free trade-第2章

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

Causes　and　Effects　thereof。　In　the　Causes；　the　matter　of　forme　of

Trade。　The　master　of　Trade；　is　either　Naturall　or　Artificial。　The

Natural　matter　of　Commerce　is　Merchandize：　which　Merchants　from

the　end　of　Trade　have　stiled　Commodities。　The　Artificial　matter

of　Commerce　is　Money；　which　hath　obtained　the　title　sinews　of

warre　and　of　State。

　　　　Old　Jacob　blessing　his　Grandchildren；　crost　his　hands；　and

laide　his　right　hand　on　the　yonger；　and　his　left　hand　on　the

elder：　And　Money；　though　it　be　in　nature　and　time　after

Merchandize；　yet　forasmuch　as　it　is　now　in　use　become　the　chiefe；

I　will　take　leave　of　Method；　to　handle　it　in　the　first　place。

　　　　First　therefore　for　the　want　of　Money　in　this　Kingdome；　many

reasons　may　bee　assign'd。　Whereof　some　are　Immediate；　some

mediate　or　remote。　The　Immediate　reasons　of　the　want　of　money；

are　either　such　as　hinder　the　Importation；　of　such　as　cause　the

exportation　thereof。　And　both　therse　are　occasioned　by　the

under…valueation　of　his　Majesties　Caoine；　to　that　of　our

Neighbour　Countries。　For　who　wil　procure　licence　in　Spaine　to

bring　Realles　into　England；　to　sell　them　here　at　ten　in　the

hundred　gaine；　which　is　lesse　then　the　Exchange　from　thence　will

yeeld；　when　hee　may　have　for　the　same　five　and　twenty　in　the

hundred　in　Holland？　Here　five　Reals　of　eight；　which　make　twenty

shillings　sterling；　will　commonly　yeeld　two　and　twenty　shillings

or　thereabouts：　and　the　same　in　Holland　will　yeeld　forty　two

shillings　&　sixe　pence　Flemish；　which　is　five　and　twenty

shillings　sterling。　And　how　can　we　choose　but　want　money　in

England；　when　the　Jacobus　pieces；　are　Currant　at　so　high　a　rate

in　Holland？　For　there　they　goe　at　twelve　guilders　eight　stivers

the　piece；　which　is　one　and　fortie　shillings　and　four　pence

Flemish；　which　is　four　and　twentie　shillings　&　nine　pence

sterling。　And　after　this　rate　His　Majesties　other　Coines　of　gold

&　silver　are　there　of　respective　value。　For　although　by　the

Placcaets　or　Proclamations　of　those　parts；　the　Jacobus　pieces；

and　other　species　of　gold　and　silver；　are　there　set　at

indifferent　rates　answerable　to　their　valuation　here　with　us

respectively；　which　they　there　call　permissie　gelt；　Proclamation

money：　yet　they　have　other　devices　to　raise　money；　and　draw　it

away　at　their　pleasures。　As　either　by　their　Banckes；　when　the

Banckiers　will　for　their　occasions　give　a　greater　price　for　mony

then　the　Proclamation　suffereth；　&　then　it　is　called　Banck　gelt：

or　else　by　slacke　paymasters；　that　for　their　owne　advantage　in

the　raising　of　money；　will　pretend　not　to　make　present　payment　of

their　debts；　unlesse　you　take　their　money　at　a　higher　rate；　then

either　the　Proclamation；　or　the　Banck　money。　Which　being　paid　and

received；　produceth　a　third　kinde；　which　they　call　Currant　gelt。

And　so　by　the　Connivence　of　the　Magistrate；　the　same　goeth　from

man　to　man；　and　at　last　becommeth　currant　at　an　excessive　value。

So　they　have　Permission　or　Proclamation　Money；　and　Banck　Money；

and　Currant　Money；　and　all　to　draw　dry　the　Currant　of　His

Majesties　Coine。

　　　　And　thus　the　Hepatitis　of　this　great　Body　of　our　being

opened；　&　such　profusion　of　the　life　blood　let　out；　and　the　liver

or　fountaine　obstructed；　and　weakened；　which　should　succour　the

same；　needes　must　this　great　Body　languish；　and　at　length　fall

into　a　Marasmum。

　　　　I　am　not　ignorant　that　there　hath　beene　great　abuse　in　the

culling　of　His　Majesties　Coyne；　here　at　home；　and　in　melting　the

heavy　money　into　plate：　And　that　there　is　a　great　superfluitie　of

Plate　generally　in　private　mens　hands　more　then　is　necessary；　and

farre　beyond　any　example　of　former　times；　which　must　needes　also

cause　scarcitie　of　money：　yet　on　the　other　side　I　cannot　deny；

but　that　it　is　better　to　have　the　same　in　Plate；　as　a　treasure　of

the　Kingdome；　then　turned　into　Coine；　&　so　turned　out　of　the

Kingdome；　by　the　under…value　thereof。

　　　　Now　the　Mediat　or　remote　reasons　of　the　want　of　money　in

England；　are　either　Domestique　or　Forreine。　The　Domestique　are

generall；　or　special。　The　general　remote　cause　of　our　want　of

money；　is　the　great　excesse　of　this　Kingdom；　in　consuming　the

Commodities　of　Forreine　Countries；　which　prove　to　us

discommodities；　in　hindering　us　of　so　much　treasure；　which

otherwise　would　bee　brought　in；　in　lieu　of　those　toyes。　For　now　a

dayes　most　men　live　above　their　callings；　and　promiscously　step

forth　Vice　versa；　into　one　anothers　Rankes。　The　Countrey　mans　Eie

is　upon　the　Citizen：　the　Citizen　upon　the　Gentleman：　the

Gentleman　upon　the　Nobleman。　And　by　this　meanes　wee　draw　unto　us；

and　consume　amongst　us；　that　great　abundance　of　the　Wines　of

Spaine；　of　France；　of　the　Rhene；　of　the　Levant；　the　Lawnes　and

Cambricks　of　Hannault　and　the　Netherlands；　the　Silkes　of　Italie；

the　Sugars　&　Tobaco　of　the　West　Indies；　the　Spices　of　the　East

Indies：　All　which　are　of　no　necessitie　unto　us；　&　yet　are　bought

with　ready　mony；　which　otherwise　would　be　brought　over　in

treasure　if　these　were　not。　A　Common…wealth　is　like　unto　a

family；　the　father　or　master　whereof　ought　to　sell　more　then　he

buyeth　according　to　old　Catoe's　counsell；　Patrem　familias

vendacem　non　emacem　esse　oportet。　Otherwise　his　expence　being

greater　then　his　revenue；　he　must　needs　come　behinde　hand。　Even

so　a　Common…wealth　that　excessively　spendeth　the　forreine

Commodities　deere；　and　unttereth　the　native　fewer　and　cheape；

shal　enrich　other　Common…wealths；　but　beggar　it　selfe。　Where　on

the　contrary；　if　it　vented　fewer　of　the　forreine；　and　more　of　the

Native；　the　residue　must　needs　returne　in　treasure。

　　　　The　speciall　remote　cause　of　our　want　of　money；　is　the　great

want　of　our　East…India　stocke　here　at　home。　Which　is　a　matter　of

very　great　consequence；　and　causeth　the　body　of　this

Common…wealth　to　be　wounded　sore；　through　the　sides　of　many

particular　members　thereof。　For　the　stocke　of　the　East　India

Company　being　of　great　value；　and　collected　and　contracted　from

all　the　other　particular　Trades　of　the　Common…wealth；　and　a　great

part　thereof　having　beene　Embargued　and　detained　now　for　more

then　five　yeeres　last　past；　and　that　not　by　a　profest　Enemie；

against　whom　we　might　have　been　warn'd　and　arm'd；　but　by　a

friend；　a　neighbour；　a　next　neighbour；　one　obliged　to　our　King

and　Nation　more　then　to　all　the　Kings　on　earth：　this　losse　I　say；

is　not　onley　thus　unkind；　but　is　the　more　intollerable；　in　that

the　Common…wealth　hath　lost　the　use　and　employment　of　the　Stocke

it　selfe；　and　all　the　encrease　of　Trade　which　the　same　might　have

produced；　in　the　severall　Trades　of　the　Subjects；　whereby

abundance　of　treasure　might　have　beene　brought　into　this　land　in

all　this　time。

　　　　It　is　said　of　Belisarius　that　Great　and　famous　Commander　of

the　Romanes；　that　even　Rome　it　selfe　owed　to　him　twice　her　life：

and　yet　at　last　was　so　unkinde　to　Belisarius　as　to　put　out　both

his　eyes；　and　exposed　him　to　beg　in　a　little　Cotage　built　without

the　gates；　where　hee　often　repeated　this　sentence　to　those　that

passed　by；　Date　obolum　Belisario；　quem　inuidia；　non　culp

caecauit。　And　certainely　our　Nation　may　challenge　as　much　or　more

of　these　unkinde　friends；　the　Belisarius　ever　did　or　could　of

Rome：　and　they　shew　themselves　no　lesse　unkinde；　to　deprive　us　of

the　light　and　life　of　this　Trade　of　ours；　and　suffer　this　Nation

to　use　so　muc　importunitie　for　their　owne。

　　　　Homer　reports　of　Patroclus；　that　he　would　needs　put　on

Achilles　armour；　and　ride　on　Achilles　horse；　but　Achilles　speare

hee　durst　not　touch；　and　thereby　was　knowne　to　Hector；　with　whom

he　fought；　not　to　be　Achilles；　and　so　lost　his　life。　These

friends　of　ours　have　sometimes　put　on；　sometimes　put　off；　I　had

almost　said；　put　out　the　Kings　colours：　They　have　sayled　in　His

subjects　shippes；　but　that　Histam　fidei　they　have　not　used；　or

abused　rather；　whereby　they　have　beene　discovered　to　the　Indians；

not　to　be　the　subjects　of　the　faith's　Defender；　as　sometimes　they

would　have　faigned；　though　to　an　evill　purpose。

　　　　The　Romanes　were　wont　to　weepe；　at　the　sight　of　Caesars　blood