20 pence which would make now 200 thousand pound For there went out of the realm at the least a hundred thousand sackes of wooll whereof were made 300 thousand clothes at the least whereas there is now computation made of 100000 clothes yearly or somwhat more the custome being 35 thousand poūds Wherby we may see manifestly that there is a great ouer ballancing of forreine commodities with our home commodities as shall be made more apparant It is wel knowne that since the Statute made in the sixt yeare of her Maiesties most happy raigne all sorts of white clothes haue bin amended for length goodnesse likewise kerseys bayes cottons Northerne dozens diuers other kinds of clothes haue bin bettered since that time whereas the commodities of other countries haue bene made worse Howbeit it were to be wished that with vs good order were taken for the continuance thereof as also that clothiers would deuise to make their clothes after the manner of Venice as it were in hot-houses sauing thereby a great part of their oyle for the making of other clothes which is now wasted and spent which practise is of late put in vre by the Flemmings in some places and yet can they not sell their clothes so good cheape but that our cloth is with thē in great request For all that merchants besides other great charges pay vnto them aboue 20 shillings custome and licence for euery cloth to bring them thither ouer and aboue the charges and custome of the dominions of other Princes and States when cloth is not caried directly vnto them Comming to our other Commodities of lead tinne copper iron bel-mettall and other minerals we shall not need to make mention of gold siluer and copper because our mynes do not yeeld such quantitie thereof as in other countries which haue a better temperature of climate to that effect Howbeit greater store would be found if men did endeuour to find the same as for any thing we can as yet learne one man onely hath bestowed extraordinarie charges therein as some haue done for the copper which by their means is found somewhat plentifull whereby with the addition of the Calamine stone many manuall things are now made within the realme by milles and otherwise which heretofore were brought vnto vs. And now let vs speake of the particulars as of lead tinne and iron Our lead whereof we haue abundance doth exceed in goodnesse that of Germany and other countries and containeth more siluer then theirs which is blacke harder and vncleane and therefore serueth them to make peeces of Ordinance whereof the Duke of Brunswicke hath good store But iron is farre better for that purpose and that which is found in other places is not comparable vnto ours neither hath any Prince the like Tinne a most royall Commodity is exceeding in goodnesse all other Tinne found elsewhere which is but litle as it is not very abundant with vs. For all our mynes do not yeeld aboue 10 or 12 hundred thousand pound waight yearely at the most which in regard of the vse thereof is and hath bene sold by vs very good cheape especially in such places from whence wee bring very corruptible Cōmodities of wines raisins prunes currans such like giuing them this the like staple Cōmoditie for them We haue noted how of late yeares gold siluer copper iron and lead haue bene found more plentifully then in times past but we cannot say so of Tinne the vse thereof in Turky and other places being considered By reason whereof if heretofore the proportion of mettals obserued by the Germaines and other nations was 150 pound waight of copper to one pound of siluer or 700 pound of iron 600 p. of lead or 25 pounds of quicksiluer and but one hundred p. of tin much more ought we to diminish this proportion◠considering as aforesaid the great quantitie of al other mettals found in diuerse places and but this small parcell of Tinne of that rare goodnesse found onely in England where aboue 80 years past the price thereof was about forty shillings the hundred when anounce of siluer was esteemed forty pence and when the best veluet was sold for ten shillings the yard And omitting to speake of saltpeter coppresse allume and such like minerals whereof wee haue great store let vs conclude with the consideration of the great abundance of sea-coles that are found in England the price whereof might with more reason be farre aduaunced aboue the price of salt The Manna of Fraunce seeing that as Maister Bodine hath noted of all mines the mines hereof can be exhausted and so cannot salt be which with lesse labor doth in a manner raine from heauen vnder their climate the rather for that woods are not onely decreasing with vs but also with other nations that shall in time haue as much neede of our coales as we of their salt wherof the impost in Fraunce amounteth to 450 thousand pound starling yearly as the matter is handled Safforne and cony skins are two commodities exceeding also in goodnesse likewise corne beare fels tallow hops wood hose and many other things are all better then the like had in other countries and so might leather be if the lawes did suffer it to be dressed accordingly For albeit that the difference of water in goodnesse for that purpose maketh an alteration yet they might be qualified and made seruiceable to that effect Our waxe is also better then that of Moscouia and the East countries and this being a commodity had with little labour and without the vse of much ground and of late