of the Company In the 28. yeare of her raigne their Charters were againe reviewed and confirmed with power To keepe their Courts and To exercise their trade as amply in Germany as before they had done in the Low Countries And straightly forbad vpon paine of forfeitures and imprisonment all others of her Subiects not free of the sayd fellowship to trade into any of their said Priviledged places In the second yeare of the happy raigne of our most gracious Soveraigne Lord The Kings Maiesty the former Letters Patents Priviledges and Princely grants were recented revised and ratified And last of all in the 15. yeare of His Maiesty the sayd Letters Patents were againe perused and approved Whereby it is manifest that the Cloth and other The manufactures of this Kingdome traded into Germany and the Low Countries haue with the favour of the State bin conferr'd on the Merchants Adventurers not only by their last Letters Patens but by many other former grants before recited Which certainely had never beene so long continued so often renewed nor they so much cherished had not the trade of Clothing bin quickned enlivened by the prudent ordering of the Merchants Adventurers trade from time to time And these things I haue not by heare-say or relation but by mine owne collection and observation having had occasion to take some speciall paines in the perusall of these particular grants for the service of the State And whereas Malynes suggesteth P. 50. That all Merchants Strāgers might did heretofore export white Clothes That is as farre from truth as the former For whereas by the Statutes of the 3. Hen. 7. the 3. of Hen. 8. and the 20. and 23. of the same King it is enacted that no white Clothes might bee transported rough aboue 40. sh a Cloth in the time of Hen. 7. and 4. marks and 4. li. a Cloth in the time of Hen. 8. it came to passe by the discreet carryage of the Cloth-trade in the Merchants Adventurers hands that the trade of Cloth thrived so fast and the prises of Clothes risse so much that few or no Clothes could bee shipped out by any whether English or Stranger but by a Non obstante to the sayd Statutes whereupon speciall Licences were granted from the State as Q. Eliz. free licence of Thirty Thousand white Clothes a yeare to the Merchants Adventurers and other licences to the Earle of Cumberland and others But when any question arisse vpon any of them they were restrained to the Merchants Adventurers onely If Malynes had sayd that the Merchants Strangers might heretofore export White and coloured Clothes drest Kersies Bayes Sayes Perpetuanoes and other the New Draperies of the Kingdom into the Merchants Adventurers priviledges paying Strangers Custome hee had sayd true And so they either doe or may doe now and perhaps for lesse then Strangers Custome also And therefore the Merchants Adventurers haue not the sole power of exporting those things as is mis-inform'd and mis-affirmed also You haue heard Malynes plaine song will you heare his descant The Merchants of the Staple from all the Staple Ports P. 50. as London Westminster Bristoll Southhamton Hull Boiston and New Castle haue heretofore exported either Cloth or Woll or both which now they may not THe Merchants of the Staple never shipped any Clothes at any time as Staplers § 31. but as Merchants-Adventurers And so they may doe still such of them as are free of the Merchants-Adventurers Company whereof there are many But this poynt having of late vpon occasion been resumed into the consideration of the State it was boldnes for Malynes to meddle therewith and to make question of that which is out of question in the iudgement of all indifferent men Or will you heare his voluntary All other Merchants at large as well at London P. 50. 51. as all other parts of the Kingdome haue vsually heretofore exported coloured Clothes Kersies Bayes Sayes Serges Perpetuanoes c. which now they may not So that all the trade of the Merchants of the Staple of the Merchants Strangers and of all other English Merchants concerning the exportation of all the Commodities made of woll into those Countries where the same are especially to bee vented is in the power of the Merchants Adventurers onely and it is come to be managed by 40. or 50. persons of that Company consisting of three or foure Thousand IF there be three or foure Thousand of the Merchants-Adventurers § 32. then certainely there is the lesse need of more helpe And if there be so many of them that forbeare and so few that trade then there will be but cold comfort for new men to begin where the old haue left It is true the number of the Merchants-Adventurers is very ample and great consisting of divers worthy members of London and of all the Ports and of the Staplers Company also who both doe and may trade with them at their pleasure But it is as true that the trade through the late disturbance of it the great quantities of Cloth made in forraine parts and the too heauy charge fallen vpon the cloth is become so poore and leane that there is now no comfort in the world in it for new nor old But it is most false That 40. or 50. persons manage that trade when there is at this day more traders then can well liue one by another And that the trade of Coloured Clothes Kersies Bayes Sayes Serges Perpetuanoes c. is not in the power of the Merchants-Adventurers onely I haue already declared in the Section going before But he that can talke at large thus in grosse can doe it also by retayle Thus Nay one man alone P. 51. hath compassed into his hands the whole trade of coloured Clothes and Kersies for these parts by the meanes of Exchanges and monies taken vp at Interest THat one man which Malynes out of malice picks and points at § 33. is indeed an ample trader in Coloured Cloth but not in Kersies yet so as there are very many others of the Company that are also traders in Coloured Cloth as well as hee Malynes may barke but he cannot bite It is not Malynes Malignitie that can detract any thing from the worth of so worthy a Merchant Who because he comes within my Circle I can doe no lesse then deleat and blot out Malynes Oblique line and giue him his Right and direct line that is that hee containes himselfe within his owne Circle his Compasse his Course his Calling with great iudgement and discretion faire and Merchantlike action But because for some reasons I may not say of him what I might I shall wish what I ought that wee had more such Merchants no more such Malynes From him Malynes turnes himselfe againe toward the Merchants Adventurers and vpbraideth them To haue borrowed 50. or 60. Thousand pounds at vse for the service of the Company P. 51. and thereby engaged the trade and set
THE CIRCLE OF COMMERCE OR THE BALLANCE OF Trade in defence of free Trade Opposed To Malynes Little Fish and his Great Whale and poized against them in the Scale Wherein also Exchanges in generall are considered and therein the whole Trade of this Kingdome with forraine Countries is digested into a Ballance of Trade for the benefite of the Publique Necessary for the present and future times By E. M. Merchant Prov. Cap. 26. Vers 4. and 5. Answer not a foole according to his folly least perhaps thou make thy selfe also like to him Answer a foole according to his folly least peraduenture hee be wise in his owne eyes LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at the Royall Exchange 1623. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARLE OF MIDLESEX LORD HIGH TREASVRER OF ENGLAND c. A Great Grande of Italy Right Honourable delighted much in the delightfull skill of Picture sent a Courtier in post haste to all the principall Cities thereof to take a touch of the rarest and best Masters in that Science for his choyce of some rare and exquisite Piece The Messenger posting from place to place and getting of every one something at last found out Giotto a very famous man and second to none of his time in that skill as Angelus Politianus thus saye's in his praise Per quem pictura revixit In Epitaphium Iotti Peachams Compl. Gent. Cap. 12. Cui quà m recta manus tà m fuit facilis Of him I say this Messenger desired as hee had done of the rest some Master Piece to present vnto his Lord and Master Giotto willing to shew the dexterity of his Art and wit and the facility of his hand call'd for a sheet of paper and in the turning of an hand drew a Circle so perfect and exact that it was impossible for any man living to circinat or circulat with the helpe of a Compasse a more absolute Orb. The Courtier not being an Artist ask't if that were all yes said Giotto and it may bee more then all And so indeed it proov'd For when the Messenger had presented to his Lord and Master all the Pieces Giotto's Circle was preferr'd to all the rest and hee honoured aboue the rest and thence it went into a Proverb in Italy Piu tondo ch'il Circolo di Giotto more round then Giotto's Circle Others My Lord may present vnto Your Lordship Little Fishes Great Whales Par's of Exchange Pieces of greater price I haue nothing but a Circle not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Circle of learning but the Circle of Commerce yet such a Circle as comprehends within the Periphery or circumference thereof the Ballance of Trade There 's my draught or rather My Lord it 's Yours For although the Ballance of Trade is an ancient Piece which in elder times hath beene in great vse in this Kingdome as I shall shew in this Circle in it's owne Angle yet it was almost worne out and defaç't but renew'd and refresh't by none but by Your Lordship onely When the Eye of Heaven in the Eye of the King had look't vpon You and pickt You out and plaç't You in an higher Orb You were first seene in this Circle of the Ballance of Trade Other faire Pieces You had but this was Your Master Piece because all the rest had reference vnto this For all your services done to The King and in The King The Kingdome of what Longitude or Latitude soever those Pieces were you tryed them all by this Scale You discerned the Right from the Oblique by this Circle by this Parallel The Oracles of Apollo being ask't when the warres of Greece should haue a Period Replyed when they could Double the Cubique Altar in Delphos which Plato expounded to them to be an answer in reproof of their ignorance in Geometry For the Doubling of the Cube in Solids P. Ramus Geom. lib. 4. and the Quadrature of the Circle in Plaine is a Mathematicall probleme not to bee knowne without the knowledge of that Art And surely if any man aske when we shall haue an end of this decay of Trade it may be answered when Your Lordship will Double this Cube and Quadrat this Circle of Commerce in the Ballance of Trade Which prooue's a Hercules labour vnto Others but will be easie vnto You because You see with Your Owne They with others eyes And hence it is that wee here below haue had so much stirre about Malyne's Par the Parity and Disparity whereof amongst ignorant men is made a Mystery in Exchange and to haue in it a great deale of Causality of the Decay of Trade But we are happy in Your Lordship which can easily discerne this Flemish from our Sterling Standard No glosse no false face can deceiue Your Lordships sight For as You were Of vs and now You are farre Aboue vs so can You iudge as farre Beyond vs as You are Distant from vs. I shall therefore bee a Suitor to Your Lordship that if there be any place or vse in the whole Circle of Commerce for Malyne's Par of Exchange that Your Lordship will let him bee the Master of that office when it is Created if not that Malynes may know the price of these paines to teach vs a new doctrine which we never learnt of Your Lordship and with such counterfeit stuffe to abuse The State which happely doth enioy Your Lordship and in You the knowledge of Commerce Your Ballance of Trade my Lord will soone discover the lightnes of this vanitie That not This was Your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it bee Your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also That was the Foundation let it bee the Consummation of Your Noble building Let none build vpon Your Lordships foundation finish it perfect it Your Selfe Your Selfe shall haue all the honour Goe on therefore Noble Lord Spartam quam nactus es constanter tueri You are the Mirrour of Merchants the Luster of London the Renowne of your name the Beautie of Your Familie the Glorie of Your Countrie an Honour to Nobilitie and the Choice of the Choicest King Honour His choice in the choicest service You can doe to So Good to So Great a King Adorne the Nobilitie doe good to Your Countrie Embellize Your Familie make Your Name more and more Noble loue London and make much of Merchants And I pray God with encrease of Honour giue you encrease also of the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit without which You can doe none of these and with which You may doe So and So and More also The Lord of Lords giue You fauour with God and Man and conserue Your Lordship long Regi Gregi mihi to The King The Kingdome And last of all to him that 's least of all But Affected most of all to doe your Lordship seruice EDW. MISSELDEN TO THE GENTLE AND Iudicious Readers GEntlemen I had hop't in a cause of such consequence as is the Restauration of Trade wherein all of vs by Sympathie
haue our part and feele the waight the very Vinculum amicitiae would haue knit vs all together in that same Idem velle nolle to haue beene all of one minde for the Common good Or if I had therein seemed to any of you more forward then wise you would haue hid that fault vnder your good interpretation of my zeale for the publique wherein all of you haue your interest And that every one of you would haue beene more readie to haue lent mee a supply in your confirmation then a reply by way of refutation that so Iunctis operis wee might all of vs haue essayed to repaire the decay of Trade none to ruinate Nor indeed can I so say of any of you for Malynes is with vs but he is not of vs if hee had beene of vs hee had not beene against vs in the Common-good You know it is the Counsell of The King of Counsell to beware of those that come to vs in Sheeps clothing Malynes would teach our Gentlemen a way how to improue their Wolles but vnder that collour would cozen vs of the Cloth This is one marke whereby you may know hee is not of vs and if yet you would haue another compare him with his Par and by these two you shall know him Ex vngue Two such Pars to Pare away the Wealth of our Cōmon-wealth as I haue not observed to be proiected by any in all my time Him and them I leaue to your Iudgement when you haue perused this ensuing short Discourse The charge and trouble whereof but worth neither you may thank your selues to haue drawne vpon you by your too ready entertainment of such things as these Hereafter I doubt not but your experience will direct your acceptance vnto things of better worth If not or if you respect me I shal expect that you Paire me with some better Par. In the meane time I shall presume that in your interpretation and sentence you will bee like your selues and if any thing herein chance to be lesse pleasing to any of you that you will be pleased to beleeue that I may haue some reason also for that more then was fit to write Here and there if you meete with a little Latine or the like which you doe not like let it alone for their sakes that vnderstand it and if you will take my word there 's sense besides and not a word of it but of some vse in the whole discourse and no more reason to be thurst out of the Circle of Commerce then out of the Circle of all other sciences which haue ever enioyed that liberty without exception God grant that your perusall and my paines may bring some glorie to God honour to the King benefite to the Publique to all which I am truely deuoted and therein Am all and every one of yours E. M. You may if you please receiue this from London if any of you like it not from Hackney the 14. of Iune Anno. 1623. THE CIRCLE OF COMMERCE The Prooeme HERODOTVS in his CLIO reportes that CROESVS King of LYDIA had a sonne borne dumbe and his Countrey being invaded and the King himself in imminent danger of death by a certaine Persian ready to lay violent hands on him the Kings sonne affected with the present danger then spake that neuer spake before and cryed alowd O homo ne perimas Patrem O man kill not the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodot in Clio lib. 1. And surely my selfe being conscious of mine owne wants yet as sensible as any of the terrors without and errors within wherewith the Commerce of this Kingdome is encountered layd mine hand on my mouth and kept long silence because it was a subiect fit for a more able man and a more exquisite pen but when I beheld this former flourishing Trade of ours to be threatened by many as eminent as imminent dangers and the very life thereof to lie a bleeding whilst I was musing the fire kindled and at the last I spake with my pen as I neuer spake before O homines ne perimatis Patriam O men kill not the Kingdome Or had I still beene silent and were all men mute surely the cause it selfe would haue called for redresse or the stones would haue cryed to the timber the shippes to the seas the seas to the shores one deep to another deep because it is the complaint not of a common man but of a Common-wealth not of a Companie of men but of a Kingdome Things once out of order repetitis passibus double their pace and run hastily vnto ruine The fire that even now was spyed in a sparkle hath enflamed the whole Citie all the Kingdome The Clowd that ere while rose vp like a mans hand is spred abroad and hath ouerspread all our Horizon These were the motiues that led me along to that labour which I lately offered to the honour of the King and seruice of the publique Therein I layd a Basis or foundation onely for a more skillfull worke-man to erect a more stately building Mine was but a modell or frame rough hewen slightly set vp and pinn'd together to try how the parts and joynts thereof would trent and fit the square that so in due time I might haue wrought ouer and fitted each part and piece for their place and vse But now his Maiestie whose eye is not dimme and whose hand is steadie to the going downe of the Sunne who waketh when his subiects sleepe and whose candle goeth not out by night who standeth in the Watch-tower all day and keepeth the Sentinell by night out of his Princely prudence and prouidence and vnwearied watchfulnesse ouer the welfare of his subiects hath been graciously pleased first to grant a speciall Committee as a preparatiue or enquirie and now a speciall Commission as a wholesome medicine or remedie for the dangerous disease of the decay of Trade Which last it hath pleased his Maiestie to direct to many Noble Personages of dignitie and other worthie Persons of ranke and qualitie selected and collected like a Court Parliament from all the parts and places of the Kingdome And that no due information might be wanting which might conduce to the reformation of so many growing grieuances in Trade it hath pleased the State to honour some men of my profession to be ioyned in this Commission who according to their choyce and worth will no doubt infinitely supply whatsoeuer might haue occurred vnto me for this seruice So that now I shall only draw the Circle of Commerce and contract trade to its owne Center the Ballance of trade leaue those other pieces vnto these Master-workemen to be polisht for their vse in this Royall Edifice commanded and commended by his Highnes to their structure The rather for that heretofore some Noble learned in this Kingdome observing some concurrence in the causes and remedies by mee lately published In Free Trade with those of more worthie Persons reported to his
Maiestie conceived that their labours had beene published by my pen wherein as I must acknowledge the vnworthinesse of my person to receiue such guests vnder my roofe and the vnfitnesse of my pen to represent such pieces so also had I not the happines to attend Those then or These since in any of their assemblies as did other Merchants whereby my discourse might haue receiued some life and force from their worth and influence Their good acceptation of my poore endeauours together with the approbation of many other Noble and learned graue and iudicious is more then I could haue hoped to merit which wil abundantly support me and it against the Malignitie of one Malynes onely amongst thousands of better instructed and affected persons Whose palate being fallen is become so farre out of taste that he can relish no meats not cook't by himself and his owne cookerie hath in it so much of his Coliquintida his stirre about his Par that it hath spoiled all his pot of porrage Himself his subiect much more his rude stile and vnmannerly manner of writing deserue contempt rather then the honour of an answer But for some Gentlemens sakes of qualitie to whom I owe my selfe who doe professe they know not in many things what the man meaneth for when he that writeth vnstandeth not what he sayes how shall he that readeth For their saâ—es I say not for his I am I know not how enclos'd within this Circle through the Center whereof I will draw a Diameter and diuide the whole Circle into two Semicircles In the first I will consider whether Malynes obiections scattered here and there in his little Fish and great Whale against my Tract of Free Trade may haue any place within the Peripheria or circumference of this Circle which if you please may also be the first part or draught of this Ballance of Trade In the other Semicircle I will demonstrate the nature and vse of Exchanges in generall and therein the Ballance of the Trade of this Kingdome with forraine Countries which also may bee the second part or draught of this Ballance of Trade But before I begin with either I am discomforted in both Because I am led within the lists to deale with a dastardly Combatant of whom Martiall could tell me long agoe that I might expect conquest but no contentment Seu victus seu victor eris maculere necesse est Martiall Si sit cum vili stercore pugnatibi Nor flight nor fight will bring thee but disgrace If that thou fight with one that 's vile and base Nor can there be any delight to those that are lookers on for Malynes received my Modell in some forme but returned it to mee pull'd in pieces all out of frame You know I considered Trade as it is Deformed as it might be Reformed Trade Deformed I considered in the Causes in the Effects In the Causes the Matter and Forme of Trade The Matter I shewed to be either Naturall or Artificiall The Forme occurred in Gouerned or Vngouerned trade The Effects reflected on the King the Kingdome Trade Reformed I presented in the Remedies to euery maladie a medicable remedie and these I pursued every one in their order But now these Rankes are broken this order's disordered nor Right nor Left hand file is left nor Front nor Rere Now I must follow my Leader whether you finde Posture or Imposture in his order t' is his not mine I shall therefore in this my Semicirculary Angle or first Draught of my Ballance first display Malynes Colours and then pursue his Postures in his owne Disorder His Colours are set vp in his Title thus The maintenance of free Trade according to the three Essentiall parts of Trafique namely Commodities Monies and Exchange of monies by bils of Exchange for other Countries THE FIRST PART Malynes obiections refuted WHat hope can we haue of this mans Treatise Section 1. when hee failes in his Title The Causes of things are wont to bee considered in the Efficient Matter the Forme and the End Some say these causes are either External or Internall Externall as the Efficient and End Internall as the Matter and Forme All agree in this that these two to wit the Matter and Forme of things doe constitute their Essence There is no place in the Essence of things for any third thing Commodities and mony are the Matter of trade the manner of buying and selling is the Forme of trade He that tradeth the Efficient gaine the End of trade So that the Matter and Forme of trade are the Essentiall parts of trade But if Malynes would make Exchanging of monies to be a kinde of buy-and selling and consequently to fall within the Forme of trade or as it is a merchandise to be the Matter of trade yet here 's no third thing to approue his Title Yea but Malynes will haue you take the Head of this his little fish and the fin or tayle of his great Whale and put them both together and then he will giue you an answer past peraduenture Will you heare what he sayes Great Whale Page 500. Concerning the beeing essence or Existence of things he wil 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 Deprivation The Matter hath no other office or function but the changing from one forme into another Deprivation giving an inclination thereunto for deprivation is an Imperfection so conioyned to the matter that without her if shee were separated nothing would bee ingendered and therefore in Heaven there is no Deprivation and consequently no generation ne corruption The Forme therefore giveth perfection to the thing and beeing also and without her the Matter is more imperfect then the eye is without the faculty of seeing or the eares without hearing But in Artificials the beeing hath her parts as Trafique hath three namely Commodities Money and Exchange so other things may consist of more beeings or simples wherein the termes of Art are not excluded COntra principia negantem minimè disputandum §. 2. It is against Art to dispute with a man that denyeth the Principles of Art This sentence sheweth Malynes grosse ignorance not to haue learn't to distinguish the Principles of naturall things from their Essence Wherein first he would make a difference betweene the Essence or beeing of things Naturall and things Artificiall And next he confoundeth the Principles of Phisicall or Naturall things with their Essence as if they were all one For although some Philosophers say that Matter Forme and Privation are the Principles of Naturall things yet what is that to their Essence Therefore to take off this Pterygium or thicke skin from Malynes eyes we will first consider the Essence of things and then their Principles For the Former of these there was never any Philosopher Heathen or Christian nor
is not strange that hee traduceth me when hee dares be so bold with the Nobility of the Kingdome thus I haue these forty yeares spent much time and charges at the pleasure of great Personages Epist. p. 6. and nothing did encounter me but ingratitude A Very scandalous aspersion layd vpon the Nobility of the Kingdome §. 4. And it is much more vnlikely for him to deserue then not to receiue more then his desert of any great Personage His time and charges if hee hath spent any are more likely to haue beene spent in proling Proiects and I wish all were so serv'd that follow that trade Nay will you heare him what he sayes of the whole Kingdome The Kingdome of England would haue beene more sensible of the like losse Little fish P. 18. if the hostile depredations heretofore made had not supplyed the same VOx profectò pecudis non hominis §. 5. What is the man madde hath he no lesse a crime to accuse the Kingdome with then with Depredation with robbing and pilling and poling It s pitty such stuffe as this should passe the Presse I leaue him and it to the iudgement and censure of the State But by this time I hope this Captaines passion 's past and hee come to himselfe for now he professeth to speake ingeniously although before hee spake without feare or wit Now he will discourse of Merchants of whose profession himselfe would seeme to bee though by vsurpation onely To speake ingeniously P. 4. Merchants cannot enter into consideration of the quantity of forraine Commodities imported at deare rates and the home Commodities exported at lesser rates respectiuely in former times by the disproportion whereof commeth an evident ouer-ballancing of Commodities Merchants do not regard whether the monies of a Kingdome are vndervalued in exchange by the inhansing of moneys in forraine parts whereby our monies are exported when the exchange doth not answer the true value by bills and the monies of other Countries cannot be imported but with an exceeding losse which every man shunneth True it is that they obserue within the Realme to keepe the price of money at a stand according to the Kings valuation but in forraine parts they run with the streame headlong downe with other Nations without consideration of their owne hinderance Merchants doe not know the waight and finenesse of monies of each Countrey and the proportions observed betweene gold and silver nor the difference of severall standards of coyne a matter so necessary for them to know to make thereby profitable returnes of the provenue of our home Commodities either in Money Bullion or Wares Finally Merchants seeking their Privatum Commodum take notice onely of what is prohibited and commanded whereas it may fall out also that to require their opinion for the reformation of some abuses they may bee thought many times as vnfit as to call the Vintners to the consultation of lawes to be made against Drunkards A Las poore man §. 6. how shall hee speake Ingeniously or wittily that hath no Genius at all His speech bewrayeth his want of wit and honestie No marvell that in page 64. he confesseth that to the iudicious Merchants Little fish P. 64. 48. be knoweth he hath giuen cause of offence to haue written so much in the defence of Exchange and in page 48. that hee hath made himselfe odious to his owne Nation It is an ill bird that foules his owne nest And surely if Malynes had learn't any good maners or but common humanity or had himselfe ever beene Merchant Moderne or Ancient he would never haue abused so many worthy Persons of that profession of ours of others yea of his owne Nation amongst which as well as ours that I may giue them their due there are many learned and expert Merchants that are asham'd of his ignorance and folly For who can enter into consideration of the quantitie or qualitie of Commodities whether natiue or forraine exported or imported deare or cheape comparable to Merchants And if the Ballancing or ouer Ballancing of trade by the disproportion therof can be said to be evident to any surely it can be evident to none more then to expert Merchants Or who are more quicke-sighted into the values of monies both domestick and forraine gold and silver waight and finenes then Merchants whose continuall practice it is to pry into the price and value of all things For there is no Merchant of any experience but as he hath one eye vpon the value of his Commoditie so hath hee the other eye vpon the money both Intrinsique in the inward value or finenes and Extrinsique in the outward denomination or account as it is currant in euery Countrey together with the course of Exchange whither he doth direct his trade Otherwise if the money rise in denomination aboue it true worth in valuation and the Exchange also rise accordingly if this Merchant doe not raise the price of his Commodity in due proportion answerable thereunto he shall bee sure to come home by weeping crosse how ever hee make his returne whether by Exchange or in Money Bullion or Wares And is it not lawfull for Merchants to seeke their Privatum Commodum in the exercise of their calling Is not gaine the end of trade Is not the publique involved in the private and the private in the publique What else makes a Common-wealth but the private-wealth if I may so say of the members thereof in the exercise of Commerce amongst themselues and with forraine Nations And by your leaue Malynes who are more fit then Vintners if not to execute yet to consult of lawes against Drunkards or Merchants to vnmaske the mysteries of Mounte-bankes Iugglers and Imposters of trade I marvell who made Malynes a Law-maker for Merchants if he be so ignorant of their profession Hee should haue beene called before he came to this Councell The profession of a Merchant is more noble then to be so disabled and disgrac't by such a fellow as Malynes is Merchants are of high account in all parts of the world in times of peace and in times of warre Merchants are wont to be supported of Kings and Princes cherished of Nobles favoured of States-men honoured of all men disgrac't of none because the strength of Kingdomes the revenue of Princes the wealth of every Cōmon-wealth hath a Correlation with this Noble Profession Merchants are wont to make it their glory to advance their fortunes renowne their names embellize their houses beautifie their families with the honour of this faculty and to perpetuate the same vnto posteritie as an hereditary title of honour vnto their name and blood And this is it that hath made many houses and families of Merchants famous in forraine parts and maketh those Common-wealths flourish where there is such a Spring such an Of-spring For where the father doth thus ingenerate his sonne and the sonne doth not degenerate from his father there the Estate is kept entire in it's
it a fine insinuation of the wondrous volubility and facility of turning about that huge and massie bodie of the Shippe by the touch or stirring of so small an instrument as is the Rudder thereof And Stieren in Dutch signifieth to guide or direct a Ship and Stierman the Pilot of a Ship none of them to sayle a Ship But God keepe our Ship of traffique from all such Pilots as Malynes is least it come on ground ANd thus Malynes having abused the termes of Art which indeed it is not possible for him §. 11. or a wiser then hee to vnderstand without knowledge of the Art it selfe and improperly compared his Par of Exchange like a Parret to Clocks and Shippes and Dialls and Actiue and Passiue and what hee list himselfe the rest of the pages of his preamble and of other passages in his Pamphlet hee hath stuft with immodest termes of his owne Art against mee But knowing that I could not touch pitch and not be defiled nor reproue a scandalous person without receiving ill language I shall leaue him and it to the iudgement of the wise having taken it for my direction Not to answer Malynes in his foolishnes In the next place P. 11. he promiseth to bring to the Anvill whether the vnder valuation of his Maiesties Coyne be the immediate cause of our want of money in England will you see how hee hammers it Hee concurreth with me in the price of the Reall P. 12. to goe in Holland at 51. Stuyters in the Rate of Exchange to come from thence at 33. sh 4. d. Flemish in the value of the Flemish money that 5. Reals of 8. make 42. sh 6. d. in the value of the Sterling mony that so many Reals make 25. sh 6. d. that the gaine between Spaine Holland at those rates is 25. per Cento that the gaine betweene England and Holland at those rates is 15. per Cento Yet because he will be adverse in something he saith The 15. in the hundred to be gotten in Holland more then in England P. 12. is altogether Imaginary and not Reall For example let 5. of these Reals of 8. bee bought heere for 22. sh sterling and bee transported into Holland and there buy Commodities with the same according as the price of them is inhansed there no man maketh any doubt but that the sayd Commodities are also raysed in price according to the money inhansed So that the gaine becommeth vncertaine for the Commodities may be sold to losse IF this were true that the Commodities in Holland were raysed in price according to the value of the money §. 12. yet this is no answer to the carrying out of his Maiesties Coyne For his Maiesties Coyne may be carryed out to bee recoyned abroad in forraine Coyne and not remitted neither in cōmodities nor by Exchange Others that carry it out to remit it back doe not respect the prices of Commodities whether they bee deare or cheape so long as the Exchange affordeth them meanes to returne their money with advantage But at that time when I wrote both the Exchange and Commodities also did afford encouragement for returnes into England For the Exchange came then at 33. sh 4. d. from thence which is a very low Exchange and the Commodities of Holland were also low in price The former no Merchant will deny The latter you may examine if you please either in Spices Silkes or Linnen cloath which are the principall Commodities of the Low Countries But better in the former then either of the latter because Spices are knowne by their sorts Silkes and Linnens by their goodnes In Spices if you will take Cloues for an instance which haue gone constantly these three or foure yeares last past at 11. sh the pound waight in the Low Countries and at 6. sh 6. d. and 6. sh 8 here at London Take the Medium of this price which which is 6. sh 7. d. and that brings out the iust rate of the Exchange at 33. sh 4. d. The difference of time and waight is vsually set against the Custome and charges So then whether you make returne of those 5. Reals of 8. whereof Malynes speaketh in Cloues at 11. sh the pound or at 33. sh 4. d. by Exchange is all one And the like you may finde in the rest And Malynes also as false in the rest for thus he goes on That the Merchants trading in Spaine which cause their Reals to be sent from Spaine thither P. 12. or doe transport them from the Downes rely wholly vpon the low Exchange whereby they are inabled to deliuer their money there by Exchange at an vnder value in giving there but 33. sh 4. d. and vnder to haue 20. sh sterling paid by bill of Exchange in England whereby the kingdome maketh good vnto them the sayd 15. vpon the hundred THen by Malynes owne confession here 's a double encouragement for the carrying away of the Kings Coyne §. 13. One in the high price of the money in Holland the other in the low rate of the Exchange from thence backe againe for England But that the Kingdom maketh good vnto them 15. vpon the hundred that make home mony from Holland or any other forraine part at a low Exchange whereby he would inferre that the Kingdom therby loseth 15. per Cento is most false For the lower the rate of the Exchange is abroad whereby you would remit home your money for England the lesse of that forraine money you shall pay for the English money you would receiue at home And the lesse you pay of the forraigne money the more you shall receiue of your owne money and the more you pay abroad the lesse you shall receiue at home And in this case the gaine of the Subiects is the gaine of the Kingdome and contrariwise So that indeed the losse to the Kingdome is of the money it selfe that is carryed out as I haue at large declared in my tract of Trade Free Trade cap. 1. the 15. per Cento is gained by them that carry it the money being abroad is better remitted for the Kingdome at a low then a high rate the prises of Commodities being answerable to the rate of the Exchange alter not the case So then it followeth that the gaine in exportation of Reals is reall but Malynes surmises are imaginarie Will you heare another of his slurres This Reall of 8. was valued but at 42. stuyvers P. 13. when the Par of Exchange was made to be 33. sh 4. d in the yeare 1586. when Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester went to take the gouernment of those Countries I Thinke Malynes hath told this tale over 1586. §. 14. times to one or other and not a word of it true For in that yeare when the Earle of Leicester was sent ouer by Queene Elizabeth into the Low Countries there was a treatie or agreement made of the rates of their and our monies indifferently
last And it were happie for the Kingdome that if all the other Trades thereof were brought into a Ballance they could produce such a foot of Accompt toward the advancement of the Exportation beyond the Importation as may be found alone in the Merchants-Adventurers Trade But this worthy and famous Societie needeth not my testimony nor can his obloquy detract from it that hath alwaies obtained such honourable approbation of the State from time to time MAlynes must also haue a fling at the French Company P. 15. §. 19. that the Merchants thereof do also hinder the Ballance of Trade by bringing in wines too deare But if the rate of the Crowne be risen from 64. to 75. souls in exchange betweene England and France then our Merchants that deliver their mony here doe receiue so much the more there whereby they may afford their wines the better cheape And if the wines bee bought deare and our Natiue Commodities sold deare what doth this hinder the Ballance of trade And if there were no other cause of dearnes of those or other wines or other forraine Commodities then the price they cost abroad or the vnder valuation of our Exchange at home which hee so much talkes of here and elsewhere and is nothing else but a meere Petitio principij A begging of the question without any truth or proofe neither Merchants nor Trades-men could iustly complaine of the dearenes of forraine Commodities THe Levant Company also hee will not let passe without some censure P. 26. §. 20. The restraint forsooth of Corints maketh no Free trade You may see by this what freedome of trade it is that Malynes meanes He would faine haue Corints come in againe in Flemish bottoms that Strangers might bee imployed and our owne Ships and Men lie by the walles That all sorts of men might come into that and all other Companies how vnfit soeuer 〈◊〉 such men let in as would let in the Strangers trade with them The trade of the Levant Company is managed by many graue expert discreet Merchants into whose Society those that are of quallity may bee admitted for a reasonable consideration The fourth cause of our want of money P. 26. in Malynes account is the great want of our East India stock whereas most men would haue expected that the ready monies sent in Reals of Plate to make the employment of the sayd trade should rather haue been mentioned THis Company also §. 21. that deserveth so much pitie cannot escape Malynes envie For here he endevoureth closely and cunningly to insinuate that the cause of our want of money is the ready monies sent to the East Indies in Reals of Plate Wherein the East India Company hath againe and againe satisfied the State that first they carry away none of the monies of this Kingdome next that they furnish themselues from forraine parts of all that they send out and lastly that they keepe themselves within the compasse of his Maiesties gracious grant having sent out much lesse even of forraine money then they might and had need to haue done from time to time And if it should be granted that some of that money which is brought in for their vse might also be brought in for the Kingdomes vse if their trade were not yet can it not be denyed that the increase of the stocke of the Kingdome by that trade is incomparably a farre better and greater meanes to bring in treasure into the Kingdome from other parts of Christendome then the other can bee imagined to hinder the same And whatsoever is now carryed out by the English would be carryed out by the Hollanders if this trade of ours were not Wherein the action it selfe and the disaffection of Malynes and others of his minde doe seem to exact from me a word or two of the benefites that may arise to this Kingdome by this trade Those I shall reduce in a word either to such as concerne the Trade or such as concerne the Treasure of the Kingdome In both which consists the happines of every Common-wealth Now the Trade of this Kingdome may thereby be encreast in Stock in Strength In Stock for one hundred thousand pounds imployed in that trade and returned from the East Indies in Spices Callicoes Indico besides the hopes of the Persian trade of Rawe Silks will yeeld Fiue hundred thousand pounds to this Kingdome in encrease of Stocke In Strength for this trade will yearely imploy not so little as Ten thousand tunnes of shipping and Three thousand Marriners Carpenters and other Artificers in the First Employment out and home and almost as many more in a Second Employment after they are come home by way of transportation of these Indian Commodities from hence into all parts of the world Which is an excellent meanes to advance our Navigation and to employ our Multitudes of poore The Treasure also of the Kingdome may thereby be abundantly encreast both in respect of the Revenue of The King and of The Kingdome Of The King in the encrease of Customes which alwayes encrease with trade Of The Kingdome in the encrease of treasure which is not as some think caryed out but rather conveyed in through the channels of this trade For first the Treasure exported from hence into the East Indies is not dig'd out of any Mynes of our owne but is purchased from forraine parts for returne of such East India Commodities as the Kingdome cannot spend and are therefore exported from hence into other parts of the world And next it must be considered that if One hundred thousand pounds stocke sent out from hence purchaseth Fiue hundred thousand pounds returnes from the East Indies and this Kingdome at the most spendeth but one fourth part thereof all the residue being issued out must needs procure the Kingdome so much ready money for returne thereof as the value of the goods amounteth to or at least such other necessary commodities for the Kingdomes vse in stead of that money For which either so much money must haue gone out to procure the same or so much lesse money must haue come in as those Commodities would amount vnto But every one of these particulars would require a more large and serious discourse then the limitation of my pursuit of Malynes will permit I shall therefore leave this subiect to him that hath already so worthily laboured therein of whom Mr. Tho Mun in his discourse of the East India trade I hope it will bee thought no flattery if I say that his observation of this trade his iudgement in all trade his diligence at home his experience abroad haue adorn'd him with such endowments as are rather to bee wisht in all then easie to bee found in many Merchants of these times I shall also leaue the action to the Royall protection of his Maiestie to tender it as a Elower of his Regall Crowne and dignity The rather because this also is a Flower which Openeth with the Rising of
vntill he produce his proofes for so vniust an accusation Another Digression hee makes for the defence of his grosse error committed in his Canker of of Englands Common-wealth In his Canker p. 46. where he wisht That other Nations might take vpon them to make our Clothes which might saith hee be easily remedied by selling our wolles the dearer whereof they must make them Can there bee any defence for such a defeisance You shall heare the best he hath In the latter time of Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory P. 47. and vntill the second yeare of our most gracious Lord King Iames wolles were permitted to be transported by the Staplers and others And the makers of cloth beyond the Seas must needs haue them to cover their wolles in the Indraping which is now prohibited and the case altered HEre you see the defence is as lame as the Defendant §. 29. Because there was then permitted a tolleration for the transportation of wolles was it therefore necessary or reasonable or to bee wisht of any good Subiect that there should haue been a transportation of our Clothing also Or would hee haue had the Staplers carry away all our wolles that his Countrymen might haue made all the cloth God forbid Malynes Sic tu be as amicos Wilt thou play the Ape in the Apologue kill vs with kindnes But the tree cannot be better knowne then by the fruit nor Malynes then by this marke This is he that would seeme so good a Subiect to our King and Kingdome to dyet vs with the Fleece and to feed his owne Country and Nation with the Flesh and Fat to confine vs to the Wolles and convey our Clothing to them then which there is not a more Royall manufacture in all the world There could not haue beene devised no not by an enemy so mischievous a proiect as to bereaue so many thousand families of this Kingdome that depend on the making of cloath of such an excellent living and liuely-hood The other part of his defence is as false as the former is faigned For to affirme That the Makers of cloth beyond the Seas cannot make their cloth without our English woll is as true as that wherewith the State hath beene so much abused That the Dutch could not subsist without our English cloth That the latter is false our owne ill experience can tell vs That the former is foolish all Malynes Countrymen and those that know the State of Dutch-land will witnes against him But because hee cannot Excuse hee will Accuse First Envy P. 48. For looking asquint vpon him whereby he saith he hath lost one Eye in his reputation with his owne Countrymen and now must loose the other Eye with our Nation like Belisarius mentioned in my discourse Indeed in blindnes hee may resemble Belisarius but in nothing else more like hee is to blinde Bartelmeus who the more he was forbid the lesse hee held his peace And next hee accuseth his ill luck P. ibid. For his invention of farthing tokens for which he saith He is accused to bring the vse of copper monies into the Kingdome But he mistakes the accusation which was rather that if not himselfe some fowle of his feather might be vehemently suspected to haue brought in counterfait copper tokens into the Kingdome Which whether it bee right or wrong I cannot tell but it is probable that the tenth part of the copper tokens at this day in the Kingdome were never coyned in the Kingdome At last hee is return'd from these long digressions to the thing proposed which is the Cloth trade but with a change of his note and his coate too For now hee begin's to personate others Now you may heare a song of foure parts but set by a very ill Musition one that knowes not his Gammuth nor can proue a note not keepe tune or time You may heare the very voyce of the Strangers of the Staplers of the Interlopers and of the Ports all in one Noyse the poor Merchants Adventurers are made the burden of the song I am sory for them all For These that they are so vniustly accused For Those that their complaint is so much abused For thus Malynes canteth and chaunteth That the Merchants Adventurers having ingrossed into their hands P. 50. by colour of their last Letters Patents the sole power of exporting all white Clothes coloured Clothes Kersies Bayes Sayes Serges Perpetuanaes and all other new Draperies into Holland Zealand Brabant and other parts of the low and higher Germany hath abated the trade For all Merchants-Strangers might and did heretofore export white Clothes out of the Kingdome paying double Custome which now they may not THe Divines say Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati The custome of sinning §. 30. taketh away the sense of sinne This man hath vsed himselfe to such liberty of speech that now he dare's say any thing For the Merchants Adventurers vpon whom it hath pleased his Maiestie out of His singular Grace and Favour to conferre many excellent Priviledges and Immunities in their last Letters Patents yet in poynt of exportation of White and coloured Clothes Kersies Bayes Sayes and other new Draperies of the Kingdom there is no more power given them in these latter then his Maistie and his Royall Predecessors haue honoured them with in other former Letters Patents from time to time In the eight yeare of Hen. 4. the trade of White and coloured Clothes Kersies Bayes Sayes and other the Natiue Commodities of the Kingdome into Holland Zealand Brabant and Flanders was entrusted vnto them by the Kings Letters patents to bee managed vnder government In the first yeare of Hen. 5. the sayd Letters Patents were approoved and confirmed In the eight yeare of Hen. 6. the former Charters with the consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall in Parliament assembled were accepted and allowed In the second yeare of Edw. 4. the sayd Letters Patents and every part of them were ratified and confirmed In the first yeare of Ric. 3. the sayd Letters Patents were approued and confirmed In the twentith yeare of Hen. 7. the sayd Merchants were honoured with the title of Merchants Adventurers had power to keepe their Courts and hold their Marts in the Towne of Calais In the fourth yeare of Hen. 8. the sayd Letters Patents in all poynts were ratified and confirmed In the first yeare of Edw. 6. all the former Patents were recited and approued In the first yeare of Philip and Mary the sayd Letters Patents were examined allowed and confirmed In the second yeare of Q. Elizabeth of ever-living memory the former Patents were recited approved and enlarged In the sixt yeare of her raigne their former Charters were reviewed and they were inscribed by the name of Merchants Adventurers of England and authorized To exercise their government in any part of the Kingdome to haue a Common Seale to be a perpetuall Succession to purchase lands in the name
themselues in debt TTantúmne est ab re tua otij tibi aliena vt cures eaque nihil quae ad te attinent § 34. Teran heaut This man certainely hath nothing to doe of his owne that is so busie in other mens affaires It is true that the Merchants-Adventurers trade is ingaged in a great summe of money yet not for the service of the Company but of the State and therefore it is a very audacious part for a man of his qualitie to cast such a calumny in the face of so worthy a Company It were a great happines vnto that trade and other trades also that depend on it that some good means were thought vpon either that which hath beene proposed or some such other as might be thought more fit in the wisdome of the State for case therein whereby the Trade of Cloth and the Traders therein both Clothier and Merchant might be more encouraged The Merchants-Adventurers haue strugled much to lessen this charge even with the withdrawing of pensions and deserved stipends from many which alas is like a drop of water to the Ocean And as it can conduce little to the case of so great a charge so may it much hazard the honour and reputation of the government of so famous a fellowship in forraine parts which heretofore hath shined in the eyes of Strangers aboue all other Nations Wherein also there 's a relation to the honour of the King and Kingdome both which are represented vnto Strangers in forraine parts in their government and therefore it 's pittie that those that therein haue excelled others should now be inferiour vnto all Neither doth this man so much as spare his aspersions from the Clothier for thus he saith This small number to mannage so great a trade P. 51. incourageth the Clothier to adventure to make false Cloth because it is impossible that so few Merchants can search and vifit every Cloth as it ought to be done and the Clothiers conscience is satisfied for hee saith that the falsest Cloth is answerable to the best price VTquisque est vir optimus ita difficilime esse alios Improbos suspicatur § 34. Cic. ad Quint. If Malynes were good himselfe hee would thinke better of other men I cannot thinke there is any Clothier so bad that would speake so ill Ill will speake's well of none nor Malynes of Merchant nor Clotheir For it is not the small or great number of Merchants that incourageth the Clothiers to make false cloth but meerely the want of execution of the Statute Free trade cop 2. and 7. of 4. of the King enacted for clothing as I haue else where shewed at large Now the Statute provideth that cloth bee searcht wet and not dry as it commeth out of the Mill and not as it commeth to the Market And therefore the wisdome of Parliaments hath appointed the search to bee made where the clothes are made So that if the search be neglected there it is not the multitude of Merchants that can help the search or indeed try the search as it ought to be For in the winter time the season of the yeare will not afford drying for the tenth Cloth to be wet and dryed againe for timely exportation And should the Clothier bee detained from his money and the cloth from the market till such a kinde of vnkindly search or review were made both Merchants and Clothiers would soone be a weary of such a tryall Neither is there any necessitie for the Merchants to make this review for then the great numbers of the Clothworkers in London that are set a worke by the Merchants-Adventurers to visit their Clothes would lose their employment So that if Malynes had sayd true that there wants Merchants yet there 's no want of Clothworkers to performe this worke Many other things hee speaketh at Random of the Clothiers of the Ports of Chapmen and others as generally he doth throughout the whole scope of his booke which deserue not repetition much lesse the honour of an answer and concludeth these digressions thus Shall this be proclaimed a free trade P. 53. when within our selues we are in bondage and haue lost the benefit of the two essentiall parts of traffique namely the rule of money and Exchange And a little after P. 54. The Merchant Staplers haue observed that the Merchants Adventurers haue an inevitable opportunitie of combination to set what price they please vpon Cloth to the Clothier of Woll to the grower and of all Commodities exported and imported ASpis à vipera venenum mutuatur § 36. Malynes calls the Staplers to witnes against the Merchants Adventurers when hee and they are both their profest Adversaries But for the accusation no Subiects I dare say of this Kingdome are more free of these crimes then the Merchants-Adventurers neither haue they any opportunity of such combination as is most vntruely suggested For there are no Merchants of the Kingdom that doe more bid and out-bid one another at the market then they If they did trade as some Merchants doe in a ioynt stock there might be some suspition of it but where there are so many buyers as are continually of the Merchants-Adventurers every man in that case is nearest to himselfe And if all the Orders which ever they made since they had the honour of their name were searched out and sisted over there would not be found a syllable in them of that sound whereof Malynes maketh such a noyse For the Free trade whereof hee speaketh and whereby hee pointeth at my Tract of trade I would to God that those grievances therein mentioned were remooved and then mauger Malynes or any other if any be of his minde I durst proclaime that this Kingdomes trade would both be free flourish Wherin neverthelesse I haue dealt freely and fairely in wishing That the Kings high way of trade Free Trade cap. 3. vpon such reasonable termes as might concurre with the wisdome of the State might be opened vnto all men But I perceiue there 's no discourse of Free trade will please Malynes and others of his minde without a Par of Exchange or complaint against Companies the Merchants-Adventurers especially But you the Merchants-Adventurers who worthily haue obtained honour of his Maiestie favour of the Nobility fame in the world loue of Strangers good report of all that you I say should come vnder Malynes pen and be made the subiect of his style the obiect of his envie is such a disgrace as the State was never wont to let you suffer or the honour of your name to vndergoe What should be the cause of this mans enuy Is his eye evill because the gracious eye of his Maiestie is so good to haue beheld your famous fellowship with His own aspect For his Maiesty looking backe vpon some former and later experiments made vpon this trade and looking forward vpon the danger and inconvenience of Innovations hath as his Royall Predecessors
ever did vouchsafed his Royall grace and favour to These Merchants This trade Because the Cloth-trade is the Dowry of the Kingdome the great Revenue of the King It is the Axis of the Common-wealth whereon all the other trades of the Kingdome doe seeme to turne and haue their revolution And therefore it hath ever beene the policy of State to entrust this trade to such men as are Probatae fidei of approoved credit and trust wisely to manage the same and not to Novices and new-made Merchants by whose inexperience the trade might bee subiect to bee betrayed into the hands of forraine Nations And certainely the Common-wealth would lose more by the losse of one expert Merchant discouraged and driven out then it could hope to gaine by twenty Novices let in into a trade which they doe not vnderstand So that this restraint is the cause of this enuy which is in nature an innate and inbred thing Eleg. 3.4 according to that of the Poet Nittimur invetitum semper cupimusque negata Men are commonly most fond of that which they are most forbid Otherwise I am as confident as I am conscious of it that there is no trade of this Kingdom giveth so little allurement to those that are without or so small encouragement to those that are within as doth the Merchants-Adventurers trade at this day Which notwithstanding I hope his Royall Maiestie shall ever finde in them that loyall resolution which heretofore they haue shewne to cast downe themselues and their trades in all humility at his Maiesties feet to be disposed of according to the good pleasure of his Maiesties high wisdome and grace And yet I would haue no man thinke that I would seeme hereby to take vpon mee to personate them or meddle in their matters further then you see Malynes hath led me into the same Wherein I must vse this iust defence for them and me that I haue neither had commission from them nor consulted with them or any of theirs about this thing or any thing contained herein But with an even hand and heart haue without partiality Crassâ Minervâ according to the plainenes and simplicity of mine owne poore Genius pursued Malynes from point to point Neither doe the Merchants-Adventurers of all others stand in need of my helpe For they are happy in enioying him who for his learning and integrity deserveth praise of whom if I say that hee is not second to any of his qualitie in this Kingdome I shall neither flatter him nor iniure any as all that know him doe know and will acknowledge To him therefore I shall commend this theame as most proper to his person and office who for his parts is more able and for his place is more fit then my selfe to take vpon him this defence if there bee cause It is true I am a brother though vnworthy of that worthie Society and so I am of other Companies also and so also am I a member though one of the least of the great Common-wealth of this Kingdom wherein I haue learnt to preferre that publique to all these particular obligations Amicus Plato Amicus Socrates sed magis Amica veritas Those Companies and that course of trade shall be my discourse of Free trade which shall be best approved of the State and wherein the honour of The King and the welfare of the The Kingdome are most involved BY this time Malynes is come to Monopolies the discourse whereof §. 37. if you will take his word P. 60. Is without Ryme or Reason because his pure Par of Exchange is not appendix't to it And indeed there is some reason that such a Par as hee parret's of should haue had some place assigned it amongst Monopolies For I 'le vndertake that there is not any worse Monopoly in the Kingdome then hee would make of this If hee might haue his will For other Monopolists would be sole sellers and buyers in merchandize hee in the Exchange But if you doubt of his iudgement in this proiect hee will produce his Monsieur Bodin to approue it by this French proverbe I l entend le par P. 61. which was never yet knowne for any good phrase in the French much lesse for a proverbe and is as ill a proofe as a proverbe to approue his experience For Celuy qui est d'experience entend le par Malynes n'entend pas le par Ergo Malynes n'est point d'experience The proposition is prooved by his owne Proverbe the Assumption by his Proiect as the event will manifest But now you talke of a Sillâ—gisme will you heare Malynes make a Paralogisme Thus Nothing causeth Merchants to export more money out of the Realme then they bring in P. 61. but onely the bringing in of more Commodities into the Realme then they carryed out The vnder-valuation of our monies causeth no more Commodities to bee brought into the Realme then is carryed out Ergo the vnder-valuation of our monies causeth not more money to bee carryed out of the Realme then is brought in NEvè negativis rectè concludere scibis §. 38. Seton There is no good conclusion can bee drawne from Negatiues And therefore the Philosophers say Ex nihilo nihilfit You cannot make something of nothing Neither hath it the shape of a Syllogisme for all the Propositions in it are Negatiue which cannot come vnder any Mood or Figure of Aristotle Or if it had the forme of a Syllogisme yet it makes nothing against any thing I haue said For I do not say any where that the vnder-valuation of our mony causeth more mony to be caried out of the Realme then is brought in but that it causeth money to be caryed out of the Realme when it is brought in against which this Paralogisme if it had beene a Syllogisme could haue concluded nothing For mony must be first brought into the Realme before it bee carryed out Againe although it should be granted that the vnder-valuation of our money doth not cause more money to bee carryed out of the Realme then is brought in yet for all that it may cause a great part of that which is brought in to bee carryed out Thus you see this Sophister how he chops Logicke And great care forsooth hee takes that it breed not a Dilemma which hee vnderstands as well as he doth a Syllogisme For a Dilemma is that which convinceth both wayes which his Paralogisme doth no way or rather convinceth him of folly For his argument may easily be retorted vpon hinselfe thus If nothing causeth Merchants to export more mony out of the Realme then they bring in but onely the bringing in of more Commodities into the Realme then they carryed out then it is not for want of a Par of Exchange But the the first is true by his owne argument and therefore the second Or will you heare of a hound that hath a better sent of a Syllogisme then Malynes The hound having lost the sent coasts the
in God alone As a good Logician of our time saith That the cause why men cannot dichotomize some things is Oâ—â— defectum Intellectus for want of vnderstanding Syntagma Logicum cap. 48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plato in Timaeu And hence it is that Plato that Divine Philosopher affirmeth that To reduce things infinit in multitude into two parts is very difficult but Divine And Aristotle Platoe's Scholler was honoured for Dichotomizing with this knowne Distichon Summus Aristoteles trutinando Cacumina rerum In duo divisit quicquid in Orbefuit Aristotle Prince of learning in his time Poizing the heads of things with skill Divine Did part them all in twaine distinct in sense And those he cal'd Substance and Accidence And as these were renowned among the Heathen so is Ramus no lesse honoured of those that vnderstand him amongst Christians Who was so admirable in all the Arts and aboue all the rest in this Logicall skill of Dichotomizing that he saith of himselfe If he should desire a Memoriae Sacrum Si me de vigiliis studijsque meis interroges sepulchri mei columnam è Logica artis institutione desiderem In dialect Epist A monument vpon his graue hee would wish it of the Institution of the Art of Logick And thus much briefly in defence of those Definitions and Distributions which I haue vsed in my little Treatise of Free trade which in Malynes sentence doe seeme superfluous All the rest that Malynes saith in his 4. Chapter trencheth no way vpon any thing that I haue sayd notwithstanding his challenge He thinks it enough to set my Title Of want of Government in trade over this Chapter and the title Of Remedies over the next as he vseth to doe the names of his bookes which like Ianus faces looke two wayes or like Watermen that looke one way and row another and that 's his best refutation of either Onely here 's a tale or two of his owne telling worth observing the one of himselfe in these words Insomuch P. 80. that if I receiue here one hundreth Pieces of 20. shillings I can send 90. Pieces to pay my bill of Exchange and put ten Pecies in my pocket for an over-plus and gaine SO that hereby it seemeth §. 42. Malynes is well vers't in this mystery of transportation of the Kings Coine eitherby practice in himselfe or observation of others Which deserve examination in both P. 92. The other of a Flemish reckoning of his owne making vp between a Londoner and an Amsterdamer wherein for want of his Par of Exchange this Kingdome forsooth was deprived of a thousand pounds at a clap in a bargaine of a thousand pounds employment onely This is Mirabile dictu more strange then true For his report as the Poet speaketh of Fame is Tà m ficti pravique tenax Aen. 4. quà m nuncia veri For in this story Malynes would suppose that the Londoner and Amster damer made a contract together The Londoner sent Clothes to Amsterdam to the value of 1000. li. The Amsterdamer sent Silkes to London for 1500. li. Flemish The Amsterdamer saith hee desired to haue his mony sent him ouer in Specie and so got 15. in the hundred which is 150. li. and the Kingdom saith he lost the whole 1000. li. The Londoner saye's Malynes could not doe the like because the moneys were inhansed at Amsterdam 15. in the hundred higher then at London So that the Londoner is forced to receiue his 1000. li. home by Exhange at a lowe rate or at 33. sh 4d whereby saith Malynes hee doth receiue the sayd 1000. li. with no gaine at all This tale deserue's the title of Cuius contrarium for 't is nei-neither true in Manner nor Matter Not in the Manner for first he propounds such a rate of Exchange as was never knowne betweene Amsterdam and London and yet reckons the Londoners 1500. li Flemish at 33.4 d. which is no lesse then 100. li. difference in 1000. li. Nor in the Matter for when Malynes tolde this tale it was October 1622. And then By the Royall Intercession of his Maiesty the States had decried their monies in the Vnited Provinces Great Whale p. 313. 314. whereof Malynes himselfe takes notice in his Great Whale So that Vice versâ the case is quite altered For the Londoner brought over from Amsterdam his 1500. li. in good Iacobus pieces to profit But Malynes friend the Amsterdamer as is reported happened vpon an ill Exchange from London For hee would needs change his 1000. li. into Spanish Reals and ship them at Saint Katherins and the Searcher tooke them vp at Graues-end And if Malynes for his part would haue beene as nimble in fetching an hundred twenty shillings pieces from Amsterdam he might now as well haue put ten Pieces in his pocket in bringing them thence as hee sometimes seemed to doe in carrying of them hence and more safely too for money is there a Merchandize here a treasure there tollerated to bee exported here prohibited And thus Malynes being put to his shifts and wanting powder and shot to charge or discharge any longer is at last encountered of the Remedies Against which hee is forc't to mount his great Ordinance wot you what it is a Piece of wood after Malynes block painted like a Brasse Piece and yet braue's it like himselfe and promiseth A Remedy of great facility P. 83. P. 85. a Remedie that comprehends all Remedies No lesse I can tell you then his Engine of Exchange His Par forsooth pro Pari must stand him in stead Ad Omnia quare as the chiefe Oare in his boat the Key of his work his onely Antidote But this his Quare must not passe without a Quaere For Homine Imperito nunquà m quicquam Iniustius Ter. in Adelph Quinisi quod ipse facit nihil rectum putat THE CIRCLE OF COMMERCE The Second PART Of Exchanges in generall and therein of the Ballance of the Trade of this Kingdome with forraigne Countries THere are certaine Empericks or Quacksaluers in the world Section 1. that vse a Pill they call Panchreston that is a medecine for euery malady a salue for euery sore And if Malynes had been but a Smatterer in any Science I should haue thought him of their Colledge for he will needs haue his Par of Exchange to be the sole and soueraigne remedy for all the grieuances of Trade If he had vsed the Flemish phrase that Butter is good for all things he had spoke more like himselfe and you might better haue belieued his word This Par of Exchange is an old foil'd proiect of his §. 2. of 22. yeeres growth For in An. 1601. hee pas't the Presse with a Pamphlet called after his manner The Canker of Englands Common-wealth That he then dedicated to that worthy and noble States-man Sir Robert Cecill then Secretary of State to Qu. Eliz. wherein if there had been any thing of worth he could neither haue
thought to be little was easily granted But she caused the skinne to be cut in small peeces and stretcht out in such length as it compa'st 22. stadia or furlongs of that measure whereon shee built Carthage in the midst thereof a Castle which she called Byrsa frō the name of the Bulles hide and by a Metonimy a Purse Strabe lib. 17. a Buls hide Whereon a Towre rare to bee seene Was buil't cal'd Burse by Dido Queene And indeed the Burses for Merchants assemblies in most places are of stately Structure as is our Burse of London the modell whereof was taken from the Burse of Antwerpe which twaine are much alike and excell all others that I know That of Amsterdam resembleth ours but ours farre exceedeth that in extent and costly architecture and was worthily named of Qu. Elizabeth The Royall Exchange And thus much of the Name The Thing it selfe followeth §. 9. The Thing or matter considered in the Exchange Naturallor Politique Which may be said either to be Natural or Politique A Natural Exchange is when mony is exchanged Value for Value according to the Intrinsique or inward finenes or true value thereof The Intrinsique value or finenes of monies cannot be known but by a dissolution melting down of the same into their proper bodies by a separatiō of the pure from the impure the fine siluer or gold from the allay or copper by assay In which Naturall Exchange there is no rate nor price to be admitted for the deliuering or taking of mony but looke how much fine siluer or gold you receiue in one place iust so much and no more you must pay or deliuer in another And this is a better direction then limitation of Exchanges For the finenes of monies is that Cynosure or Center whereunto all Exchanges haue their naturall propension But if you should so limit or restraine Exchanges that no man should take or deliuer any mony but according to the iust finenes then the vse of Exchanges in all places would bee taken away For then there would be no aduantage left neither to him that deliuereth nor him that taketh when mony must bee answered with mony in the same Intrinsique value For as it is the goodnes of a Commodity that directeth the price yet that price is greater or lesse according to the vse of the thing or the iudgement of the buyer and seller euen so it is the finenes of mony that directeth the price or value of the Exchange yet that price is greater or lesse according to the occasions of both parties contracting for the same which cannot be done in the Naturall Exchange because it admitteth no aduantage to either The Politique Exchange is when mony is exchanged value for value §. 10. The Politique Exchange according to the extrinsique or outward valuation Such as is the intrinsique finenes to the Natural Exchange such is the extrinsique value to the Politique Exchange Wherein Merchants are wont to reckon the certaine value of mony in finenes at an vncertaine valuation in denomination and accompt sometimes at a higher sometimes at a lower rate Which is therefore in Merchants termes called the price or course or rate of the Exchange And this valuation is thus vncertaine because it is greater or lesse according to the circumstances of time and place and persons Of time when money is taken by Exchange for longer or shorter time Of place where mony is more plentifull or scarse Of persons when the party taking mony is of greater or lesse credit or hath more or lesse need thereof In all these respects the rates of monies deliuered and taken by Exchange are alwayes more or lesse For as it is a common thing amongst men to sell one the same commodity to diuers men at diuers prises so is it also in Exchange when one and the same finenes of mony is answered by a different value in denomination or accompt Neither is there any certainty of gaine to the deliuerer of mony in the first Exchange although he seem to haue some aduantage in the price thereof aboue the value of fine siluer nor of losse to the taker though hee seeme to haue some disaduantage in the price thereof vnder the value of fine siluer because the deliuerer may perhaps be subiect to remit his mony backe in the second or forrain Exchange as much vnder the value of fine siluer as he had before aboue the value in the first Exchange And it may fall out also that the taker may gaine by the rising of the Exchange abroad that which hee seemed to lose by the falling thereof at home And if it happen that the mony deliuered in the first Exchange bee not remitted in the second Exchange but otherwise employed in trade that alter's not the case by Malynes owne rule which is Pag. 3. That commodities are bought and sold according to the publike measure of the Exchange So that in these Exchanges there is no certainty of gaine or losse to the parties taking or deliuering of mony vntill the time be run out and the returne come backe from those parts and places whether the mony was first deliuered by Exchange during which time the manifold occurrents which are contigent to trade may vary the gaine or losse to either party But because Malynes would make the world beleeue §. 11. The vse of Exchange that there is some great mystery in this kinde of Exchange let vs come a little neerer home in considering the Vse or Abuse thereof This kind of Politique Exchange is an excellent policy of trade I might say of State and concerneth both The King and Kingdome It concerneth The King when by the benefit of the Exchange his Maiesties affaires of State and high consequence may bee furnished with monies in forraine parts vpon all occasions without the exportation of any of his owne treasure It concerne's The Kingdome both in respect of Noble-men and Trades-men Of Noble-men when by the benefit of Exchange yong Noble-men and Gentlemen may be supplied with monies in their trauels without the danger inconueniēce of carrying ouer mony which without the Exchange could not be auoided Of Trades-men and that principally in respect of Merchants and Clothiers Of Merchants Old and Yong. Of Old Merchants whose meanes although good yet through the deadnes of times trades a good mans estate may be out of his hands in debts and wares which may be supplied by the benefit of Exchange Of Yong Merchants who hauing little meanes and lesse credit with the vsurer without a surety whom euery Yong man nor Old neither hath at command may supply themselues vpon their owne credits with great summes of mony by Exchange the least part whereof they could not haue had without a surety at interest Which is a singular benefit to Yong Merchants and tendeth to a very great inlargement of trade Of Clothiers for when the Cloth-markets are dead and when the Clothier cannot sell his
the Exportation did exceed the Importation though infinitly short of the proportion of the former time the Subiects prospered Trade florished Treasure was imported And it was such Treasure as stayed with vs and went not againe from vs nor were there such complaints knowne then as now are heard in our streets That Elder time was like the Golden age the Later like the Siluer age but the Present time is like the Iron age And therefore wee will passe from this Comparatiue to the Positiue forme of our Ballance to bring to the Scale the state of the present time and trade Wherein because the other Formes are different §. 32. and as long as there are Tot sensus quot capita as many mindes as men euery man abounding in his owne sense so long there will be some dispute about any Forme it will not bee impertinent to speake a word of Caution and then of the Constitution of this Forme of ours In which Caution although his Maiesties Records and bookes of Customes are the best and readiest direction to leade vs to the value of the trade of the Kingdome by the Customes of the Kingdome yet because there are some things of speciall consideration which cannot be discerned by the Customes wee will therefore consider such things as are therein obuious vnto vs in point of Exportation and Importation And first of either A part and then of both together In our Exportations wee are to reckon our forraine Commodities imported §. 33. Caution in point of Exportation for the forming of a Ballance and not spent in the Kingdom but Exported againe into forrain trade as the Natiue Commodities of the Kingdome Because whatsoeuer the Kingdome spendeth not of the forraine is all one as that it spendeth not of it's owne Also the Fishing trades whether within his Maiesties Dominions or without exercised by his Maiesties Subiects are not to be discerned by the Customes because the same is freed thereof by Statute which must neuerthelesse be brought into the Scale of Exportation by the discreet collection and obseruation of Iudicious Merchants as part of the Kingdomes stock Also the Custome and petty charges the fraight and Merchants gaine must bee reasonably valued and cast into the Scale of Exportation because those are a part of the stock of the Kingdome for if that mony were not laid out in charges it would bee imployed in the Natiue Commodities to the encrease of the Kingdomes stock In our Importations wee must consider §. 34. Caution in point of Importation for the forming of the Ballance that much water is wont to goe by the Mill which although at first sight a man might thinke might be set like the Hares head against the Goose Giblets yet certainly there is a great waight hang's vpon the Scale of Exportation in this regard For our Natiue Commodities as Cloth Tinne Lead and the like are of great Bulk and Massie and not easie to be stollen out but the forraine Commodities are of small bulke little in quantity great in value as Iewels Cloth of Gold and Tissue Venice Gold and Siluer thred Silkes wrought and vnwrought Cambricks and Lawnes fine Holland Cloth Cuchanel Tobacco and the like which as they are easie to be pocketed and conueyed so are they very rich to be valued and this one consideration alone may turne the Scale of Importation much against vs in the Ballance of Trade Also whereas in the Importation the Customes doe not lead a man so neere to the value of the goods as in the Exportation so that thereby you can neither know what the goods imported cost with charges abroad nor what the same are worth at home there must bee due consideration had of the one and the other in the Ballance of Trade For if a Commodity cost 100. pounds sterling at Amsterdam and is there paid for by the Cloth of this Kingdome and will yeeld but 90. pounds in England and perhaps is rated in the Custome but at 60. pounds yet the Importation in the Ballance of Trade is to be charged with the value of the Goods as they cost with charges and not as they are worth to be sold much lesse as they are rated in the Customes because that which they cost more then they are worth and more then at which they are rated in the Customes is also part of the Stock of the Kingdome And lastly In both in the Exportations I say and Importations §. 35. Caution in Exportation and Importatiō together for the forme of the Ballāce of Trade there must be Verity there must not be Variety The Collections must be truely made and one forme must be duly obserued least if the one be not Exact or the other Various the vncertainty of either may breed obscurity in both For he that waigheth a draught either with false waights or such as are of different standards can neuer tell whether he get or lose by his waight euen so in the Ballance of Trade if either the Collections be imperfect or the forme of the Ballance different you shall neuer knowe whether the Kingdome gaineth or loseth by the cast of the Scale in the Ballance of Trade Therefore if it may seeme good to his Maiesties high wisdome to grant a Commission euery yeare to some of his Maiesties principall Fermers of his Highnes Customes and to some of the most expert iudicious Merchants of the City of London and elswhere to conferre agree vpon a constant Forme to be kept euery yeare as constantly euery year to take a Ballance of the Trade of the Kingdome according to the practice of other Princes and Countries it will proue both facile and familiar vnto them and an excellent Policy of State vnto the King Kingdom in the course of trade And now we will come to the Positiue Constitution of our owne Forme to bring to the Ballance §. 36. The positiue constitutiō of the forme of a Ballance for the present time trade the state of the present time and trade wherein I will giue you a taste of one yeeres collections of the Kingdomes trade in this forme following viz. The Ballance of the Trade of the Kingdome is Debitor for all the Exportations of the Merchandize thereof for one whole yeare from Christmas An. 1621. to Christmas An. 1622. as followeth  li. sh d. Custome of the Port of London 50406. 06. 04 Custome of the Out-ports 26756. 18. 00 The Custome of Wrappers of Clothes Bayes and Cottons free of Custume being the tenth part of 50000. pounds which is the Custome of them all 05000. 00. 00 The Custome of the Fish of our owne fishing and which is freed from Custome by Statute by computation 07000. 00. 00 The Custome of Goods shipt out by Certificate viz. of forraine goods brought in and for want of vent in the Kingdome shipt out againe which are freed of Custome by his Maiesties gracious graunt of Priuy Seale 08050. 00. 00 The Totall of
that the Seed being so good the Soile so fertile the Sowers so skillfull that the Weeds Such weeds should come vp so fast No wonder at all Because the Enuious man come's by night and sowes these Tares But be not you discouraged yee worthy Workmen The Lord of the haruest will haue them growe together vntill the haruest Goe on therefore sowe the Lords seed which is the Immortall seed of the Word of God Fight the Lords battailes bee instant in season and out of season cease not to teach to refute to correct to instruct and pray continually that this great Dragon that old Serpent which is come downe into the Earth may not thus deuoure the people You are The light of the world set vpon a hill Shine forth yee glorious Lights keepe on your course breake through these Clouds let no Planet obscure you let no Erring Starre deceiue you you are now placed in this lower Orb you shall one day be fix't in an higher Region where your Sunne shall bee the King of glory your King the Blessed Trinity your Law Charity and your Time Eternity there you shall shine in a Paradice of glory for euer and euer The first End of our Ballance of trade is to shew vs the state thereof If the people of this Kingdome were numbred from Dan to Bersheba I am perswaded there were neuer more people neuer lesse employment neuer more Idlenes neuer so much Excesse And this is the first End of our Ballance of Trade It shewe's vs our Case in what Estate we stand It shewe's the Causes of our Decay of trade It represents those causes in Capitall Characters that he that run's may reade Excesse and Idlenes §. 39. The second End of the Ballance of Trade is to direct vs to the Remedy which is to lessen our Importations What 's the other End of it Surely to direct vs to the Remedy which in a word is nothing els but to make our Importations lesse and our Exportations more Our Importations may be lessened by a restraint of such superfluous and vnnecessary things as either we haue of our own or can make our owne as may best concurre with the Policy of Trade and the Wisdome of the State to which as it become's me I humbly commend the same §. 40. Or to increase our Exportations By Precept Our Exportations may be Improued either by Precept or Practice Longum Iter per praecepta breue per Exemplum Example is the best precept Wee are sent to the Belgicke Pismire to learne a Precept Prou. 30.27 and why not to the Belgicke Grashopper For The * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex multitudine dicitur Sic Belgae per Mare atque in omni terra multi Arbch Hebraicè quasi Herbae quia ex gramine locust Belgae veròberbâ— radicibâ—â— modicè vescuntur Grashopper hath no King yet they march out all in Troupes Wee need goe no further then the Low Countries to learne this Lesson Although the Kingdome of Naples the Signory of Venice the Common-wealthes of Genoa Florence Milan Marcelles and many others might teach vs the same thing yet the Low Countries doe seeme to be an Epitome of all the Rest Which certainly for Policy and Industry may read a Lecture to all the other people of the world There you shall see their Gates stand wide open you may carry out as much mony as you will It is there held no Paradoxe to let mony goe out and yet not to want it within because they haue an Eie to the Ballance of Trade whereby they are assured that although it may goe out at one dore yet it will come in at another But there you shall see no Excesse in superfluous consumptions of forraine Commodities No Proiects nor Proiectors but for the Common-good All kind of Manufactures inuented that will fit the times and please the mindes of forrain Nations Their own Commodities eased of charge the forraine Imposed Frugality industry policy all working together for the publike All kinde of Staples of Corne of Wine of Cloth of Fish of Silk of Spices of Flaxe of Hempe of what not And all these not to breed or feed home-bred Consumption but to maintaine Trade and Forraine Negotiation For indeed their whole Country is nothing els but a Magazin a Staple a Receptacle of the Comodities of all other Countries And this is a liuing Precept a Patterne a Forme a plat-forme for our Imitation for the encrease of our Exportation and this will restore our ancient Ballance of Trade Or if it be too far for vs to goe to them to learn this Precept they will come to vs. Looke vpon Norwich Colchester Bocking Canterbury and other Cities peopled with the Dutch There you shall see at Home what you might seeke Abroad There you shall not see that grosse abuse committed and so much complained of in our Old and New Draperies The falsifying whereof hath diminished their quantities halfe in halfe Which as it tendeth to a great lessening of our Exportations so cannot the same possibly be recouered without reformation of this abuse in the Clothing of the Kingdome which is the principall trade thereof The Remedy come's on so slow that it is to be feared we shall need a Precept also from some of those of Norwich Colchester or Canterbury to helpe vs execute the Statute for Clothing of 4. of the King As for the difficulty in Perpetuanoes the Reformation whereof is thought to want a new Law I suppose vnder fauour those may come vnder the name and title of dozens mentioned in that old Law as doe Deuonshire and Hampshire Kersies which are either double or single dozens and so are Perpetuanes also And it were better to haue fewer Lawes with better Execution then more Lawes with more trouble and lesse vse From this Precept §. 41. By Practice wee come to the Practice in the vse of those meanes which Almighty God in great bounty offereth vnto vs both Within and Without the Land Within the Land wee haue Materials and Instruments Materials of our owne growth Materials of forraine growth none are wanting Instruments wee haue of our owne Nation Instruments of forraine Nations none are wanting We want not Meanes if our Mindes bee not wanting wee want not Action if we wanted not Affection but alas our children are brought to the birth and there want's strength to bring them forth Or rather wee haue strength and doe not put forth our strength we haue meanes and vse it not If I should tell you that there is ten thousand pounds a yeare cast away in the streets of one Citty in this Kingdome it would seeme very strange But he that will consider how many thousand persons there are in London that giue to idle poore in the streets and what one man commonly giue 's in a yeare may computate at least twice that Summe giuen in the City and the Suburbs This Summe of mony thus great thus giuen is not
onely for the most part lost but it make's the Citty swarme with poore with idle poore who as long as they can liue by begging will neuer fall to working nor liue by labour I speake not against any mans charity but wish from my heart that he that is charitable were more charitable so the same were not abused or at least were better vsed for the publique good For there is not onely the losse of so great a summe but of the exceeding great benefit also which the employment thereof in our Natiue and Forraine Manufactures would purchase to the publique if the same were orderly collected and prudently ordered for the Employment of the poore Wherein I know not how to wish a greater glory to the City of London then to haue the honour to bee the Founder of so worthy a worke to raise a Stocke out of the free will offrings of the Citizens and wisely to dispose thereof for the poore's employment whereby all their owne poore might be set on worke an excellent patterne of piety and pitty giuen to all the other Cities of the kingdom to pursue so noble an enterprize by their good example And it need not be thought to be a new charge to the City for we see the thing is done already onely it is not so well done wherein my selfe the vnworthiest of all her Citizens had rather if I were worthy be the first then the last to further so happy hopefull a worke For it will bring to God glory to the King honour to the Kingdome treasure to the Subiects trade to the poore employment and proue by Gods blessing a most excellent meanes to encrease our Exportations and to recouer our Ballance of Trade Without the Land §. 42. Or Without the Land the Persia trade will not let me passe nor the Fishing neither without a word of either Both these doe promise much supply vnto our Exportation Both of them are of very high and important consideration for the honour and wel-fare of this Kingdome The one is a worke for The King the other for all The Kingdome The one if wee will is our owne the other vnlesse wee will not may bee made our owne For the Trade of Persia In the Persia trade it needeth the glory of the Sunne to dispell some clouds that doe obscure and hide from vs the excellency of this Trade Which if it will please His Maiesty to vouchsafe I am persuaded it would proue a very happy Commerce vnto this Kingdome not inferiour vnto any forraine Trade It promiseth to vent our Clothes and other our Natiue Commodities in great abundance to yeeld returnes of these Clothes that will employ multitudes of our poore to spare vs the treasure that now wee export to the Indies through the necessity of that trade to employ many great Ships good men with much more fafety then in those other trads to furnish the other parts of the Indies by the meanes of that trade without other supply from hence to purchase the rich trade of the Red Sea the benefit of trading there from Port to Port in the Indian commodities which in it selfe will be another East Indian Trade to turne the Current of the Trade of Persia from Turky to the weakning of the Turks tyranny ouer the Christian world Lastly to draw the employment of many Millions of mony into this Kingdome for the Persian silck which the Venetians Marcellians and other Cities and Common-wealthes of the Italians French and Dutch doe now employ into Turky in that one Commodity onely which by Gods blessing we may be able to deliuer them as cheape from hence as now they fetch it thence with more contentment also to them and more glory and gaine to vs in the atchieuement of so high and noble an enterprize And these are but two or three clusters for a taste of the fruit of the Land This Canaan cannot be knowne vntill you haue past ore Iordan the perfection of it consit's in the fruition thereof And this is also another meanes no lesse excellent to enlarge our exportation and therin also to helpe the cast of our Scale in the Ballance of Trade Last of all §. 43. Or the Fishing Trade for the Fishing Trade Res ipsa loquitur I shall need to say no more of that if what is said were done It is a worke that hath in it vtility to inuite and capacity to receiue all the Kingdome Wherein the Ports which are the walles and gates of the Kingdome might bee supported and trade imported to those Parts and places which now are destitute thereof Yea all the Citties or if you will the Counties may find roome enough to employ their meanes in this trade And surely if profit will not moue men Auri sacra fames is false and nothing will moue them There is no fiishing to the Sea nor Sea-fare for the Kingdomes well-fare to the fishing trade wherein for the encouragement of the Aduenturers it is fit if so it may be thought fit in his Maiesties high wisdome and grace that euery County yea euery City if it will may haue the mannaging and disposing of their owne aduentures without any General or promiscuous confusion with others and with such Immunities priuiledges and encouragements conferr'd vpon them from the fountaine of his Maiesties grace as may at last bring that to action and execution which wee haue so long had in discourse and contemplation A braue desseigne it is as Royall as Reall as honourable as profitable It promiseth Renowne to the King Reuenue to the Crowne treasure to the Kingdome a purchase for the land a prize for the sea ships for Nauigation Nauigation for ships Maririners for both entertainment of the rich employment for the poore aduantage for the aduenturers and encrease of Trade to all the Subiects A Mine of Gold it is the Mine is deepe the veines are great the Ore is rare the Gold is pure the extent vnlimited the wealth vnknowne the worth inualuable And this is also another meanes not inferiour vnto any for the recouery of our Exportations in the Ballance of Trade THE CONCLVSION THese meanes well pursued and the Remedies of our former Discourse applied such other meanes added as in the wisdome of the State may be more seriously thought vpon doubtlesse will restore our ancien Ballance of Trade and in it the former florishing Commerce which heretofore this Kingdome happily did enioy This is that Prouinciall and indeed Potentiall Exchange betweene vs and forraine Countries that must be the publique measure of all our Merchandize This is that true Par of Exchange that will not change that hath no imposture froth nor fallacy to abuse vs with This is the practice of forraine Princes and their Pollicy in point of Commerce to haue a continuall eie to this Par pro Pari the Ballance of Trade whereby they enrich their Countries and winne ground of others that neglect the same An instance is set
before our eies in that Spanish Proclamation which closely and couertly aimeth at the same thing for the benefit of that Kingdome This is that prospectiue sight that will draw Commerce from a farre of Quel miracle en nature se peult trouuer plus grand que ceste machine de vitre que fit construire Sapores Roy Persien la quelle estoit si grande qu'il estoit assis au Centre d'icelle comme en la sphere rondeur de la terre voyant souz ses pieds les astres estoiles qui se couchoient leuoient en sorte que cōbien qu'il fut mortel il sembloit estre sur toute la hautesse d'immortalité Theat du monde De l'excellence de l'homme to a Princes eie It is said of Sapor King of Persia that he caused a great globe to bee made of Glasse of such curiosity and excellency that himselfe might sit in his throne and he and it in the Center thereof and behold the motions and reuolutions of the Starres rising and falling vnder his feet as if he that was a mortall man would seeme Immortall And surely if a King would desire to behold from his throne the various reuolutions of Commerce within and without his Kingdome he may behold them all at once in in this Globe of glasse The Ballance of Trade For indeed if there bee any vertue in the Theorick part of Commerce that might attract a Princes Eie to be cast vpon it surely it is in this kinde of Exchange that one Country maketh with another in the Ballance of Trade All the mysteries of other Exchanges are hidde in this mystery All the knowledge of Commerce is presented and represented to the life in this story in this history All the riuers of Trade spring out of this source and empt themselues againe into this Ocean All the waight of Trade falle's to this Center come's within the circuit of this Circle This is that Par pro Pari that waighe's down Malynes Parity Imparity Impurity in the Scale is onely worthy of the Quaere of th'enquiry of a King This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Eie of the Eie or it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pupill or apple of the Eie or as the Rabbins calle it the daughter or image in the Eie the beauty the ornament the complement the accomplishment of Commerce And now at last I haue done with Malynes and with his Par his Dispar of Exchange and with Ariadnes thred I haue got out of the Labyrinth of his Little Fish and his his Great Whale Which hauing poised and found as light as vanity in the Ballance and therefore deserue no place within the Circle of Commerce I shall dismisse as sometimes St. Augustine did the Erronious writings of the Maniches with this farewell that his Proiect pursued in both In Manich. Lib. 13. cap. 6. is Puerile ludibrium Principium truncum medium putridum finis ruinosus A childish toye a blockish beginning a rotten middle and a ruinous end Or with the same Father that it is Paries doalbatus In Psal 103. foris tectorium intus lutum It 's like a Mudde walle dawb'd or'e without all durt within And such also is his Little Fish such his Great Whale full fraught with stolen stuffe out of French Copies Dutch Bookes and English manuscripts whole bookes swallowed vp in them for his owne with which those that are acquainted will as easily point them out as Ex vngue Leonem to know The Lion by the pawe The plants were good and prosper'd well when they grew in their owne soile but being pul'd vp by the rootes and as ill transplanted by an vnskillfull workman in a barren ground ore growne with weeds must needs be choackt wither and hang their heads I once thought to haue put an Index purgatorius or an Errata to his Lex Mercatoria but that I should haue seemed to take vpon me one of Hercules labours and as it is in the Prouerb Augiae stabulum repurgare To ferme or clense Augias stalles which was a worke for Hercules onely His Law Merchant should haue Merchants Law or rather Marshall Law to haue been better purged before it had been approued I would Malynes had consulted with the wise man to haue held his peace that he might haue seemed wise Sed Tacitus pasci si posset coruus haberet Plus Dapis vixae multò minūs inuidiaeque Hor. Or that he had not been like to Horace his Crow by too much chattering to loose his cheese or like Aesops dog pardon the word by too much gaping to let falle his bone Qualis vir talis Oratio the man is confused and so is his matter There 's a peece in Ouid resemble's it right Quem dixêre CHAOS rudis indigestáque moles Nec quicquā nisi pondus iners congestáque eodem Non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum A CHAOS rude it's call'd confused heape A dull and heauy waight and nothing els Discording seeds ill mixt to sowe or reape Confer'd in one where all disorder dwel's Or if you will haue it neerer mach't ther 's a master-peece in Horace represent's it to the life Humano capiti ceruicem pictor equinam Inngere si velit Horat. varias inducere plumas Vndique coliatis membris vt turpiter atrum Desinat in piscem mulier formosa supernè Credite Pisones isti tabulae fore librum Per similem cuius velut aegri somnia Vanae Fingentur species vt nec pes nec caput vni Reddatur formae As if a Painter void of wit or Art Should represent mans head that lofty part And thereunto should ioine an Asses crest And deck with diuers feathers all the rest Strang parts cōferd which Mermaidlike appeare Black fish below aboue a maiden cleare Trust me Malyn's thine ill digested theame Is like such pictures like a sick mans dreame That faigneth formes and yet in no degree Nor head nor foot will thereunto agree But not willing to be Censorious I shall leaue him and it to the sentence of the wise with this my iust defence also against his Censure of Wilfulnes at least though not of Ignorance Little Fish Ep. dedic P. 2. of both which he hath accused me to no lesse then The Maiesty of so great A King But I haue thought it my happines ô Caesar to haue answered before Thee of all these things Apostrophe ad Regem whereof I am accused and maligned of Malynes For my Lord The King is as an Angell of God Before whom I shall euer acknowledge my want of knowledge or if I know any thing it is only this Scire me Nescire to know that I doe not know Alme Deus pellas coelesti lumine pellas Ingenii Genii Nubila crassa mei Discere me doceas dediscere caetera prae Te Scire nihil nisi Te nam Tua scire sat est FINIS