Sweden Poland Muscovy Spain Italy and Turky with and which the French supply Spain Italy and Turky with and with which the French and Dutch cloy our Markets here in England we might then so far as the Woolls of England and Ireland would permit not onely cheaper supply all those places which the French and Dutch do but also so much better as our Woolls and Fullers-Earth is better in England than in France or the Vnited Netherlands And also conserve all that Treasure in the Nation which is expended in buying the Dutch Blacks French Druggets and other Woollen Manufactures of those Countries An ingenious Gentleman not long since said that the Dutch supplied Sweden with course Woollen Clothes for the Souldiery and poor people of Sweden and that by order of the Councel of Trade there I wish such a thing might ever be heard of in England many people attempted without Success and much loss to make these Clothes in Sweden But about four years since the Lord Landscroone of a Merchant made one of the Nobility of Sweden and a Member of the Council of Trade propounded the working these Manufactures in Sweden in case the Council would represent it to the King when he came to his Majority as an acceptable service and that for some time the Council would take of the Manufactures at the same terms the Dutch supplied them The Council assented to both and a piece of those Clothes was divided and the Arms of Sweden and of the Lord Landscroone stamped upon both that the Goodness of the future Cloath to be made in Sweden might be compar'd with the Dutch Hereupon Landscroone at his own charges hires Artificers from England and Holland who so well plied their business that last year Sweden was supplied with these Clothes by the work of the Natives and upon the same terms the Dutch supplied them And for the future the Lord Landscroone expects to be a considerable gainer as he well deserves I am sure the Kingdom of Sweden will be much more Prop. 7. Theorem 6. Forreigners may more securely encrease Woollen or any other Manufacture in England than in France or the Vnited Netherlands 5 Ax. 3. For things may be more securely done where the Agents are more safe in doing them 6 Prop. 3. But Forreigners may encrease Woollen Manufactures in England 16 Pet. 3. And Forreigners are more safe in working them in England than France or the Vnited Netherlands Therefore they may more securely encrease them in England Annot. After mens Interest they consult their Security and herein as Forreigners may encrease Woollen Manufactures cheaper and better in England than France or the Vnited Netherlands so are they more secure in working them than in either or any other place upon the Continent by reason they are more secure from the Invasion of Forreign Princes and States It is true indeed that one great reason of the encrease of the Strength and Trade of the Vnited Netherlands was the security men apprehended there as well as Freedom For the great Power of the Dutch by Sea was such as was not to be controuled by any or all other Princes except the King of England and the weakness of the bordering Princes by Land was such as the States gave Laws to them at pleasure But the terrour of the French Invasion in 1672 has much abated the opinion the World had of their Security in the Vnited Netherlands And now the Marquiss of Brandenburg the most powerful of all the Princes in Germany has recovered the Dominion of Wesel Rees Emrick and Orsoy which Commands the Rhine and is possessed of Skinkersconce which Commands the Rhine and Wael the opinion of this Security is not only much abated but the Dutch Trade to Germany and other places up and down the Rhine must be precarious as the Marquiss pleases Nor will the Dutch easily free themselves from the Neighbourhood of the French in Maestricht Maseike and other places Prop. 8. Theorem 7. The free Admission of Forreigners to work Woollen or other Manufactures in England will so much encrease Trade in England as the Forreigners are more 2 Ax. 1. For in every thing the effects will be as the causes are 4 Pet. 1. But greater numbers of People encrease Trade 18 Pet. 3. And the free Admission of Forreigners to work Woollen and other Manufactures in England will cause so many more People in England as the Forreigners are more Therefore it will so much encrease Trade in England Annot. This is evident as hath been said in that every one of these must wear Hats Shooes Clothes and many other necessaries whereby Trade and Employment of other people would be so much more as these Forreigners by this free Admission shall be more Prop. 9. Theorem 8. The free Admission of Forreigners to instruct the Nation of England in Woollen and other Manufactures may so much encrease Trade in England as the Natives Instructed in those Manufactures are more 7 Ax. 3. For things may be so much encreased as the Means are more 19 Pet. 3. But Employment of People is a mean to encrease Trade 20 Pet. 3. And the free Admission of Forreigners to Instruct the Natives of England in Woollen and other Manufactures may so much employ the Natives as the Natives instructed are more Therefore it may so much encrease Trade in England Annot. So that this Admission of Forreigners to work and instruct the Natives of England in Woollen and other Manufactures doubly encreases Trade in England viz. In the persons of the Forreigners but much more by instructing the Natives whereby they may be enabled better to maintain themselves and Families with all sorts of Conveniencies than if they were worse employed or not employed which is worst of all for then they become a Charge and Burden to the Nation The numbers of the Walloons which Edw. the 3d and Queen Eliz. invited and permitted in England and who first instructed the English in Woollen Manufactures were very inconsiderable to the numbers of the Natives of England who are now employed in them and by that means only are enabled to provide for themselves and Families to the encrease of Trade to those people from whom they are supplied So that that saying That there is but such a Trade in the world is only true by accident not necessarily for many thousands of people might encrease Trade in the world if they had means which being denied they cannot do Corollary By the same reason the free admission of the Natives of England to work Woollen and other Manufactures in Corporations in England may so much encrease Trade in England as the Natives so Admitted are more 19 Pet. 3. For Employment of People is a mean to encrease Trade 21 Pet. 3. And the free admission of the Natives of England to work Woollen and other Manufactures in the Corporations of England may so much more employ the Natives as the admission is more free Annot. If five pounds given with
any forrein Government becomes subject to the Government of it not to the Religion of it and though God often punished the Jews for not observing the Religion and Ceremonies he prescribed them yet for conservation of Society and Commerce does he often pronounce great Judgments to them if they oppressed the Stranger in the Land though perhaps in less than paying Strangers duties Nor did I ever read of any forrein people who in any Country where they enjoyed a Religion they were bred in did make any disturbance upon the account of it But suppose which I do not grant that liberty of Religion to the Natives of a place be necessary for inlarging Trade and Commerce yet is this more tolerable in a Monarchy than a Commonwealth For Monarchy is one and Indivisible and therefore diversities or Factions in Religion can make no Confusions in it whereas Popular Governments being compounded of many are easily obnoxious to both Nor is it necessary that Trade and Commerce should only flourish in Popular Governments but within such places where it is more free and men are more secure their Interests may be better advanced This is evident in that the State of Genoua imposing 16 per Cent. upon goods imported made the Trade uneasie and the Duke of Florence who is as absolute a Prince as any with whom the Pope has to do taking the advantage of this Imposition by the States of Genoua did make Legorne a free Port whereby it is now under a Prince become the most flourishing place of Trade within the Streights And I have it from a good hand that when the French King about seven years since made Marseilles a free Port the Jews in Legorne considering that Marseilles was a better Harbour and France a nobler Country for Trade than Italy resolved to leave Legorn and establish themselves at Marseilles The Duke of Florence hereupon made an Edict That in case any Christian bought a Jews house it should be forfeit and this kept the Jews constant to Legorne where as in England if a Jew buys a house it is forfeit to the King I now desire my Reader to consider me in manifold respects and to bear with the Imperfections which I or it may be any other man may be subject to in a work of much less moment than one of this kinde For the Introduction of any business is more difficult than the progress And I do not know of any which has made an attempt upon this Subject in the differing parts of it before me I am also assured these Treatises will encounter many difficulties and discouragements Difficulties in being opposed by the Ignorant and Interessed for many particular persons may be interessed to the publick Detriment and these are known and many whereas in contending for the Publique I know not one who will be my Second Besides no man can so establish any Humane Action or Learning but he must submit the ends he designes to Gods Blessing which in a Luxurious and Effeminate Age cannot reasonably be expected yet I am assured no man can justly accuse me of any private designe of mine or reward I propound to my self other than if it pleases God now or hereafter to bless me so that these Treatises or any part of them may be useful to my Country or any one in it I may thank God I have not spent all my life in vain PETITIONS 1. MOney is Treasure 2. The Admission of forreigners to purchase Lands in England will add so much money to that of England as is expended therein 3. The admission of Forreigners to purchase Lands in England will cause so much greater numbers of people in England as the Purchasers are more 4. The admission of Forreigners to purchase Lands in England will cause so many less numbers of those in other places who may be Enemies of England as the Purchasers are more 5. Vnwrought Wools are Principles in Woollen Manufactures 6. The unwrought Wools of England and Ireland are more than are wrought in Woollen Manufactures in England 7. Tin and Iron are Principles in the Manufactures of Tin-plates 8. Lead and Potters Earth are Principles in many sorts of Earthen Manufactures 9. The Tin and Iron of England are more than is used in the Manufactures of Tin Plates 10. The Lead and Potters Earth of England are more than are used in Manufactures in England 11. The French and Dutch may have the Wools of Ireland Lincoln-shire Kent Sussex and Hampshire cheaper than the Wools of Ireland Derby-shire Nottingham-shire and other Midland Countries of England can be had at Colchester and Norwich 12. The free admission of Forreigners to work Woollen Manufactures in England will add so many more Agents therein as the Forreigners are more 13. The free admission of Foreigners to work Tin Plates in England will add so many more Agents in them as the Forreigners are more 14. The free admission of Forreigners to worke Earthen Ware in England will add so many Agents therein as the Forreigners are more 15. Forreigners may work Woollen and other Manufactures in England with less charge than in France or the United Netherlands viz. by the height of the Kings Duties upon Salt and Wine c. and the height of the Excise upon all sorts of Commodities consumed in the United Netherlands 16. Forreigners are more safe in working Woollen Manufactures in England than in France or the United Netherlands 18. The free admission of Forreigners to work Woollen and other Manufactures in England will cause so many more people in England as the Forreigners are more 19. Employment of people is a mean to encrease Trade 20. The free admission of Forreigners to instruct the Natives of England in Woollen and other Manufactures may more instruct the Natives of England 21. The free permission of the Natives of England to work Woollen and other Manufactures in the Corporations of England may so much more Employ the Natives of England as the Permission is more free 22. Corporations are the most convenient places in England to increase Trade 23. The free admission of Forreigners to work Woollen and other Manufactures in England will cause so much greater numbers of people in England as the Forreigners are more 24. The Crown Church State Laws Trade and Liberties of England are protected by the strength of England 25. The buying the Woollen and other Manufactures of England is a mean to vend them in forreign Trade 26. The Pre-emption of Freemen of Corporations restrains the buying our Woollen and other Manufactures to the Free-men of Corporations 27. Freedom in Trade is a mean to vend our Woollen and other Manufactures in forrein Trade 28. Trading in Companies exclusive to other men restrains the freedom of Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures to such Companies 29. Exchanging forrein Goods for our Woollen and other Manufactures is a mean to have a Domestick Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures 30. The Act of Navigation restrains the Importation
vended yearly 20000 broad Clothes they now do not 4000 of 60000 Kerseys now not 5000 of 40000. Doubles now not 2000. About the middle of King James his Reign the State of that part of Suffolk and Essex was in so flourishing a condition by reason of the East-land Trade that Sir Edward Coke at the request of the Inhabitants of Ipswich built Fulling Mills at Bourn-Bridge a mile from Ipswich When they were built the Town proffered him 240 l. per Annum in case he would let them to the Town but Sir Edward told them at their request he built them for a publick benefit and so he would continue them In his Grandson Sir Edw. Coke's time these Mills fell to 80 60 and 40 l. per Annum and of late in his Son Sir Robert Coke's time they fell to six pounds per Annum though the Mills cost above 2000 l. the building and at last the Rent would not pay the sixth part of the charge of Repairing them so as now they are thrown up for want of Work Nor is the Fate of the Hamburg-Company much better than that of the East land and from the same cause for after the Civil Wars broke out here in England and the City of London zealously affecting the Cause and preferring it before any Temporal Interest the Company either out of Zeal Necessity or both did not so well supply Hamburg as before which the Dutch took the benefit of and have so well managed that advantage that as before we supplied Jutland Holstein and the North and North-west parts of Germany with Woollen Manufactures we now scarce go halves with the Dutch in that Trade and this Company is become so poor that they can hardly maintain their half in it Even the Turky-Company which we so much glory in by their Monopoly of vending our Woollen Manufactures once in two years to Turky and exposing the West-Country-Clothiers to bring up their Clothes to London before they please to buy them a charge equal to Turky from Bristol or other Western parts and then to send them as far East and then through the Channel makes but room for the French Dutch and Venetians to establish Trades of Woollen Manufactures in Turky and so much better by how much this Company charges and restrains ours Coroll 2. By the same reason the Act of Navigation endangers a Domestick Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures 29. Pet. 3. For Exchanging Forrein Goods for our Woollen and other Manufactures is a mean to have a Domestick Trade of Woollen and other Manufactures 30. Pet. 3. And the Act of Navigation restrains the Importation of Forreign Goods to English-built Ships and sailed by ¾ English or the Ships and ¾ of the Natives whether they have Ships or Marriners or not Annot. No creature endewed with less Prescience than Omniscience can foresee the mischiefs the Act of Navigation brings upon the Nation by this restriction For as every man stands of need of being supplied by another so does every Country No man shall ever be well supplied by another who will be only supplied by those men who immediately do things he needs or by his own Servants for the men who do the things I stand in need of it may be are out of distance or have no means to convey them to me But when things are made convenient for Humane use they are commonly sent to the most probable place where they may finde a Market and there men resort to be supplied and to sell or exchange other things for them For my part I am no Merchant and therefore cannot give those instances which Merchants can hereof in the Trade of the Nation yet am I as morally assured of the reason of this Gorollary as if I could give a Thousand particular instances of it 1. It was prov'd before a Committee of the House of Commons the 12 of Feb. 1668. That before the Rump-Parliament contrived the Act of Navigation the Trade to Norway for Timber Pitch and Tar was generally driven by the English in Barter of our Manufactures but then by Dollars and the Treasure of the Nation and those Manufactures which were exported into Norway were rarely exported but by Norwegians 2 That the Prices of Norway-Timber was become neer double 3. That our own Timber was much wasted by reason of the Dearness of the Norway-Timber 4. That we had not built one Ship for that Trade since the Law nor could ever hope to do so long as it stood in force because a Forreign Ship might be built for half the price and be more free for Trade whereas the Norwegians had doubled their Ships and built them twice as big and encreased their Marriners from 600 to 6000 and yet Traded to no place but England whereby the English in a short time would necessarily be excluded the Trade of Norway unless they drive it by Norwegians and in Norway Bottoms 5. That the English were then almost wholly laid aside the Trade of Norway being generally driven by the Norwegians and in Norway Bottoms 6. That the English were wholly left to the King of Denmark's disposing whenever he pleased to impose any further abuses than were then complained of which were that the English ever since 1646 and by a Treaty made between the Kings of England and Denmark 1660 paid ⅘ of a Rixdollar per Lasts for the growths of Norway except the Town of Bergen but since the late War with the King of Denmark they paid for Timber a Rixdollar and half per Last for other growths a Rixdollar and ⅘ others 2 and ⅖ and for others 3 Rixdollars and in measuring the Lastage the same Ships which before the War had their Measures adjusted were raised some 35 others 40 Lasts 7. That it was the Interest of the King of Denmark to make the Trade of Norway insupportable to the English for thereby the Act of Navigation did reduce the whole Trade to the Norwegians As this success attended this restriction by the Act of Navigation in reference to the Trade of Norway both for our Manufactures and the Commodities of Norway So did it not much better succeed in the Trades of our Manufactures and of the Hemp and Flax imported by the Dutch in exchange of them For the English from the reasons in the first Coroll upon this Prop. having lost so inestimable a Trade into the Sound and by consequence the beneficial returns of Ruff Hemp and Flax from Riga Revel and other places within the Sound before the year 1640 and the Dutch by reason of the greatness of their Trade into the Sound not of Woollen Manufactures only but of Fish Salt Wines Brandies Spice and other Commodities returned such vast quantities of Ruff Hemp and Flax and by reason of the cheapness of their Navigations and smalness of Duties supplied the English so cheap with Hemp and Flax that the poor people upon the Eastern Coast of England and here in London were able to make Cordage Nets and
people at home For it is advantageous in Trades which impoverish and debauch the people to have them driven by few and in Companies and those restrained both to managing the Trades and the prices of the things imported as in the Trades for French Wines and Brandies Italian and Spanish Wines and Fruits and all sorts of fine Linnen Lace and Ribbons c. which are consumed among us for by this mean so much cheaper as they are imported and restrained so much more the Nations Wealth and Stock is preserved Before 1641 the Canary Trade was managed by a Company the Prices were set and the Wines imported were in Barter of our Commodities so as the Nation was not considerably damnified by that Trade But aster that Trade by the Company was left the Vintners in London to get the Flowers as they call them of those Wines outbid one another so high that the prices became near double and rather than lose them they would pay in the Canaries ready Money And so we lost the Barter of our Commodities for them to boor but as well in the Beneficial as Hurtful Trades of the Nation we invert the means by which those may be more improved and these rendred less hurtful For almost all the outward Trades of our Growths and Manufactures are managed by Companies clogged with pre-emption of Freemen But the inward Trades of French Italian and Spanish Wines and Fruits and of fine Linnen Ribbons Lace c. and which are all consumed among us are driven at large by any English or other people of those places who will import them And as by our Monopolizing Trade we restrain the Employment of our people and the Wealth and Strength of the Nation to what the Monopolists please so we had better charge Lands 40 per Cent. than the forrein Trade of our Manufactures two For Lands are only valuable as our Trades especially Forrein are valuable and therefore in case we could doubly encrease the forrein Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures our Lands would be of double the value whereas in case we charge the forrein Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures two per Cent. above another place we endanger the whole and fix the Trade in that other place See more in the Annot. upon the 26 Prop. of this Discourse HOW THE NAVIGATION OF ENGLAND MAY BE ENCREASED AND THE SOVERAIGNTY OF THE British Seas More SECURED TO THE CROWN of ENGLAND TREATISE IV. By ROGER COKE LONDON Printed by J. C. for Henry Brome at the Gun at the West-end of St. Pauls 1675. PREFACE TO THE READER TO Introduce a happy Reign Queen Eliz. before she called a Parliament fitted up and repaired her Navy Royal so as it was far superiour to any other this gave her Reputation at home and Fame abroad And well knowing how highly the safety of her Subjects did depend upon conserving the Soveraignty of the British Seas though afterwards she protected the Infant Dutch States to give a check to the growing Austrian Greatness yet would she never permit the Dutch to build such Men of War as thereby to be enabled to question her Dominion in the Seas which beat upon the English Shores And it is said that when Henry the great of France after the Peace of Vervins designed to enlarge the Dominion of France as well by Sea as Land she forhad his building great Ships or she would fire them in his Harbours whereupon this great Monarch did desist King James however he loved Peace did rightly judge he could no way secure it so well as by fortifying the strength of his Navy Royal and to that left by Queen Elizabeth he added the Prince Royal the Old James and several others King Charles the first a Prince of Sacred memory not knowing where the swelling Dutch Navigation would end and how much it might tend to the diminution of his Honour and endangering the safety of his Subjects judged it necessary for conservation of both yet further to enlarge his Navy yet was unhappy that his Subjects did not or would not rightly understand him in it This was a Navy so Invincible to any Humane Power that though Sir William Batten in 1648 carried a very considerable part of it to his now Majesty yet with the residue of it and the Speaker and Warwick Frigats one of the third rate the other of the fourth rate conjoyned with some Hired Merchants-ships the Rump-Parliament in 1651 1652 and 1653 without difficulty overcome the Dutch in all Fights and had without doubt subdued them if Oliver had not first turned them out and after in 1654 made an unsetled and dishonourable Peace with the Dutch The Dutch secured by this Peace to prevent the Ruine of their State by another War with the English immediately built much larger and more Men of War than they had which could not be concealed from Oliver who encreased the English Fleot with many more and very considerable men of War And after the King's Restauration before the next Dutch War in 1664 the King added many more so as the English Navy Royal was more than twice as formidable as it was when the Rump Engaged the Dutch But the Dutch having greater quantities and more choice of Timber and many more Builders than could be found in England though the experience the English acquired in Naval fights with the Dutch in the former War were much augmented yet could not the English obtain so easie a Victory as before and at this time it is said the Dutch have above 50 Men of War more than the King has and of equal if not greater Bulk in the main and above 2500 pieces of Cannon The Kings of Sweden and Denmark and much more the French King Alarm'd by this encrease of the English and Dutch Fleets in proportion enlarged theirs so that the French Fleet is in number and bigness Superior to the English but by reason of want of Mariners none of them is comparably so formidable But because Ships without Mariners and Mariners without Ships signifie but little in War let us see from what Causes the Dutch are become so formidable to the English by Sea above the French Dane or Swede After Queen Elizabeth had fitted and repaired the Navy Royal as has been said in the first Parliament of her Reign chap. 13. she enlarged the Trade of the Nation by permitting the English to Trade in any Vessels paying Strangers Duties as this encreased the Trade of the Nation so did it Mariners whereby her Navy might be more and better supplied by them This paying strangers Duties for Goods Imported into England was the principal cause the Dutch found an easie Foundation of their future great Trade and encrease of Mariners above what could be employed from the Ports of England For about fourteen years after the Dutch Government began to Bud in t o States and being pressed in their Wars against the Spaniards permitted all Nations to Import and Export Goods paying
the Herring from Scotland to Yarmouth whilest the wretched people upon our Coast stand starving and looking on and cannot employ one Vessel or Mariner in it Even in the Herring-fishing before Yarmouth we fish little above one fortnight and in that fishing the Dutch employ above threefold the Vessels we do and above twofold the Mariners Consequences From whence the Dutch are able without Pressing to Man their Men of War against us and at the same time to drive incredible Trades abroad when we by Pressing and Land-Souldiers to boot though we drive no Trade if we had not advantage by the goodness of our Men of War finde it difficult enough to oppose them whereas in case this Fishery and the Trades and Navigation depending thereon were driven by these Dutch-men or any numbers of them from the Ports of England the Dutch would have so much less means to oppose the English and dispute the Sovereignty of the British Seas and the English would have so much more means to defend themselves and bring the Dutch to Reason Prop. 8. Theorem 8. The free permission of the English to buy forrein Ships in all other Trades but the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades will so much more preserve the Timber of England as the Ships so bought are more 11 Ax. 3. For things will be so much preserved as less of them is expended 12 Pet. 4. But so much less English Timber will be expended in building English Ships for all other Trades but the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades by so many forrein Ships as the English buy in other Trades 13 Pet. 4. And the free permission of the English to buy forrein Ships in all other Trades but the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades may cause so many more forrein Ships to be bought as the permission is more free Therefore it may so much preserve the Timber of England Annot. And if it may preserve the Timber of England I am sure it is more than time the English were permitted to buy Ships in all other Trades but the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades for by reason the Act of Navigation confines the English to Trade and make Returns into the Ports of England only in English-built Ships the English have not only not been able to build one ship for the Norway-trade for Timber or the forrein Trade of white Herring or Cod caught upon the Coasts of England and Scotland since the Rump-Parliament contrived the Act of Navigation but to maintain the niggardly Trades we now drive wherein upon the matter we consume all the Returns of our Manufactures and the Product of our Plantations The Timber of England is so wasted that in any convenient distances for building Ships there is not ¼ of Timber left standing as was when the Rump-Parliament invented this Law See more hereof in the Annot. upon the 10 11 12 and 13 Propositions of The equal Danger of the Church State and Trade of England I have with as much Zeal endeavoured yet without success to represent this to the Parliament and the dire Consequences of it so far as I understood the Timber of England to be wasted upon the Coasts of Norfolk Suffolk and Essex And being last Easter-Eve was twelvemonth at Bristol some Gentleman and I went to see the Oxford Frigat then ready to be Lanched and built by Captain Baily a very Civil person and I believe an excellent Builder After some discourse I asked him if English Timber were plentiful in the West of England and he told me he with great difficulty got Timber to build this Frigat and that in building the Edgar-frigat he bought the Timber twelve miles beyond Worcester which is 50 miles from Bristol I then asked him what he thought of the State of the Nation as it now stands in reference to the Navigation of it in English-built Ships whenas the Ring with such difficulty built one Man of War he told me it was impossible to be continued and that he had more reason than another to know it for besides his long being accqstiomed to build Ships he had order from the King to survey his Western and Southern Forests and to return an Account of it to the King himself I thanked him and told him I was equally sorry with him for the condition of the Nation yet was glad a man of his Knowledge and Experience had the same apprehensions as I had though with all the Sollicitations I could use I was so far from getting relief to the Nation herein as that I could not get the Apprehensions he had herein to be received by the Parliament Prop. 9. Theorem 9. The free permission of the English to buy Ships in all other Trades but the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades will more secure them and also the Sovereignty of the British Seas to the Crown of England 2 Ax. 4. For things will be so much more secured as the means of preserving them are more 14 Pet. 4. But the Turkie East-Indie Newcastle-Trades and the Sovereignty of the British Seas to the Crown of England are more secured by means of ships built of English Timber 8 Prop. 4. And the free permission of the English to buy Ships in all other Trades but the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades will more preserve the Timber of England Therefore it will so much more secure the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trade and the Sovereignty of the British Seas to the Crown of England Annot. If we consider how much the Newcastle-trade increases as does the East-Indie-trade and how much greater the Dutch War-fleet is than the King 's of England And that as the case stands the Newcastle-trade is necessary and the East-Indie-trade very beneficial to the Nation it may be a question if the growth of these Trades and the necessities of increasing the Navy Royal will not require greater quantities of Timber than for the future can be found in convenient distances in England however to preserve these it is very reasonable the English be permitted to buy Ships in all their other Trades Prop. 10. Theorem 10. The free permission of the English to buy Ships in all their other Trades but the Turkie East-Indie and Newcastle-Trades may increase the Navigation of England 3 Ax. 4. For things may be so much increased as the means are increased 22 Pet. 1. But Ships are means in Navigation 15 Pet. 4. And the free permission of the English to buy Ships in all other Trades but the Newcastle-trade c. may increase the ships of England Therefore it may increase the Navigation of England Annot. So that this permission as it will more secure the Sovereignty of the British Seas the Newcastle East-Indie and Turkie Trades so it may increase the Navigation of England in our Trades to and from our forrein Plantations the Trades to Hamburg into the Sound Muscovy France and Spain but especially to Norway for Timber Pitch and Tar in which Trade as we never built one ship
Theorem 12. The pre-emption of Freemen of Corporations endangers the vent of Woollen and other Manufactures in Forrein Trade 10 Ax. 3. For things will be so much endangered as the means of doing them is restrained 25 Pet. 3. But the buying our Woollen and other Manufactures is a mean to vend them in Forrein Trade 26 Pet. 3. And the pre-emption of Freemen of Corporations restrains the buying our Woollen and other Manufactures to the Freemen of Corporations Therefore it endangers the Forrein Trade of them Annot. So long as this pre-emption is continued the best the Nation can hope for is that the Inhabitants of the Nation cannot expect any further Employment than the abilities of these Freemen can arise to So that it will be impossible to enlarge our Forrein Trades of Woollen and other Manufactures beyond their abilities or to conserve the Forrein Trades we now enjoy of them if by War or other accident their abilities become less And as the Retailers in Corporations neither Labour nor take care in labouring for the production of our Woollen and other Manufactures but only how to impose upon the labourer and those they sell to So these pre-emption-men neither labour take care in Labouring or to bring the Manufactures of England to their Corporations yet not only the Artificer must be at their mercy in buying but all the world in selling No question then but these men will thrive though the Nation and all the world suffer Yet I would be glad to be instructed in any one particular what need the Nation or World hath of any one of these men I cannot tell for France but am confident not one of this kinde of men can be found in the Vnited Netherlands In truth I have often admired the German Empire and Kingdom of Poland should give protection to Hamburg and Dantzick for no member of the Empire or Kingdom is permitted to be supplied with Forrein Commodities or to vend the Commodities of Germany or Poland in either place but as they buy of or sell to the Burgers of them which are Impositions as injurious as can be imposed upon a Conquered Nation And though Hamburg be otherwise a great Trading place to many places of the world by Navigation and very considerable in the Groenland-fishing yet the Town of Dantzick hath little or no Trade but their pre-emption of all sorts of Forrein Commodities wherewith the Dutch and other Nations supply them and they Poland and by pre-emption of all the Commodities of Poland which these Burgers sell again to the Dutch and other Nations For my part as I esteem the City of London to be a great ornament to the Nation and equally with any man desire the Grandeur and Prosperity of it so I wish the Grandeur and Prosperity of it were otherwise founded than by pre-emption of the Commodities of the Nation and such other means whereby the Nation necessarily becomes impoverished which must of necessity be more dangerous to the City than Country For the Country may subsist though poorly without a Forrein Trade or a Trade with the City But if the City loses the Forrein Trade of our Commodities and if the Country by its poverty cannot entertain a Commerce with the City the City cannot subsist at all Whereas if by reason of the cheapness and freedom of vending our Commodities the Country be enriched though this pre-emption were taken away the City being the Head of a Noble Nation and having the residence of the King's Court and all the Supream Courts of Judicature and the best Navigable River of Christendom or perhaps of the World to supply it with Forrein Commodities and to vend our Native it may hold a much better Trade with the Nation than now it does Corollary 1. By the same reason the Trading in Companies exclusive to other men endangers the Forrein Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures 27 Pet. 3. For freedom in Trade is a mean to vend our Woollen and other Manufactures in Forrein Trade 28 Pet. 3. And Trading in Companies exclusive to other men restrains the freedom of Trade of our Woollen Manufactures to such Companies Annot. As the pre-emption of Freemen of Corporations restrains the Forrein vent of our Woollen and other Manufactures by Forreiners to what these pre-emption-men please to sell and at what prices they please to impose So this Trading in Companies restrains the Forrein vent of our Woollen and other Manufactures by the Natives of England to what these Companies please and at what terms they please So that it will be impossible to encrease the Forrein Trade of our Wollen and other Manufactures beyond their pleasures and abilities or to conserve the Trade the Nation now has under them if by War or other accident their abilities become less whereby the Nation loses all the inestimable benefits which might accrue to it by the Forrein Trade of its Manufactures and the wretched People whose Livelyhoods depend upon the Forrein Trade become undone for want of Employment And as by this kinde of Trading we endanger our own Forrein Trade of our Manufactures so we make room for the Dutch and other industrious Nations who are not subject to the charges and restrictions we lie under and fix and establish Trades by these Commodities in other Countries so much more as we charge or restrain ours Heretofore the East-Country-Company above all others was the most flourishing and by Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the first termed The Royal Company for it supplied Muscovy Sweden Denmark Poland and Lifeland with our Woollen Manufactures and made very advantageous returns by Treasure especially Hungaria Duckats and the Commodities of those Countries into England This Trade till King Charles his Reign the English solely enjoyed About the beginning of King Charles his Reign the Dutch began to be Interlopers rather than Traders with the English in it But it fell out unluckily that in the years 1636 37 and 38. about two hundred Families of zealous people in Norfolk and Suffolk who would not endure the severe Injunctions of Ecclesiastical Discipline forsook their Habitation and being bred up in the Woollen Manufactures wherewith those East-Countries were supplied from England and planted themselves in Holland they there instructed the Dutch in those Manufactures so that we returned the Dutch a kindness with another sort of people the Dutch did us Afterwards the Fatal Civil Wars ensued so that the East-land-company not so fully supplying the East Country as formerly Consequences The Dutch found an opportunity of encreasing their Trade of Woollen Manufactures and the Polanders giving encouragement to the Silesians who bordered upon them and then only made course Sleses to work Woollen Manufactures in Poland and the Wools of Poland being much finer than those of Silefia these Silesians by themselves and much more by instructing the Polanders have in a great measure so supplied Poland with Woollen Manufactures that whereas before the year 1640 the East-land Company