famous and learned Maister Iohn Bodine making answer vnto these two Paradoxes first sheweth how M. Malestroit hath abused himself to vse the example of veluet to proue his assertions For he proueth that veluets were yet vnknowne in France during the raign of Philip surnamed the Faire And that although he should admit the example of veluets yet it were no consequence for all other things which were not so deare proportionably And concerning the price of wines and corne he doth prooue the same to be dearer 20 times and more or lesse vpon occasions concluding that those examples are also vnfit And then he cometh to the price of lands which cānot increase or diminish nor be altered of their goodnesse if they be manured Whereupon he taketh occasion to shewe the fertilitie of France and that certaine Dukedoms Earledomes and Baronnies are now worth of reuenue as much yearely as they were sold for in times past The lands being so much risen in price he sheweth that within sixtie yeares all things are growne deare tenne times the price comparing it to any mony in Fraunce and so setteth downe the causes of this dearth which are 5 in number 1 The principal almost only cause The abundance of gold and siluer nowe extant in the kingdome more then in times past 2 The Monopolies 3 The want of things caused by excessiue trade and wast thereof 4 The pleasure of Princes that aduance the price of things 5 The alteration of the valuation of money Concerning the first and principal cause he saith that the enhauncing of the price or dearth of all things in what place soeuer proceedeth of the abundance of that which giueth price and estimation vnto things and herupon doth alledge diuerse examples Plutarch and Plinie do witnesse that Paulus Aemylius after the conquest of Macedon against the Persians did bring such abundance of gold and siluer to Rome that the people was freed of all imposts and the price of lands aduaunced vnto two third partes in a moment The Emperour Augustus brought such great riches from Egipt that the price of vsurie did decrease and the lands became much dearer then before which was not for the want of lands which cannot increase or diminish nor for the Monopolies which can take no place in this case but it was the abundance of gold and siluer which abated the estimation thereof as it happened at Ierusalem at the time of the Queene of Candace and in the West Indies when the Spaniards became maisters thereof By which reason the Emperour Tiberius was much mistaken to cause him to be beheaded that would haue made glasse soft and malleable fearing that gold and siluer would thereby haue lost their estimation whereas the abundance of glasses which are made almost of all stones and many herbes would haue diminished the reputatiō thereof as it falleth out with all other things Therefore saith he we are to shew that there was not so much gold and siluer in times past three hundred years ago as there is now which may easily be known For if there be mony within the realme it cannot be so wel hidden but that Princes in their necessitie and occurrences will find the same whereas it is well knowne that king Iohn in his great necessitie could not find 60 thousand frankes let it be crownes for his raunsome but did remaine a prisoner to the king of England for the space of 8 yeares In like sort the king of Scots being prisoner could not find means for his ransome of a hundred thousand nobles vntill the French king Charles the fift payed the same making alliance with Robert the king of Scots anno 1371. King Saint Lewis was in the like predicamēt being prisoner in Egypt And the auncient histories do record that for want of siluer money was made of leather with a naile of siluer Wherby appeareth the great want of siluer and gold in Fraunce in those daies whereas comming to our age we shall find that the king did find in Paris in sixe moneths besides the incomes and reuenues more then three millions 4 hundred thousand pounds which after 10 pounds for the pound starling is 340 thousand pounds starling Herunto he hath added a comparison betweene certain reuenues and monies giuen in mariage with Princes and their kindred in those dayes with the like done by Princes of late yeares and how Italie through peace and meanes of their trafficke had drawne all the gold vnto them the treasure in Europe being generally increased since the discouerie of the West Indies For it is incredible saith he and yet true that since the yeare 1533 there came frō Peru more then one hundred millions of gold and twise as much in siluer Then he commeth to the causes of the increase of the wealth and treasure of France shewing how the Spaniard running to the vttermost corner of the world for gold siluer and spices doth come vnto them for their corne linnen cloth and diuerse other commodities On the other side how the English man Scot the people of Norway Swaden and Denmarke are continually digging an infinite number of mynes euen to the very center of the earth for mettals and minerals for to buy their wines prunes and other Commodities and most especially their Manna of salt which God sendeth as it were from heauen their Climate being more apt thereunto then that of other countries which causeth the Flemmings to come with their emptie vessels to buy the same for readie mony for the maintenance of their trafficke of salt-fish And this is the first cause The second is the increase of people which by reason of the ciuill wars which ceassed betweene the houses of Orleance Burgundie are much augmented vntill the troubles for Religion Whereas the warres of neighbor countries was but a necessarie purgation of the ill humors of the bodie of their Commonwealth and the wars at home had before that time wasted the countrey ouerthrowne husbandrie and spoiled all handiworke the Englishman hauing sacked their townes burned their villages murthered and robbed the most part of their people and gnawed the rest to the bones howbeit within these 100 years the towns haue bene reedified villages new builded woods increased the people augmented in such sort that colonies of Frenchmen haue bene sent into other countries to inhabite them and the Spaniard being negligent and lazie is for the most part in Arragon and Nauarre without any labourers or any other workmen but only Frenchmen which are more seruiceable and actiue Another cause of the riches of Fraunce is the trade had since their king Francis the first with the Turke and Barbarian the Banke of Lyons erected in his time brought aboundance of gold and siluer into Fraunce when he payed 8 vpon the hundred for money and his successor ten afterwards 16 and 20 vpon vrgent necessitie which made the Florentines Lugueses Genowaies Germaines and others to come dwell in the realme By which meanes also the
ENGLANDS VIEVV IN THE VNMASKING OF TWO PARADOXES With a replication vnto the answer of Maister Iohn Bodine By Gerrard de Malynes Merchant Opposita iuxta se posita magis apparent ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed by Richard Field 1603. To the right honourable Sir Thomas Sackuile Baron of Buckhurst Lord high Treasurer of England Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter and one of the Lords of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell G. de M. wisheth all health increase of honour and euerlasting happinesse THESE two Paradoxes right honourable hauing bene presented vnto the French King as a meane to qualifie the generall complaints of the dearth of things in France by prouing that nothing was growne dearer in three hundred yeares were answered by the famous M. Iohn Bodine who dedicated his aunswer vnto the President of the high court of Parliament of Fraunce as a matter of great consequence and considerable in the gouernment of a Common-wealth Hence proceeded that resolution which emboldened me to present vnto your Lordship the substance of both their writings with all their arguments and propounded remedies to the end that in the ballance of your graue wisdome they may be weighed with my Replication thereunto shewing how things are to be considered of for the good of a Common-wealth Your Honors iudgement shall easily perceiue that the Paradoxes are opposite and do contradict one another besides the slender and weake ground of their foundation as also that Maister Bodine hath mistaken the true ground of the matter by comparing the prices of things within themselues in a Common-wealth whereas the comparison must be betweene the home Commodities of one Common-wealth and the forraine Commodities of other nations and that either by way of permutation of Commodities for Commodities or by Commodities for money in specie or by exchange So that a due consideration must be had of the course of Commodities Money and Exchange which are the essentiall parts of all trade and trafficke Wherein must be considered the end of all Merchants which is Gaine and profite at which scope they ayme according to their profession and practise some by Commodities some by Money some by Exchange some by all three or that which yeeldeth them most gaine For as money doth rule the course of Commodities so the exchange for monies doth both rule the course of moneys and Commodities By the disorder wherof it happeneth that the riches of a Common-wealth doth so much decrease as it is not alwayes in the power of the wise that haue the managing of the gouernement thereof to make choice of the best and to banish the worst but must not only obey the tempest and strike sailes but also cast ouer boord some precious things to saue the ship and bring it into a safe port and afterwards by degrees ouercome greater things changing the estate thereof from euill to good and from good to better which otherwise might haue bene preuented in the beginning by remouing the causes thereof To your most honorable iudgement I referre the consideration of all and pray the Almightie to haue your Honor in his diuine protection And so in all humility I take leaue London this 16. of Ianuarie 1603. Your Lordships most humble and in all dutie bounden GERRARD DE MALYNES Englands view A SENTENCE alleaged without application to some purpose is to handle a matter without conclusion and he that will attribute vnto any man the knowledge of the essentiall parts grounds or pillars of any science must make apparant proof therof otherwise his assertion is like cloudes and winds without raine or like an arrow shot at randon Quòd oportet patrem-familias vendacem esse non emacem is a worthie sentence to be duly executed of al good housholders or fathers of families especially of Princes that are the fathers of the great families of Common-weales who as Iustinian saith are to prouide carefully for the two seasons namely the time of warre when armes are necessarie and the time of peace more fitting wholesome lawes in both which it cannot properly be said that the office of a Prince is wholy employed about the gouernment of the persons of men and of things conuenient and fit for the maintenance of humane societie according to the definition of the heathens but rather in the obseruation of Religion towards God and administration of Iustice towards man the one teaching vs especially of the life to come the other how we should liue in this life Religion doth knit and vnite the spirits of men wherby they liue obediently in vnitie peace and concord and Iustice is as a measure ordained by God amongst men to defend the feeble from the mightie Hence proceedeth that the causes of seditions and ciuill warres is the deniall of iustice oppression of the common-people inequall distribution of rewards and punishments the exceeding riches of a small number the extreame pouertie of many the ouer-great idlenesse of the subiect and the not punishing of offenders which bringeth destructiō of Common-weales Religion doth teach the feare of God which maketh a good man and is indeed the beginning of a Prince For sith Princes raigne by wisedome and that the feare of God is the beginning thereof we must conclude that it is the beginning also of a vertuous and wise Prince Now as Princes raigne by God so must they be directed by him yea they raigne best and longest that serue him best and most Serue him they cannot but according to his will and his will is not known but by his word and lawe which made the Prophet Dauid to meditate therein day and night preferring the cause of faith or religion before temporall commoditie And this is properly the first and chiefest point that the Prince is to regard whereunto the other is annexed and doth depend vpon For as iustice is administred and prescribed by lawes and customs so reason requireth that this gradation should be obserued concerning all lawes that euen as the wils contracts or testaments of particular men cannot derogate the ordinances of the Magistrates and the order of the Magistrates cannot abolish customs nor the customes can abridge the generall lawes of an absolute Prince no more can the lawes of Princes alter or chaunge the lawe of God and Nature By iustice properly called Distributiue is the harmonie of the members of a Common-weale maintained in good concord howbeit much hindred where vsurie is tollerated which giueth cause of discord some few waxing thereby too rich and many extreame poore the operations of effects whereof are declared by me vnder certaine Similies or Metaphors in the Treatise of Saint George for England By iustice properly called Commutatiue is the cōmerce and trafficke with other nations maintained obseruing a kind of equalitie which is requisite in euery well gouerned Cōmon-wealth where prouidence and pollicie cause the Prince the Father of the great familie to sell more then he buyeth or else the wealth and treasure of his realme
did send vnto the Duchesse whiles her husband was in Germany desiring her to value the angell at 10 shillings Flemish but he could not obtaine the same Which seemeth very strange considering that the aduancing of the price of money doth cause the money to be transported to the places where it is aduaunced whereby all the angels might haue bin caried into her dominion But she like a wise and politicke Duchesse caused the matter to be examined and considered of sending men skilfull in mint causes into England And finding that the golden fleece aliâs Toison d'or was the money then most currant with her and that the same was worth both in regard of waight finenesse asmuch as the angel was also valued at 9 shillings 7 pence she could not graunt the kings requests without altering also her money vnlesse shee would haue suffered the English merchants to bring angels vnto her for 10 shillings and to carie away the golden fleeces for 9 shillings 7 pence to be conuerted into angels to the great losse of her dominions both in the money and to leaue the Commodities of her country vnuented so long as there were a gaine vpon the mony which abated the price of cōmodities These two Paradoxes being thus vnmasked are easily conceiued of any man of iudgement to be far from the truth and therefore will the vnderstanding thereof be accounted a matter of small moment as all things else are when they be known like vnto the egge of Columbus who hauing discouered the West Indies and hearing some say at a dinner that if he had not done it another might and wold called for an egge and willed all the guests one after another to set it vp on end which when they could not do he gently bruising the one end of it did make it flat or rather by swinging did breake the yolke within and so set it vp shewing how easie it was to do that which a man had seene done before him Now let vs examine the answer of Maister Bodine Maister Malestroit was of opinion That nothing was growne dearer in three hundred yeares as is before shewed But Maister Bodine was of a contrarie opinion and sheweth fiue causes of the dearth of things as we haue also declared Whereunto for a generall and direct answer by way of Replication we say that to shew the alteration of the price of things and the causes therof is of small moment the true ground of the matter being by him mistaken Which true ground must be by making a comparison of the enhauncing of the price of the Commodities of one countrie with the price of the Commodities of other countries and thereby to find out whether things are grown deare with vs in effect and whether we pay more proportionably for the forraine Commodities within the aforesaid time of three hundred yeares then we doe receiue for the price of our home Commodities For if we do now pay more for corne wine and all other victuals and sell our Commodities for more then we were wont to do proportionably here is no alteration in effect but in name onely so long as the substance of the money is not altered in propertie But if we sell our Commodities dearer and buy our victuals dearer then heretofore and that ouer and aboue the price thereof we must pay farre dearer for the forraine Commodities then proportionably the price of our Commodities is risen this causeth vs to be aloser in particular and bringeth by an ouer-ballancing of forraine Commodities with our home Commodities a generall losse to the Common-wealth which to supply causeth vs to make vp the inequalitie with mony which is the treasure of the realm The consideration then must be not to compare things within themselues in the Commonwealth where we do liue but betweene vs and other nations with whom we deale either by way of permutation of Commodities for Commodities or Commodities for money in specie or by exchange So that we must examine the course of Commodities Money and Exchange which are the three simples vnder the which all the trade and trafficke is performed whereof we shall intreate when we shall haue examined the matters by him alleaged in particular The fiue causes of the dearth of things by him alleaged are to be distinguished according to our forme obseruation For the first last cause concerning plentie of gold and siluer and the alteration of the valuation of money may be causes that generally things are deare But the other three touching Monopolies the want and wast of things and the pleasure of Princes can but make things particularly deare according to the vse thereof wherein the time maketh also now and then an alteration vpon occasion as when armes are dearer in time of warre then in time of peace victuals in time of famine wood in winter and water in desert places and such like Seeing then that plentie of money maketh not onely the Commodities of a countrie deare but that they are also Nerui bellorum the sinewes of warre euery Prince is to haue a singular care for the preseruation and augmentation therof especially those Princes that haue no mines of gold or siluer within their dominions or such as haue had them and are now without them The gold was wont to come much out of the mountaines of Boheme and riuers of Pannonia and Swaden Out of Spaine there was wont to come both out of the riuers and monntaines aboue 20 thousand pound weight yearely which is all exhausted then it came from the West Indies first from Santo Domingo and other places where it doth also cease now it commeth from Peru by certaine millions which will also take an end The siluer is brought also frō the West Indies and was much found in Germanie but is now in many places drawne out The most noble Kings of this realm haue alwaies had a singular care to accumulate treasure deeming therfore that it was neither expedient nor conuenient for them to suffer the transportation of their monies or bullion out of the same as by diuers acts of Parliament may be seene whereby it was made fellonie for the space of many yeares continuing William the Conqueror caused a description to be made of the realme and the land to be measured reseruing so much thereof as he thought conuenient for the Crowne and the rest he deuided amongst his Barons and knights who did pay him therefore a certaine summe of money whereby he did gather a treasure Henry the second succeeding him within one hundred yeares hauing had many great warres and ioyned Ireland to the Crowne of England conquering also Scotland and reducing Normandie and other places in Fraunce to the Crowne and hauing raigned 35 yeares had neuer cause to impose any tribute subsidie or taxe vpon his subiects and left notwithstanding behind him in treasure 900 thousand pounds which in those daies was not only a great matter the West Indies not being discouered but also for
1 400. m. Limborgh and Walkenborgh 233. m. Flaunders Lyle and Doway 1 559. m. Henault 1 050. m. Artois 722. m. Holland 572. m. Zealand 101. m. Ouerysle 840. m. Freezeland 464. m. Malnies 15. m. Namure 196. m. Vtricht 227. m. Grocninghen 250. m. Zutphen 357. m. Meiers 35 m. and other places of the Empire 141. m.  All 10. 049. m. measures Italie which lyeth on the South-side of the Alpes and Germanie and stretcheth it self out in length towards the South East may thus be described Vnder Spaine Naples 14 700. m. Lombardie 2 100. m. Vnder Venice Treuisana 3 290. m. Verona 740. m. Frioul 1 400. m. Mantua 570. m. Vnder Rome Liguria 1 865. m. Romagnia 1520. m. Latium 570. m. Hetruria 642. m. Sauoy 2 520. m. Piamont 2 100. m. Tuscane Florence 6 160. m. Siena 570. m. Marca ancona 1 790. m. Parma plaisance 2 015. m. Sicily 4 200. m. Cyprus 2 100. m. Candia 2 800. m. Corsica 1 680. m. Sardegnia 5 600. m.  All 55 580. m. measures Prusia lying on the East North corner of Germany 11 200. m. Poland lying on the East side of Germanie containeth 21 000. m. Russenia 10 500. m. Volhimia 6 300. m. Massouia 2 098. m. Liuonia 30 152. m.  All 70 050. m. measures Denmarke lying on the North side of Germany hauing on the North and East side the kingdome of Sweden on the North side West of Sweden lyeth the kingdome of Norway containing all with their dominions as followeth Denmarke 13 643. m. Norway 37 296. m. Sweden 64 000. m. Finland 8 392. m. Holsten 1 398. m. Ditmars 442. m. Gothia 23 334. m.  All 148 505. m. measures The great Monarchie of Russia or Moscouia beginning on the East side of Sweden extending it self from Lapland and Finmarke vnto the Caspian sea containeth in it a great part of Europe and part of Asia whereof we are to make a deuision hauing only purposed to make a particular description of Europe That part which is vnder Europe containeth 302 957. m. measures So all Europe containeth 940 198. thousand measures of land Hungarie containing 21 000. m. Dalmatia 4 900. m. Transiluania 7000. m. with whole Turky cōtaining 527,100 m. and Moscouia 187,143 m. Tartarie containing 420,000 m. Persia 560,000 m. and the lands of Calicout 840,000 m. maketh all Asia to containe 2567 143. m. measures Africa all Egypt 2240,000 m. America containeth 1674,286 m. Noua Spania containeth 1960,000 m. Summa tot 9 381 627. m. measures the whole earth of 1000. measures for a league of 4 English miles The territorie of Rome after the foundation of Romulus did containe but 18 thousand iourneys of land which he did deuide into three equall parts allotting the one third as it were Ecclesiasticall lands for the defraying of the sacrifices the other third to the common wealth as it were Crowne land and the last third part was deuided betweene three thousand citizens of all sorts after the rate of two iourneys for euery one William the conqueror caused after the conquest a description to be made of the Realme of England and the land to be measured reseruing for the Crowne so much as he thought conuenient and bestowing the rest vpon his Barons and Knights he caused an imposition or taxe to be made of sixe shillings vpon euery hide of land being twenty acres making 160 acres to be a Knights fee. And so hauing left the Dukedome of Normandy vnto Robert his eldest sonne did thereby maintaine his royall estate dignitie The Grecians had diuerse meanes to maintaine their estate but the Romaines hauing a very large and spatious iurisdiction had most means by conquest and tribute of other nations The ordinary meanes that Princes haue now a dayes for the maintenance of their royall estates or dignities may be comprehended vnder these three The first vpon the estimation of the body of their lands and dominions of all immoueable goods according to their value by a computation vpon the hundreth or a proportion of the fruits thereof which is comprehended vnder Natural riches The second vpon the things which are consumed proceeding thereof namely of victuals as of flesh fish wine beare fruit and such like of rents as of houses and farms liberties and franchises manors and townes of fire as of wood and coales of apparell as of wollen clothes silkes furs flaxe and such like The third vpon the trade and trafficke of merchandise and vpon the persons of men according to their degree and quality Which meanes are increased by the inhabiting of countries and multitude of people which causeth Princes to study to make their countries populous and to increase the cōmerce trafficke by the gaines whereof the wealth is increased For albeit that the multitude of people maketh the price of lands to rise and victuals to become dearer yet the Prince and the subiects meanes of maintenance do also increase and one doth liue by another alwayes so as there be had a singular care to set poore men on work and that the idle droane do not consume the sweete honey Hereupon two speciall points are incidently to be handled namely that as I haue made a commparison of country and countries vnder the dominion of the Princes in Europe so is it not very difficult for me to make a comparison of the wealth thereof and likewise of the ordinary meanes which these Princes do vse for the maintenance of their estates and what ordinary charges and expences they do sustaine whereby would appeare manifestly that England is able to hold out with any kingdome in Europe But fearing the reprehension of some Apelles this being a matter of State I will containe my selfe within the compasse of my profession The second part is to delare many and diuerse extraordinary meanes which Princes haue vsed heretofore and might vse in their necessities and occurrences But this would proue vnnecessary considering we do liue vnder so gratious a Princesse whom God long preserue to raigne ouer vs whose most royal disposition and clemency doth rather moderate impositions and taxes then inuent any that neuer were her subiects also being most dutifully obedient and thankfully inclined to make her Maiestie voluntarie offers of subsidies and other meanes for the generall defence of the Realme not expecting that the same should be of them required Yet to giue some glaunce of comparison betweene England France the greatest kingdome of Europe let vs take notice of the obseruation of Polititians which affirme England properly to be deuided into 52 thousand villages or hamlets as there are weekes in the yeare much after the deuision which the Athenians made of their land in 365 parts as there are dayes in the yeare and to containe as they say 2800 thousand families euery family 6 persons is 16800 thousand persons England containing by our computation but 34 millions 438 thousand measures of land square whereas Fraunce containing 91 millions 350 thousand