Stone of the Castle was shaken or any of their Men had lost the least hair of their Heads they Dishonourably Surrendred the Fort for which Treachery tho so profitable to the Enemy yet he commanded them to be Fetter'd in Chains and basely intreated in close Prisons till they had dearly redeem'd their Liberty But on the other hand in that story 't is pitty to omit an Instance of the Loyalty Fidelity and Resolution of the Lord Delacy Governor of another English Garrison in France who having received of King John the Custody of that goodly Castle Rock Andley did bravely bear of the Siege and power of King Phillip of France and his Host almost a whole Year yet they could never make entry upon them but were repulsed with slaughter till his Provision of Victuals being spent he called his Souldiers together encouraging them that it was more noble for Souldiers to Dye Fighting than Famishing and together with their own Lives to Sacrifice to their Countries Honor the blood slaughtred Enemies Whereupon fiercely Sallying forth with his Resolutes after a blody shambles made in the midst of his belegers he was by Multitude over-born and taken But in regard of his Exemplary Faith and prowess in maintaining his charge he was by King Phillips express command tho' an Enemy Honourably used and without restraint of a Prison yet this very King Phillip just as Lewis now shortly after used such Instruments to get other places that he first corrupts them that they might corrupt others to defection with great rewards and greater promises that he might in time obtain the English Diadem from King John which was very near obtained at that time in the mean-time go Roan and so all Normondy which had been in the hands of the English Kings viz. King John and his Predecessours about Two hundred Year and no less Treacherously dealt Phillip the French King with them when he caught them with the Trap of glossing proffers causing without delay their Cities goodly Walls to be utterly demolished and giving strict charge never to be built again It may not be amiss to relate the occasion why Normondy was so soon lost to the French and thereby afterwards Lewis Phillips Son to come here as by and by more of Lewis when King John had notice of the French Kings design on Normondy he prepared a very great Army and Ships accordingly to Transport them and when ready to Embark Hubert then Bishop of Canterbury that he might faciliate the French Kings design prevented that enterprise threatning Excommunication from his Holiness at Rome if he attemptsd it The like have been by some others done by hindring our attempts upon the French when opportunities have been offered but to return by King John's being hindred from going to France and loosing so much expence here and his Intrest in Normondy by which means and his adhearing to Rome the Barons War began which gave opportunity for the French King Phillip to put in Execution what he did aim at before viz. The Crown of England and to that end his Son Lewis being invited came over with an Army and after great destruction by that War as King John was going from Lynn in Norfolk to give Lewis Battle as he was passing the washes in Lincoln-shire with his Army in those Sands all his Carridges Treasure and Provision himself and his Army hardly escaping were Irrecoverably lost many likewise were the grievances into which the Barons the mean while were plunged to see their Native Country thus horribly Massacreed their own Castles and Possessions ruined by the King and which bred in them most Anxity their Faithful service in their Faithless adherance not so respected by Lewis as he and their foreruning hope had promised them while he conferred only on his French all such Territories and Castles as the hand of Victory had lent him but their distress were yet greater than those their jealousies could comprehend till a Noble French Man Vicont de Modan a Man of great esteem with Lewis having his Soul in his Sickness deadly wounded with the Sin of his Health desired private conference on his Death-bed in London with those English Barons to whom Lewis had committed the Custody of that City to whom he imparted what lamentable desolations and unsuspected ruines hung over their Heads for that Lewis with sixteen other his chief Earls and Barons whereof himself was one avowing it on the Salvation of his now departing Soul had taken an Oath if ever Englands Crown was setled on his Head to Condemn unto perpetual Exile all such as now adhered to him against King John as Traytors to their Sovereign and all their Kindred in the Land utterly to Extirpate So Coucelling them timely to prevent their misery which by the sudden Death of King John and Crowning Henry the Third was accomplished and then Lewis was forcest to be gone which had not King John been taken away so soon great misery had then befaln England I would upon this occasion crave leave to look back and consider how seasons and opportunities have been neglected to have given that common Enemy of mankind a very great check and freed England from those losses lately in our Turky Fleet and and fears of more who knows how things may be for the future or who may hereafter call any thing their own things are so uncertain whether we believe it or no I wish I may be deceived in my fears I would upon this occasion as being not Impertinent recite a passage that the Turkish History affords us viz That at the taking of Constantinople by Mahomet the Great at which time the Riches of the Conquered were no better then poverty and beauty worse than deformity but to speak of the hidden Treasure there found passeth credit The Turks themselves wondering thereat whereof if some part had in time been bestowed upon the defence of the City the Turkish King had not so easily taken both it and the City But every Man as now here was careful how to encrease his own private wealth few or none regarding the publick state its still our case until in fine every Man with his private abundance was wrapped together with his needy Neighbour in the self same common misery yet the security of the Constantinopolitans was such that tho' being always environed with their Mortal Enemies yet had they no care of Fortifying of so much as their inner Wall of the City but suffered the Officers which had the charge of it to convert the greatest part of the Money into their own Purses as appears by one Manuel Geogrius a little before a very poor Man and likewise by Neophilu an Officer who had in a short time gathered together Seventy Thousand Florens which becometh a worthy prey unto the greedy Turks Upon the whole matter I must conclude that if our Intrest and the Glory of our Nation be things of value I humbly submit to better Judgments whether the things before mentioned duly
THE Usurpations of France UPON THE TRADE OF THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE OF ENGLAND BRIEFLY HINTED AT Being the EFFECTS of Thirty Years Observations by which that King hath been Enabled to wage War with so great a Part of EUROPE OR A Caution to England To Improve a Season now put into Her Hand to Secure Her Self By WILLIAM CARTER LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin at the Oxford-Armes in Warwick-Lane and Joseph Fox at the Cap in Westminster-Hall MDCXCV THE PREFACE THE Subject of the following Discourse being matter of Fact the less Apology will be required nor needs it many Arguments to Demonstrate what we see and feel viz. That the French have within this 40 Years not only by Increase of Trade Enriched their Country but also Multiplied their Shipping to that degree that the Effect thereof hath occasioned the Effusion of so much Blood and Treasure in these late Years and how much more few can tell The Consequences that have happened I long since fore-saw and publickly declared my Fears that unless some speedy method were taken the French would in a short time Engross the whole Woollen-Manufacture and consequently Trade it self to the irreparable Damage of this Kingdom And tho' the War with France hath cost Vs so many Millions yet I question not but the Perusal of the following Sheets will convince all Persons that rather regard the Publick Interest than some Private Convenience that may attend themselves that had there been no War speaking humanely we should have ere this time lost the whole Profit of the Exportation of the said Woollen-Manufacture amounting to several Millions in Value Yearly the French before the War having made so great Progress therein that they had not only Prohibited our Cloth and Stuffs to be Imported into France but had also so far advanced themselves in that Manufacture as to Export the same into many Foreign Parts as Mr. Andrew Marvel hath formerly shewed at large in a Paper Printed in the Year 1677 a part of which is inserted in the following Discourse And if this be the true state of the Case in the Infancy of the said Woollen-Manufacture in France as it was before the War if a Peace were concluded what the Consequences will be when that King shall enlarge and bring it to a greater Perfection rational and wise Men may judge And when ever a Peace may be Concluded betwixt England and France unless such a Provision be made while we are at War to keep the Ballance of Trade I do foresee who have been almost 30 Years observing the Designs of France to get the Trade from Vs the evil Consequence to England of that Peace which may end in our Ruine as was admirably well observed lately by another Hand viz. That Peace made up with an Enemy whose Power is too Strong and his Fidelity too Weak is only a Cob-Web-Lawn to break through at pleasure and a Reconciliation of Friendship with such a Prince is the only means to Impower him to be more Dangerous because then a more Surprising Enemy Should France in her Present or rather Late Greatness give a Cessation to Hostillity 't is certain she can never give a Cessation to her Ambition and 't is as certain that War is only rak'd up not quench'd when the Coals of Ambition are still glowing that at any convenient Rupture may set it fresh a blazing to that Aspirer that so visibly aims at Universal Monarchy Universal Peace can be no more than a Disguise In short in any present Accommodation with France her holding her Hand will be no other than to take Breath to enable her to make a stronger Blow The Consideration of these Things hath all along prompted me as an English Man to use the utmost of my Endeavours in the Post I have stood in for so many years to prevent the Designs of France on England that those Things threatnea may be prevented otherwise I had not appeared in Print at this Time being rather enclined to be more Retire especially when I Reflect upon the Discouragement and Difficulties I have met withal in my former Vndertaking of which I have given a short Account in the close of this Discourse but more at large in another written by me sometime since for the clearing my self of some Malicious Imputations suggested against me in my said former Vndertakings nor did I however intend to be named in this Paper when I put it to the Press but finding my Name made use of in several Projects about Raising of Money and in bringing in a Bill to lessen the Penalties about the Exportation of Wool and which occasioned the Mistake of divers of my Friends who thereby were induced to believe me concerned in Matters which were utterly against their Opinion and indeed I may presume to offer my thoughts will instead of preventing be rather an Encouragement to the said Exportation and if Experience for near Thirty Years may be credited there is nothing now wanting in Point of Law but Execution and if there were a Thousand Laws made and not Executed it is just the same as if none at all These Reasons amongst others have prevail'd with me to Subscribe my Name and to make use of this Opportunity to declare That I am not Engaged in any of those Matters which my Friends might take to be against my former Opinion in this Case and which I believe will rather redound to the prejudice than good of the Publick not that I would be construed to Reflect upon any Person under Mistakes being charitable to all tho' in the following Discourse I have been somewhat sharp on those I judged to be willful Enemies to their own Trade and Nation William Carter The renewing of a CAVEAT Entred in our Court several Years agoe against the Growth of FRANCE ALthough it be beyond all Dispute that the French King who not many years ago was very inconsiderable both in Trade and Shipping is now become so formidable as to be able to make War with so great a part of Europe insomuch that very lately he bid fair to be Emperor thereof And though the Matter of Fact be clear yet it is by many made a Question How so prodigious an Alteration should come to pass in so short a time For notwithstanding it be notorious that that King's Interest was very great in the two last Reigns and thereby he obtain'd many Advantages here not only Moulds of our best Ships of War but some Materials for their Building and had it not been for a great Man now of Their Majesties most Honourable Privy-Council much of our best Timber had been long since in France For the Dutchess of Portsmouth having a Grant of Forty thousand Pounds which was to be raised out of the Timber growing in the New Forrest and that of Sherwood his Lordship prevented that Mischief which had it not been done with great Prudence it would have been of a had Consequence to England For which he was suddenly after and for
espousing the Prince of Orange's Interest condemned in the Court of France and brought out of Favour here to the Honour of that Noble Lord let it be remembred for the Good of England against the Designs of France And although it be too true that the said Dutchess promoted the French Interest here by which many Advantages were procured thereby from England to France which may be elsewhere enlarged yet that was but as Flashes in a River for a Season But its Trade that is the main Spring or Fountain that gives Life unto and that doth maintain Riches and Strength to any Nation Kingdom or People And though in Trade it self its generally reported that France by way of Barter got from England upwards of a-Million of Pounds Sterling per Annum for several Years last past which is only known by the Entries made in our Custom Houâ—â— Books yet this to those that know the Intrigues of that People may not be â—ne half in value of the Goods imported from France For that which comes in by Stealth and of such some Persons are so fond as to give double if not treble the worth of it only to have the name of French may be as much in the Sum if not more than what is truly and really entered which for the most part are bulky Commodities And as our Loss in the Trade with France is about Two Millions per Annum by the Importation of their Commodities here so it s presumed on very good grounds that the Exportation of our Wool thither unwrought enriches France much more than all the Importation of French Goods into England So that if France for upwards of twenty Years last past hath gained only from England more than Four Millions per Annum besides what that King hath gain'd out of other Countries by his Intrigues it is humbly presumed the Question before stated viz. How France in so short time became so great is in a great measure answered When on the other Hand England if true to its real Interest might quickly turn the Scales and beat France without Fighting though not now For there are but few Princes or States that have such means to support their Splendor as the Kings and Queens of England Nor few if any Countries such staple Commodities as this Kingdom hath yet those Advantages were never as yet improved as they might be And as to what might have been formerly done of this Nature Sir Walter Rawleigh propounded to King James the I. that the Native Commodities of England with other Traffick might have been then improved Three Millions of Pounds Sterling per Annum beyond what they then came to and that the Revenue of the Crown might proportionably increase thereby If Matters stood thus at that time woful Experience tells us as before mentioned that the Case is now far worse For instead of increasing we have lost so many Millions by the Intrigues of France which will more particularly appear in the sequel of this Discourse The most of the Goods which are now yearly imported into this Kingdom being to the Value of several Millions of Pounds Sterling per Annum are no otherwise answered but by the value of the Commodities which are exported the Bulk of which consists chiefly in our Woolen Manufacture as being the great support of our Trade and Shipping For before King Edward the III. the Burgunder enjoyed that Advantage in making of a Yard of Cloth of English Wool cost Eighteen Pence worth then Ten Shillings to the enriching of that People and advancing the Revenue of their Princes which being perceived by the said King Edward upon a Visit made by himself to the Duke of Burgundy during his Residence there he employed such able Agents amongst the Elemish Clothiers so effectually representing to them the Danger they were in by the Bordering War with France the peaceable Condition of England and the Freedom of the People that are Subjects here that he found them inclinable to accept an Invitation to come over hither he promising them the same Privileges and Immunities with his own Subjects by which Means he prevailed with a great number of them to come into England soon after him where he most royally performed those Promises He also called home many of his own Subjects who had been long setled in Flanders and then strictly prohibited the Exportation of Wool So the Trade of Cloth was then settled in England but the Manufacture of Bays Says and Perpetuanies c. which is now almost half the Woolen Manufacture of this Kingdom was not set up here till the Reign of Queen Elizabeth but was till then wholly carried on in Flanders with English Wool so that by these two Princes the Woolen Manufacture came to be settled in England By which Means as our Wealth came greatly to encrease so we became more powerful in Shipping which Greatness of our Trade and Strength of our Shipping founded on that hath been not only observed but of late emulated by the French King And seeing it was clearly discerned that the chiefest Means for the Maintenance of it proceeded from our Woolen Manufacture the said French King hath for several Years last past used all Means to get our Wool to France and then prohibit the said Manufacture which is of so great Concern to England For the said Manufacture being exported together with its Returns doth pay more than three Fourths of the Customs and consequently the same in proportion are the Ships and Seamen employed thereby and it doth not only give Life to all Trade but a Value to Land by which Means also all other Branches of the Revenue of the Crown are proportionably increased But my Lord Cook saith that its much more For saith he Divide the Exported Native Commodities of this Kingdom into Ten Parts and what comes from the Sheep's back is in Value Nine Parts which as before hinted the French King hath used all Arts and Means for above twenty Years to encourage this Woolen Manufacture in his own Dominions not only to furnish his own Countrey but to export it to Foreign Parts which were formerly supplied by us to the increasing of their Riches and Strength by Sea now so formidable and then by so much the less Place or Probability there will be that we should furnish them or export it into foreign Parts and then also so much the greater stop must of necessity be put to the vending of our Woolen Manufacture beyond the Seas because there is a determin'd Quantity thereof consumed in the Trading World And is it not as manifest that by how much our Manufacture decays our Trade and Wealth must decay and the Strength of our Shipping mainly depending thereon must decay also and consequently the Revenue of the Crown not only in the Customs but in all other Branches of the said Revenue that do depend upon Trade So that if it be from our Manufacture that the Riches of this Nation comes and if it be chiefly