free trade-第14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！


Assurances　are　grounded　on　the　Civill　Law。　By　which　meanes　His

Majesties　other　Courts　of　Justice　are　eased　of　the　multiplicitie

of　Questions　that　might　arise　by　suits　of　Law　of　this　kinde。

　　　　And　thus　having　been　bold　to　make　this　short　relation　of　my

poore　observation　herein；　I　most　humbly　submit　this　Remedy　to　the

High　wisedome　of　His　Majestie；　to　dispose　thereof　in　such　Manner

and　Measure；　as　the　Nature　and　Number　of　the　suits　of　Law；　at

this　day　in　this　Kingdome　doe　require。　In　the　restraint　whereof

His　Majestie　shall　have　great　Honour：　His　Kingdome　Peace：　the

Judges　Ease：　the　Subjects　quietnesse；　and　the　Common…wealth

increase　of　Trade。

　　　　The　Trades　considered　apart；　I　reduced　to　such；　as　tend　to

the　Fortification　of　the　Kingdome；　or　Maintenance　of　Trade。　The

former　I　noted　to　be　Ordinance　or　Munition。　In　which　case　the

Philosopher　giveth　good　Counsell；　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝。　Sic

amandum　tanquam　sis　osurus；　sic　oportet　edisse　tanquqam　sis

amaturus。

　　　　The　latter　I　reduced　to　Fishing　and　Clothing；　as　the

Nurseries　of　Trade。　For　the　Fishing；　the　infinite　treasure　that

Strangers　search　out　of　our　Seas；　the　variety　of　Trade　that

thereby　they　purchase；　the　multitude　of　Mariners　they　breed；　the

Fleets　of　Shipping　they　maintaine；　me　thinkes　should　every　of

them　apart；　or　all　of　them　together；　be　unto　us　as　so　many

provocations　to　rouze　us　up　to　the　exercise　thereof：　Whereby　His

Majestie　might　receive　such　a　Tolle　or　Custome　of　them；　as　other

Princes　doe　in　like　case；　and　be　once　again　Lord　and　Master　of

the　Seas；　for　all　the　dispute　of　the　Author　of　Mare　liberum：　and

the　Native　subject　encouraged　by　some　Immunity　or　Priviledge；　to

lay　hold　on　that　benefit；　which　God　and　Nature　hath　brought　home

to　our　doores。

　　　　For　the　Clothing；　that　also　is　a　point　of　State　and　great

consequence。　The　Causes　of　the　decay　whereof；　I　observed　to　bee

either　Domestique　or　Forreine。　The　Domestique　some　past；　some

present。　In　which　former；　it　may　perhaps　seeme　strange　to　speake

of　a　Remedy　for　a　thing　past。　Wherein　the　best　Remedy　I　can

thinke　of；　is；　to　be　warned　by　those　harmes；　not　to　disturbe　or

distract　Trade　upon　any　suggestion；　though　never　so　specious。　It

is　a　safe　rule；　that　in　Rebus　nouis　constituendis　euidens　esse

debet　utilitas。　And　in　Projects；　though　they　promise　much；　yet

the　utility　is　commonly　Contingent；　which　may　be；　or　may　not　be。

But　in　the　mutation　of　the　naturall　course　of　Trade；　there　ought

to　be　Perspicuity　and　apparency　of　evident　utility：　Else　a　Breach

may　be　sooner　made　in　Trade　then　can　be　repaired：　and　the　Current

once　diverted；　will　hardly　bee　revolved；　into　it　genuine　Source

and　Course　againe。

　　　　The　present　Domestique　Causes　of　the　Decay　of　Clothing；　I

considered　in　the　Trade　under　the　Clothier；　or　under　the

Merchant。　Under　the　Clothier；　I　noted　the　Ill　making　and　False

sealing　of　Cloth：　and　both　through　the　Non…execution　of　the

Statute　of　4　of　the　King。　the　abuse　wherof　is　growne　to　be　very

great；　and　the　reformation　hath　beene　by　His　Majesties

Proclamations　and　otherwise；　so　much　and　so　oft　attempted　of　late

years；　and　nothing　therein　effected；　that　it　seemeth　a　very

difficult　matter　to　reforme　the　same。　Neverthlesse　if　it　may

please　His　Majestie；　to　commit　the　care　of　the　execution　of　the

Statute；　to　some　of　the　Principall　Cities　and　Townes　in　the

Clothing　Counties；　where　Broad　Clothes；　Kersies；　and　Perpetuanoes

are　made；　and　to　make　them　the　Overseers　mentioned　in　the

Statute；　instead　of　those　ignorant　and　negligent　Searchers；　with

reasonable　allowance　for　their　paines；　I　am　confident　it　would

prove　a　singular　Remedy。　For　we　have　not　only　the　example　of　the

Low　Countries；　where　this　course　is　taken；　but　also　here　with　us：

as　Worcester　for　that　sort　of　Clothes；　Colchester　for　Bayes；　and

Canterbury　for　Sayes。　In　all　which　places　the　former　abuses　are

removed　by　this　means；　and　the　Clothes；　and　Bayes；　and

Manufactures　of　those　Cities；　triumph　in　great　credit　and

estimation。　Which　execution　of　the　saide　Statute；　is　the　rather

to　be　committed　to　the　care　and　charge　of　the　principall　Cities

and　Townes　in　the　Clothing　Counties；　because　by　ancient　Statutes

not　repealed；　all　Clothes　and　Kersies　ought　to　bee　brought　to　the

next　City；　Borough；　or　Towne　Corporate；　to　be　sealed；　before　they

be　put　to　sale。　And　if　such　Clothes　so　sealed；　prove　defective；

that　Corporation　or　Towneship　that　so　hath　sealed　them；　shall

forfeit　the　whole　value　thereof。

　　　　The　reformation　of　which　abuse　will　redound　to　the　benefit　of

the　Clothier；　as　well　as　the　Merchant。　For　none　is　more　hurt　with

false　Cloth；　then　that　Clothier　which　maketh　true　Cloth：　because

his　markets　are　alwayes　hurt　by　the　cheapnesse　that　false　Cloth

may　be　afforded　at。　Therefore　to　facilitate　this　Remedy；　I　have

made　a　collection　of　all　the　principall　Cities　and　Townes　in　the

Clothing　Counties　for　this　purpose；　as　by　a　list　thereof；　fixed

to　the　end　of　this　discourse　may　appeare；　that　so　a　worke　of　this

nature　be　no　longer　deferred；　wherein　the　Honour　of　the　King；　and

the　Benefit　of　the　Publique　are　so　much　involved。

　　　　Under　the　Merchant　I　observed　the　Cloth…Trade　to　suffer　at

Home　and　Abroad：　At　Home；　either　by　exporting　the　Materials　of

Clothing；　or　by　Ore…lading　the　Cloth…Trade　with　charge。　The

Remedy　in　the　former；　were　to　lay　a　restraint　of　exportation　of

Wools　and　Wool…fels　out　of　Ireland；　and　to　quicken　the　execution

of　the　Statute　for　that　purpose　in　England；　by　encouraging　the

discoverers　of　such　abuses。

　　　　The　latter　is　the　Sur…charging　of　the　Cloth　Trade；　either

generally　or　specially：　this　last；　in　the　Impositions　and　Impress

monies　imposed　by　the　Merchant　Adventurers：　which　as　it　is　a

charge　laid　upon　the　Drapery　of　the　Kingdome；　I　conceive；　under

favour；　is　a　matter　that　trencheth　into　the　Suprmeme　power　and

dignity　of　the　King；　and　is　peculiar　to　Him　alone。　And　if　for

Government；　or　other　just　causes　in　Societies　and　Corporation；

there　be　a　necessity　of　paying　of　debts；　or　defraying　of

necessary　charge；　I　should　thinke　it　better　policy　to　spare　the

Cloth；　and　other　the　Native　Commodities　of　the　Kingdom；　and　to

implore　His　Majesties　favour；　to　levy　such　charge　upon　the

Forreine　Commodities：　according　to　the　Counsell　of　Stephanus；　Si

Vectigal　nouum　euitari　non　potest；　tune　onerentur　inerces

perigrinae；　auae　ad　luxum　magis　quam　ad　necessitatem　faciunt。　And

this　I　conceive　would　be　a　good　remedy　for　easing　the　Cloth　Trade

of　the　present　charge　under　the　Merchants：　which　would　also　bee　a

meanes　for　paying　of　their　debts；　with　a　little　more　length　of

time；　and　a　great　deale　of　encouragement；　both　to　Clothiers　and

Merchants　in　the　Cloth　Trade。

　　　　And　Abroad；　if　it　appeare　upon　examination；　that　the

Residence　of　the　Merchant　Adventurers　at　Delft　in　Holland　be

inconvenient　for　the　Trade：　As　His　Majestie　was　graciously

pleased　to　five　them　that　liberty　for　a　tryall；　so　it　may　please

His　Majestie　to　dispose　thereof；　in　some　more　fit　place　for

their's　and　the　Publique　good。

　　　　The　Forreince　Causes　of　the　Decay　of　the　Drapery；　I　noted　to

bee　Generall；　as　the　Warres；　or　Speciall；　as　the　great　Imposition

in　Holland。　The　one　is　the　worke　of　God；　the　other　of　the　King；

to　remove　the　same。　To　whom　I　recommend　them　both。

　　　　And　thus　farre　for　the　Remedies　in　the　Matter　of　Trade；

considered　in　Money　and　Merchandize：　the　Forme　followeth　in

Governed　and　Ungoverned　Trade。　In　the　Former　I　observed　a　too

strict；　and　in　the　latter　a　too　loose　forme　of　Trade。　The　Remedy

in　the　One；　if　it　seeme　good　to　the　high　wisedome　of　His

Majestie；　may　be　Privative；　in　racing　and　rooting　out　the　name

and　use　of　Monopolies　from　amongst　this　Nation；　as　His　Majestie

hath　royally　begun　in　that　His　Gracious　Proclamation　before

mentioned。　And　to　free　and　open　the　course　of　Trade；　where　now　it

is　unequally　stopt；　to　the　encouragement　of　the　subjects；　and　the

benefit　of　the　Publique。

　　　　In　the　other　Positive；　by　disposing　the　Trades　of　His

Majesties　subjects　that　are　now　distracted；　into　Order　and

Government。　Whereof　none　hath　more　need；　a