the maintenance of free trade-第17章

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rties　that　doe　deliver　money　in　this　nature。　But　it　is　convenient　to　prescribe　certaine　rules　hereupon　in　the　making　of　all　manufactures；　which　commonly　is　best　effected　by　Corporations。　　　　　　The　litigious　Suits　in　Law　being　noted　as　the　third　cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　can　hardly　be　remedied　for　the　reasons　before　declared；　but　must　have　their　course；　and　herein　there　can　be　no　shorter　course　devised　by　the　witte　of　man；　then　the　Common…　wealth　doth　use　upon　proofe　and　specialties；　if　the　pleadings　and　issues　（although　Peremptory：）　bee　joyned　according　to　the　first　institution；　whereby　the　Matter　of　fact　nakely　appeare　before　the　Jury　of　twelve　men；　who　are　to　judge　thereof　according　to　the　evidence　of　witnesses　produced　before　them；　for　touching　the　matter　of　Law；　the　same　beeing　separated　from　the　matter　of　Fact；　maketh　a　Demurrer　to　be　determined　by　the　Judge。　I　have　great　cause　to　enter　into　Campum　Spatiosum　about　this　Law　Warfare；　having　by　experience　and　study　spent　much　time　therein。　But　I　thinke　fit　onely　to　comment　the　orders　used　in　Germany　to　take　downe　the　litigious　humours　of　some　persons：　To　make　them　pay　a　Fine　of　twelve　pence　upon　the　pound　or　more　to　the　Emperors　or　Magistrates；　for　so　much　as　they　claime　more　of　the　defendant；　then　they　can　justly　proove　to　be　due　unto　them；　besides　a　further　charge；　if　hee　bee　found　in　his　proceedings　to　doe　things　for　a　Revenge；　which　they　call　an　unlawfull　imprisonment；　although　by　the　lawe　he　have　commenced　his　Sute　lawfully：　and　this　is　tearmed　Paena　Plus　Petentium。　　　　　　For　all　other　meanes；　whereby　the　differences　happening　between　Merchants　are　determined；　I　must　referre　the　same　unto　my　booke　of　Lex　mercatoria；　as　a　matter　requiring　a　large　explanation。　　　　　　The　like　I　must　doe　concerning　the　fishing　Trade；　which　is　the　fourth　Cause　noted　before；　which　hath　a　reference　to　the　want　of　money；　or　to　speake　ingeniously；　is　a　chiefe　cause　of　the　want　of　money；　which　might　bee　procured　thereby；　whereby　both　the　Trade　of　Cloth　and　fishing　might　flourish　together；　contrary　to　the　opinion　of　the　severall　societies　of　Merchants　before　alleadged：　for　although　they　be　of　severall　companies；　yet　such　orders　may　be　devised　by　the　corporation　to　be　made　of　fishing　Merchants；　as　shall　not　infringe　their　severall　priviledges　any　way：　and　all　objections　may　be　answered　by　true　and　just　prevention；　observing　other　nations；　Facilius　est　addere；　quam　constituere。　　　　　　The　fift　cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　by　making　Cloth　in　forraine　Countries；　hath　beene　considered　of；　whereupon　the　late　Proclamation　was　made；　prohibiting　Th'exportation　of　Wooll；　Wooll…fells；　Wooll…yearne；　Fullers　earth；　and　Wood　ashes；　and　all　materials；　serving　for　the　making　of　Cloth。　The　Rules　also　to　be　described　of　the　true　making　of　Cloth　（wherein　the　said　Author　hath　been　a　good　observer）　may　be　（with　a　vigilant　eye　of　the　Officiers　to　be　imployed　therein　by　the　Corporation；　and　the　increase　of　Merchants　to　manage　Trade：）　a　Remedie　to　the　seventh　causes：　as　also　to　the　eight　Cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade：　but　the　sixt　cause　concerning　the　Policy　of　Merchants；　is　not　to　be　omitted；　whose　orders　already　made；　and　hereafter　to　bee　made；　may　be　thought　convenient　to　be　Surveyed　by　a　Committie；　who　（upon　complaints　of　the　parties　grieved　in　all　Societies：）　may　take　order　by　way　of　approbation　or　deniall；　to　execute　things　for　the　generall　good；　and　not　for　the　particular：　as　I　have　noted　in　all　this　Discourse。　So　that　other　Merchants　upon　reasonable　considerations；　may　be　admitted　（upon　this　especiall　occasion）　to　be　of　the　said　Societies　or　Companies；　for　otherwise　it　may　seeme　somewhat　dissonant　from　reason；　to　prohibite　all　Merchants；　as　well　English　as　Strangers；　to　bring　in　any　of　the　Commodities　of　Turkie　or　of　the　Levant；　and　now　lately　from　Eastland　and　those　Countries：　but　to　prohibite　the　importation　of　Commodities　in　Strangers　Bottomes　concurreth　with　the　Law。　　　　　　The　ninth　cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　consisting　of　the　interruption　thereof　by　Warres；　Pirates　and　Bankrupts；　I　have　partly　handled　in　the　fifth　Cause。　And　although　decayed　men　are　found　at　all　times；　yet　the　want　of　money　hath　caused　divers　Merchants　and　Tradesmen　to　Breake；　who　might　have　maintained　their　credits；　but　that　being　out　of　their　moneys；　and　the　moneys　out　of　the　Kingdome；　maketh　them　to　goe　out　of　their　credits；　for　Necessitas　Parit　Turpia。　The　Remedy　hereof　doth　most　depend　upon　plenty　of　money　or　meanes　in　the　liew　of　money；　as　the　setting　over　of　Bills　of　debt　before　spoken　of。　For　the　Statute　against　Bankcrupts；　cannot　produe　any　great　effect；　but　be　a　meane　to　undoe　the　party　for　ever；　if　it　doe　depend　long　upon　him；　contrary　tothe　intention　thereof；　for　whereas　all　such　as　are　Creditors；　ought　to　come　in　within　foure　moneths　to　take　their　part；　of　what　may　appeare　of　the　State　of　the　Bankcrupt；　to　bee　examined　by　all　lawful　meanes：　the　same　is　protracted　for　tenne；　twenty；　and　more　moneths；　and　all　those　that　come　in　the　said　Interim　are　admitted　with　the　former；　and　a　great　part　of　the　estate　is　spent　in　charges。　This　may　bee　remedied　by　the　Authority　of　the　Chauncery　to　the　Commissioners　appointed　for　th'execution　of　the　said　Statute。　　　　　　The　Remedy　to　the　last　and　tenth　Cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　（being　the　immoderate　use　of　forraine　Commodities：）　doth　（as　I　have　shewed　before）　consist；　partly　by　the　abundance　of　those　Commodities　imported　by　the　abuse　of　exchange；　and　partly　by　the　wearing　of　those　Commodities；　affected　by　the　vulgar　sort　or　Common　people。　Monsieur　Bodine　doth　observe　with　Plato；　that　as　the　Prince　is；　so　are　the　Subjects；　who　（by　imitation）　follow　his　example；　which　sooner　entreth　into　their　eyes；　then　into　their　eares：　And　the　greater　their　Authority　is；　the　more　affectionate　is　their　imitation。　Alexander　cast　his　head　aside；　and　all　the　Court　held　their　necks　awry；　Denis　was　Purblinde；　and　his　Courtiers　stumbled　at　every　step　and　justled　each　other；　as　if　they　had　beene　evill　sighted：　and　so　of　other　Princes　in　their　apparell；　precious　stones　and　other　things；　which　is　made　to　bee　the　fashion。　Hence　the　Proverbe　tooke　beginning；　Countries　fashion；　Countries　honour。　And　the　effect　hereof；　is　many　times　greater　then　the　Lawes　can　bring　to　passe；　unlesse　it　be　upon　some　Remarkable　occasion；　as　the　late　Command　may　prove　for　the　wearing　of　Blackes　at　Funeralls；　in　Cloth　and　Stuffes　made　of　English　Wooll　within　the　Realme。　　　　　　Here　I　have　omitted；　to　speake　of　Customes；　Impositions　publike　and　secret；　layed　upon　Commodities；　especially　upon　Cloth；　both　here　and　beyond　the　Seas；　because　the　same　requireth　great　consideration；　and　the　abolishing　thereof　（being　once　laied　on）　will　hardly　bee　brought　about；　unlesse　it　bee；　with　the　consent　of　both　parties；　where　the　one　hath　provoked　the　other　to　impose　them。　　　　　　For　a　Conclusion　therefore　let　us　note；　That　all　the　said　causes　of　the　decay　of　Trade　in　England；　are　almost　all　of　them　comprised　in　one；　which　is　the　want　of　money；　whereof　wee　finde　the　abuse　of　exchange；　to　bee　the　efficient　Cause；　which　maketh　us　to　find　out　so　easie　a　Remedie；　whereby　the　Kingdome　shall　enjoy　all　the　three　essentiall　parts　of　Traffique　under　good　and　Politike　Government；　which　will　bee　Free　Trade　effectually　or　in　deed。　And　this　will　also　bee　admirable　in　the　eyes　of　other　Princes；　finding　his　Majesties　wisdome　to　bee　Transcendent　in　Governing　of　his　owne；　which　（by　so　many　sendings　and　remissions　of　Ambassadours　unto　forraine　Princes　and　States　by　his　Noble　Predecessours：）　could　never　bee　effected；　as　by　divers　Records　appeareth；　albeit　there　was　nothing　required　of　them；　but　what　did　stand　with　the　Rule　of　Equality　and　Equitie；　which　cannot　erre：　But　velut　Ariadne　caeca　regens　filo　vestigia；　non　modo　nos　errare　non　finit；　sed　etiam　efficit；　ut　aberrantes　in　Rectam　viam　deducamur。


　　　　　　　　　　Soli　Deo　Gloria






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