A DISCOVRSE of Trade From England vnto the East-Indies Answering to diuerse Obiections which are vsually made against the same By T. M. LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for Iohn Pyper 1621. Briefe Notes directing to the seuerall parts which are handled in the Answeres made to the foure Obiections against the East-India Trade in the Discourse following The parts of the first Obiection Page 4. 1. IN the first part is shewed the necessary vse of Drugges Spices Indico Raw-silke and Callicoes 2 In the second part is declared the great summes of ready monies which are yeerely saued to Christendome in generall by fetching the wares of the East-Indies directly in shipping from thence page 8. 3. In the third part is proued that the Trade from England to the East-Indies doth not consume but rather greatly increase the generall stocke and Treasure of this Realme page 19. The parts of the second Obiection Page 29. 1. In the first part is set forth the noble vse of Ships and that the timber planke and other Materials of this Kingdome for the building of Shipping are neither become scant nor dearer since the East-India Trade beganne Ibidem 2. In the second part is shewed the great strength of shipping and warlike prouisions which the East-India Company haue alwayes in readinesse for the seruice of the Kingdome pag. 31. The parts of the third Obiection page 33. 1. The East-India Trade doth not make victuals deare but is a meanes to increase our plenty Ibidem 2. In breadeth more Marriners then it doth ordinarily consume and disburtheneth the Kingdome of very many leude people page 35. 3. It hath not destroyed any other Trade or shipping of this Realme but hath encreased both the one and the other besides the great addition of it selfe vnto the strength and traffique of this Kingdome page 37. 4. It doth not increase the number of the poore of this Realme as is erroniously supposed but it doth maintayne and releeue many hundreds of people by their imployments and Charitie page 42. 5. It doth saue the Kingdome yeerely 75000.l. sterling or thereabouts of that which it was accustomed to spend in Spices and Indico onely when they were brought vs from Turkey and Lixborne page 43. The parts of the fourth Obiection Page 46. 1. The East-India Trade doth not hinder the imployment of his Maiesties Mint Ibidem 2. The proposition to put downe the East-India Trade is grounded vpon idle and false reports tending to the great hurt of the King and his people pag. 48. 3. A briefe Narration of a Kingdomes riches with the foure principall causes which may decay the generall stocke and treasure of this Realme in particular page 49. A DISCOVRSE OF Trade from England vnto the East Indies Answering to diuerse Obiections which are vsually made against the same THe trade of Merchandize is not onely that laudable practize wherby the entercourse of Nations is so worthily performed but also as I may terme it the verie Touchstone of a kingdomes prosperitie when therein some certen rules shall be diligently obserued For as in the estates of priuate persons wee may accompt that man to prosper and growe rich who being possessed of reuenues more or lesse doth accordingly proportion his expences whereby he may yearelie aduance some maintenance for his posteritie So doth it come to passe in those Kingdomes which with great care and warinesse doe euer vent out more of their home commodities then they import and vse of forren wares for so vndoubtedly the remainder must returne to them in treasure But where a contrarie course is taken through wantonnesse and riot to ouer waste both forren and domestike wares there must the money of necessitie be exported as the meanes to helpe to furnish such excesse and so by the corruption of mens conditions and manners manie rich countries are made exceeding poore whilest the people thereof too much affecting their owne enormities doe lay the fault in something else Wherefore industry to increase and frugalitie to maintaine are the true watchmen of a kingdomes treasury euen when the force and feare of Princes prohibitions cannot possibly retaine the same And therefore as it is most plaine that proportion or quantitie must euer be regarded in the importing of forren wares so must there also be a great respect of qualitie and vse that so the things most necessarie be first preferred such as are foode rayment and munition for warre and trade which great blessinges when any countrie doth sufficiently enioy the next to be procured are wares fitting for health and arts the last are those which serue for our pleasures and ornament Now forasmuch as by the prouidence of almightie God the kingdome of England is indowed with such aboundance of rich commodities that it hath long enioyed not onely great plentie of the things before named but also through a superfluitie hath beene much inriched with treasure brought in from forren parts which hath giuen life vnto so many worthy trades amongst which that vnto the East India by name the report whereof although it is already spread so famous through the world yet notwithstanding heere at home the clamorous complaints against the same are growne so loude and generall that my selfe being one of the Society it hath much troubled my priuate meditations to conceaue the means or true groundes of this confusion But at the last I resolued my selfe that the greatest number of these exclaimers are led away in ignorance not hauing as yet discerned the mysteries of such waightie affaires Some haue beene transported with enuie as not participating in the said Societie or beeing thereby hindred as they conceiue in some other trade and others wholy corrupted in their affections who whilest they willingly runne into these errors doe also labour diligently to seduce others that so this good and glorie of the kingdome might be subuerted by our selues which by the pollicie and strength of Strangers cannot so easilie be abated wherefore it is now a fit time to meete with such iniurious courses by a true Narration of the passages in the said East-India Trade answering to those seuerall obiections which are so commonlie made against the same That so these misunderstandings and errours may be made knowne vnto the whole body of this Kingdome which at this present time is most worthily represented in those noble assemblies of the high Courts of Parliament where I hope the worth of this rich Trade shall be effectually inquired and so in the end obtaine the credit of an honorable approbation The first Obiection It were a happie thing for Christendome say many men that the Nauigation to the East-Indies by way of the Cape of Good hope had neuer bene found out For in the fleetes of shippes which are sent thither yearely out of England Portingall and the Low countries The gold siluer and Coyne of Christendome and particularly of this Kingdome is exhausted to buy vnnecessarie wares The Answere THe matter of this Obiection is very waighty and
reliefe of innumerable poore people so much prouided for by the pollicie of all well gouerned and flourishing common-wealths As by this occasion and in a businesse of the like kind I may instance the States of Genouay Florence and Luca who for the maintenance of Artes and Trade doe prouide Raw-silkes out of Sicilia for the value of 500000. poundes starling at least yearelie and for the payment thereof they doe vent at Naples Palermo Messina and those parts a certaine quantitie of Florence Rashes and some other wares for about 150000. pounds starling per annum So the rest being 350000. l. sterling is supplyed all in readie moneies which treasure they doe willingly forsake to procure their Trade for experience hath taught them that Trade is their imployment and doth returne them treasure for by those silkes being wrought transported and sould at Franckforde and other Marts they haue the better meanes to furnish their contracts with the King of Spaine in Flanders and so from Spaine the Siluer must returne againe to Italy But if I should runne out in this and other particulars fiting our purpose it would make me too tedious and so carrie me beyond my ayme which is to be briefe Wherefore I will proceede to cleare some doubts in those men who perhaps not hauing the knowledge of occurrents in forren partes might thinke that neither Venice nor Marcellis haue the meanes or yet the mindes to exporte such great Sommes of readie monyes yearely out of those Dominions especially Marcellis being a part of France where neighborhoode doth daily tell vs that gold and Siluer may not be conueied out of that Kingdome for any valuable Somme more then is permitted for the necessarie vse of Trauellers Yet neuerthelesse experience hath likewise taught vs that for the effecting of those Trades whereof wee now speake and which they esteeme so much there is a free extraction out of the sayd places of moneyes both gold and siluer whereof with them there is no want for the sayd wares doe procure it abundantly First to Marcellis it commeth not onely from Genouay Ligorne Cartagenia Malliga and many other Porte townes of Spaine and Itally but also from Parris Roane Sainct Malloes Tolouse Rochell Deepe and other Cities of France who want not meanes to haue great store of Rialls and Dallers from Spaine Germany And in like manner the Venetians distributing the sayd Raw-silkes and other wares into the seuerall States of Itally Germany and Hungaria who haue but few commodities fitting their barter or exchange but onely monyes are therewith aboundantly serued For the mynes of Hungarie and Germany affoord good quantitie of Gold and Siluer And likewise the States of Itally especiallie Genouay Florence and Millane haue euer store of Rialls out of Spaine in satisfaction of many great disbursments which those Merchantes make for that King in his occasions of Itally and Flanders of all which I might make a large discourse but I conceaue I haue sayd sufficient to shew how the trade of the East Indies hath beene and now is brought into Christendome generally what money is yearely sent out by whom and the possibilitie or meanes which they haue to performe it I will therefore in the next place satisfie the Obiections that it is not the East-India Trade which wasteth the Gold and Siluer Coyne or other treasure of this kingdome in particular For first who knoweth not that gold in the East-Indies hath no ratable price with Siluer Neither hath the Siluer coyne of England any equall value with the Spanish Rialls according to their seuerall prizes here Besides that his Maiestie hath not authorized the East-India Companie to send away any part of this kingdomes Coyne either Gold or Siluer but onely a certaine limited summe of forren Siluer yearlie which as they dare not exceede so neuer haue they as yet accomplished the same For it doth plainely appeare in their bookes that from the originall and first foundation of the Trade in Anno 1601. vntill the moneth of Iuly Anno 1620. they haue shipped away onely 548090. l. sterling in Spanish Rialls and some Dollers whereas by licence they might haue exported in that time 720000. l. sterling Also they haue laden away in the same tearme of xix yeares out of this Kindgome 292286. l. sterling in Broad-clothes Kersies Lead Tinne with some other English and forren commodities which is a good Addition and vent of our wares into such remote places where heretofore they haue had no vtterance at all And note I pray you how time and industrie hath bettered this Trade when in the last three yeares there hath beene sent more wares to the Indies then in the xvi yeares before and yet our expectation is not at the highest for those new borne Trades within the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulfe doe bid vs hope for better things as lately by letters from Spahan we vnderstand of great quantity of Raw silke prepared by the English factors which by Gods assistance wee may expect here about the Moneth of August next with encouragement also to vent our English cloth and Kersies in good quantities the like of Iron Tinne and other things whereof experience of those alreadie sould hath giuen vs sufficient approbation of their valliditie And now omitting much matter which might be written touching the discoueries of other Trades from one Kingdome or port to another in the Indies with the commodities thereof whereby the imployment of our shippes together with the stocke of money and goodes which is sent out of England in them may be much increased I will draw to a conclusion of the point in hand and shewe that whatsoeuer Summes of forren readie monyes are yearely sent from hence into the East-Indies His Maiestie in the letters Pattents graunted to that Company hath notwithstanding with singular Care prouided that the brethren of the Company shall yearely bring in as much siluer as they send forth which hath beene alwayes truly performed with an ouerplus to the increase of this Kingdomes treasure Neither is it likelie that the money which is thus contracted for by the Companie at certaine prices and to be deliuered them at times appointed would bee otherwise brought into England but onely by vertue and performance of the said contracts for without this assurance of Vent together with a good price for the said monyes the Merchants would vndoubtedly make their returnes in other wares the vse and extraordinarie consume whereof would be found lesse profitable to the Common-wealth when the matter should be duly considered as I shall yet further endeauour to demonstrate And here I will suppose That the East-India Company may shippe out yearely 100000. l starling more or lesse as occasion may be offered yet it is most certaine that the Trade being thus driuen with such sums of ready moneys it wil not decay but rather much increase the treasure of the kingdome which
coine and together with the sayd money there hath beene shipped the vallue of 292286. pounds sterling in sundry sorts of English and forraine commodities all which moneys and wares amounting vnto 840376. pounds haue been disposed as hereafter followeth First there hath been lost 31079. pounds sterling in the 6. ships which are cast away and in the 34. ships which are returned in safety there hath beene brought home 356288. pounds sterling in diuers sorts of wares which haue produced here in Englād towards the generall stocke thereof 1914600. l. sterling for the charges arising here is but a change of effects from one to another as hath beene sayde before in this discourse So there ought to remaine in the Indies to be speedily returned hither 484088 pounds neither can we conceiue that our charges and troubles with the Dutch wil haue wasted more then the odd 84088. pounds sterling so that I am confident that there yet remaineth 400000 pounds sterling of good estate for both the ioynt stockes And what a great value of Indian goods this sum of mony may by Gods blessing shortly return in our ships which are there ready to bring thē the example here doth teach vs to make vp the reckoning So that notwithstanding our great charges of discoueries our losses by the danger of the seas our quarrels infinit hinderance by the Dutch yet here the kingdome hath and shall haue her stocke againe with a very great encrease although the Merchants gaines concerning the two ioynt stocks will proue but poore in respect of the former voyages which haue not had the like hinderance And thus in a few lines may be seene much matter truly collected with some paines out of the diuers volumes of the East Indian Bookes Now concerning the decay of Trade and shipping which were wont to be imployed into Turkey I doubt that in time it will likewise be affirmed that the East India Company haue hindred the vent of our white Cloath in the Netherlands which to report were a verie strange thing But praised be God to our comfort we see the great increase of goodly Ships daily built and imployed by the Turkey Merchants with vent of more of our English Cloath by one third part at least then in times before the East India trade began Yea but say they we haue lost the trade of Spices and Indico from Aleppo into England Well I grant they haue yet the Kingdome hath found it with more profit by another way and they likewise are recompenced with a greater Trade by the exporting from hence of the selfe-same commodities into Italy Turkey and other places neither can it be lesse profitable for this kingdome to turne the Trade of Raw-Silkes from Aleppo and to bring them from the Persian gulfe with one third part lesse money then it doth now cost in Turkey Besides that by this meanes the money proceeding of our English Cloath Tin and other wares in Turkey not finding commodities sitting to returne for England would vndoubtedly be brought home in Gold as it hath beene performed heretofore when by superfluitie of stocke sent from hence in Spice together with our English wares the Merchants being thereby furnished with a sufficient quantitie of Turkish cōmodities brought home the remainder of their stocke of those yeares in gold for a great value Thus doth it plainely appeare that these reuolutions of Trades haue and doe turne to the good of the Commonwealth neither hath the affayres of the East Indies impaired or decayed any other Trade Shipping or Marriners of this Realme but hath mightily increased them all in it selfe Wherefore let vs now take a view of this noble addition of the kingdomes strength and glory But this I must not doe by setting downe the number of our English shipping row in the Indies or lately gone that way for they haue beene heaped thither these three last yeares together without returne saue onely fiue ships in all that time the rest haue beene kept there to oppose the furie of the Dutch but now we are at vnion we shall by Gods assistance dayly exspect diuers great ships with rich returnes And for the future time this Trade I doe conceiue will royally maintayne ten thousand tuns of shipping continually That is to say going and returning and abiding there in the Indies which said shipping will employ two thousand and fiue hundred Marriners at least and the building with the repayring of the sayde ships here at home will set to worke fiue hundred men Carpenters Cawkers Caruers Ioiners Smiths other laborers besides many officers and about 120. Factors in seuerall of the Indies And so from these matters of great consequence I must beginne to write of Beggery The pouertie of Widdowes and Fatherlesse is matter of great compassion and doth alwaies moue Christian hearts to commiseration and charitie whereby many receiue reliefe helpe of those whō God hath blessed with better meanes but how this pouertie should totally be preuented it seemeth not onely difficult but altogether impossible For besides the euill accidents and miseries which euer attend on our humanity we see how many dayly euen through their owne folly wilfulnesse do as it were desperately plunge themselues into aduersitie And thus the number of those is great who hauing the charge of wife children are notwithstanding altogether without meanes and artes to procure their maintenance whereby some of them wanting grace do run a desperat course haue vntimely ends Others again being better inspired seek for imployment but find it not or with great difficulty for who doth willingly entertain a man poore and miserable charged with a family and peraduenture debauched in conditions Neither doe any of our other Merchants voyages to forraine parts accept of those nouices who neuer haue been vsed to the Sea So that when all the other doores of charitie are shut the East India gates stand wide open to receiue the needy and the poore giuing them good entertainment with two Moneths wages before hand to make their neeedfull prouisions for the voyage And in the time of their absence there is likewise payd vnto their wiues for maintenance two other months wages vpon accompt of euery yeares seruice and also if any chance to dye in the voyage the wife receiueth all that is found due vnto her husband if hee doe not otherwise dispose it by will and this often happeneth to be more money then euer they had of their owne together in any one time And likewise are not many poore Widdowes Wiues and Children of Blacke-wall Lime-house Ratcliffe Shadwell and Wapping often relieued by the East India company with whole Hogsheads of good Biefe and Porke Bisket and doales of ready money Are not diuers of their children set on worke to picke Okam other labours fitting their age and capacitie What might I not say of repayring of Churches maintenance of some yong Schollers relieuing of many poore
Preachers of the Gospell yearely with good summes of money and diuers other acts of charitie which are by them religiously performed euen in the times now of their worst fortunes for all which I hope there shal be a reward vnto them and theirs And so I come to the fift part of this third Obiection And here I must intimate how much they are deceiued who thinke that Spices and Indico are no better cheape in England now then in times past before the East India trade began For it is an vndoubted truth that in those dayes we often payd 6. shillings or more for a pound of Pepper and seldome or neuer lesse then three shillings and sixe pence the pound whereas since the Trade hath come directly from the Indies it hath beene bought commonly at seuerall prices betweene 16. pence and two shillings the pound but I will make the difference of price appeare more plainely by setting downe the quantities of Spices and Indico which are yearely spent in the Realme of England together with the lowest prices which they were wont to sell at when wee brought them from Turkey and Lixborne and the like concerning their vsuall prices now that wee bring them from the East Indies directly And first as from Turkey 400000. ll of Pepper at 3.s. 6.d. the ll 70000.l. 00.s. 00d 40000. of Cloues at 8.s. the ll 16000 00 00. 20000. of Maces at 9.s. the ll 9000 00 00. 160000. of Nutmegs at 4. s. 6d the ll 36000 00 00 150000. of Indico at 7.s. the pound 52500 00 00. Â 183500 00 00 And the selfe same quantity and sorts of wares are commonly sold at the prices here vnder written now in these later times 400000. ll of Pepper at 20d. the ll 33333.l. 06. s. 08. d 40000. of Cloues at 6d. the ll 12000 00 00. 20000. of Maces at 6.s. the ll 6000 00 00. 160000. of nutmegs at 2.s. 6d the ll 20000 00 00 150000. of Indico at 5.s. pound 37000 00 00. Â 108333. 06 08 So that this Trade in Spice and Indico onely doth saue the Kingdome yearly 74966.l. 13.s. 04.d. which is a matter worthy to be obserued and so much the rather because it is a certaine truth that lesse then a quarter part of this sum of mony which is thus saued yearely shall buy in the Indies the full quantitie of all the seuerall sorts of wares before written which doe serue for a yeares prouision for this Realme of England but still it must be remembred that the custome impost wages victuals shipping and other charges which are to be added will be a greater summe then the mony which is paid for these wares in the Indies but as I haue noted before the said charges doe not consume the Kingdomes stocke although it doth greatly abate the Merchants gaine And to conclude this point I will adde vnto that which hath beene said that the commodities onely which we now send yearely into the East Indies and Persia are of sufficient value there to returne vs Indico Spices Drugs and all other sorts of Indian wares Raw-Silkes of Persia only excepted for one yeares consume or more in this Kingdome So that now all the money which is sent forth in our Ships doth procure an ouer-plus of the said wares to the furtherance of Trade from India hither and after from hence to forreine parts againe to the great imployment of the Subiects and inriching of this Realme both in Stocke and Treasure all which is matter very worthy to be diligently obserued And so I come to giue answere vnto the fourth and last Obiection The fourth Obiection It is generally obserued that his Maiesties Mint hath had but little imployment euer sithence the East India Trade began Wherefore it is manifest that the onely remedie for this and so many euils besides is to put downe this Trade For what other remedie can there be for the good of the Common-wealth The Answer This fourth obiection may be deuided into three parts 1. An euill declared 2. A remedie propounded 3. And counsell demaunded And first concerning the Euill or want of Siluer I thinke it hath beene and is a generall disease of all Nations and so will continue vntill the end of the world for poore and rich complaine they neuer haue enough but it seemeth the maladie is growen mortall here with vs and therefore it cries out for remedie Well I hope it is but imagination maketh vs sicke when all our parts be sound and strong For who knoweth not the inestimable treasure of this Kingdome in Plate possessed by the people thereof almost of all degrees in such measure as neuer hath beene seene in former ages And for his Maiesties Mint it is well knowne that there hath beene coyned in fiue yeares together since the East India Company began 6214. pounds waight of Gold and 311384. pound waight of sterling Money all which Gold and Siluer doe amount vnto the summe of 1213850. pounds of sterling Money How then doth this Trade turne the currant and imployment of the Mint But vpon the sight of this truth perhaps it will be said That wee must resort vnto the present times the Mint being idle now To which I answer That likewise the Mint had little or no imployment for coynage of Siluer in former times when the said Company did not export aboue fifteene or twenty thousand pounds sterling at the most per annum no nor yet in the yeares 1608. and 1612 when in the former they shipped out but 6000.l. 00. s. 00d. and in the latter but 1250.l. 00. s. 00.d. sterling So that both waies we see that the Mint hath had very great imployment fiue yeares together sithence the East India Trade began and also it hath beene without imployment diuers yeares when the East India Company haue sent away but very small summes of money wherefore of necessitie there must be some other causes and meanes whereby our Siluer is not exported onely but also it is not imported into the Realme as in former times For we haue not had the meanes by our owne plentie not by the scarsitie of our neighbours for the space of the last foureteene yeares together to send out hundreds of Ships laden with Corne as in times past which was returned home in Siluer but rather of late yeares as is much to be feared a great quantitie of our money hath beene carried out of the Kingdome for that Corne which hath beene brought vs from the East Countries and other places to supply our wants Thus times doe change and our fortunes change with them neither list I to make this matter plainer by setting downe those meanes which heretofore brought vs store of money euen out of France and other places which now are ceased But without any further medling in the Mint I will come to the remedie which some propound by putting downe the East India Company But heere our comfort is that