the maintenance of free trade-第7部分

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oken　and　overthrowne　in　Common…weales；　some　growing　very　rich；　and　others　extreame　poore；　not　able　to　live　in　their　vocation：　The　most　pregnant　cause　of　discord；　causing　many　times　civill　warres；　as　Corvelius　Tacitus　hath　noted；　and　appeareth　in　another　Treatise　where　the　operations　of　Usury　are　described。　　　　　　The　biting　Usury　&　intolerable　extortion　committed　by　certain　uncharitable　men；　commonly　called　Brokers　for　pawnes；　is　not　to　bee　touched　in　a　word；　for　this　is　the　only　the　remarkable　sin；　（I　meane　extortion　&　oppression：）　for　which　feedeth　upon　the　sweat　&　blood　of　the　meere　merchanicall　poore；　taking　40；　50；　60　&　100　upon　the　100　by　the　yeare：　besides　Bill　money　and　forfeiture　of　the　pawnes；　when　charitable　persons　have　offered　above　20　yeares　since；　to　give　largely；　and　to　lend　moneys　Gratis；　as　also　after　10　in　the　100　to　supply　by　way　of　pawn…　houses　（by　some　called　Lombards：）　the　need　and　occasions　of　the　poore　&　mechanicke　people；　the　neglect　wherof　sheweth　that　our　hearts　are　overfrozen　with　the　Ice　of　uncharitablenesse；　which　otherwise　could　not　have　so　long　continued；　for　it　provoketh　Gods　anger　against　us　in　the　highest　degree。　If　these　men　had　beene　Jewes；　I　might　have　bestowed　some　Hebrew　upon　them　in　detestation　of　the　word　Neshech；　which　is　nothing　else　but　a　kind　of　biting；　as　a　dog　useth　to　bite　&　gnaw　upon　a　bone；　otherwise　to　use　many　languages　in　a　litle　Treatise　of　free　trade　may　seem　impertinent。　　　　　　The　third　cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade　he　saith；　is；　the　litigious　Law　suits；　which　as　one　way　they　increase　by　scarcity　of　money；　which　compelleth　men　to　stand　out　in　Law　for　a　time；　when　they　cannot　pay　untill　they　receive：　So　another　way；　when　moneys　are　plentifull；　men　care　the　less　for　money；　&　pride　causeth　them　to　spend；　&　to　go　to　law　for　every　triffle；　disputing　De　lana　Caprina：　true　it　it；　that　this　Law　warfare　interrupteth　trade；　but　to　make　the　same　to　be　one　of　the　efficient　Causes　of　the　decay　of　trade；　I　cannot　altogither　agree　therunto：　but　rather　to　the　Remedies　which　shal　be　hereafter　declared；　albeit　many　men；　are　vexed；　imprisioned　&　overthrowne；　having　spent　their　time　&　meanes　in　Law：　which　might　have　bin　employed　in　trade　for　the　good　of　the　Comon…Wealth　&　their　owne　quietnesse。　　　　　　I　do　likewise　omit　to　intreat　of　transportation　of　ordnance　&　munition　heretofore　permitted；　mentioned　by　the　said　author；　&　now　prevented　in　some　sort；　neither　was　England　in　the　yeere；　1588　in　such　great　distresse　to　be　termed　in　articulo　temporis；　when　the　merchants　Adventurers　did　provide　from　Hambrough　a　ships　lading　with　Powder　and　shot；　as　parcell　of　their　dutie　to　assist　the　Kingdome；　by　God　only　preserved。　　　　　　The　fourth　Cause　of　the　Decay　of　Trade；　or　to　speake　properly；　neglect　of　Trade；　is；　The　admitting　of　forraine　Nations；　to　fish　in　his　Majesties　Streames　and　dominions；　without　paying　any　thing　for　the　same；　whereby　their　Navigation　is　wonderfully　increased；　their　Mariners　multiplied；　and　their　Countrie　inriched；　with　the　continuall　labour　of　the　people　of　all　sorts；　both　impotent　and　lame；　which　are　set　on　worke；　and　get　their　living。　　　　　　Concerning　this　fishing　Trade：　there　hath　beene　a　continuall　Agitatin　above　30　yeeres　to　make　Busses　and　Fisher…boats；　but　the　Action　is　still　interrupted；　because　other　Nations　doe　finde　too　great　favour　and　friends　here　to　divert　all　the　good　intentions　and　endevours　of　such　as　（with　the　Author　of　this　Discourse）　have　imployed　their　Time　and　good　meanes　therein；　for　the　Merchants　Adventurours；　the　Companie　of　Merchants　Trading　in　Russia；　and　the　East…land　Merchants；　did　also　oppose　themselves　against　it　at　the　Councell　Table；　and　did　alleage　the　reasons　following。　　　　　　1。　The　infringing　of　their　Priviledges　here　and　beyond　the　Seas。　　　　　　2。　The　Interloopers　advantage　to　interrupt　their　Trade　under　colour　hereof。　　　　　　3。　The　want　of　meanes　to　make　Returne；　both　for　Fish　and　Cloth　also。　　　　　　4。　The　inhauncing　of　the　price　of　forreine　Commodities。　　　　　　5。　The　preoccupying　of　money　to　the　hinderance　of　Cloth。　　　　　　6。　The　dissolution　of　the　joynt　stocke　of　the　Russia　Company。　　　　　　7。　The　incouragement　of　Strangers　hereupon　to　make　a　Contract　with　the　Russian　Emperour。　　　　　　8。　The　discouragement　to　undertake　new　discoveries。　　　　　　9。　The　defraying　of　the　Charge　of　Embassadours　and　other　extraordanarie　Charges　for　honour　of　the　State。　　　　　　10。　The　plenty　of　Fish；　which　those　Countries　have　from　time　to　time；　and　some　other　Reasons。　　　　　　So　that　in　conclusion；　England　（by　their　saying）　cannot　maintaine　the　Sea　Trade　and　the　Land　Trade　together；　neither　do　they　make　account　to　make　Returne　in　money；　knowing　that　they　should　lose　more　thereby；　then　by　the　exchange　of　those　Countries；　or　by　Commodities。　And　albeit　that　all　the　premisses　may　bee　moderated　without　hinderance　to　the　said　Companies：　neverthelesse　such　is　the　condition　of　some　Merchants；　not　understanding　the　Mysteries　of　exchange；　and　over…ruling　otheres　by　their　order　of　Antiuqitie　in　their　Society：　that　neither　Reason　or　experience　can　prevaile；　insomuch；　that　whereas　other　Princes　take　their　Duties　of　other　Nations　for　fishing；　and　fish　themselves　also　by　their　Subjects：　yet　England　cannot　resolve　to　doe　the　like；　or　at　least　take　order　for　the　said　Duties。　　　　　　In　Russia　many　leagues　from　the　Maine；　Fisher…men　doe　pay　great　Taxes　to　the　Emperour　of　Russia；　and　in　most　places；　other　Nations　are　prohibited　to　fish。　　　　　　The　King　od　Denmarke　doth　the　like；　and　taketh　great　Tribute；　both　at　Ward…house　and　the　Sound。　　　　　　The　King　of　Sweden　in　like　manner；　and　the　said　King　of　Denmarke　now　for　the　Kingdome　of　Norway。　　　　　　All　the　Bordering　Princes　of　Italy　doe　take　Taxes　upon　fish　within　the　Mediterranian　Seas。　　　　　　　The　like　Taxe　is　taken　by　the　Duke　of　Medina　Sidonia　for　Tunny　in　the　Spanish　Seas。　　　　　　The　States　of　the　United　Provinces　doe　take　an　imposition　upon　fish；　which　is　taken　within　the　Streames；　and　Dominions　of　other　Princes。　　　　　　The　Hollanders　doe　allow　the　Tenth　fish；　both　in　Russia；　Lappia　and　other　places；　or　pay　a　Composition　for　the　same；　as　also　moreover　a　Tribute　in　the　Sound　for　passage；　to　fetch　the　said　fish。　And　of　mine　owne　knowledge；　I　am　assured；　they　would　willingly　have　paid　the　same　unto　England；　or　a　good　composition　for　it；　had　not　the　greedy　lucre　of　some　persons　hindered　the　same。　　　　　　These　exemplary　Actions　have　long　determined　the　question　of　Mare　liberum；　touching　the　Communitie　or　freedome　of　the　Seas；　which　is　acknowledged　to　be　so；　for　Navigation；　without　that　the　same　doth　any　manner　of　way　prejudice　the　Distinct　Dominions　of　the　Seas　of　all　Princes　concerning　fishing；　that　is　to　say；　the　fishing　Trade。　So　that　it　is　superfluous　to　alleage　the　opinions　of　Orators　and　Poets　about　the　fishing　heretofore　in　the　Mediterranian　Seas；　neither　doth　it　belong　to　this　place　to　cite　the　Determinations　of　the　learned　Civilians　which　are　mentioned　in　the　Treatise　De　Dominio　Maris。　For　the　matter　hath　beene　learnedly　handled　at　the　Councell　Boord；　before　the　Grave　Senators；　many　yeeres　since；　by　our　Civilians　and　others；　which　（to　avoid　prolixitie）　I　doe　omit。　　　　　　Now　from　the　Fishing　we　are　come　to　Clothing　or　Drapery　of　the　Kingdome；　and　the　abuses　thereof；　as　the　fist　cause　of　the　dacay　of　Trade：　wherein　to　use　many　distinctions　of　the　new　and　old　Drapery　（unlesse　it　were　to　Reduce　matters　in　statu　quo　prius：）　shall　be　needlesse。　And　although　the　dressing　and　dying　of　Cloth；　was　insisted　upon　to　be　done　in　England　in　the　yeere　1616。　To　establish　the　Manufacture　within　the　Realme；　（at　which　time　64　thousand　Clothes　were　exported：）　which　was　afterwards　revoked：）　I　cannot　omit　to　observe　the　Practises　which　were　used　by　Combination　with　other　Nations　abroad；　and　domesticke　intelligences　at　home；　whereby　many　good　Actions　are　overthrowne；　to　the　generall　hurt；　and　with　little　advancement　to　the　particular。　　　　　　It　cannot　be　denied；　but　that　the　Drapery　of　forraine　Nations　（not　only　the　making　of　Cloth　in　the　Low　Countries；　but　of　late　yeeres　in　Italy　and　Spaine　also：）　the　Trade　of　Cloth　is　much　diminished；　both　in　the　number　made；　and　in　the　price　thereof；　which　is　a　Canker　to　the　Common…wealth。　But　this　is　not　to　bee　cured　by　abating　the　price　of　our　Cloth　continually　（as　it　were）　striving　to　our　undoing；　to　undersell　other　Nations；　for　Satan　cannot　cast　out　Satan；　as　the　said　Author　alleageth：　which　mich　hereunto　be　better　applied；　if　the　Simile　were　grounded；　for　in　Phisicke　one　deletorious　poison；　is　hardly　tempred；　but　by　one　of　equall　strength。　For　the　underselling　of　our　Clothes　will　not　make　them　more　vendible；　when　the　Accidents　of　great　Warres　doth　hinder　the　same：　wherein　wee　are　to　note　two　principall　points。　　　　　　First；　that　other　Nations　（buying　heretofore　our　Clothes　when　they　were　sold　deerer；　by　the　one　halfe　in　price　then　they　be　now）　did　never　complaine　that　the　Clothes　were　sold　too　deere；　but　they　did　alwaies　complaine　of　the　false　making　of　our　Cloth。　　　　　　Secondly；　that　other　Nations　are　as　willing　to　sell　unto　us　their　forraine　Commodities；　as　we　can　be　to　sell　our　Clothes　to　them；　for　those　that　make　Clothes　in　their　Countries；　have　no　occasion　to　buy　forraine　Wares；　or　the　Commodities　of　others；　but　seeke　to　sell　them　for　ready　money；　or　to　bee　payed　a