TO the End there should be a Commerce amongst Men, it hath pleas'd God to invite, as it were, one Country to Traffick with another, by the Variety of Things which the one hath, and the other hath not, which the Winds and Sea proclaim; Quòd & vento gentis locis dis­sipatas miscuit & sua omnia in regiones ita descripsit, ut ne­cessarium mor­talibus esset in­ter ipsos co­mercium. and this Seneca thought to be a principle Benefit of Nature, that there should be a necessi­ty of Commerce amongst Men.

IN what a miserable condition were the Netherlanders, if they receiv'd not a Supply from other Nations; they have nothing of their own, and yet they abound in all things by the Supply and Revenue they receive from other Nations.

IF any Kingdom under the Sun can subsist of it self, none has more reason to bless God than this Island of ours, which is richly adorned with variety of all things necessary for Mans Life and Welfare, as Corn, Cattle, Fish, Fowl, Sider, Wool, Cloth, Leather, Tin, Lead, Iron, Hops, Tim­ber, Flax, &c. whereby we have not only sufficient for our Maintenance, but do abundantly supply the Wants of other Nations, in a wonderful Variety of our Woollen Ma­nufactures, Tin, Lead, Leather, &c. and no one Commo­dity that can be named which we are under an absolute Ne­cessity of.

YET notwithstanding so many excellent and valuable Enjoyments, there is so great a power in the Management and Contrivance of Commerce, that no Nation hath ever [Page 4]been under greater Declensions in Trade, at several periods of time than ours; which by a Brief Survey of former Times, as well as by a due Consideration of our present, seems to have been evidently occasion'd By a too great con­sumption of Foreign Commodities purchast with our Treasure; And by a too great Indulgence of Foreign Merchants.

Edward III. laid the Foundation of our Riches, by the Establishment of our Woollen Manufactures in England; Tricesimo septi­mo Ed. 3. cap. 9 to the carrying on of which Noble Design of his, he strictly in­joyn'd the Wear of our Woollen Manufactures, by several Ranks and Degrees of People by Sumptuary Laws: He took exact care that Merchants Aliens, Tricesim. octavo Edw. 3. cap. 2. who sold any Commodi­ties in England, should invest the Money upon the Growth of this Kingdom; And by his wise Conduct in these Affairs, he made a considerable Advance in the Riches and Glory of England in a few Years.

Richard II. by the Neglect of his Grand-Fathers Rules lost ground as fast, which made a great un-easiness amongst the Kentish Men (in which Parts the Cloth-Trade was first esta­blisht) even to a Rebellion. Anno quinto. Rich. II. cap. 1. He made England a Free Port, and gave a general Invitation by Act of Parliament, to all Merchants Strangers to come with their Goods and Families, cap. 2. and Trade Freely in all Parts of his Dominions, as well with­in Franchises as without, by Gross or Retail, to be under his safe Protection, and depart into their own Countries as freely again: Anno undecimo Rich. II. cap. 7. And if any Corporation gave them any disturbance, they should Forfeit their Charter to the King; which mount­ed, in effect, to a general Act of Naturalization; and upon Payment of their Customs before-hand, he made them a con­siderable Abatement: He likewise gave them a liberty to Transport half their Money. Decimo quarto, Rich. II. cap. 1.

BUT Alas! These mistaken Politicks in few Years drain'd the Treasure of this Kingdom to that low Ebb, that this Un­fortunate Prince was denied a Loan of one Thousand Pounds [Page 5]by the City of London and forc'd shamefully to resign the Go­vernment. He married the Lady Anne Daughter to the Emperor Charles the Fourth, who very much incouraged her Country-Men the Bohemians (to the discontent of the English Nobili­ty) and as the Historian tells us, she brought in High-Head Attire, picked with Horns, and long-trained-Gowns for Women, a Melancholy Omen in those days; and if we have any Plot carrying on amongst us at this time, I perswade my Self it is in this perticular; this being the chiefest Seat of Trea­son at present. Sampson set the Philistines Corn-Fields on Fire with Foxes Tails, and if King Richard by this means was drove out of his Kingdom I can't tell but it may be a likely way to bring in—or no—Pride and Luxury seems to bid faire.

Henry IV. Who succeeded him, Anno quarto Hen. IV. cap. 15. soon perceived the mischief which his Kingdom sustained by this indulgence to Foreign Merchants and in the Fourth Year of his Reign he oblig'd all Merchants Strangers to bestow their whole Money upon the Commodities of this Realm; upon forfeiture of any Gold, Sil­ver or Plate which they should carry out, Excepting their reasonable cost. And in the next Year it was Enacted, Anno quinto Hen. 4. cap. 7 that Merchant-Strangers shall be intreated and demeaned within this Realm in the manner form and condition as the Merchant-Denizens be or shall be intreated or demeaned in the Parts be­yond the Sea, upon pain of forfeiture to the King the Goods and Chattels of such Merchant-Strangers. cap. 9. he likewise ob­liged Merchant-Aliens to put in Sureties that they would im­ploy their Money upon Commodities of this Realm; and likewise appointed Officers to inspect their buyings and sell­ings and in the Year 1406. he granted a Charter to the Mer­chant-Adventurers of England.

Henry V. In the Fourth Year of his Reign confirms the a­foresaid Laws. Anno quarto Hen. V. cap. 5. And in the Eighth Year of his Reign he ob­liged every Merchant-Stranger to bring one ounce of Bullion of Gold to the Mint to be Coin'd for every Sack of Wool which he bought, and one ounce of Gold or the vallue, Anno octavo, Hen. V. cap. 2. in [Page 6]Bullion of Silver for every three pieces of Tin upon forfeiture of the Wool and Tin.

Henry VI. In the Second Year of his Reign strictly enjoin'd Merchant-Alliens to put in Sureties in the Chancery, Anno secundo Hen. VI. c. 13. every Company for them of their Company, that none of them should carry any Gold or Silver out of the Kingdom, and if any Proof could be made beyond the Sea upon any Merchant that went over, his Sureties was obliged to make it good in England. Anno octavo Hen. VI. c. 24. And whereas these Merchants-Alliens had obtained at this time a Credit with many of their Merchandizes where­by great losses fell upon the Manufacturers, it was Enacted, That no Credit should be given by any Manufactuerer to such Merchant-Alien upon forfeiture of his Goods. Decimo octavo Hen. VI. cap. 4. In the Eigh­teenth Year of this Reign a farther Expedient was us'd to prevent the Exportation of their Bullion, The Major, Bailif or Chief Officer of every City where any Merchant-Alien should repair was ordered to Assign to every such Merchant-Alien an Host or Surveyor, who was to survey all his Buyings and Sellings and Register them into a Book and certifie them into the Exchequer and to have Two Pence in the Pound for all his Merchandises bought and sold; but in this Act the Mer­chants of Almaine were Exempted which was a Company of Foraign Merchants Established in England by Henry III. be­longing to the Hans Towns in Flanders and Germany, for some Extraordinary service they did in those days.

Edward IV. Took a more Effectual way to the cure of this evil after the Example of Edward III. by appointing what kind of Apparel Men and Women of every Vocation and Degree should wear, Anno tertio Edw. IV. cap. 5 which took away the Temptation of Exporting our Coin and Bullion. Anno tertio, cap. 3. He likewise Prohibited by Law the Importation of several wrought Manufactures, particularly wrought Silk. If any Englishman or Welch-man shall bring in, Anno tertio cap. 1. or carry forth any Merchandize in Alien-Ships, if he may have Freight in a Denizen-Ship, he shall Forfeit his Merchandize, which was an excellent step to the safeguard [Page 7]of the Kingdom at that time. And in this Law a Penalty was laid upon any Person that should wind up any Deceit in Wool. Anno quarto Ed. 4. cap. 1. He likewise took exact Care that no Deceit should be used in making of Cloth, that the Work People should not be imposed upon, with extraordinary Weight, Paid with Commodities instead of Money.

HE made a Limitation in the Buying of Wool, Anno quarto cap. 3. in favour of the Manufactures. He confirm'd the Charter of the Mer­chant Adventurers of England, and call'd in Question the Charter of the Forreign Merchants of Almaine, or the Still­yard; which disgusted the Duke of Burgundy, so far, that he put out a Proclamation, for the Banishment of English Cloths out of his Dominion: Upon which a Law was made, that no Merchandizes of the Growth, or Workmanship, Anno quarto Ed. 4. cap. 5. of any of the Countries subject to the Duke of Burgundy, shall be brought into this Realm, until he revoke the Proclamation, in which, he was forc'd to comply: And what Advance was made in this Kings Reign, from this just Foundation of Trade, and Prudent Management, I leave to the more Judi­cious to consider: He laid a strict Restraint upon Gamings; Anno decimo sept. E. 4. cap. 3. and in the Twenty Second Year of his Reign, he made a new Sumptuary Law about Apparel.

Richard III. who succeded him, made many good Laws, in favour of his own natural born Subjects, in direct opposi­tion to the incroachments of Aliens, in robbing them of their Imployments, by the Importation of Forreign wrought Manu­factures, Anno primo Rich. 3. cap. 4. and Settlement in England in our easy Handicraft Imployments; leaving the most laborious, as going to Plow, or Cart, &c. to our own Subjects, as is Exprest in the said Law. The Italian Merchants were particularly Complain'd of at this time, as Venetians, Florentines, Apulians, Cicilians, Lucaners, &c. by which Law, no Alien could Exercise any Handicraft Trade, without being Servants to our English Sub­jects, or depart the Realm.

Henry VII. was more exact in this particular than any of his Predecessors: Anno primo Hen. 7. cap. 2. By the Second Law he made, he enjoin'd Aliens made Denizens, by Letters Pattents, or by Acts of Parliaments, to pay Aliens Duties; in the next place it was Enacted, that no Goods should be Enter'd, but in the Name of the true Owners of the Goods, upon Forfeiture of the Goods, Imprisonment, Tertio. Hen. 7. cap. 7. and to be Fined at the Kings Pleasure; a Law (respecting the true English Interest) which deserv'd to be wrote in Letters of Gold. cap. 11. He suffered no Cloth to be Transported, until it was Barbed, Rowed and Shorne, and Confirm'd the Charter of the Merchant Adventurers of England. Anno quarto Hen. 7. cap. 10. For the In­couragement of our Navigation, it was Enacted, that no Person should Fraight in a Strangers Ship, to be brought in­to this Realm or carried out, Anno undecimo Hen. 7. cap. 14. if he may have sufficient Fraight in the same Port in a Denizens Ship: And after Ten Years Experience he renewed the Law, to oblige Aliens made De­nizens, to pay the same Duties as if they were Aliens. Trade being thus Setled in the Reign of Edward IV. upon just and fair Grounds, and carried on with all strictness, in the just Right and Favour of our English Merchants, until the end of this Reign: It produc'd a strange alteration of Affairs; where­as Richard II. was denied a Loan of a Thousand Pounds, there was now left in the Treasury, One Million Eight Hun­der'd Thousand Pounds, Anno secundo Hen. 6. cap. 13. which made of our Money above Three Millions; a Pound Troy of Silver being limited by Law, in the Second Year of Henry VI. not to be Sold above Thirty Shillings.

Henry VIII. took quite contrary measures; and which is very remarkable, Merchants Aliens became as much the Favo­rites of this Reign. Decimo nono Hen. 7. cap. 22. At the death of Henry VII. a former Law which prohibited Men of Chalice, to be Factors for Merchants Aliens living in England, was repeal'd; as likewise all Laws, Ordinances, &c. made in derogation of the Merchants of the Stilliard, in the First Year of this Reign. The Law made in the Third Year of Henry VII. which obliged all Persons, to [Page 9]enter their Goods in the true Proprietors Name, was likewise repeal'd. In the Fifth Year of this Reign, Anno primo Hen. 8. cap. 2. a Liberty was ob­tained to Transport any Cloth, without being fully Manu­factur'd, under the value of Five Marke, which was a consi­derable Rate according to the value of their Coin; upon this pretence, that when they were brought beyond the Seas, Anno quinto Hen. 8. cap. 3. and put into Colours, they must be new drest, barbed, shorne and rowed; so natural is it for Merchants of all Countries to Fa­vour their own Subjects. In the Fourteenth Year of this Reign, Strangers Artificers were allowed to Exercise their Trades in England, contrary to the Law made in the Reign of Rich­ard III. which occasioned so great Discontent in England, that a Decree made in the Star Chamber was put forth, 21 Hen, VIII. to Pro­hibit all Strangers not made Denizens, to keep House or Shops: In the Thirty Second Year of this Reign, Aliens Du­ties was taken off, for a certain time, by the Kings Proclama­tion; which gave that Advantage to Merchants Aliens, 22 cap. 18. that our English Merchandize was almost rooted out, and our En­glish Navigation very much sunk. Forreign Merchants of the Stilliard, Shipt off at this time, above Forty Thousand Cloths a Year, and our English Merchants not Four Thousand; and most that was Exported and Imported, was in Forreign Botoms, which is Verbatim exprest in the Journals of Ed­ward VI.

Edward VI. (of Blessed Memory) us'd all Endeavour to retrieve what his Father lost, by Establishing Trade upon a just and honest Basis, in the right of his own Subjects; and in the Year 1552. the English Merchants being brought to this low Ebb in Trade, put in their complaint to the King and Council against these Merchants Tutonicorum (as they stil'd themselves) and they gave in their Answer to the said Complaint upon the Eighteenth Day of January, and up­on the 25th their Answer was deliver'd to some Learned Council to peruse it; upon the Eighteenth day of February the Merchant-Adventurers put in their Replication to the said Answer; and upon the Twenty Third a Decree was [Page 10]made by the Board, that upon Knowledge and Information of their Charters, they had found, First, That they were no sufficient Corporation; Secondly, That their Names, Numbers, and Notions were unknown: Thirdly, When Ed­ward the Fourth did restore them to their Privileges, it was upon the condition that they should cover no Foreigners Goods, which they had done: For these Considerations, Sen­tence was given, That they had forfeited their Liberties, and were to be no more than Strangers. Upon the 28th Day came Ambassadors from Hamburgh, Lubeck, and the Regent of Flanders, to speak upon the behalf of these Merchants Tu­tonicorum. And upon the Second of March the Answer for the Ambassadors was committed to the Lord Chancellor, the two Secretaries Sir Robert Bowes and Sir John Baker, Judge Moun­tague Griffith, Solicitors Gosnald, Goodrick, and Brooks; it remained under Consideration until the First day of May, and then the Merchants Tutonicorum received their full Answer, confirming the former Judgment of the Council. This gave great Encouragement to English Men to come into the Com­pany of Merchant-Adventurers. In October 3. following there met Three hundred Merchant-Adventurers of that Com­pany, and lent Edward the Sixth Forty thousand Pounds to be paid in Flanders; and they Ship'd off at that time Forty thousand Cloths. Our Woollen Manufactures at this time were wonderfully debast, Anno quinto & sexto Edw. 6. cap. 6. as appears by the Preamble of the Statute made in the same Year. Gold was paid at advance Prices at the same time; and I think there was never more effectual Means used in any Reign, to discourage the Profuseness which this Kingdom was led into, cap. 19. in the long Reign of Henry the Eighth. To prevent the Abuses and Disorders in Ale-Houses and Tippling-Houses, a Power was given by Law to the Justices of Peace, to Remove, Discharge, and put away common selling of Ale and Beer, as they shall think convenient; and none allowed without giving Bond and Surety against using unlawful Games, Anno quinto & sexto Epw. 6. cap. 25. and for maintaining good Order and Rule.

AND whereas at this time great numbers of Taverns were set up in back-Lanes, Corners, and suspicious Places within the City of London, which produced many Inconveniencies, Anno septimo Edw. 6. cap. 5. much Evil Rule, and common resort of misrul'd Persons. The Price of French Wine was limited to Eight Pence a Gal­lon at the most.

AND the number of Taverns reduced to Forty in the City of London, and no Persons to keep any Wine in their Houses under such Qualifications. These had been the most ef­fectual means to discourage Profaneness and Imorality, so often recommended by His Majesty. Sine cerere & Bacco friget Venus.—And I think I may say we have had Forty new erected Taverns in the City of London, since our Refor­mation, made out of English Merchants Houses: A very com­modious Accommodation to Merchant Aliens.

Queen Mary in the First Year of her Reign made a good step to regulate Persons in their Habits, according to their Professions and Employments. Whosoever shall wear Silk in or upon his Hat, Bonet, Girdle, Scabbard, Hose, Shooes, Spurleather, shall be three Months imprisoned, and forfeit 10 l. except Mayors, Aldermen, &c. If any Person know­ing his Servant to offend, do not put him out of his Service within Fourteen Days, or do retain him again, Anno primo Ph. & Mar. c. 2. he shall for­feit 100 l. This Counsel would never have consented to the vast Charge and Hazard of our Fleet in the Straights, to bring home this Commodity. There was an attempt made in this Reign by the Foreign Merchants of the Stilliard to regain their Liberties by the Favour of King Philip, but it proved ineffectual. In the Year 1557 we lost Calais, which of a long time had been the chief Mart of English Goods.

Queen Elizabeth confirmed the Charter of the Merchant-Ad­venturers of England and added Hambrough, East and West-Frizland to their Charter and upon Stipulation with the Town of Hambrough, as large Priviledges are granted to the English Factory as they had in former Time at Calais a very [Page 12]commodious Place to the Service of Germany. In the first Year of Her Reign she revived the Law made by Henry the Seventh, Anno primo Eliz. cap. 11. that no Person, Denizen nor Stranger, do take upon him to Enter or Do, or Cause to be Entred, any man­ner of Goods coming In or going Out, in the Name or Names of any other Person or Persons, than the very true Owner or Owners of the Goods, upon Forfeiture of the Goods; and at this time Aliens Duties were called the An­tient Revenue of the Crown.

In the next Place She made an effectual Law to preserve the Imployment of our Navigation, cap. 13. by obliging all Persons, that Ship'd any Goods upon Foreign Bottoms, to pay Aliens Duties: In this Law She limited the Merchant-Adventurers to two Shippings a Year and no more. In the Fifth Year of Her Reign a Law was made to prevent any Credit which should be given with Foreign Goods, Anno quinto Eliz. cap. 6. appertaining to the Cloathing or Adorning of the Body, by rendring the Person that Sold them uncapable to recover his Money. In the Thir­teenth Year of Her Reign, She obliged every Person above the Age of Seven Years to wear upon the Sabbath-Day upon their Head a Cap of Wooll, Knit, Slick'd and Dressed in England, Decimo tertio Eliz. cap. 19. except Maids, Ladies, Gentlewomen, Noble Per­sonages, and every Lord, Knight, and Gentleman of Twen­ty Mark Land, and their Heirs and such as have bore Office of Worship in any City, Borough, Town, Hamblet or Shire, and the Wardens of the Worshipful City of London. upon pain to Forfeit for every Days not wearing, Three Shillings and Four Pence: So careful was She to preserve the Employ­ment of Her own Subjects.

When each Woman in England, in King Charles the Se­cond and King James's Reign, was a standing Revenue to the King of France, by his Alamodes and Lustrings; this was the last Sumptuary Law made in England, and what Figure England made in the World, and how firm this Queen stood in the true Interest of the Populacy, I need not multiply Words to relate.

King James I. in the First Year of his Reign, Repeals all sumptuary Rules, Anno primo Jac. I. cap. 25. and let loose the Reins to Excess in Ap­parel and Wine, in Favour of Scotland; He likewise Re­pealed the Law against Hawkers and Pedlers, cap. 33. made in the Reign of Edward the Sixth, and gave Liberty to Transport our Wooll under the Custom of Thirty three Shillings Four Pence of every Merchant born Denizen for a Sack, which contain'd Eighteen Score; and Three Pound Six Shillings Eight Pence for every Merchant Stranger not born Denizen. And I think I need not spend time to shew how this Physick work'd by degrees amongst our English Subjects, but am well assured by one Misselden a Merchant, that wrote in the Year 1622 a little Tract upon the Decay of the Trade in Eng­land, That Indian Commodities was got into England as much in those Days as in ours, which he then urged as the chief Cause of the Scarcity of Money in England at that time. In the Seventh Year of this Reign we had an English Par­liament sate, which gave a Subsidy to the King (out of all Goods and Merchandizes) of Two Shillings and Eight Pence in the Pound, to be paid by every Person born within this Realm of England; and Five Shillings and Four Pence by every Alien and Stranger born out of the King's Obei­sance: Four Shillings in the Pound out of all Land in the Hands of all Persons born under the Kings Obeisance; and Eight Shillings in the Pound out of all Lands in the Hands of Aliens, Denizens or not Denizens, born out of the King's Obeysance. How sar this distasted the Court at that time I can't tell, but no Parliament was called until Fourteen Years after. Foelix quam faciunt, &c.

Charles the First did nothing in Trade for the good of his Subjects.

Oliver Cromwell put out a Proclamation upon the Thir­teenth Day of May 1655, to support the Merchant-Adven­turers of England in their Trade, and particularly Established [Page 14]a Staple for English Goods at Dordrecht in Holland, which place was agreed upon between the Fellowship of the Mer­chant-Adventurers of England, and the Magistrates of that City; he strictly forbad any English Woollen-Manufactures to be carried to any other Parts of Holland; and at this time our East-India Trade was quite sunk. Lands in England was never higher than at this time; nor ever a more general Imployment for our Poor; which brought much Riches in few Years into this Kingdom, and gave such satisfaction to our Artificers, that those times are still remembred with Veneration to this very day.

Charles the II. laid the Foundation of our Misfortunes in Trade, by the Settlement of the Book of Rates so much in fa­vour of France, and our East-India Company; particularly upon the Article of Linnens, which is a Commodity of great Use in England, and our Plantations, and natural to be rais'd in France, Flanders and Germany; which three Pla­ces stand in Competition with this Commodity, and the least favour in Customs given to any one, must needs distance the other, Flemish, Gentish, Isingam, Overisils, Rouse, Brabant, Embden, Frieze-Cloth, Bag-Holland, Brown Holland, all Flanders Linnens was charg'd at three pence per Ell Custom; Fine Broad Dowlas of France, the Piece containing one hun­dred and six Ells, was charged at Five Shillings, a little above one half-penny per Ell; and all other sorts of Linnen in like proportion; a piece of fine Lawns containing thirteen Ells of Germany Linens, was charged at six Shillings Custom, a piece of fine Muslin or Callico from the East-Indies, six-pence per piece. This impoverisht the Linen-Manufactures in Flan­ders and Germany, and as much advanc'd the French, which made way to the French Conquests in those Parts. As the Consumption of Flanders and Germany Linnens lessen'd in England, the consumption of our Woollen-Manufactures sunk in a like proportion in those Parts; which in the Year 1663, made the Woollen-Manufacturers Petition the Parlia­ment against the Merchant-Adventurers having large [Page 15]Stocks of Cloth upon their hands which they could not Sell; the Parliament at that time Addresseth the King to make a Trial of a Free-Trade, which was then seconded by some other English Merchants who were not Free of that Company, who prevail'd, and with strained, false Cloth made some advantage to themselves in Flanders and Holland at the first time; but this Gap being open'd to the Hollanders, the Eng­lish Interlopers were totally rooted out by the Dutch and other Nations, and Agents for them settled in England, which is well in Memory: Wooll sunk from twenty five shillings per Todd to fourteen, and the other produce of Land in like proportion; and this un-easiness gain'd another Ad­vantage to the French and Dutch; In the twenty fifth Year of King Charles II. a Law was procured to take off Aliens-Duties, which was the Fatal Stroke to our English Merchan­dize and Navigation, which by this Means was preserved from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. It is well remembred how all French Commodities were encourag'd in England, Linnen, Clarets, Brandy, Silks, Gauzes, nay, Druggetts made of our own Wooll, &c. The French could now turn their Clarets and Brandy into Perpetuana's and Colchester Bays, and send them to Spain upon as good Terms as any English­man, and have Home Pieces of Eight in Return, and Spanish Wooll in a settled Course of Trade, which the King of France improved to the very utmost, and upon a Modest Computation, above a quarter part of the Wooll of this Kingdom was carried into France.

James the II. did nothing relating to Trade in his Reign; His Martial Genius led him to the execution of that which was prepar'd in the last. And upon this foot we stood at the Revolution, at which time we could not reasonably promise our selves any safety without lessening the power of France, who, by the enjoyment of these advantages in Trade ever since the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the Second, was come to a prodigious heighth. The stop of our Wooll, the Improvement of our Manufacture; English [Page 16]Merchandize and Navigation, the natural supply of our Trea­sure to a thinking Politician, might have been a good help to the attainment of this End; but nothing alas! of this could be done without touching the Interest of Holland; and in the heat of these Affairs, the Vogue of a free Trade, a free Trade! Lil-ly Bullero, a free Trade— so much pre­vailed, that instead of making up our Mounds which were pull'd down in K. Charles II's Reign, like the inconsiderate Tro­jans, we pull'd down our Walls to let them in, and usher'd in a Clause by way of Rider, in a pretended Bill to prevent the Exportation of Wooll to the Destruction of our Factories abroad; the Father destroy'd his own Son, and all opposition to this Interest in Trade, has hitherto prov'd ineffectual. A numerous Petition the very next Year to pre­vent the Transportation of Wooll by taking off the Felo­ny, and to redress some Grievances in Trade, from a County then declining in Trade, but since miserable, was presented to the Parliament, and a Bill was order'd in upon the Prayer of the Petition, which being fram'd to the disadvantage of this Interest, was the First Year baffled; a second attempt made; a third, a fourth, it still lay upon the Table, like the Lame Man at the Pool of Bethesday; and when any Mo­tion was made to bring it to a Hearing, some more important Affair always stept in— A Bill for the Royal Lustring Com­pany— To Naturalize Solomon Amey, a Frenchman (who has since cheated our Clothiers of a considerable Sum, and wrote them from Holland, if they will not take Ten Shil­lings in the Pound he will pay none) to out of an Entail— to cut a River— ‘O quanto plausu! quibus haec complectimur ulnis!’ and, which was very remarkable, that Member which was most zealous for this foreign Interest, seldom mist Preferment, Sr— S— Sr—Y.— Mr. C.— or any other that the Coat will fit. If the Disappointments in the Funds prolong'd the War two Years, had good Care been taken in this parti­lar, [Page 17]I am satisfied the War had ended four Years sooner. Our Poor cost Seven Hundred Thousand Pound in Charity per Annum, the French earn'd as much out of our Wooll.

How often was the Consideration of Trade recommended by His Majesties Most Gracious Speech, which part of it was like the Rabbins Greek— Non potest legi. Our Saviour, in a Parable, tells us of a Man that had two Sons, and he came to the one and said, go work in my Vinyard, and he answer'd, (upon what scruple I can't tell) I will not, but afterwards upon due consideration, repented and went; he said likewise to the other, and before the Words were out of his Mouth, he seems to Answer, I go Sir— but never went. I think I may fairly borrow the Words of Juvinal, and assert them in a great deal of Truth at this time, with a little Variation; Et spes & ratio bonorum in Caesare tantum: Solus enim artifices hac tempestate Egenos respexit— Sat. 7. And true Love of this kind always begat Love in England, which to Queen Elizabeth was a better security than a Standing Army. ‘War, we are told is now become a Trade, and Management the Principle Art of War; and such Qualifications needful to our Souldiery, as for Men set apart to the Gospel.’ I can't but disagree with these Qualifications from our late Experience, when the Army began to Preach as well as Fight, we had soon no King. It must be confest, that the Power of France was so great, that it made up a full Apprentiship in War to bring this Potent Prince within his due Bounds, and no Prince but ours, could ever have turn'd the Tide of his Ambition. Notwithstanding which it doth not follow, that Souldiery shall be a standing Trade in England, because it was never thought to be our Natural Strength; and if it be allowed, That France came to this extraordinary Greatness by the advantages which he enjoyed by the Manufacture of our Wooll, the large consumption of his Linnens, Alamodes, Claret, Brandy, Paper, &c. in England, the whole Reign of King Charles the Second, and King James; and upon the other hand, that England, Germany and Flanders have been impoverisht by a lessening the consumption of our Woollen [Page 18]Manufactures, and the Linnens of Flanders and Germany, it doth follow, that this Greatness of France was purely acci­dental (Money being the Sinews of War) and if so, Land-Forces in England are to be esteemed no more than acciden­tal, and safely to be laid aside when these extraordinary sup­plies of the French Treasure are intercepted, which is now in our power to do, ‘But France is at this time too strong a Match in Flanders for any single Nation in Europe, not ex­cepting England.’ Which may be allowed, yet I doubt not, but Spain, the Emperor and Holland are able to ballance his Greatness, the Emperor being disengaged in his War with the Turks, and the Dutch having obtained a Revenue out of Ergland since the War which would hugely augment their Forces if need require. Our Souldiers being disbanded, will fall into Employments, which will increase our Treasure; many may come into our Militia, and thereby not only pre­serve their Exercise, but encourage others; and if any thing extraordinary should happen, a small Reward would gain many of them again; and an Army kept in England with our Beef, &c. but few Years, I am of Opinion, would shrink at first time at the Hardships abroad, as new-rais'd-Men has done; and supposing the Duke of Monmouth had been a Frenchman, and our Western Manufacturers flusht in Em­ployment, they had soon made Dice of his Bones; this Gen­tleman, by his fondness of Alliances and Confederacies abroad, seem'd to be taken with the Vanity of the Stag, who fell in love with his Horns, and despised his Legs. And this brings me to the Proof of my Assertion.

And in the First Place I will consider our Coin, the artifi­cial Matter of Commerce, which is said to be the Sinews of War and of State, and I very much doubt in this Point we are Expiring; a Common-Wealth is like unto a Private Fa­mily, where if the Expence is greater than the Revenue, he must needs come behind-hand, which seems to be our Case at present, the quantum of our Coined Silver out of our Clipt-Money and Plate, I think was about Five or Six Millions, a [Page 19]very scanty allowance to carry on the Commerce of this King­dom, and if that Tale was to be made good at this time, I would not be the Security for one Million— Upon the con­sideration first of the Price of Bullion, ever since the Coinage has been over, which has been from five shillings seven pence half-penny per ounce, to five Shillings three Pence, rising and falling, at this time about five shillings six pence, and as the Exchange to Cales now rules, there is no likelihood of any alteration. The Arrival of the Galeons nor Flota has turn'd the Tyde. The late Act of Parliament for consolidating our Gold and Silver-Lace has had a very good effect in the increase of that Wear in Occular Demonstration. The Exportation of our Bullion to the East-Indies bears an equal proportion to our consumption of Muzlins and Indian Commodities, which is so great, that we are forced to ransack all Christendom for Silver, which lately disturbed our rich Neighbours (who are the Pattern of a Free-Trade) fearing that we were about to shake the Bank of Amsterdam, tho not half a ballance to what was Shipped hence to Holland, in the prime time of our Clipping, as the Bills of Entry will demonstrate. When we have been so lately in the Sudds by a general Clipping and Exchanging of Broad Money, to expect so sudden an altera­tion, that twenty eight pound of Silver in Coin shall be paid away to purchase twenty five pounds and an half of the same Commodity is too great a presumption, I doubt, whilst the Refining-Pot knows no distinction. Doctor Lock, in his Position, That an equal quantity of Silver is always of equal value to an equal quantity of Silver, I think was scarce Or­thodox on either side. We may with less difficulty be slipt out of our Silver Coin than we had to procure it, and the difficulty of former times will I hope, put us upon Conside­ration in this matter in due time. The Banishment of all Cotton-Linens out of Enrope was once propos'd at a Treaty of Nimeguen, which would be an excellent Expedient at this time, to increase the Treasure of Christendom, to streng­then our Alliance by a profitable Commerce in our Woollen Manufactures, and the Flaxen Linens of Flanders, Germany [Page 20]and Holland, which will be the best Guard against France; establish a more solid Foundation for Charity, and make our Habits more agreeable to our Profession. Had Dorcas's Garments been made of Muslin, her Name had hardly been memoriz'd by the Tears of the Poor. Solomon compares a Vertuous Woman to the Merchants Ships, Prov. 31. v. 14. and I think, no Women were ever so exact to the Letter of the Simile as ours in Flag and Sail, extended in levity a prora puppique, and if they do not so fully answer the end of the Simile, as might be wisht, in bringing home our Treasure, as is seem­ingly intimated by the Wooll, Flax, Spindle and Distaff, I am sure they contribute very much by their Musling-Sails, to the carrying of it out; had Solomon lived in our days, all his Wisdom had fail'd him in distinguishing the Harlot by her Attire. And since these Indian Commodities has made so little difference between Abigail and my Lady in Habits, the Master too often took one instead of the other; which may have occasion'd a greater inconveniency than we are well aware of, in preventing the due reproofs of this ex­travagancy, thro' fear of a closer application at Home. Lectures against Pride were Jewels by their rarity in our late Reigns, and hereby this Monster Pride has made her own Intrenchment.

The next Point to be considered is our Merchandize, in which we are evidently expiring. Eight Parts in Ten of the Native Commodities of this Kingdom which are Transpor­ted, I am well assured are bought in England by Forein Mer­chants, and our English Factories abroad sunk in a like pro­portion, and a very great share of the profit of our easie, Re­tail Trades in England, is geting into the hands of Aliens of a lower degree. Nay, we have Wooll-brogging Jews. It was said in the Reign of Edward the Sixth, that their Names, Numbers and Nations were unknown, and into what a Babel are we got into, an English-man may soon lose his own Lan­guage upon the East part of our Exchange. I can't but wish the Wind may vary from that Point, that we may carry our Merchandize out, and they tarry at home. The [Page 21]reason which was urged in Henry the Seventh's Reign, was, that when Foreigners had got Estates in England, they car­ried them into their own Countries, which is very natural, as our Merchants brought their Estates home; but here is the odds, there is a Seminary of Merchants still growing in England out of the younger Sons of our Gentry, who have always Fortunes given them by their Friends, when most of these Foreigners come very light into England, wholly de­pending upon Commissions, which is now drove very low, and if they take to drink high, instead of carying an Estate home, in a fair way, they many times make their Fortunes by the loss of our Manufacturers; get an Estate over and ne­ver pay— as Trade is now settled, in Advices twice a Week, how all Commodities govern, a Dutch or German Merchant can manage a Stock in England by an Agent of his lodg­ing in a Garet at a Packer's House; or by some Englishman for one per Cent. Commission, whilst his Stock is secure from any Taxes— and the whole benefit and influence thereof accrews to his own Countrymen. No Man fixt in a good way of living in his Native Country, will be willing to leave it, and if we must make them fat here, I can't but think our own Subjects (by a preservation of their Rights) will thrive best in our own Pastures. How much per Cent. the profit of our Merchandize may be allowed to be, or what Concern it is for us to secure this Employment for the youn­er Sons of our Gentry, I shall not determine; only consider briefly the attendant inconveniencies of this alteration to the Publick.

I. THE Government of Trade is hereby taken out of our hands, which gives double advantage to the Alien in buying of our Goods, and selling of his own; as likewise, in some measure the Government of the Exchange. No Per­son now living, can remember the like loss that our Nation lately sustained in this particular; twenty five per Cent. ad­vantage in Remittance of Money to buy Tallies at Five and Forty per Cent. and receive Eight per Cent. Interest, which Mo­ney is now spent in Holland, a hard Article upon us, that so [Page 22]great a part of the Revenue of our Kingdom is spent abroad. Madder is sold above double the usual Price, Spiceries a third part advance, &c.

II. Since this Alteration vast quantities of our Wooll has been Transported, our Manufactures much debas'd, carry'd off without being fully manufactur'd, and many Goods smuggled to the loss of the King's Custom.

III. THE strength of our Nation, in case of a War is hereby much lessen'd. Supposing a War with Holland, and the Exeter Serge-Makers wholly depending upon Dutch Merchants; they could not subsist long, when many instan­ces may be brought in the like Case, when the Merchant-Adventurers of England took off vast quantities of Goods and laid them up to the out-side of their Stocks, and being Men of Interest borrowed much more for the same purpose, and the Service they did this Kingdom Anno 88, is worthy to be remembred to their honour; when they supply'd the Navy-Royal with a whole Ships lading of Powder and Shot from Hamburgh, which came luckily, even in articulo temporis, when there was a great want thereof; and far grea­ter quantities of Cloth has been Ship'd off by this Company than ever was in a loose, disorderly Trade, and larger Eng­lish Ships employed, which would be of Service in a War.

IV. Hereby the sharpest People of all Countries are let in upon us. After our Coin was par'd to the quick, it was ad­mirable to hear the Logical Discourses of our Coffee-Houses upon the intrinsick value of a Guinea, which by the strength of Reason was brought up to Thirty Shillings, directly con­trary to a Law made in the Reign of Edward the Sixth; being settled a little time at this value, and considerable Pay­ments made to our Woollen-Manufacturers for large quan­tities of Goods bought at little or no Advance; the Summer Crop of Wooll bought up, some for Holland, and another part by our Wooll-boggers; about Michaelmas the danger of the Fall of Guineas begin to appear; those that had Wooll remaining upon hand, would not sell but at a proportio­nable advance, the Jobbers held theirs at a like Rate, the Manufacturer is brought upon the Rack, to take the Wooll at this Price, or his Work-People starve; as soon as this is [Page 23]done, and Goods came to Market early in the Spring, the Tyde turn'd, all was at Stake if the Price of Guineas was not brought down; the Manufacturers that had the dear Goods upon hand, petition'd the Parliament to ward the Blow, but ineffectual; the Guineas made a trip to Holland, which made a stop in Trade; the Clothier sold that Cloth, which he could not afford under 15 l. at 10 l. some at 9 l.

The last thing I shall mention to prove my Assertion is our Navigation, in which particular we are come to a lower Ebb if possible; not one Ship in 40 employ'd in our Merchandize to Holland, Flanders and Breme, and very few to Hambro and the East-Country, to which parts two thirds of the Native Commodi­ties of this Kingdom are Exported, and a greater share of our Plantation-Goods; a very great increase of Shiping at Breme, where every Ship which they have advanc'd, have sunk the Imployment of a Ship in England. Most Merchants are con­cern'd in Shiping, and its natural to imploy their own Coun­try-men; how much the strength of our Nation is lessned in this particular, I leave to the more judicious; the imployment of as many Seamen as would Man a Fleet for our Security, is hereby lost, who are always within the compass of a Post-Let­ter twice a Week, our own Seamen are hereby become Stran­gers in our home Seas, which would be of as good service, and as much to be depended upon as if kept in the King's Pay, which Proposal I take to be the same with that of building Work-Houses for the Imployment of our Poor, whilst at the same time the Dutch and French get a quarter-part of our Wooll.

Nothing in the eye of reason) but an effectual stop to our Pride and Luxury, in a Forein Consumption (as well upon a Politick as a Religious account) can secure this Kingdom from ruine. The Dutch and Forein Nations are actually in the possession (in Merchandize and Navigation) of the profitable part of our Commerce in respect to the Publick. The Stock remaining in English hands— is chiesly imploy'd in bringing home Materials to maintain this Pride and Luxury— and in ingros­sing all sorts of Materials to the greater Oppression of our Poor, which Stock being stopt upon one hand, will naturally fall into the other, by the Support and Enlargement of our Hambro, East Country and Russia Companies, under due Regulations. And our Misery or Welfare re­solving it self by the actions of this great Council, I hope all true English­men will join in hearty Prayers for a Blessing upon Your Undertakings, That no more of our English Subjects may starve in our Streets.