the maintenance of free trade-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　To　lay　their　money　with　Gaine　in　any　place　of　the　world；　where　exchange　lyeth。　　　　　　To　Gaine　and　waxe　Rich；　and　never　meddle　with　any　Princes　Commodity；　or；　　　　　　To　buy　any　Princes　Commodity　with　the　Subjects　money；　and　not　one　pennie　of　their　owne。　　　　　　To　understand　whether　money　employed　on　exchange　or　Commodities　is　more　profit。　　　　　　To　live　and　increase　upon　every　Princes　Subject；　which　take　up　moneys。　　　　　　To　winde　out　every　Princes　Treasure　out　of　his　Realme；　whose　Subjects　bring　in　more　Wares；　then　they　carry　out。　　　　　　To　make　the　Staple　of　money　Runne；　where　the　Rich　Prince　will　have　it。　　　　　　To　unfurnish　the　poore　Prince　of　his　provision　of　money　in　Warres。　　　　　　To　furnish　their　need　of　money；　that　tarry　the　selling　of　their　Wares　or　Commodities。　　　　　　To　take　up　money　to　engrosse　any　Commodity；　or　to　incorporate　any　Trade。　　　　　　To　hide　their　carrying　away　of　any　Princes　money。　　　　　　To　fetch　away　any　Princes　fine　money；　with　the　baser　money　of　other　Princes。　　　　　　To　take　up　Princes　base　money；　and　turne　it　into　fine；　and　pay　the　party　with　his　owne。　　　　　　To　get　all　Merchants　money　into　their　hands　and　gaine　thereby；　and　paying　them；　with　their　owne。　　　　　　To　make　that　Realme　gaine　of　all　other　Realmes：　whose　Subjects　live　most；　by　their　owne　Commodities；　and　sell　yeerely　the　over…plus　into　the　world；　and　both　occupie　that　increase　yeerely；　and　also　their　old　store　of　Treasure　upon　exchange。　　　　　　To　undoe　Realmes　and　Princes；　that　looke　not　to　their　Common…wealth；　when　the　Merchants　wealth　in　such　and　the　great　houses　of　one　Countrie；　conspire　together；　so　to　rule　th'xchange；　that　when　they　will　be　Deliverers；　they　will　receive　in　an　other　place　above　the　Standard　of　the　Minte　of　the　Princes　money　dilivered：　and　when　they　will　be　Takers；　they　will　pay　the　same　in　an　other　place；　under　the　Standard　of　the　Princes　money　taken　up。　　　　　　To　get　ready　money　to　buy　any　thing　that　is　offered　cheape；　and　to　raise　the　price　of　Wares。　　　　　　To　get　a　part；　and　sometimes　all　his　Gaines；　that　employeth　money　taken　up　by　exchanges；　in　Wares；　and　so　make　others　travell　for　their　Gaine。　　　　　　To　keepe　Princes　from　having　any　Customes；　Subsidies；　or　Taxes　upon　their　money；　as　they　employ　it　not。　　　　　　To　value　justly　any　Wares　they　carry　into　any　country；　by　setting　them　at　a　value；　as　the　money　that　bought　them；　was　then　at　by　exchange　in　the　Countrie；　whither　they　bee　carried。　　　　　　By　the　premisses　we　may　see；　of　what　importance　the　operation　of　exchange　is；　wherein　the　endeavours　of　Sir　Thomas　Gresham；　thinking　to　rule　th'exchange　of　England　by　plenty　of　money　proveth　fruitlesse；　and　might　have　beene　done　with　more　facilitie　by　direction；　as　shall　be　made　manifest。　　　　　　This　was　the　cause　that　the　French　King　Lewys　the　ninth；　and　Philip　the　faire；　did　Confiscate　the　Bankers　Goods；　and　so　did　Philip　de　Valois；　who　indited　them　as　Coozeners　of　the　Common…　wealth；　for　it　was　found；　that　in　a　short　time　（with　24；　thousand　pounds）　they　had　gotten　foure　and　twentie　hundred　thousand　pounds。　The　kingdome　of　England　would　have　beene　more　sensible　of　the　like　losse；　if　the　hostile　depredations　heretofore　made；　had　not　supplied　the　same；　nothwithstanding　that　the　Coffers　of　Queene　Elizabeth　of　blessed　memory；　were　stored　with　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds　Starlin；　before　the　Warres　with　the　Earle　of　Tyrone　in　Ireland；　wherein　more　than　double　that　Summe　hath　beene　spent；　as　I　found　by　the　accompts。　For　this　disordred　couse　of　exchange　（as　I　have　said）　is　like　to　the　cruelty　of　the　Planet　Saturne；　which　maketh　his　Spheri　call　course　in　30　yeers　with　great　operation；　and　it　is　not　many　yeeres　lesse；　since　I　have　observed　this　inconvenience　for　the　good　of　the　Realme；　albeit　Envy　hath　crossed　the　same；　by　ignorant　men　denying　Principles；　and　by　other　meanes　here　not　to　be　mentioned。　　　　　　The　second　cause　of　the　want　of　Moneys　in　England；　is　（saith　the　said　Author）　the　Superfluity　of　Plate　generally　in　privat　mens　hands。　Here　he　hath　omitted；　to　Note　the　great　quantitie　of　Silver　consumed　in　the　making　of　Silver　Thread；　Spangles；　Purles；　Oaes；　and　the　like；　which　upon　late　examination　of　the　Right　Honourable　Henry　Vizcount　Mandeville　Lord　President；　are　found　to　amount　80　thousand　pounds　and　upwards　yeerely；　whereas　the　Plate　made　in　London；　is　only　but　50　or　60　thousand　pounds　worth；　which　remaineth　as　a　standing　Treasure；　when　th'other　is　worne　and　consumed；　leaving　but　some　part　to　be　molten　againe：　and　if　the　Plate　were　converted　into　moneys；　without　all　doubt；　it　would　more　easily　be　Transported；　having　his　weight　and　fineness；　and　affording　12　in　the　100。　Gaine　above　the　exchange　in　two　moneths　and　lesse　time。　　　　　　An　exchange　hereof；　wee　have　yet　fresh　in　memorie；　during　the　Raigne　of　the　French　King　Charles　the　ninth；　who　after　the　Massacre　of　Paris；　finding　the　Treasure　of　the　Realme　exhausted；　nad　his　Subjects　wealth　to　consist　more　of　Plate　then　of　ready　Money；　was　advised　by　some；　that　under　colour　of　the　Supressing　of　Pride；　it　were　good　to　prescribe　every　man；　what　store　of　Plate　he　should　keepe；　according　to　his　degree　&　qualitie；　&　the　rest　to　be　turned　into　moneys：　others　were　of　opinion；　that　it　would　nto　only　breed　a　discontent　unto　his　Subjects；　but　also　a　derogatin　and　dishonour　to　the　Kings　Reputation　with　forraine　Nations：　Seeing；　That　the　State　of　a　Prince；　doth　as　much　consist　by　reputation；　as　by　strength；　Therefore　like　good　Politians；　advised　the　King　somewhat　to　imbase　his　money　under　the　Standard　of　the　Plate；　which　would　cause　the　lesse　exportation；　and　the　Plate　（of　course）　to　bee　turned　into　money：　and　this　was　done　accordingly；　and　had　also　the　same　effect；　saving　that　where　they　thought　money；　would　not　be　Transported；　they　found　themselves　deceived；　for　the　course　of　exchange　was　not　looked　into；　which；　not　being　answered　according　to　the　true　values　of　the　moneys；　made　a　Gaine　by　the　undervaluation　of　them　in　exchange；　and　so　long　as　the　Gaine　remained；　it　was　continually　Transported；　whereby　at　last　the　Plate　of　the　Realme　（turned　into　money）　was　lost；　aswell　as　he　lost　his　money　before　that　time：　and　so　it　came　to　passe　in　England；　during　the　Raigne　of　King　Henry　the　eight；　who　Granted　several　Letters　Patents；　or　Authorities　to　divers　of　his　Nobles　to　make　base　moneys　of　their　owne　Plate；　which　did　fall　out　ot　be　the　greater　prejudice　to　the　Common…　wealth；　and　to　himselfe　but　a　present　shift　for　the　time。　　　　　　Concerning　the　Gold　and　Silver　thread；　I　have　heretofore　endevoured　to　have　the　Manufacture　thereof　in　England；　upon　plenty　of　money　and　Silver　to　bee　procured　from　forraine　parts　by　meanes　of　th'exchange。　But　finding　of　late　such　unreasonable　Consumption　of　silver　therein　spent　after　the　refining　thereof；　and　the　uncertainty　in　goodnnesse　by　the　Wier…drawers：　it　pleased　his　Majestie　with　the　advice　of　his　most　Honourable　privy　Councell；　to　forbid　the　same　lately　by　Proclamation；　and　to　admit　the　forraine　silver　Thread　to　come　in；　whereby　our　Silver　is　not　only　preserved；　but　the　quantity　also　is　increased；　because　after　the　wearing　a　good　part；　remaineth　in　burnt　Silve；　whereas　the　Silke　lace　is　consumed　to　nothing。　And　such　is　the　Gaine　of　Silver　beyond　the　Seas　（in　regard　of　the　lowe　exchange　by　Bills；　undervaluing　our　moneys；）　that　Purles　&　Oaeses　（in　some　sort　prepared　here）　have　been　（by　way　of　Merchandise）　Transported　of　purpose　to　melt　the　same　downe　there；　for　the　making　of　moneys；　as　I　have　seene　by　divers　Certificates　from　Dort　in　Holland。　　　　　　The　third　Cause　of　the　Want　of　Moneys　in　England；　is　the　Consumption　of　forraine　Commodities；　which　I　have　alwayes　called；　The　overballancing　of　those　Commodities；　with　the　native　Commodities　of　the　Kingdome；　in　Price；　and　not　so　much　in　the　quantitie。　And　the　comparison　hereof　is；　principally　to　be　made　in　the　Trade　of　cloth；　and　the　Returne　of　it；　made　by　Forraine　Commodities；　At　Silkes；　Linnen　cloth；　Cambrickes；　Lawne；　and　other　the　like　Commodities　brought　in　by　the　Merchants　Adventurours　which　have　the　Maine　Trade；　and　buy　these　Commoditis　（proportionably）　dearer　then　they　sell　our　home　Commodities；　which　I　have　proved；　by　many　reasons　to　proceed；　by　the　abuse　of　exchange；　according　to　which；　they　are　both　waies　sold　and　bought。　Is　there　any　man　of　judgeme