the maintenance of free trade-第16章

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chants　money　sent　to　Amsterdam；　which　doth　not　onely　procure　the　want　of　money　in　England；　whereof　every　man　hath　a　feeling　to　his　losse：　but　also　it　causeth　the　native　Commodities　to　be　undersold；　and　the　forraine　Commodities　to　be　advanced　in　price　beyond　the　Seas；　by　plenty　of　money；　and　hindereth　the　importation　of　money　and　Bullion；　as　aforesaid。　　　　　　To　prevent　this；　the　Question　is　now；　whether　it　be　better　and　more　expedient；　to　raise　the　price　of　exchange；　or　the　price　or　valuation　of　our　moneys；　Surely　all　men　or　judgement　wil　say；　that　the　raising　of　exchange　breedeth　not　that　alteration；　which　the　inhauncing　of　moneys　doth；　namely　to　make　every　thing　deere；　and　to　cause　Landlords　and　Creditors　to　lose　in　their　Rents　and　Contracts。　And　Merchants　of　experience　doe　know；　that　wee　cannot　doe　as　they　doe。　For　the　inhauncing　of　moneys　here；　will　be　countermined　by　other　Nations；　who　still　will　undervalue　them　in　exchange　betweene　us；　unlesse　it　be　prevented　by　our　own　true　valuation　to　be　made　knowne　as　aforesaid；　which　by　the　Law　of　Nations；　cannot　be　contradicted；　whereby　we　shall　also　bee　enabled　to　meet　them　upon　all　Alterations　and　practices；　to　direct　our　course　accordingly；　sooner　then　a　Milner　can　turne　his　Winde…mill；　to　grinde　Corne　with　the　variation　of　all　windes。　　　　　　It　followeth　（saith　the　said　Author）　that　the　Raising　also　of　the　Coyne；　would　raise　the　price　of　Plate；　To　lessen　the　superfluitie；　or　to　bee　turned　into　Coyne。　It　is　worthy　the　observation；　that　（by　reason　of　the　want　of　money：）　the　price　of　Plate　is　fallen　from　6　shillings　6　pence　guilt；　to　5　shillings　6　pence；　and　white　Plate　from　5　shillings　8　pence　to　5　shillings　2　pence。　And　if　the　moneys　were　inhaunced　ten　in　the　hundreth；　that　is　to　say；　an　ounce　of　Starlin　Silver　to　5　shillings　6　pence：　the　Plate　and　all　other　things　would　rise　accordingly。　Whereby　if　a　man　that　spendeth　two　or　three　hundreth　pounds　by　the　yeere；　should　spare　one　hundreth　pounds　worth　of　his　Plate；　and　bring　the　same　to　be　Coyned；　might　thereby　get　once　tenne　pound；　and　pay　ever　after　（for　all　other　things）　twenty　and　thirty　lib。　dearer　yearely。　And　the　moneys　made　thereof；　would　neverthelesse　be　transported；　unless　the　exchange　did　prevent　the　same。　　　　　　In　this　place；　we　are　to　remember；　that　the　Silver　used　for　divers　manufactures　and　Plate；　doth　much　differ　in　finenesse；　whereby　many　of　his　Majesties　Subjects　are　deceived：　It　may　therefore　be　thought　convenient；　that　no　silver　made　into　manufactures　be　sold；　unlesse　it　bee　tried　by　an　Assay　master；　and　marked　accordingly；　especially　the　silver　Threed　comming　from　beyond　the　Seas：　some　beeing　but　eight　ounces　fine；　which　is　offered　to　be　solde　accordingly：　or　els　to　make　it　finer；　as　shall　be　thought　convenient　to　serve　the　kingdome；　and　to　become　bound　to　make　Returne　in　the　manufacture　of　our　Wooll　for　their　manufacture　of　Silver　and　Silke；　which　may　bee　thought　a　very　reasonable　Permutation。　　　　　　The　want　of　mony　coming　by　the　consumption　of　forraine　Commodities；　may　properly　be　tearmed　overballancing　of　Commodities；　which　are　more　worne　and　used；　because　of　the　quantity　of　them；　imported：　proceeding　also　of　the　abuse　of　exchange；　as　the　efficient　Cause　thereof；　as　aforesaid。　　　　　　The　excessive　Use　of　Tobacco　for　so　much　as　concerneth　the　importation　thereof　in　liew　of　Treasure；　will　be　much　diminished　by　the　late　limitation　of　a　quantity　of　Spanish　Tobacco　lately　established；　to　the　end　that　the　Plantation　of　Virginia　and　the　Bermodaes　may　be　advanced　thereby；　and　it　is　to　be　wished　that　the　moneys　to　bee　employed　in　Spanish　Tobacco　were　likewise　made　over　by　exchange；　and　delivered　to　the　Merchants　adventurers　and　others；　to　be　bestowed　upon　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme　to　make　benefite　of　our　owne；　for　if　such　forraine　Commodities；　shal　vanish　away　in　smoake；　or　be　consumed　and　brought　（as　it　were）　unto　doung；　and　surmount　the　price　of　the　Commodities；　or　fruits　of　the　land：　Certes；　that　land　is　unprofitable　in　every　mans　judgement。　For　lands　（being　the　Naturall　riches　so　much　desired　of　all　men）　are　much　disimprooved　by　the　want　of　money　and　the　selling　of　our　native　Commodities　is　too　good　cheape　in　regard　of　the　price　of　forraine　Commodities；　This　beeing　an　evident　token　of　the　poverty　of　a　Commonwealth；　which　（like　an　unweildy　Elephantike　Body）　hath　a　slowe　motion；　and　therefore　more　dangerous　and　subject　to　destruction；　which　by　the　want　of　money；　is　made　visible　and　sensible。　　　　　　The　returnes　lately　had　from　the　East…Indies；　wil　in　part　asswage　the　same；　if　Merchants　in　the　dispersing　of　those　Commodities；　will　procure　importation　of　money　and　Bullion；　as　（no　doubt）　they　will　doe。　And　this　will　further　bee　increased；　when　the　Hollanders　and　our　Merchants　shall　be　at　an　end　of　their　present　controversies；　which　by　his　Majesties　high　wisedome；　will　soone　be　determined。　　　　　　Touching　the　warres　of　Christendome；　for　so　much　as　concerneth　the　want　of　moneys：　I　have　already　shewed　how　the　same　is　also　comprised　in　the　reformation　of　the　abuse　of　exchange；　procuring　thereby　moneys；　which　are　Nerui　Bellorum。　But　to　take　upon　mee　to　discourse　of　warres；　might　make　me　subject　to　Apelles　his　reprehension；　Ne　sutor　ultra　Crepidam。　Onely　I　hope　that　the　famous　example　of　Augustus　Caesar　the　Emperour　may　be　remembered；　who　perceiving　the　forces　of　the　great　Pirate　Crocataes　to　increase　daily　by　the　concourse　of　many　nations；　whilest　hee　was　in　Spaine；　caused　a　Proclamation　to　be　made；　that　whosoever　should　bring　him　the　head　of　the　said　Pirate；　he　would　reward　him　with　20　thousand　crownes；　whereupon　the　said　Pirate　was　brought　in　danger　of　the　humors　of　the　saide　nations；　whose　suspected　inconstancy　and　lucre　bred　a　resolution　in　him；　to　offer　his　own　head　to　the　obedience　of　justice；　and　demanding　the　said　20　thousand　crownes；　had　the　same　payed　unto　him；　whereby　all　his　associates　were　overcome　and　dispersed。　In　like　manner　did　Sixtus　Quintus　deale　with　the　Banditi　in　Italy；　and　made　them　to　cut　one　anothers　throats。　This　Policy　of　reward　draweth　as　forcibly　as　the　Adamant　or　Loade…stone；　which　caused　the　Spanaiard　to　say；　Dadiuas　quebrantan　Pennas；　Gifts　doe　breake　stony　Rockes。　　　　　　From　the　Precedent　causes　of　the　want　of　money　in　England；　come　we　to　the　causes　of　the　decay　of　Trade　in　order；　whereof　this　is　the　efficient　Cause；　whereunto　the　onely　Remedy　hath　beene　declared　already。　　　　　　Usury　Politike；　is　made　the　next　cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　which　must　be　remedied　by　the　Plentyof　money　to　be　procured　as　aforesaide；　wherein　that　laudable　Custome　of　the　transformating　or　setting　over　of　billes　of　debt　from　man　to　man　is　to　be　remembred；　which　by　his　Majesties　Praerogative　Royall　or　by　Act　of　Parliament　might　be　established；　for　thereby　great　matters　are　effected　as　it　were　with　ready　money。　But　our　law　requireth　a　more　preciseness　in　the　execution　thereof；　then　in　Germany　and　the　Low　Countries；　it　not　being　Choses　in　Action；　as　the　Lawyers　speake。　But　the　necessarines　hereof；　is　so　urgent；　that　no　man　is　like　to　contradict　the　same；　for　wee　doe　finde　by　experience；　that　things　which　are　indeede；　and　things　which　are　not　indeede；　but　taken　to　be　indeed　（as　this　is　for　payment　of　moneys）　may　produce　all　one　effect。　And　for　the　biting　Usury　before　mentioned；　there　will　be　stocke　found　to　erect　pawne…　houses；　by　meanes　as　shall　be　more　amply　hereafter　declared；　and　here　is　to　be　wished；　that　the　City　of　London；　and　every　principall　towne　of　a　Shiere　or　the　most　part　of　them；　would　take　upon　them　to　take　money　casually　at　the　hand　of　such　as　will　deliver　the　same　upon　the　adventure　of　their　or　other　mens　lives。　As　at　Venice；　where　a　man　for　the　summe　of　three　or　foure　hundreth　pounds　once　given　（as　in　like　manner　at　Amsterdam）　shall　be　sure　to　have　one　hundreth　pounds　a　yeare；　during　his　life；　wherby　a　great　Stocke　might　be　raised　for　the　generall　good　of　all　parties；　and　especially　to　set　the　poore　people　on　worke；　and　to　take　their　manufactures　of　them　to　be　sold　with　a　reasonable　gaine：　for　experience　hath　taught　in　all　places；　where　the　like　is　used；　that　the　City　becommeth　alwayes　a　Gayner　by　the　decease　of　the　parties　that　doe　deliver　money　in　this　nature。　But　it　is　convenient　to　prescribe　certaine　rules　hereup