free trade-第9章

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the　Societie　of　the　Hans…townes　of　Germanie　and　the　Merchants　of

the　Entercourse　of　the　Low　Countries；　in　those　trades；　which　a

long　time　they　enjoyed　in　this　land？　And　whereas　those　of　the

Hans；　vented　in　Germany；　only　a　matter　of　sixe　thousand　of　our

Clothes　yeerely　and　at　low　prices：　and　held　this　Realme　as　it

were　beholding　unto　them　for　their　shipping：　yea　upon　some

discontent　for　denying　of　them　priviledges；　durst　offer　some

hostilitie　in　the　time　of　Edward　the　fourth。　Whereas　the

Merchants…Adventurers　by　their　Charters；　granted　from　time　to

time　by　the　Princes　of　this　Realme；　and　favoured　by　Parliaments

successively；　by　their　orderly　mannaging　of　their　trade；　have

supplanted　the　trade　of　the　Hanses　in　Germany：　and　brought　the

said　Six　thousand　vented　by　them　in　Germany；　unto　Thirtie

thousand　Clothes　yeerely　&　at　great　prises。　And　it　is　worthy　to

be　remembred　to　their　Honour；　that　service　which　the

Merchants…Adventurers　did　to　the　State　in　Anno　88　when　they

supplied　the　Navie　Royall　with　a　whole　ships　lading　of　Powder　and

Shot　from　Hamburgh：　which　came　luckily　even　in　articulo　temporis；

when　there　was　a　very　great　want　thereof。　These　also　have　from

time　to　time　employed　and　bred　up　many　worthy　Masters　of　ships

and　Mariners；　and　built　many　Tall；　warlike　and　Serviceable

shippes：　which　as　they　themselves　also；　are　at　all　times　ready　to

doe　service　to　the　King　&　State　upon　all　occasions。　None　of　all

which　they　had　ever　beene　able　to　have　done　as　particular　men；　in

a　loose；　distracted；　and　disorderly　trade。

　　　　Great　benefit　also　hath　arisen　from　the　East…land　Company：

who　have　wonne　like　ground　of　the　Hanses　of　the　Baltique　Sea：　and

doe　employ　in　that　trade　a　great　number　of　proper　Shippes　and

Men。

　　　　The　Levant　Company　likewise　by　their　trade　under　Government；

hath　built　a　great　strength　of　warlike；　Tall　&　Lusty　Shipping；

which　they　employ　in　that　trade：　and　by　their　industry　have　wonne

from　the　Italians　the　trade　of　the　Levant：　the　Commodities

whereof　were　before　brought　into　this　Realme　by　Argosies　to　the

encrease　of　forreine　shipping；　and　at　deare　rates：　and　is　now

reduced　to　the　Natives　of　this　Kingdome；　to　the　encrease　of

Shipping；　and　the　benefit　of　the　Publike。　Which　without

Government　and　good　order；　had　been　impossible　for　them　to　have

done。

　　　　The　French　Company　also；　though　but　lately　reduced　to　Order；

have　reformed　many　abuses　in　that　trade；　in　maintaining　the

Native　Commodities　of　this　Kingdome　in　much　better　estimation；

and　in　keeping　the　Forreine　at　moderate　prices：　and　in　employing

greater　shipping；　then　at　any　time　before。　Which　were　impossible

for　them　to　effect　Singly；　without　Societie。

　　　　Lastly；　for　the　East…India　Company；　whereof　I　am　prevented　to

say　what　I　might；　by　two　severall　discourses　published　in　print；

the　one　by　that　worthy　and　rarely　qualified　Gentleman　Sir　Dudley

Digges　Knight；　the　other　by　that　discreete　Merchant　Mr。　Thomas

Mun：　yet　this　I　say；　that　this　Great　and　Noble　Societie　by　the

benefite　of　Government；　hath　set　on　foot　a　bery　mightie　Trade；

farre　beyond　any　other　Company　of　this　Kingdome：　and　accordingly

hath　excelled　in　greatnesse　of　shipping；　and　making　Mariners　of

land…men；　beyond　the　example　of　any　other　Corporation：　&　had　not

Envie　thought　that　Trade　too　great　a　Treasure　for　this　Kingdome

doubtlesse　they　had　in　Encrease　of　trade；　excelled　all　the

Companies　of　Merchants　in　this　Common…wealth。

　　　　But　here　the　ordinary　objection　encountereth　me；　that　in

Germany；　Spaine；　France；　Italie；　and　the　Netherlands；　there　are

no　such　Companies；　nor　restrains　of　Merchants；　as　here　in

England：　and　yet　that　those　Countries　thrive　better　in　their

trades；　than　we　in　ours。　I　answer；　that　if　it　be　granted；　that

they　have　no　such　Companies　nor　restraints　of　any；　and　that　they

thrive　better　in　their　trades　then　we；　yet　it　will　not　follow；

that　this　their　better　thriving　is　because　every　man　is　at

libertie　to　be　a　Merchant　at　his　pleasure。　This　is　the　fallacy

which　the　Logicians　call　｛Greek　phrase　omitted｝；　Non　causa　pro

causa。　For　if　that　were　the　cause；　why　then　should　not　our

Spanish　Trade；　that　hath　no　Company　nor　restraint；　prosper　better

then　the　other　Trades　which　are　Governed　in　Companies；　whereas　to

speak　as　the　truth　is；　This　Trade　&　These　Merchants；　are　the　most

miserable　of　all　the　other　Trades　and　Tradesmen　of　this　Kingdome；

and　all　through　want　of　Government：　thorough　whose　sides　the

Common…wealth　suffereth；　and　hath　already　lost　many　Millions　in

value　of　the　wealth　of　the　Weale…publique；　as　I　shall　shew　anone。

But　to　the　Assumption；　I　deny　that　the　Merchants　of　those

forreine　Countries；　trade　without　Government。　For　Germany　hath

ancietly　had　one　Society；　or　Corporation　of　Merchants　inall　their

Sea…townes；　called　the　Society；　or　Corporation　of　the　Hans　before

noted：　as　their　houses　of　Staple　yet　standing　at　Bridges　in

Flanders；　Antwerpe　in　Brabant；　Novogrode　in　Russia；　Bergen　in

Norway；　and　the　Steelyard　in　London　can　witnes。　Which　Trade　of

theirs　flourished；　as　long　as　it　continued　under　Government：　but

having　lost　their　Priviledes；　partly　by　their　owne　Stragling；　and

partly　being　overtop't　by　the　flourishing　of　the

Merchants…Adventurers　Trade；　their　Trade　is　now　almost　quite

fallen　to　the　ground。

　　　　For　Spaine　and　Portugall：　all　men　know　that　their　Sea　Trade

is　little；　saving　to　the　East　and　West　Indies。　And　those　Trades

are　carried　with　Government；　and　farre　more　restraint　then　ours。

　　　　For　France；　there　are　not　（that　I　know）　any　Companies　of

Merchants　for　forreine　parts。　Which　I　take　to　be　the　cause；　why

those　Merchants　shipping；　is　of　so　small　burthen；　and　of　as

little　sufficiency　for　service。　Which　is　an　effect　of　a　stragling

ungoverned　Trade。

　　　　For　Italy；　that　consiseth　of　so　many　severall　Jurisdictions；

that　it　were　impossible　to　make　a　generall　Corporation　for　any

one　kinde　of　Sea…Trade。　For　example；　were　it　not　in　vaine　for

Genoa　to　make　a　Corporation　&　Orders　for　Trade；　whilest　Florence

held　a　contrary　course？　It　were　certainly　all　one；　as　to　have　a

Company　of　Merchants　for　Spaine　at　London；　and　the　West…parts

left　loose　to　Trade　without　Order　or　Government；　which　were　a

meere　mockery。　But　the　Trade　in　many　parts　of　Italy；　being

carried　by　Families；　and　every　Family　being　as　it　were　one

Person；　there　is　a　kind　of　Government　in　their　Trades；　and　the

same　performed　with　merveilous　credite；　policie；　and　judgement。

　　　　The　Lowe　Countries；　by　that　Union　which　is　of　the　several

Townes　and　Provinces　unto　the　States　Generall　（which

neverthelesse　is　as　much；　and　endureth　as　long；　as　every　severall

Province　and　Towne　listeth；）　have　of　late　yeares　erected　their

East　India　Company；　and　the　like　for　Guiny；　and　are　in　hand　with

the　like　for　the　West　Indies。　Also　the　Cloth…buyers；　the

principall　Merchants　of　Holland；　have　lately　obtained　Octroy　so

termed；　which　is　Priviledges　and　Immunities　of　the　States；　to

assemble　themselves；　and　to　keepe　Courts；　and　make　Orders　for

their　Trade；　and　principally　to　confront　&　oppose　the

Merchants…Adventurers　Trade；　upon　some　differences；　lately　fallen

out　betwixt　those　Cloth…buyers　and　the　said　Company　about　the

residence　before　noted。　For　their　other　Trades　of　Germany；

Poland；　England；　Grance　and　Spaine；　they　rather　with　then　finde

it　possible；　to　joine　the　severall　Townes　in　one　Rule　and　Order。

And　who　so　converseth　with　that　Nation；　shal　finde　that　they　very

much　complaine　of　the　disorders　of　their　Trades；　for　want　of　that

kinde　of　Government；　which　many　of　them　take　notice　of　here　in

England：　and　some　of　them　of　late　have　desired　instructions　from

hence　in　that　behalfe。　Besides　all　this；　these　people　as　they　are

borne　and　bred　in　an　United　Country；　so　doth　their　nature　and

disposition　encline　much　to　an　Union　and　Communion　in　Trade。

Insomuch　as　oftentimes　they　are　able　to　worke　their　feates　by

Confederacy　and　Combination；　against　an　Incorporation　in　our

Nation。　For　they　wisely　consider；　that　their　interest　is　involved

in　the　Publique：　where；　in　our　Nation；　men　commonly　preferre

their　Particul