go with as few men and our fishermen on the Coast by diuers reports can liue as hardly as they And let any iudge of the hardnesse when the principall time of fishing for Herring is in September and October and a sixe weekes time and they are almost in sight of our owne Coasts and besides good prouision of butter and cheese and Beere they haue the plenty of the sea-fish then this way wee may affoord as good penyworths as they But I goe further and say that we haue great vantages of them The Seas be our owne therefore we iourney not so farre as the Hollander doth whereby likewise our trauaile and charge must be lighter our ports harbours and roades be at hand nay which is more all vtensiles and appurtenances belonging to shipping as is before shewed Pitch and Tarre excepted are found in our owne Land whereas they with great cost paines and hazard fetch them from sixe seuerall places So then we shall be able to affoord better cheape then the Hollanders You English we will make you glad to weare our old shooes and so we may sell when they cannot and so the English shall and may weary them and weare out those flouts wherewith our poore Fisher-men are scorned For if they bee put by the vttering of their Herrings abroade they will bee driuen to leaue their great Ships and fish in smaller vessels neere the shore to serue their owne turnes as heretofore they haue caused vs to doe when as likewise on euery tempest they openly triumph ouer vs for not taking the blessings of God powred into our lappes These hinderances obiected taken away wee may now resort againe to the sweete fountaine of profite which besides that it watereth our priuate estates with the continuall spring of great gaine keepeth in our treasure which exceedingly now wasteth bringeth in all commodities that either the East and North Countries France or Flaunders affoords euen for this barter it runneth into the sea of the Kings custome the venting onely of ten thousand Last of Herring beyond sea commeth to fiue thousand pounds after the rate of the ordinary poundage besides the custome of Cod and Ling very neere as valuable as the benefit of Herring the particular view whereof is set downe by him whom I haue so often named in whose booke you may see the greatnesse of the custome amounting to aboue 50000 pound starling that accrueth to those Countries out of this fishing Trade And yet all this to them is nothing their keeping in their treasure their carrying away our treasure their aboundance with all other commodities their greatnesse of their custome this way is nothing in regard of their profit honor safety that their increase of shipping increase of Mariners this way begetteth to themselues amongst all nations to their state The life of the sea is in shipping nay one may say to ships Mare non est mare vos estis mare The beauty of the Sea is in Shipping and sure the Poets affirming Venus to be the daughter of the sea might meane a Ship by her For Haec vna Venus omnium surripuit Venerâ—s and this little land of the Hollanders exceeded in quantity by Norfolke and Suffolke hath gotten this sea hath gained this Venus England Scotland France and Spaine for shipping and sea-faring men not answerable to them and all spawned out of fish and fishing There hath bene numbred in sight two thousand saile of Busses and other good vessels gone out to sea at once of the Hollanders and there hath beene found by computation some thirty seuen thousand Fishermen in diuers sorts of vessels at one time employed herein Hence proceede their great vndertakings and prodigious aduenturing to all places hereby they out-goe vs and ouer-beare all Trades where euer they come Wee thinke the West-Indie gold to be the cause of the pride and presumption of Spaniards we may assure our selues that our North-Indies counteruaile that treasure and are the onely confidence of the Hollander euen by breeding sea-men and increasing of shipping in that aboundance as that hereby they both swarme euety where and France Spaine and the East Countries are full of their shipping Hence they fetch our coales and carry them abroad from Norway and Danske they bring vs all commodities and carry forth ours at a farre better rate then we can our selues they haue filled Moscouy whence we are emptied with thither shipping and the Straights abound with them once our possession They go into nay they arme in the West Indies where we may not be seene and in the East Indies they haue had long setled Factories before vs and haue foure men to one of ours there and go beyond vs as farre besides the number in store of goodly shipping whereby as they hinder our trade so they forbeare not which I cannot but write with stomacke the honour of our King and kingdome as presuming somtimes to call themselues English and pretend Embassage and presents from his Maiesty Which they did to the King of Siam in other places calling the Crowne and State of England into comparison which made the King of Achem aske captaine Best whether the King of England or the King of Holland were the greater Monarke Besides what an infinite number of shippes and men of warre haue they alwayes in a readinesse at home And as the In-keeper of Chalcis sayd to his guest admiring tantam ferculorum varietatem It was with Art all cookt out of pork this their store this their aboundance is raised all out of fishing Who then would not be moued who would not be stirred vp therewith Who would not goe a fishing You see what want we haue of shipping what want we haue of Mariners what discouragements we haue in trades what wants our men are in When Naaman the Sirian complained to Elizeus of his leprosie he was bid wash himselfe in Iordan seuen times He looked for other miraculous courses to be taken by the Prophet and could hardly be perswaded thereto because Abna and Pharphar flouds of Damascus were better Naaman was a Heathen and had neuer any experience of Gods Iordan yet hee was in the end perswaded To supply our wants to satisfie our hunger to heale our diseases there is not a riuer but a Sea shewen vs and that not in another kingdome but in our owne wee are but bidden goe and take fish out of it Wee are Christians and it is God that hath prouided this remedy and we see by experience no water like ours and wee see our neighbours from every place resorting thereto and healing themselues thereby You see how it concerneth vs let vs in the end likewise be perswaded What the number is of our Sea-men bred and employed by all sorts of Sea-trades our petty fishings excepted may easily be ghest at and whatsoeuer it may amount to If out of our whole Land there bee but foure hundred Busses built and set forth of seuenty tunne the peece there are in
THE TRADES Increase LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes and are to be sold by Walter â—â—rre 16â—â— To the Reader GEntle Reader I commend vnto you a Polidorus his Treasure yet without either murther or theft but else as rich So I confesse without leaue neither may the Authour bee offended if what I haue borrowed for my priuate vse I haue payed to the seruice of the Common-wealth in that what hee intended at the instance of one being written is behouefull o euery one One Pithius a crafty Sicilian finding an honest Romane Gentleman called Canius Desirous of a pleasant Garden in the Iland he inuited him to his and conducted diuers poore Fishermen to attend that day his Bankes with Boates and Nets and to bring in plenty of fish and to lay them at his feete The Guest asking what that meant was answered by the Huxter That it was the Royalty of that place there was more fish thereabouts then in any other streame of Syracuse And as oft as he repaired thither that seruice was due and done vnto him The poore Gentleman was taken with the Nets and presently dealeth with the owner for the Garden who suffering himselfe to be much improtuned at the length was intreated to sell it full deerely The day following the buyer disposed to shew the magnificence of his purchase inuiteth diuers friends to accompany him thither and missing the concourse and confluence of his expected homagers the Fishermen For there was neither Boate Oare Net or Fin of fish to be seene asketh his new neighbours whether it were a holiday for Fishermen The plaine folk answered None they knew of further wondred at the former resort for they neuer saw before Boates or Fishermen there In a word hee was cosened But it is not so in this fishing Proiect to the which you are now inuited frankely and plainely Nullae hic piscatorum ferae we may alwaies fish here without feare of any Sicilian purchase or scarcity of the Romane Macrobius his Table where there was Piscis but paucoruÌ„ hominum Here is fish the King of fish the meate and Marchandize of both remote and neighbour Nations To perswade hereto the Authour hath dealt by way of comparison not thereby to derogate from other Trades but to aduance this Mysterie and indeed to shew that they may all receiue true nourishment from this nursery Let therefore no man take that with the left hand which is offered with the right And though by the opinion of some of vnderstanding in those faculties there is a reasonable suruey giuen of our Sea-trades State and Breeding and out of others iudgements there is euen Candor animi in all particulars without either suspicion of any personall taxation offered or any States blot sus-spected Yet I desire also to professe the Authours true and faire meaning herein and to make good the ouersights that may bee committed in the particular trauerse with that of the Poet Vbi plurima nitent Non ego paucis offendor maculis Of the subiect it selfe I will onely say thus much That if Aurum portans hath beene alwaies welcome hence you may receiue gold pay the Kings duties and doe your Countrey seruice and so I leaue these businesses to their own abilities and take my leaue of you with this conclusion of them Nisi peracta luduntur I. R. The Trades Increase SEEING by chance a late Treatise entitled Englands way to winne wealth c. and being easily inuited to reade the same euen for the Titles sake I must confesse my selfe so affected with the proiect that I presently resolued to goe a fishing withall concluding with my selfe that as there is no fishing to the sea so there was no fish in the sea like to the Herring and for that my estate is but meane and my selfe a fresh-water Souldier it requireth cost and I would haue company the sea is large enough and hath roome enough for vs all and there are Herrings enough to make vs all rich for that I say a man may runne a course this way to enrich himselfe to strengthen his countrey to enable his Prince more honestly then many late sea-courses can warrant vs in more easily more safely more certainly then any other sea-course can perswade vs to whatsoeuer I could not choose out of my allegeance to my Prince out of my duety to my Countrey out of my loue to my neighbour but commend these motiues concerning the same to a further consideration consisting In the Necessitie Facilitie Profit and Vse of fishing The necessity out of want of Shipping Mariners Imploiment of meÌ„ As concerning ships it is that which euery one knoweth and can say they are our weapons they are our ornaments they are our strength they are our pleasures they are our defence they are our profit the subiect by them is made rich the kingdome through them strong the Prince in them mighty in a word by them in a manner we liue the kingdome is the king reigneth If the sea faile the Venetians they fall and if we want ships wee are dissolued Esops Sheepheard kept his flocke well so long as he nourished his dogge but when the Wolfe had perswaded him that he was superfluous hee cosened him easily of all his sheepe It is the kingdomes case in shipping which made that heroicall King of Denmarke at his view of the Kings maiesties Nauy at Chattam confesse he then saw the strength of England the greatnesse of our King In sola tanta est fiducia Naue Want of shipping Concerning the want of shipping though to presse the consideration thereof be very material yet the poynt it selfe is to be handled very tenderly for that as I haue no pleasure to touch our owne wounds so I am loath in this case to discouer our owne wants for that I feare the enemie will sooner take the aduantage of them then wee will be stirred vp thereby to make supply To giue therefore the true and faithfull subiect a darke Lanthorne whereby hee may onely see himselfe and he not be seene setting the contemplation of the Kings royall Nauy aside so mighty so well conditioned which hath so many good Officers and such worthy Ouer-seers which is so chargeable to his Maiestie to maintaine as I hope it will neuer be safe for the enemy to meddle withall setting I say this aside our Merchants Nauie consisteth in the Shippes For The Straights Spaine France Hambrough and Middlebrough The Sound Newcastle Island New found Land The East Indies I haue not named Moscouie because we haue in a manner lost that Trade the troubles of that kingdome and our desire of security hauing depriued vs therof which we may the more lament because I haue heard Marchants affirme that in these vncomfortable daies of aduenturing it was one of their best Trades and with no small meruaile yet vpheld and most prouidently followed by the Hollanders The Countrey being afflicted with war and the Hollanders will petere cibum è flamma we being
scarred away from so good profitable a trade as birds from Cherrie-trees with the shew of dead carkasses or shout of boyes whilst other lusty and plumpe laddes haue wililie beate away the children beate downe the scarre crowes and stolen the fruite away to their great gaine and our disgrace there repairing not thither aboue two Ships English in stead of seuenteene of great burden for the company formerly besides Enterlopers to the great decay of our Marchants and shipping whereas the Hollander according to a credible report made betweene the Ward-house and the East-ward at Tippenie Kilden Olena and the Riuer Cole at Colmograue and at Saint Nicholas in Russia had aboue thirty fiue sailes of their Shippes the last yeare Happily some will say that they made so poore a voyage that they had bene better kept themselues at home and it is very likely yet the yeare before they had some thirty saile and now this yeare they haue againe repaired their Nauy renewed their aduenture and sent neere as many as neither dismaied with troubles nor yet discouraged with losse and to make it the more strange that they shold thus preuēt our trade increase their own as it was after vs that they came thither euen by leaue as it were to gleane with our Reapers for the fields were ours the discouery of the Land and Trade wholy ours found out by Chanceler and Willoughby Primo Edw. 6. and euer since continued by our Merchants so againe their best Trade thither is maintained euen by our owne commodities as Tinne Lead Course-clothes and Kerseis the inconuenience whereof together with the preuention I leaue to the sensible consideration to the sufficient ability of the Moscouie Marchant who I feare can scarce heare mee being as I said gone so farre as the East-Indies and if I should send to him I feare I should not finde him at leasure hauing thither transported much of the Moscouie Staple For the Marchants that formerly vsed the Moscouie Trade are now there seated and because as we know it is warmer there and as they find it it is very profitable we will also by Compasse trauell thither our selues that as Valeria a faire Lady answering to Scilla in the Theater being demanded Why shee pressed so neere said That thereby shee might haue so me of his felicity so by being in their company wee may communicate with them of their good fortunes or commune with them of our wants The Straights So then to beginne our iourney at the noblest place for worth and one of the newest in knowledge the worthiest in former remembrance the worst in present reputation for the bottome of the Straights the first in name and whilome a very materiall busines of Marchandize I do find this Trade but easie and the difficulties many and new the Trade it selfe being lessened by the circumuention of the East-Indie nauigation which fetcheth the Spices from the well head and I find the rest of the benefites alayed by charges by insultation of Pirates and infidelity of seruants These make presents and profit of their Maisters goods abroad so farre that some of the owners become lame at home Pirates meete with that whereby others are extreamly hindred and by the charges the rest are exceedingly discouraged so that the Merchants returne is but poore and the nauigation much lessened the employment thitherward fayling in neere thirty shippes those of such burden that they were of defence and renowne to the kingdome I heard a worthy Marchant in his time Thomas Cordell of London say that on the first beginning of the Turkey Trade his selfe with other Merchants hauing occasion to attend the late Queens Maiesties Priuy Councell about that businesse they had great thanks commendations for the shippes they then builded of so great a burden for those partes by the Earles of Bedford and Leicester and other honorable Personages with many encouragements to goe forward euen to vse their owne words for the Kingdomes sake notwithstanding it was then to their great benefite likewise whose ordinarie returnes at the first were three for one which I speake not out of enuy For as all callings are and ought to be maintained through the profite that ariseth thereby labours rewarded dangers recompenced by the sweat and sweet of gaine nay in our most Liberall Professions the Diuine for his spirituall nourishment hath temporall foode the Physition for the care of the body asketh the comfort of the purse and the Lawyer must bee payd for his Plea so Merchants of all Companies the most liberall are likewise of all sortes the most worthie to gaine Vt qui per vniuersum orbem discurrunt mare circumlustrantes aridam to vse that hopefull Prince in his time King Edward the sixt his words in a Letter to forren Princes in Sir Hugh Willoughbie his behalfe Beeing bound for discoueries Prim. Ed. 6. But to end my long Parenthesis I speake it I say out of pitty to see now the returne so meane the Merchant so discouraged the shipping so diminished and to conclude this poynt without loue or anger but with admiration of our neighbours the now Sea-herrs See-herren the Nation that get health out of their owne sickenesse whose troubles begot their liberty brought foorth their wealth and brought vp their strength that haue out of our leauings gotten themselues a liuing out of our wants make their owne supply of Trade and shipping there they comming in long after vs equall vs in those partes in all respects of priuilege and port that haue deuanced vs so farre in shipping that the Hollanders haue more then one hundred saile of shippes that vse those parts continually going and returning and the chiefest matters they doe lade outward be English Commodities as Tinne Lead and Bailes of such like stuffe as are made at Norwich For the rest of the Straights one side as the coast of Barbary serues onely for places and Citties of refuge not after the Diuine Leuiticall law when one hath killed a man by chance there to be succoured but after that diabolicall Alcoran when any haue robbed and murdered abroad thither they may repaire be in safety and enioy The othe◠side as Naples Genoa Ligorne and Marseilles employ some twenty saile and they most with Herring For the Ports neere to the Straights mouth as Malega c. wee haue some store of shipping as about thirtie saile that begin in Iune to set forth some for Ireland to lade Pipe-staues in their way to Malega they returning Malega wines But the Hollanders likewise haue found out that Trade and be as busie amongst the Irish as our selues for Pipe-staues nay by your leaue they haue beene too busie there of late with some of our poore Country-mens wind-pipes but that is besides the matter heere But for Maleg a it selfe the Inhabitants there haue through our plentifull resort thither planted more store of Vines so that on our recourse thither our marchants haue withdrawne themselues much
from Cherris Spaine For Andalusia Quantado Lisborne Pertugall it is easily knowne what shipping wee haue there by our Trade which is but meane consisting in Sacke Sugar Fruit and west-Indie Drugs which may employ some twenty ships Amongst these Cherris Sackes are likewise brought into England especially in Flemish Bottomes For the bringing in from thence any store of salt by vs it is excepted against we being by report furnished principally by the Hollanders of most of the salt that our Fisher Townes do vse for the salting of Island fish and all other Fish for Herring and Staple-fish as the Ports of London Colchester Ipswich Yarmouth Linne Hull Scarbrough can testifie Albrough men were wont to bring it in especially employing some thirty or forty Saile belonging to it of some seuen or eight score or two hundred Tunne which for the most part were set on worke all the yeare long with transporting of coales from Newcastle to France and fetching salt from thence which Trade is now much decayed with France by the double dilligence of the Hollanders who serue vs principally from Spaine France For our Trade to Burdeaux it is lightly as great as euer it was For I do not thinke there was euer more Wine drunke in the Land Yet that voyage appeareth not to be so beneficiall in regard of the small rate that the Owners and Sea-men haue thither-ward France may euery way employ and those most small vessels some threescore ships and barkes Hambrough Middlebrough To Hambrough and Middlebrough there are belonging six or seuen ships to each place and they lade for the Company and are called Appointed Ships euery three months in all the yeare there may be laden some thirty odde Shippes and they but 14 or 15 bodily But as they make as is said two voyages the Ship how it standeth with them or how they will stand it is vncertaine in regard of the manner of the altering of Trading with their cloath Once for certaine the Merchant aduenturers ships haue been alwaies formerly the sure stay of Merchants seruices both for their readinesse goodnesse and number of shipping touching the common-wealths affaires The Sound For Danske Melvin and Quinsbrough there are not aboue fiue or sixe shippes of London that vse those places as many mote of Ipswich and so likewise from Hull Linne and Newcastle the like proportion resorteth thither for Trade These make some two returnes in the yeare but in all those places the Hollanders doe abound and bring in more commodities by fiue times to vs then our owne shipping And for Liefland the Narue Rye and Reuell the Hollanders haue all the Trade in a manner the commodities from these former places being Corne Flaxe Sope-ashes Hempe Iron Waxe and all sorts of Deale For Norway we haue not aboue fiue and they aboue forty saile and those double or treble our burden euen for the Citty Newcastle The next is Newcastle Trade and for certaine the chiefest now in esse for maintenance of shipping for setting Sea-fearing men on worke and for breeding daily more there may be about some two hundred saile of Caruiles that onely vse to serue the Citty of London besides some two hundred more that serue the sea-coast towns throughout England small and great as Barques and other shipping of smaller burden and more might easily be for hither euen to the Mines mouth come all our Neighbour Country Nations with their Shippes continually employing their owne shipping and Mariners I doubt me whether if they had such a treasure they would not imploy their owne shipping The French saile hither in whole Fleetes some forty or fifty saile together especially in Summer seruing all their Portes of Picardie Normandie and Brittaine euen as farre as Rochel and Bourdeaux with their owne shippes and sailers from Newcastle So they of Breame Embden Holland and Zealand do serue all Flaunders and the Archdukes Countries whose shipping is not great These paying no more then his Maiesties owne naturall subiects if they transport any coales Which imposition say our men made our Countrey men forbeare their carrying any more Coales abroad because the Frenchmen would not giue aboue their old rate and which was worse thereby they sold away their shippes some to France some to Spaine some to other Countries Whereby sure their faults are more apparant then their ill fortune in that though their gaine was lesse at the instant by the imposition then formerly yet to leaue the Trade argued neither good spirits nor great vnderstanding nor any especiall good minde to their Countrey For whence I pray you came such a necessity to leaue the Trade and to giue ouer shipping as if they could not liue thereby when presently forraigne Nations fell to the Trade themselues as is formerly set downe and fetch away our coales on the same tearmes which wee do refuse And by report notwithstanding the fiue shillings imposed the French do sell in France one Chauldron of coales for as much money as will buy three or foure of Newcastle Had they held to with patience either they might haue brought the stranger to their price or else by due order and discreet fashion opened the inconueniency to the state of the strangers stomack in refusing their Coale and fetching them their selues so as they might easily haue wearied them and won their Trade and gaine againe whereas now they are beggard our Country disfurnisht of shipping The stranger keeping his coine at home bringeth hither bare and base commodities their shipping Mariners are employed and increased and notwithstanding the Argus eyes of the Searcher carry gold away with them alwaies bringing more in stocke with them then they carry away in commodities For to make a motion to haue this fiue shillings excused in our owne Nation is rather profitable then necessary in regard wee see the stranger thriueth notwithstanding it and it being done out of his Maiesties royal prerogatiue ex causa lucratiua as is apparant by what the stranger gaineth and the like is willingly imbraced here in other transportations as Beere c. were me thinkes vndutifull likewise But to mention a motion very lately made and generally amongst his Maiesties loyall subiects imbraced Might it please his Maiesty to make and ordaine a Staple Towne in England for Sea-coale and we haue many fit places and Harbours more neere and proper then that of Tinmouth at Newcastle and herein as I am bound in affection to wish well to London so I must out of many mens iudgements commend Harewich statio bene fida Carinis and then lying fit for the Low-countries and indeed open to all Nations by the benefite of the large sea which washeth it whereby strangers shall be restrained from further Trade to Newcastle and shall all repaire to the said Staple Towne to fetch their Coales Besides that it would be an exceeding benefite to his Maiesty it would likewise helpe vs in this our complaint of want of shipping For by this meanes our English
bottomes bringing all the Coales to the Staple Towne shall not onely be set on worke but increase will follow in Shipping The Venetians sometime passed being out-gone by those of Zant in their custome drew the Trade from the Grecians and planted as it were a Colonie of Curranes at Venice If for a little custome and to pull downe their suspected subiects swelling mindes they did so why should not his Maiesty for the increase of his Shipping and the releiuing of the prostrate estate of his faithfull and humble subiects take this warrantable course Island Island voiage entertaineth 120 ships and barkes New found land New found Land employeth some 150 saile from all parts of small ships but with great hazard and therefore that voyage feared to be spoiled by heathen and sauage as also by Pirates East Indies Now followeth the consideration of the East Indie Trade into whose seas not onely the Riuer of Volga as before you heard disemboqueth it self but euen the bottome of the Straights is emptied to fill vp those gulfes and not so onely but besides that many of our best Marchants haue transported their Staples thither it hath also begot out of all Callings Professions and Trades many more new Merchants Then where there is increase of Merchants there is increase of Trade where Trade increaseth there is increase of Shipping where increase of Shipping there increase of Mariners likewise so then rich and large East Indies The report that went of the pleasing notes of the Swannes in Meander floud farre surpassing the records of any other birds in any other places whatsoeuer drew thither all sorts of people in great confluence and with great expectation to heare and enioy their sweete singing When they came thither they found in stead of faire white Swans greedy Rauens and deuouring Crowes and heard in stead of melodious harmony vntuneable and loathsome croaking In indignation that they were so receiued and deceiued in stead of applauding they hissed and of staying fled away You are now braue East Indies Meander floud your Trade is the singing of Swannes which so many iourney so farre to enioy God forbid you should be found so discoloured and we so ill satisfied And howsoeuer that I may be sure to auoide any detraction whereby my nature might haue any imputation or by calling vp more spirits into the circle then I can put downe againe I might incurre some danger and be taxed likewise of indiscretion for that we onely hitherto haue complained of the want of Shipping we desire now but herein to suruey the store and see how you helpe the increase You haue built more Ships in your time and greater farre then any other Merchants Ships besides what you haue bought out of other Trades and all those wholly belonging to you there hath beene entertained by you since you first aduentured one and twentie Ships besides the now intended voiage of one new Ship of seuen hundred Tunne and happily some two more of increase The least of all your Shipping is of foure score Tunne all the rest are goodly Shippes of such burthen as neuer were formerly vsed in Merchandize the least and meanest of these last is of some hundred and twentie Tunne and so go vpward euen to eleuen hundred Tunne You haue set forth some thirteen voyages in which time you haue built of these eight new Shippes and almost as good as built the most of the residue as the Dragon the Hector c. so that at the first appearance you haue added both strength and glory to the King dome by this your accession to the Nauy But where I pray you are all these Ships foure of these are cast away of the which one was of three hundred Tunne another of foure hundred the third of three hundred and the fourth of eleuen hundred two more are docked vp there as Pinaces to Trade vp and down the rest are either employed in the Trade in the Indies or at home out of reparations which if true if the Kingdome should haue need of them on any occasion it shall surely want their seruice and so then there is not onely no supply to the Nauy this way but hurt euen to the whole kingdome the woods being cut downe and the Shippes either lost or not seruiceable Surely stories can shew vs which we may reade in the courses of Common-weales how tolerable nay how laudable it is in all States to enlarge Commerce Merchants whom wee should respect can tell vs of the casualties which not onely the Ships but their estates are subiect to by aduentures Mariners whom we must pitty can teach vs of the ordinary dangers not onely that Shippes and goods but their liues are subiect to by sea I must not then exprobrate that to them which is to be imputed to the Sea nor are they to be blamed out of reason for that which deserueth in humanity commiseration nor is England bounded by our Horizon to go no further then we see We haue learned long since that Mercatura si tenuis sordida si magna splendida the stranger the Country the greater the aduenture the more famous our Nation the more worthy the Merchant Before wee were euen Herace writ Currit Mercator ad Indos Loath then am I to borrow that saying of Demosthenes on his courting of Lais to pay it to the Indian Trade by alleaging that Non tanti Emam poenitentiam only hauing now in common that Roman prouiso Ne quid detrimentiresp capiat Let vs examine that which may moue patience that our woods are cut downe and the Ships either lost or not seruiceable Our woods I say cut downe in extraordinary manner neither do the Shippes die the ordinary death of Shippes Our woods extraordinarily cut downe in regard of the greatnesse of the Shipping which doth as it were deuoure our timber I am able out of sufficient testimony to affirme that since the Indian Trade and meerely through their building of their ships of so great burthen and their repairing the building notwithstanding beganne but fiue yeares since that timber is raised in the Land fiue shillings and more in the loade nay almost not to be had for money which the Company no question being sensible of very wisely seeke to helpe themselues in by building of ships in Ireland for their seruice yet it seemeth their incouragement that was is but necessitous in regard by their owne saying besides the hazard the charges are little lesse and which is worse that kinde of timber is but vntoward for that vse being so extreame heauy that a ship of small burden draweth much water If in fiue yeares space their building together with their repairing of shippes almost equall to building beget such a scarcitie what will a little continuance bring forth Bring forth I cannot say ought but a priuation will follow euen of all our timber-wood The Kings Nauy must be maintained other Marchants of lower ranke must haue shipping and the sea-trade may increase and then either
haue beene made of the restlesse death of many concealed extortioners and murderers whose ghosts haue been said to walke in paine and pennance On the contrary how many liue bodies indeed the true images of the deceased complain on the death call for the due of their friends Fathers Husbands Children Kinsfolkes and Creditors Poore Ratlife Lime-house Blacke wall Shadwell Wapping and other Sea-townes abroad can sensibly tell The Marchant he is at home and therefore he cannot embezell the goods abroad and it is likely that what is directly proued due is paid here to theirs Then is the calamity of that iourney more fearfull because out of his owne ill Planet it maketh so many miserable How this is recompenced it is neither my purpose nor my part to examine For certaine there is want of Trade the Hollander would grow greater if he had all this Trade in his own hands The Kings customes are now aduanced This way Shipwrights are set on worke which must be maintained and other Mechanical Trades liue hereby with a number of poore busied And surely he that would not haue the poore to liue I would he might begge And he that would not advance the Kings profire in all liber all manner and Marchandize is a faire meanes I would he might dye and he that regardeth not his Countries good it is pitty he was euer borne I desire not like a second Phaeton to make a combustion All that I would enforce at this time is that in this trade our men are consumed and thereby more want of Mariners Let the Straights-men and the Lisbone-Merchants complaine of their hinderance this way and say their traffique before was more beneficiall by much and more certaine to the Custom-house then the Indies be now Let others report that the foundation of this trade was layd in the ruine of a Caricke that Sir Iames Lancaster tooke in the first voyage and that the maine of this after-iollity proceeded of the forced trade driuen with the Mecha Fleete by Sir Henry Middleton Wherein hee was his owne Trade-caruer out of tenne hundred thousand pounds worth of goods whereby diuers durst not go presently after to the Straights as the Angell and other shippes out of rumour of reuenge for violence offered by our Indian men to the Turkes in the red sea Let the cōmon people say that their commodities are vnnecessary aske the Tradesmen nay all men what they haue cheaper looke into the price of victuals how it riseth out of their great prouisions Let the whole land murmure at the transport of treasure and bring in Charles the fifth his opinion Hall Chron. An. 25. Hen. 8. speaking to the Portugals of their trade to the East Indies who said that they were the enemies to Christendome for they caried away the treasure of Europe to enrich the Heathen Let goe the speech of the small reliefe thereby to the poore and they whom it doth concerne may suggest the Indian home state and particular profite Once I am sure that as Vespasian the Emperour sayd He had rather saue one Citizen then kill one thousand enemies so his royall Maiesty had rather haue his Subiects then Custome for them and you see plainly that his Maiesties subiects our country-men fall this way and this way is want of Mariners Greenland ships which before I had forgotten entertaine some Mariners and helpe to breed others as of late being fifteene saile employ some foure hundred men and may breed of these some fourescore which helpe somwhat and may be by reasonable encouragement farre more beneficiall if it be more publique And thus we haue runne ouer the materiall trades state and condition in them of sea-men In all in generall we conceiue want in regard of the small increase of what is needfull to furnish this great Machina this goodly Engine of our Sea-state either by supporting their owne members the Newcastle trade excepted or all ioyned together to make vp the great body of our Lands Nauy witnesse that general presse that was made of men from all the Coasts to man the shippes that were to attend that matchlesse pearle that peerlesse Princesse the Lady Elizabeth her grace with her hopefull and happy mate the illustrious Palatine at their departure and our nakednesse that would appeare if there were sudden occasion to furnish some sixe of his Maiesties shippes all which maketh for the furtherance of our proposition of fishing The third motiue hereto was Want of Employment As the Cosmographers in their Maps wherein they haue described the habitable Globe vse to set downe in the extremity of their Cards on vnknowne Regions and Climates That beyond those places they haue noted there is nothing but sands without water full of wilde beasts or congealed seas which no ship can saile or Scithyan liue in so may I write in the Map of employment that out of it without it is nothing but sordide idlenes base condition filling the minde with a hundred Chymeraes and grosse fantasies and defiling both body and minde with dissolute courses and actions like fat ground neglected that bringeth forth a thousand sorts of weeds or vnprofitable hearbs And with this disease is our Land affected our people infected whereby so many come to an vntimely reproachfull death in the Land many more liue so dissolutely and so wickedly on the seas I doe not thinke that in any two kingdomes in Europe there are so many Iustized for Murderers and Felons yearely as in England And aboue all Nations we are most infamous for Pyracies wherein against the law of sea-robbers or at least besides ordinary example of any other Nation we forbeare not to prey on our owne Country-men nay wee forbeare not our owne acquaintance Sure the want of grace and feare of God is much in most of these but that men should leaue their wiues children and family and rebel against their owne Soueraignes lawes and make warre on all people proceedeth more out of want of means want of emploiment at home Besides how many that haue more grace and the same wants are straightned in their Fortunes notwithstanding their abilities of body and minde and are as it were damned to pouertie and more then all these that haue a litle grace and lesse meanes that leade the loathsome life of begging Now if the meanes may be found nay if the meanes long found already be offered vnto vs to redeeme vs out of this disaster why should wee not vnderstand them why should we not apprehend them why should we not be industrious in them Wee are not those rebellious Israelites that could not see the flowing Land much lesse enioy it we haue this place in possession and if my Ephemerides faile me not I dare say Natam inde esse artem that shall not onely take away all those discontents and miseries that want of employment breeds in any of our infortunate countrey-men but that shall also repaire our Nauie breed sea men aboundantly enrich the subiect
two yeares nine thousand Mariners more then was in the Land before let men of experience and state iudge of the proportion by the way of comparison euery one can perceiue the increase simply Besides by the report of some of our best Mariners these thus bred proue not onely equall but better able then any bred otherwise for Sea-affaires and publique seruice On this publik profit of fishing thus spred abroad the maintenance of Hauens and Hauen townes in England besides haue no small dependancie and are so materiall to the land so plainly vnderstood of all his Maiesties subiects and so wel-wished to by Hitchcockes and Gentleman that it is enough for me but to poynt at them we all know the vse of them they shew the decay and this Art the reparation and maintenance of them The vse of this fishing is implied much in the profite but more eminent by the consideration againe of the infinite number otherwise of idle people out of imployment Onely by this Art it is reported not one goeth a begging in all the Low-countries and what a number of people haue we that now destitute of meanes may this way haue a calling It is a grieuous sin Idlenesse and bringeth forth as we see horrible effects to get a liuing by the sweat of our brows is the ordinance of God this way there is a recompence There were found in Yarmouth the last yeare three or foure hundred and those of honest disposition that wanted meanes how many hundred more are there in other places that wold gladly be thus vsed Hichcockes alloweth to euery one in this imployment twenty pounds yearely besides his diet for his reward a good sauour to honest men that now haue no meanes and this onely out of two voyages for Herring A number of Carpenters and Shipwrights shall be set a work Coopers busied numbers of people making lines ropes cables dressers of hempe spinners of thrid makers of Nets bred many salt-houses set vp besides what store of poore people all along on the sea-coasts which are now very poore and idle in England and Wales to be vsed in splîtting of fish washing of fish packing salting carrying and recarrying of fish And on these foresaid occupations depend an infinite number of seruants boyes daily labourers for the vse of things needfull Nilus whose fertility is enuied affoordeth not so many sorts of fish of monsters as this fishing entertaineth sorts of people which humbly committing to the high disposer of all hearts to the due consideration therby of his Ministers here on earth I will leaue further to enlarge and shut vp this abrupt discourse with the allusion of that of Basil to this sea-businesse Putei dum hauriuntur speciosiores Now for a Corollary to all these imperfect lines whereas in the superficiall suruey of want of shipping we find most of our sea-trades either decaying or at a stay let me out of themselues without offence propound the consideration of one remedy therto euen by a freedom of Traffique for all his Maiesties subiects to al places Hereby his maiesties customes will increase the nauy sea-men will receiue nourishment out of more imployment the whole incorporation of marchants reap comfort in that they may communicate with all aduentures and the vniversal body of the subiects of the land content in that they may become merchants being very ready in this aduentrous world to make new discoueries whereas now otherwise merchandize sorting setled in companies confineth merchants into those limits that priuate orders tie them in so that they may not helpe themselues through any discouragements in one trade but by sute and submission of themselues to the other though I say their trades faile them and other haue too much nor may any else of the kingdome come amongst them though neuer so able and well disposed vnlesse they come in on such conditions as the victor pleaseth to propound A thing in ordinary sence somewhat harsh to fellow-subiects and equall Citizens in this great Monarchie to be so seruiceably tyed and subiect one vnto the other and the rather for that those priuiledges by the indulgencie of the Prince being granted as a reward to some for their industries and exemplary to others incouragements are strictly vsed to the eternall benefite of a few and the wrong of all the residue The French company manifesteth this plainly which if it had continued and it beganne but the other day had vndone all the Westerne men The Moscouie company declareth the same as being granted on condition of seruing his Maiesty of all materials as Flaxe Oyle Waxe Tallow Cordage belonging to shipping whereas now it is supplyed by strangers euen ten for one ship and those double our burdens and notwithstanding they doe not performe and haue let fall their Trade yet none may enter but on their conditions The Greenland company out of the pretence of their first Whale-hunting keepe all Fishermen notwithstanding they knew and vsed those seas from further resort thither and some Marchants of Hull were taken by them in that iourney and brought backe notwithstanding as I am informed those countrey-men found it first The Virginia company pretend almost all that Maine twixt it and New-found-land to bee their Fee-simple whereby many honest and able mindes disposed to aduenture are hindred and stopped from repairing to those places that either knew or would discouer vnfound euen for fishing The East India men not able to furnish those places they resort to keepe out other from comming amongst them and to looke into those parts they know not and would giue out of their largenesse and riches entertainment to all the Marchants in the Land Besides how tedious and costly they and all other Companies make it to their owne Associates when as out of orders and cause of vpholding their Trade men can neither dispose of their owne as they would nor haue the benefite vnder a long time Besides how priuate doe they and other Companies make it when as out of orders and maintaining their Trade how plentifully soeuer the commodities are brought in and at what advantage soeuer they buy them they will be sure to keepe vp the price either by sending forth most part of the commodities abroade or else by buying all others into their hands that other is hard for the owner somtimes but he doth it in his owne wrong but to the buyer this is alwaies iniust for that he suffereth against his will the common-wealth being made private suffereth by all this that the first and all the more discōtentful in that besides that all other Nations resort freely to all those places whence they keepe out their owne Country-men the like fashion of Companies and Societies is not vsed in all Christendome else it being lawfull and vsuall to all other amongst themselues promiscuously to frequent and communicate with places and Trades one by the other Nay this separation of Trading and excepting of Subiects from places betweene