free trade-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Free　Trade　or；　The　Meanes　To　Make　Trade　Florish。　Wherein；　The

Causes　of　the　Decay　of　Trade　in　this　Kingdome；　are　discovered：



And　the　Remedies　also　to　remoove　the　same；　are　represented。



Propertius；　nauita　de　ventis；　de　tauris　narrat　arator：　Enumerat

miles　vulnera；　pastor　oues。



London；　Printed　by　John　Legatt；　for　Simon　Waterson；　dwelling　in

Paules　Church…yard　at　the　Signe　of　the　Crowne。　1622









by　Edward　Misseldon









To　the　Prince。　Sir



　　　　Your　Highnes　is　no　lesse　Happy　to　bee　the　Sonne　of　so　great　a

King；　then　to　be　the　Heire　apparent　of　so　many　Kingdomes。　In　the

one；　rare　endowments　of　Majesty　and　Magnanimity；　are　Yours　by

generation：　In　the　other；　a　Royall　Monarchy　by　inheritance　and

succession。　The　one　doth　fit　You　for　the　other；　and　Your　Royall

Fathers　footsteps　for　them　both。　In　those　are　Peerelesse　prints：

You　cannot　cast　Your　Eie；　but　they　are　present　to　You；　and

represented　in　You。　You　see　in　His　Religion；　Piety：　in　His　Sacred

Person；　Tranquility：　in　His　Government；　Policy。　In　every　one　of

these；　all　these：　and　all　in　You。　In　that　last；　His　Majesty　hath

carried　a　quick　Eie；　over　the　Commerce　of　this　Kingdome：　because

it　hath　relation　both　to　the　Revenue　of　the　Crowne；　and　the

Common…wealth　of　all　His　Kingdomes。　It　is　said　in　Exechiels

Vision；　that　One　wheele　ran　within　the　other；　which　hath　and

Emphasis　in　that　tongue；　｛Hebrew　phrase　omitted｝　and　surely

matters　of　State　and　of　Trade；　are　involved　and　wrapt　up

together。　Which　latter；　because　it　is　at　this　time　in　agitation；

and　there　are；　not　without　cause；　many　Quaere's　about　the　Causes

of　the　generall　decay　thereof；　hath　caused　me　to　put　my　selfe　on

this　Enquiry；　to　philosophize　if　I　could；　in　these　Causes　and

Remedies。　Not　that　I　would　seeme　with　Phormio；　to　reade　a　Lecture

to　Hannibal：　No；　I　have　only　mustered　and　marshalled　these　men

into　their　Rancks　and　Order；　it　is　Yours　to　Command　them。　Great

Philip　of　Macedon；　suffered　a　mean　musition　say　unto　him；　Absit；

ut　haec　tu　me　melius　scias。　But　for　my　part；　I　dare　not　in　any

thing；　put　such　an　absit；　to　a　Prince　so　absolute。　Every　thing

mooves　it　selfe　to　its　Center。　These　little　lucubrations　present

themselves　to　your　Highnes；　as　unto　their　proper　Orb。　For　as　they

looke　up　to　the　King；　or　as　they　looke　downe　to　the　Kingdome；　In

both　they　looke　on　You；　with　a　double　aspect。　You　are　the　Joy　of

the　King；　and　Hope　of　all　these　Kingdomes。　The　Only　Sonne　Your

are；　of　the　Only　King：　An　happy　Seer；　of　a　blessed　Sire：　A

Princely　Consul；　of　the　Privy　Councel：　A　watchman；　A　worthy；　of

David　and　of　Jacob。

　　　　These　Meditation　of　mine；　are　very　meane：　an　unfit　object　for

a　Princes　sight：　unlesse　as　You　are　a　God　on　Earth；　in　this　also

Your　represent　the　God　of　Heaven；　to　accept　in　your　Princely

pardon　and　patience；　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝。　The　Cause　is　great；

your　Wisedom's　deep；　and　my　Lord　the　King　is　as　an　Angell　of　God。

Your　His；　He　is　Christ；　and　Christ　is　Gods。

　　　　Oh　God；　be　thou　still　the　King　and　Christ；　of　this　Christ　our

King：　Evangelize　unto　this　Angel：　double　the　Spirit　of　our　Eliah；

on　Our　Elisha：　that　He　may　flourish　like　our　Palme　Tree；　and　grow

up　like　our　Cedar　of　Albion。　Give　thy　Judgements　to　the　King；　and

thy　Justice　to　the　Kings　Sonne：　And　let　all　the　People　offer

these　sweet　Odours　to　Thee　the　God　of　Heaven；　and　pray　for　the

life　of　the　King　and　His　Sonne。

　　　　So　prayeth；　for　His　Majestie；　And　your　Highnesse；



　　　　Edward　Misselden；　Merchant



　　　　From　my　House　at　Hackney　on　Whitson　Eve；　the　8　of　June　In　the

yeare　of　Grace；　MDCXXII。　And　of　the　King　of　Peace；　XXIV。



Cap。　I。



The　Causes　of　the　want　of　Money　in　England。



　　　　It　having　pleased　God　to　give　mee　my　birth　and　being　in　this

good　Land；　and　under　the　reigne　of　so　great　a　King；　whose　peace

and　piety；　whose　prudence　and　policy；　whose　rare　endowments　of

Nature　and　literature；　absit　omnis　adulatio；　doe　lend　to　the

Christioan　and　Pagan　world　such　a　glorious　lustre；　as　that　the

other　great　lights　in　the　Spheares　thereof　do　seeme　eclipsed：　I

could　not　but　thinke　it　my　bounden　duty；　in　all　humble

acknowledgement　to　Almight　God；　and　devouted　service　to　so　mighty

a　King；　to　endevour　to　expresse　the　same；　in　some　publique

service　for　the　publique　good。

　　　　The　rather　for　that　there　seem's　to　be　a　necessitie　imposed

upon　all　men；　as　much　as　they　can；　to　performe　this　duety；

according　to　that　gnerall　precept；　Feare　God；　Honour　the　King：　As

if　a　man　could　not　feare　God；　unlesse　he　honour　the　King：　nor

honour　the　King；　without　the　feare　of　God。

　　　　And　no　marvell；　when　God　himselfe　setteth　these　duties　in　the

frontispice　or　topof　both　the　Tables　of　the　Decalogue：　The　one

Explicit　in　the　first　Table；　Thou　shalt　love　the　Lord　thy　God：

The　other　Implicit　in　the　second　Table；　Thou　shalt　honour　the

King：　as　if　he　were　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝；　A　Law　and　another

Law：　yea　the　whole　Law　comprised　in　these　two：　and　these　two

termed　the　great　Commandements；　to　give　a　deepe　impression　and　a

lively　expression　of　so　great　a　dutie。

　　　　Yea；　he　doth　honour　kings　with　this　own　title；　as　if　hee

would　part　with；　&　impart　to　them；　some　of　his　owne　honour。　I

have　saide　yee　are　Gods：　to　which　that　of　the　Poet　may　seeme

｛Greek　word　omitted｝　to　have　an　elegant　allusion；　Divisum

imperium　cum　Ioue　Caesar　habet。

　　　　And　this　is　it　I　confesse　that　hath　raised　and　rowsed　mine

affections；　to　seeke　out　a　subject；　wherein　I　might　set　my　self　a

task；　&　as　it　is　in　the　proverb；　might　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝；　to

performe　some　acceptable　service；　to　so　great　a　King；　&　so　good　a

kingdome。

　　　　But　what　need　I　seeke　that　which　seeketh　all　men？　For　what　is

at　this　time　more　enquired　after　then　the　Causes　of　the　decay　of

Trade？　And　what　can　be　more　fit　for　my　meditation；　then　that

wherein　I　have　had　education？　And　what　hath　more　relation　to

matter　of　State；　then　Commerce　of　Merchants？　For　when　Trade

flourisheth；　the　Kings　revenue　is　augmented；　Lands　and　Rents

improved；　Navigation　is　encreased；　the　poore　employed。　But　if

Trade　decay；　all　these　decline　with　it。　Neverthelesse　when　I

looke　upon　the　face　of　the　great　body　politique　of　this　weale

publique；　and　therein　consider　the　high　wisedome　of　His　sacred

Majestie；　as　the　intellectual　part　of　this　Micorcosme；　or　alter

orbis　as　Ceasar　calles　it：　the　prudence　and　providence　of　His

Nobles；　as　the　Eyes　thereof；　the　great　decay　of　Trade；　the　Nerves

thereof：　together　with　the　parliamentation　and　consultation　of

all　the　parts　together　about　these　Causes　and　Remedies：　I　feare　I

shall　seeme　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝；　to　light　a　Candle　in　the

Sunne；　to　offer　my　service　in　that；　about　which　the　choicest　wits

of　the　Kingdome　are　now　in　consultation。

　　　　But　having　had　experience　of　His　Majesties　gracious

interpretation　of　small　services　of　his　subjects　employed　for　the

publique：　though　others　much　more　sufficient　are　sent　before；　yet

could　I　not　but　expostulate　with　my　selfe；　what　if　I　also　runne

after；　and　cast　in　my　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝；　into　this　great

Treasury。

　　　　Therefore　if　herein；　any　observations　of　mine；　either

Forreign　or　domestique；　may　administer　any　thing　worthy　the

information　of　that　Great　common　and　yet　not　common　Sense；　I

shall　esteeme　my　part　most　happily　acted；　to　have　employed　my

private　paines　for　the　publique　good。　The　rather；　for　that；　as

there　are　many　Causes　discussed　and　discoursed　of　at　this　time；

of　the　decay　of　Trade；　so　also　are　there　many　remedies：　wherein

if　either　the　Causes　be　mistaken；　or　the　remedies　ill　applied；

the　present　sicknesse　of　the　Trade；　may　be　brought　from　a　disease

in　fieri　to　an　habituated　and　in　facto；　as　the　Phisitians　Schoole

hath　it。

　　　　To　find　the　cause　of　things；　is　a　worke　of　Philosophy；　and

much　felicitie：　to　finde　out　a　fit　remedy；　is　of　high　eminency：

But　to　apply　the　remedy；　is　a　matter　of　State　and　Policy。　And

this　leadeth　mee　to　the　Method　of　my　discourse：　which　parts　it

selfe　in　twaine：　viz。　Into　a　double　Quaere；　of　the　Deformation

and　Reformation　of　Trade。　In　the　former　may　be　considered；　the

Causes　and　Eff