the maintenance of free trade-第6部分

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e　parts　&　members　of　the　body　of　Traffique；　and　procure　plenty　of　money；　whereby　the　other　cuases　of　the　want　of　monyes　in　England　（as　the　waste　of　the　treasure　and　the　like；）　will　not　be　so　sensible　as　now　they　are；　especially　when　needfull　Commodities　of　Trade；　shal　be　imported　from　some　places；　which　shall　supply　（as　in　times　past）　the　exportation　of　much　money；　when　the　Commodities　of　Russia；　being　Tallow；　Waxe；　Hides；　retransported　into　France　and　Spaine；　did　by　exchange　furnish　the　Realme　with　Wines；　Corints；　Raisons　and　the　like　Commodities。　　　　　　The　Want　of　Money　there；　is　the　first　cause　of　the　Decay　of　Trade；　for　without　money；　commodities　are　out　of　request。　And　when　they　fall　againe　into　Permutation　or　Barter；　Traffique　is　subject　to　the　necessity　of　Merchants；　which　tendeth　to　the　destruction　of　ne　commonweale；　and　to　the　inriching　of　an　other。　And　this　is　effected　by　the　exchange；　as　the　grave　and　wise　Cousellors　of　State　before　mentioned；　have　very　well　observed；　whereof　Aristotle　and　Seneca　could　take　no　notice　in　the　infancy　of　Traffique；　which　maketh　me　to　forbeare　to　alleadge　their　opinions　and　definitions；　howbeit　Commercium　is　quasi　Commutatio　Mercium；　which　the　said　Author　would　turne　againe　by　a　change　of　wares　for　wares；　and　ot　money　for　wares。　No　marvell　therefore　that　hee　doth　invert　things　and　runneth　into　a　Labyrinth　without　distinction；　betweene　the　thing　Active；　and　the　Passive；　by　approoving　Money　to　bee　the　rule　and　square；　whereby　things　receive　estimation　and　price。　And　yet　commending　the　Commutation　before　Money　was　devised　to　be　coyned。　　　　　　Aristotle　saith；　That　Action　and　Passion　are　meerely　Relatives；　and　that　they　differ　no　more；　then　the　way　from　Thebes　to　Athens；　and　from　Athens　to　Thebes。　We　will　therefore　leave　this　Merchant　to　walke　betweene　both　untill　hee　can　discerne　the　one　from　the　other。　And　then　he　shall　finde；　that　as　the　Liver　（Money）　doth　minister　Spirits　to　the　heart　（Commodities；）　and　the　heart　to　the　Braine　（Exchange：）　so　doth　the　Brayne　exchange　minister　to　the　whole　Microcosme　or　the　whole　Body　of　Traffique。　Let　the　heart　therefore　by　the　liver　receive　his　Tinctured　Chilus　by　his　own　mouth　and　stomacke；　and　the　blood　full　of　Spirits；　shall　fill　all　the　Veines；　and　supply　the　want　of　monyes。　The　easie　course　and　recourse　of　whose　exchange；　shall　bring　all　things　in　time；　and　serve　all　mens　turnes。　For　even　as　there　are　two　Courses　observed　of　the　Sunne：　the　one　Annual；　and　the　other　by　dayly　declination；　rising　and　going　under：　even　so　much　wee　observe　in　exchange　two　Courses；　the　one　according　to　Par　pro　Pari；　or　value　for　value：　the　other　rising　and　falling　from　time　to　time；　as　wee　have　already　declared。　　　　　　The　second　Cause　of　the　decay　of　Trade；　saith　he；　is　Usury；　meaning　Usury　Politicke；　wherein　he　is　prevented　to　speake；　because　of　a　Treatise　made　against　Usury　by　an　unknowne　Authour；　and　presented　to　the　last　Parliament；　for　whom　he　taketh　great　care；　that　hee　be　not　abused　as　Virgill　was　by　proclaiming　too　late；　Hos　ego　versiculos　feci；　tulit　alter　honores。　True　it　is　that　the　said　Authour　doth　not　attribute　unot　himself　the　makeing　of　verses：　but　taketh　the　whole　substance　of　his　discourse　out　of　other　mens　workes；　published　above　twenty　yeares　since。　Turpe　est　Doctori；　dum　culpa　redarguit　ipsum。　Cato。　　　　　　Usury　in　a　Common…wealth　is　so　inherent；　and　doth　properly　grow　with　the　decay　of　Trade；　as　Pasturage　doth　increase；　with　the　decrease　of　Tilling。　Albeit　in　some　respects；　Trade　is　increased　by　monyes　delivered　at　use　or　interest　upon　occasions；　when　the　Usurer　is　glad　to　finde　a　taker　up　of　his　monyes；　and　doth　pray　him　to　doe　the　same；　by　reason　of　the　abundance　of　money；　which　maketh　the　price　of　Usury　to　fall；　more　then　any　Law　or　Proclamation　can　ever　doe。　So　that　to　abate　the　Rate　of　Tenne　upon　the　hundred　to　eight　（as　the　saide　Tract　against　usury　would　have　had　the　Parliament　to　do：）　will　be　effected　or　course；　which　alwaies　hath　the　greatest　command。　　　　　　This　doth　also　much　prevent；　that　the　Rule　of　Concord　and　Equality　is　not　so　soone　broken　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