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the maintenance of free trade-第9章

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e Two essential Parts of Trafficke; namely the Rule of money and exchanges? Let every man judge。      Today nothing of the dependances of Trade; as the increase of Navigation and Navigators; when Merchants heretofore had more freedome; and the Ports were furnished and frequented; with great store of shipping; which although they were but small of burden: yet every one had their severall Pilot and Mariners; which did daily supplie the Land; with plenty of Sea…men。      The Merchants Staplers have observed; that the Merchants Adventurers; have an inevitable opportunity of Combination; to set what price they please upon cloth to the Clothier; of Wooll to the Grower; and of all Commodities exported and imported; and likewise to lay what private impositions they please; upon any of the said Commodities; so that whether they doe well or ill for the Common…weale; there can be no apparant triall: for having power to barre all others from Trade; but themselves; they are like a Commoditie weighed in a Ballance; that hath but one end; where there can be no Counterpoize; and then it seemes to bee great weight; although it be never so light。 So that this ingrossing of Trade into few mens hands; hath caused our home Trades to decay; our Manufactures to decrease; and our home…bred Commodities to lie upon our hands unsold; or to be sold at a low price; to the utter undoing of all sorts of poore people in England; and the great damage of all his Majesties loving Subjects; and whilest our merchants hinder one another from Trade; other Nations increase their own Manufactures; and enlarge their Trade; not only for the said Countries of high and low Germany; but also for Russia; Eastland; Poland and other places。      For the making of good and true Cloth; many excellent Lawes have beene made and enacted; especially in the fourth yeere of his Majesties happy Raigne; whereupon I have heretofore made a Demonstration which was exhibited to the Right Honourable the Lords of the Privie Councell; shewing the weight; length and breadth of all sorts of Clothes; and that Weight and Measure doth controlle each other; whereby the Merchant that buyeth the Cloth; may be enabled to finde out the fraud and deceit of the Clothier: but this should bee done before the selling of them; and that by honest Officers or Magistrates; according to the said Acte; whereof our great Booke (now under the Presse;) intituled Lex Mercatoria or the Law Merchant; doth intreat of more particularly。      The eight cause of the decay of Trade; is Th'exportation of the materials of Wools; and Wooll…fells; from the Sea…coasts of England; and the Kingdome of Scotland; and the Customes and Impositions laid upon Clothes at home and abroad in other Countries; especially the great Imposition in the Low united Provinces called Consumption Money; payed by the Retaile of Cloth or Drapery; only upon our English Clothes; and not upon Cloth in those parts; whereby their Cloth is more vented; and English Cloth in less Request。      Touching the exportation of Materials; there is a provident order taken; to prevent the same in England; by a late direction and Proclamation; prohibiting the exportation of Woolls; Wooll fells; Wool…yearne; Fullers earth; and Wood ashes。 And the like will be done in Scotland; and for the better execution; there is a Committee appointed of certaine selected discreet persons under the great Seale of England。      The ninth Cause of the decay of Trade; are the Warres in Christendome; as also in other Countries out of the same; where our Cloth and Manufactures have been transported; increased by the daily losses sustained by Pirats; and continuall breaking of Merchants and Tradesmen; all which is meerely Heterocliton or opposite to Traffique; and they concurre all in nature; to the interruption and overthrowing of Trade; and this can never be divereted; prevented; nor remedied; by selling our Clothes or Manufactures cheape; to undersell other Nations; who meet with the said hinderances and interruption as well as we doe; in the Trade of the Clothes made by them: But Time and quietnesse must be expected in some measure。 The price of Wool being fallen from 33 shillings the Todde; to 18 shillings and under disimproving the Revenue of lands; can never increase Trade; but improverish the Kingdome and all landed men。      Aristotle saith; that Riches is either Natural or Artificiall。 The natural Riches; as lands; vines forrests; meddowes; etc。 The Artificiall; as Money; Gold; Silver; Cloth; and all things metalline or mineral; and manufactures; proceeding of the Naturall Riches。 And as both these doe receive their price and estimation by mony (as the Rule and square) so reason requireth a certaine Equality betweene them in the estimation of the value thereof; which dayly decreaseth by abating the price of our Commodities; and for the want of moneys; which in some unskilful merchants are much to bee blamed in making inconsiderate Barters for our Clothes beyond the Seas; wanting vente; and being (by the abuse of exchange) deprived to import moneys and Bullione。 To conclude this point; let us remember; that the Protection of Princes in warres and against the Pirates; is to be maintained to prevent the decay of Trade。      The tenth and last Cause of the decay of Trade; is the immoderate use of forraine Commodities; and the lesse use of our home Commodities: for albeit that by the Superfluity of our native Commodities; Trade is procured; yet if that Superfluity do abound so; that thereby the price of it becommeth abated: The forraine Commodities being more used and worne; come in the liew thereof and are advanced; which bringeth an evident overballancing of Comodities。      This cause some Statesmen in France; to invent meanes how the Trade might be cut off; and that no Commodities should be transported out of the Realme; making account; that they could live peaceably within themselves and very good cheape; without giving or receiving any thing of other nations。 This was much contradicted by Monsieur Bodine the great Polititian of France; as is noted in Englands View; who shewed that they had neede of the Stranger; and most especially of the Traffique with them: Insomuch; that although they could have lived without them in regard of Commodities: yet charity; humanity; and Policy willeth us to maintaine friendship with our neighbours; and rater to give them part of our blessings; then not to deale or Communicate with them。 True it is; that it cannot bee denyed; that if any kingdome under the Sunne; can subsist of itself; none hath more cause of thankgiving unto God; then the Kingdomes of Great Brittaine and Ireland; so richly replensihed with all things serving and Victum & Vestitum; for the Backe and Belly; as we terme it; not onley for our owne maintenance; but also for the supply of others。 But God caused nature to distribute her bennefites; or his blessings to severall Climates; supplying the barrennesse of some things in one countrey; with the fruitfulnesse and store of other countries; to the end that interchangeably one Common…weale should live with an other。 And therefore is Traffique and Trade so much to bee maintained and defended; where in all manner of rashnesse in the sale of wares is to be avoided; but by Policy to be prevented and upholden; according to the Policy of that valiant Captaine Sertorius; who did preferre the same before strength by setting the feeble Souldior to pull out the horses taile; which the mightiest man of his campe could not effect; using violance: when the feeble man did performe the same by pulling out the haires by little and little。 Merchants can use the like Policie; when they want not monyes; and doe expect a convenient time to sell their Clothes with reputation。



Chapter III

Of Governed Trade; and therein of Monopoly。

     Hitherto (saith the said Authour:) the matter of Trade hath been considered in Money and Merchandize; and the exchange of monyes is past over by him; as a matter not worthy the consideration: indeed it was good for him to saile between the two Rocks of Scylla and Charybdis; without further adventure; and not to suffer Shipwracke upon the dangerous Rocke of exchanges。 But divers merchants have much distasted; that a man of their profession should neglect one of the Essentiall Parts of Traffique; and the most operative in Trade; being the only measure betweene us and forraine nations; without which; all his discourse is without Rime or Reason。 So that he cannot finde any Parity nor Purity in exchanges; like unto a fickle body; who by reason of the bitternesse of his tongue; can not relish。      Monsieur Bodine saith; that when a man is noted to be of experience; and to understand matters; wherein he is surpassing others: the Proverbe is; Il entend le Par; he doth understand his Par or Equality; which cannot bee applyed unto him that doth not understand the matter of exchange: for all his arguments are fram'd betweene Commodities and moneys; from whence this Syllogisme may bee drawne against him; to maintaine the undervaluation of our money in specie。      Nothing causeth Merchants to export more money out of the Realme; then they bring in: but onely the bringing of more Commodities into the Realme then they carried out。 The
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