free trade-第4章

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in　regiones　ita　descripsit；　ut　necessarium　mortalibus　esset　inter

ipsos　Commercium。　Nature　by　the　benefit　of　the　wind；　hath　so

mixed　people；　dispersed　in　divers　places；　and　so　distributed　her

gifts　in　divers　Countries；　that　there　should　be　a　necessity　of

Commerce　amongst　men。　Which　agreeth　with　that　of　Aristotle；　Est

translatio　rerum　omnium　caepta　ab　initio；　ab　eo　quod　est　secudum

naturam；　cum　homines　haberent　plura　quam　sufficerent；　partim

etiam　pauciora；　negotiatione　suppleri　id　quod　natura　deest；　quo

commode　omnibus　sufficiat。

　　　　And　that　we　doe　not　goe　out　of　the　Christian　world　for　an

example　hereof；　let　us　consider　the　state　of　the　Netherlands；　in

what　a　miserable　case　those　people　were；　if　they　received　not

supply　from　all　other　Nations。　They　have　nothing　of　their　owne；

and　yet　they　seeme　to　possesse　all　things　in　the　supply　they

receive　from　all　the　world。

　　　　And　surely　if　any　Kingdome　under　the　Sunne　can　subsist　of　it

selfe；　none　hath　more　cause　to　blesse　God；　then　this　Iland　of

ours；　which　Almighty　God　hath　richly　adorn'd　with　variety　of

allthings　necessary　for　mans　life　and　welfare。　As　with　Corne；　and

our　Wine：　Cattle；　Wooll；　Cloth；　Tynne；　Iron；　Lead；　Saffran；　Waxe；

Hoppes；　Hydes；　Tallow；　Flaxe；　Fowle；　Fish；　and　many　othres：

whereby；　thanks　bee　to　God；　the　people　of　this　Land；　have　not

onely　sufficient　for　their　owne　mainenance；　but　doe　abundantly

supply　the　wants　of　all　other　Nations。

　　　　Now　the　Trade　and　Commerce　of　this　Kingdome　within　it　selfe；

and　with　Forreine　Nations；　consisting　of　so　many　rich

Commodities；　let　us　consider　them　all　joyntly；　and　then　some

principall　of　them　apart。

　　　　Jointly　considered；　the　causes　of　the　decay　of　Trade　in　them；

may　be　said　either　to　be　Deficient　or　Efficient。　Deficient；

either　in　the　generall　want　of　money　in　the　Kingdome；　or　the

particular　want　of　the　East　India　stocke。　I　shewed　before；　what

were　the　causes　of　the　want　of　money：　&　that　the　disaster　upon

the　East　India　Trade　is　a　remote　cause　thereof：　but　these　are

both　causes　of　the　decay　of　trade。　For　money　is　the　vitall　spirit

of　trade；　and　if　the　spirits　faile；　needs　must　the　body　faint。

And　as　the　body　of　trade　seemeth　to　be　dead　without　the　life　of

money：　so　doe　also　the　members　of　the　Common…wealth；　without

their　means　of　trade。　We　say；　that　an　Artizan　or　workeman；　cannot

worke　without　tooles　or　instruments：　no　more　can　a　Merchant　trade

without　money　or　meanes。　And　in　the　want　of　so　great　a　stocke；　as

is　that　of　the　East　India　Company；　the　Body　of　this　Common…wealth

hath　lost　the　use　of　many　of　it　principall　members；　by　whose

industry；　art；　and　action　the　Commerce　thereof　might　wonderfully

have　been　encrea'st。　The　losse　whereof；　to　him　that　is　not

wilfully　blinde；　is　apparently　sensible　in　the　Drapery　of　the

kingdome；　whereby　the　poore　are　set　on　worke：　and　in　all　the

other　trades　of　the　kingdome；　whereby　the　subjects　are　employed：

and　hath　begot　that　great　and　generall　dampe　and　deadnesse　in　all

the　trades　of　the　kingdome；　which　we　unhappily　feele　at　this　day。

　　　　The　Efficient　causes　of　the　decay　of　trade　jointly

considered；　are　either　Usuary；　or　unnecessary　suits　in　law。　In

the　former　I　am　prevented；　and　my　labour　spared；　by　him　that

wrote　a　little　treatise　against　usury：　which　it　seeme's　for

modesty　he　refuseth　to　owe：　though　I　could　wish；　that　those　that

deserve　of　the　publique　were　knowne　to　the　publique：　least　they

be　served　as　sometimes　Batillus　served　Virgil；　and　so　be　forc'd

too　late　to　proclaime；　Hos　ego　versiculos　feci；　tulit　alter

Honores。

　　　　I　have　a　word　onely　to　adde　to　his　Usury；　that　it　is　not　an

Usury　of　ten　in　the　hundred　only；　that　wringeth　this

Common…wealth；　but　an　extorsion　also　of　20…30…40；　nay　of　Cento

per　Cento　per　Anno；　as　the　Italians　speake；　given　and　taken　on

pledges　and　pawnes；　and　that　on　poore　peoples　labours；　in　London

especially：　which　is　a　biting　Usury　indeed；　and　a　fearefull

crying　sinne　before　God。

　　　　Unnecessary　suites　of　Law　are　also　Efficient　causes　of　the

decay　of　trade。　Wherein　certainely　this　Kingdome　exceedeth　all

other　kingdomes　in　the　world。　As　the　Justice　of　this　kingdom　is

the　Diadem　of　the　King；　and　doth　stabilire　Regis　thronum；　and

tribuere　cuique　suum：　whereby　men　may　five　Caesar　Caesar's；　and

meum　and　tuum　one　to　another：　so　is　the　Justice　of　the　King；　in

the　sacred　person　of　His　Majestie；　amongst　other　His　Royall

Vertues；　and　Embleme　and　represation　of　highest　Majesty：　and　it

is　an　incomparable　happinesse　of　this　kingdome；　to　have　such　a

Malchizedec；　a　King　of　Justice；　a　King　of　Peace。

　　　　Neither　may　I　forget　that　Royall　testimony　hereof；　which　is

worthy　to　be　written　in　letters　of　gold；　and　thankefully　to　be

remembered　of　every　tongue　and　pen；　whereof　amongst　others　more

worthy；　it　was　also　my　happinesse　to　be　oculatus　and　auritus

testis：　when　His　Majesty　in　a　Star…chamber　assembly；　lifting　His

eye　toward　heaven；　and　laying　His　hand　on　His　Sonnes　head；　made

such　a　solemne　protestation　of　His　sincerity　in　Justice；　as　may

serve　for　a　matter　of　admiration　and　imitation；　to　all　the　Kings

on　earth。　Those　that　went　before；　and　they　that　followed　after：

Those　that　heard　it　then；　and　they　that　heard　of　it　since；　said

it　was　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝　Nec　vox　hominem　sonat；　o　Deus

certe！

　　　　If　such　then　be　the　Justice　of　the　King　and　the　kingdome；　how

is　it　then　that　Trade　is　hindered　by　suits　of　Law。　Herein

Columellae's　counsell　is　remarquable；　Principi　providendum　est；

ne　legibus　fundata　civitas；　legibus　evertatur。　There　cannot　be

too　much　Justice；　ther　may　be　too　much　Law。　For　the　use　of

Justice　is　excellent；　in　conteining　men　within　the　bonds　of

civility　and　honesty：　in　preserving　men　from　injurie：　and　in

maintaining　every　mans　right　&　propriety。　But　the　abuse　there　of

is　a　most　pernitious　and　dangerous　surfeit　in　the　body　of　every

Common…wealth。

　　　　And　this　is　our　case　in　this　Weale…publike；　no　Kingdome　hath

better　Lawes；　no　kingdome　so　full　fraught　with　tedious；

needlesse；　endlesse；　suits　of　Law。　For　now　this　Litigandi　｛Greek

word　omitted｝；　and　waxeth　so　fast；　and　groweth　so　great；　that

suites　of　Law　doe　seem　immortall：　time　doth　increase　them；　and

lenght　of　time　would　not　determine　them；　if　the　wisedome　of　those

Grave　Fathers　of　the　Law；　did　not　put　an　end　to　the　malice　of　the

Litigants：　as　is　now；　worthily　observed　in　Chancery；　to　his

honour　and　memorie　that　hath　so　happily　begun　the　same。

　　　　By　the　groweth　and　greatnesse　of　which　suites；　I　say；　a　great

number　of　His　Majesties　good　and　loving　subjects　are　vexed；

imprisoned；　impoverished　and　overthrowne：　and　whilst　the

Litigants　strive　together；　another　taketh　away　the　fish；　and　as

it　is　in　the　Apologue；　leaveth　to　either　of　them　an　empty　shell。

And　thus　mens　time　and　meanes　being　spent　in　Law；　which　should　be

employed　in　Trade；　trade　is　neglected；　and　the　Common…wealth

deprived；　of　the　benefit　that　might　be　purchased　and　procured

thereby。

　　　　Amd　thus　much　for　the　decay　of　Trade　considered　joyntly。　It

followeth　now　to　consider　them　apart；　in　some　principall　parts

thereof。　Which　may　be　reduced；　to　such　as　tend　to　the

Fortification　of　the　Kingdome；　or　Maintenance　of　Trade。　The

former　are　Ordinance　and　Munition：　the　too…too　common　exportation

whereof；　hath　taught　us　wofull　experience　of　an　invaluable

inconvenience　thereby；　which　every　man　is　sensible　of：　and

therefore　I　neede　not　presse　it：　I　wish　it　did　not　oppresse　us。

　　　　The　latter；　I　will　referre　to　things　essentiall；　for　the

preservation　of　mans　life；　as　Victus　and　Vestitus：　yet　such　of

them　also　as　doe　aford　wondrous　variety　of　Trade；　and　may　be

termed　the　Nourceries　thereof；　as　the　Fishing　and　Clothing　of

this　Kingdome。　For　on　these　two；　all　sorts　of　Trades　and

Tradesmen；　have　some　dependance。

　　　　The　inconvenience　in　this　former；　is　that　Encroaching　of

Strangers；　in　Fishing　upon　our　Coasts：　whereby　not　onely　the

bread　is　taken　out　of　the　subjects　mouth；　but　that　infinite

wealth；　which　God　hath　made　proper　and　peculiar　unto　Us；　is

become　common　unto　them。　Whereby　also；　their　Navigation　is

wonderful