woâ—k are to be received Yet with certaine Limitations â— considerations is to facilitate c ease Traffickâ— The practises of sundry Princes to augment Trade 1 To further the commodious cariadge of goods c. 2 No tolle upon Rivers bridges c. 3 To free the Seas from Pyrats 4 To maintaine Boyes Lights and Castles c. 5 To keep the wayes from theeves c. 6 To maintaine the Posts c. 7 To put downâ— Monopolies c. 8 To invite industrious strangers by priviledges 9 To dischaâ—ge all great customes 10 To establish Sea Lawes for Merchants navigator 11 To erect aâ— Court of Merchaâ—ts 12 The Coins current to be constant and good c. 13 To give honour to merchants and why Merchandizing is the most profitable iâ— an estate Why such should be honoured The benefit of the Trade of Nobles and rich in a kingdome 14 To erect an assurance office 15. To erect some Companies 16. To lend money to the Merchant out of the common Treasury 17. By transportation of Bils 18. Example of the Princâ— a maine Furtherer of Trade Cassiod 11.3 19 By erecting a staple of â—rade A staple of trade what The benefit of a staple by the experience of other Countriâ—s No timber in Holland and yet they have the staple thereof No corne there and yet they have the staple thereof No fish there yet the staple therof is in Holland No Vineyards nor salt in Holland yet they have the staple thereof No Wools there and yet they have the staple of manufactories Light customes increase trade and heavy ruine it Example thereof between England and Holland In a ship of 300. tuns come from Burdeux Paying in England 1260. and in Holland 60. 1. In 200. â—uns of Tobacco These small customes wil increase the totall custome of a Kingdome Benefits arising to England by a staple of trade By inlargement of traffike â— By importation and exportation of Bullion 3. By undervaluing of native wares 4. By new Plantations 5. By rising and falling of custâ—mes 6 By imployment of workemen in the Manufactories 7. By furniâ—hing deâ—ayed tâ—wns 8. By providing of cornâ— in dearth 9. By setling of a staple of trade 10. By weakning the enemies by trade 11. By treatises of peace in trade 12. By forain intelligence 13. By suppressing of trades depending upon exportation of coyne 14. By cherishing some trades that subsist by coyn 15. By acts prejudiciall to trade 16. By remedying the foraine disorders in trade 17. By carrying out or in of commodities hurtfull or beneficial to a kingdome 18. By importation of materials for Manufactories 19. Foraine decrees that prejudice navigation and shipping The endeavours of sundry Princes to gaine traffike The practise of the Duke of Florence to get the trade of Leghorne Of the Hollanders to support their trade Of the Venetians Of the East Kings of Portugall Of Hen. the 7. of England Anno 1515. Of Edward the 6. Of Queene Elizabetâ— Customes increased in 50. yeares in England from 14 to 500. thousand pounds a yeare Princes that have gained traffike must be carefull to preserve it Townes that have lost their traffike by want of care and good order Antwerpe Lyons Marsilia English East-India trade Turke and Moscovia Company in England The reasons that doe move Princes to covet trade in their Kingdomes 1 Honourable 2 Rich. 3 Strong Ttraffike is honourable to the people and country Experienced in the English And in the Portugall and Hollander The commerce and not the conquests of the English have made them famous in India League contracted by the English Merchants with foraine Princes At their own charge 100000. l. yearely The Danes Sweeds and Germans not knowne in India c. 2. Traffike is excellent in point of Riches twâ— wayes 1 To the King and his Nobles 2 To his people How it inricheth the King How the Nobility How the countrey 3. Traffike produceth strength two wayes That which begets wealth also doth beget strength How traffike doth beget strength An excellent ploâ— of the Hollanders to inrâ—ch themselves
THE TREASURE OF TRAFFIKE OR A DISCOURSE OF FORRAIGNE TRADE Wherein is shewed the benefit and commoditie arising to a Common-Wealth or Kingdome by the skilfull Merchant and by a well ordered Commerce and regular Traffike Dedicated to the High Court of PARLAMENT now assembled BY LEWES ROBERTS Merchant and Captaine of the City of LONDON LONDON Printed by E. P. for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his Shop at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS IN THE High Court of PARLAMENT now assembled PArdon me Right Honourable if amongst your other more serious present affaires I presume to dedicate to your acceptance and perusall this short discourse of forraigne Traffike It hath ever beene accounted a branch of Englands Royall Stem and a commoditie that for many yeeres hath brought a wonderfull Revenue to Englands Diadem It now presseth to your presence as an agrieved weight laden with many setters imposed thereon by the covetousnesse of some and by the Envyers of our prosperous Traffike yet seeing that like religious Pilots you guide the helme of our Kingdome with your hand whilst your eyes are fixed on heaven taking from thence the conduct of your earthly directions it hopes by that your good and gracious aspect to be now freed from them all and florish againe in its fiâ—st lustre It is now about forty yeares since it began to be ingrafted in our English Climat and ever since found our soyle proper for iâ—s further grouth but if it find not your Honors favourable protection and future cherishing a few yeares more may see it withrâ—d and reduced to its first nothing I dare not undertake in this discourse to demonstrate the burthens that cloggeth it in this Kingdome the severall Societies of incorporated Merchants of the Citie of London being called before you will best particularise the same onely I have labour'd to shew what may best gaine it in those parts of this Kingdome where it is wanting and augment that portion thereof in those places where it is settled already Let not then Right Honorable so excellent a Jem and so hitherto profitable and eminent a revenew for want of a little of your helpe die in your dayes nor yet perish in our age but release it from those subtle Gives that cunningly have beene intruded upon its liberties and goes about to kill the root thereof decking it once againe as primarily with some of those lasting beautifull immunities that can and may make it live longer and spred it selfe much fairer that the times to come may deservedly attribute to your names and memory that splendor glory it shall obtain by your benignity so shall the King our gracious Soveraigâ—e have just cause to commend your care for your preserving to Himselfe and Kingdome this so noble a Royalty your Honours be justly applauded for imploying your industrious hands and heads in pruning and lopping the disordered branches of so excellent a graft and the Merchants of this Kingdome that have hitherto sowne in Expectation live in hope to reape a fruitfull crop of their foraigne adventures and hartily pray for the good successe of all your other weighty affaires and amongst the rest so shall ever ascend the devout Orisons of Your Humble Servant L. R. Merchant of London To The READER COurteous Readers It is needlesse for mee here to tell you how good a common wealths man a Regular merchant is nor yet trouble you in relating the severall benefits accrâ—â—ing to a Kingdome by his adventrous paines and industry this short discourse though unpolished if well considered will I hope sufficiently speake the one and questionlesse make good the other My well-wishes to our Countries present Commerce and the enlargement thereof the great need in the encouragement to the one and the insensible ruine and decay of the latter was herein and still is my greatest hope and obiect I have lately discerned that our industrious Neighbours were ready at a deare rate to purchase that treasure by Traffike which wee our selves by means of the enviers of our Countreys foraigne Trade were ready to yeeld them gratis and as it were unsought and for nothing yet if it may be rightly said as undoubtedly it may be accounted that Englands trade is Englands treasure why should our gracious King and his people lose that so excellent a profit in a moment which cost his Merchants so many yeares to compasse and so many hazards and charges to obtaine and settle a few priviledges and a little protect on a faire aspect and a gentle encouragement from both these honourable assemblies will quickly settle this Kingdomes Traffike and not only preserve it in its present splendour but also easily augment and enlarge it wâ—iâ—h will adde a wonderfull honour to our Soveraigns Name throughout the World and an eminent commodity and profit to the subjects of all his Dominions which every true subiect I thinke doth earnestly wish for and every honest Merchant doth truly pray for as doth unfainedly Lewes Roberts Merchant and Captaine of the City of LONDON THE TREASURE OF TRAFFIKE THat we are not borne for our selves is a saying no lesse ancient then true the heathens as well as the Christians have held it a rule worthy to be practised and every good man of what quality and profession soever that will give evidence to the world of his faire intentions for the benefit either of the publike or private are daily seene to follow and observe it The religious Divine that with much labour and long study having learned himself the wayes of Godlinesse is daily noted to take care and pains to instruct others therein the valiant souldâ—er that weares hi sword to dâ—fend himselfe yet is ever ready to draw the same in defence of his Countrey the skilfull Lawyer that hath learned by the Lawes to make good his owne interest and right is ever also ready to right the title of others and the judicious Merchant whose labour is to profit himselfe yet in all his actioâ—â— doth there with benefit his King Countrey and fellow Subjects Politicians that have written of State Government have observed three principall meanes wherby a Kingdome may be inriched the first whereof is by arms and conquest but this way must be confessed to be both chargeable bloody hazardable The second is by planting of colonies building of well scituated Townes and the like and this is also accounted uncertain chargeable and tedious But the third and last is by traffike and foraign trade which is held the most certain easiest and soonest way money and time must bee consumed to effect the two former but immunities priviledges and liberties to the Merchant wil not only assure but perfect the latter In the management of these there is required an orderly proceeding and Salomons counsell is the safest that his advice is stil to bee taken who is best versed in the way that is prescrib'd when
and his Crownes that the customes were in her time some yeares before her death farmed but at fourteene thousand pounds which Smith commonly called Customer Smith in one yeare petitioned for reliefe as having beene a loser thereby and now in lesse then fifty yeres is come to five hundred thousand pounds yearely if report gaine credit to the Kings purse and how much more the Farmers have made thereof His Majesties custome bookes can best manifest If then Princes of all ages and the wisest of all Princes have made it part of their study and have in many occurrences prejudiced themselves and their estates to win this so excellent a benefit how carefull need all Princes to be when the same is brought to perfection to preserve and cherish it and not to suffer the liberties of their Merchants to be incroached upon the freedome of their traffike to be fettered by heavy imposts customes and Innovations which are like Cankers that doe insensibly eate out and ruine a trade before the Prince or the wisest of his Counsellors can see how to prevent or remedy it The want of this care and provident foresight hath lost many kings the traffike of their Kingdomes which were the best Iewels of their Crownes and the richest flower in their Diadems The want of good orders in the government of the trade of Antwerpe and the imposing of heavy customes upon the Merchants there trading hath within this fifty yeares brought that Towne to the lownesse wherein now wee see it Lions in France hath suffered wonderfully by the same inconveniences and Marsilia within the dayes of my knowledge had a wonderfull great traffike for many places of Turky Barbary Spaine and other kingdomes and was then able to shew many ships imployed in merchandise carrying thirty and forty peeces of Ordnance and now which is not above 24. in 25. yeares past the best of their vessels have not above ten peeces and of those but very few neither Here I could also particularize the fetters Incroachments and Intrusions that have within these late yeares beene laid upon the East-India traders of England and their liberties and what they have suffered both abroad and at home by the ill wishers of their prosperity but what will it availe them or benefit our countrey to travell into the disturbations crosses and afflictions which they have to their prejudice felt and to their losse suffered It sufficeth me here to say that the want of due and timely protection and incouragement from the Estate hath reduced them to that bad point and low passe wherein we now observe them to bee and that for the future erecting of such a brave society a great deale of time and mony must be expended and many larger immunities then formerly must be granted ere the same can be reduced to that pristine flourishing estate we lately have beheld it to be in I could also here by way of addition say somewhat of those disturbances that the Turky Moscovia and other Companies of London have groaned under but I trust the goodnesse of our Soveraigne and the wisdome of his Counsellors will rectifie the same or remunerate them by fitting encouragements some other wayes lest thereby the same be reduced to the present condition of the East-India Company to His Majesties great losse and dishonour and to the wonderfull prejudice of his people and kingdomes Now having thus handled the 3. first considerations of trade observed that neither naturall nor artificiall commodities of a kingdom can inrich a countrey without the helpe and hand of traffike and then shewed what commodities by a well ordered traffike a Kingdome must suffer entrance and what prohibit and what againe to send out and also what to forbid and withall shewed the particular meanes and wayes that Princes are observed to use to gaine settle preserve and augment the same with the laborious and studious courses that have beene taken by sundry late Princes to obtaine and purchase this so beneficiall a commodity I come now to the last point and consideration before mentioned wherein the rest is for the most part comprehended being the reasons and causes that move all estates Kings and Empires to covet the same which I may say doth extend it selfe into foure heads and principall parts The first is that traffike with foraine nations is notable in respect of the honour and reputation thereof Secondly excellent in point of riches both to the King his Countrey and Subjects Thirdly eminent in regard of strength offensive and defensive that it brings with it to the Countrey and Princes where it is orderly managed and regularly practised by skilfull Merchants First then a well governed traffike practised in a Kingdome by judicious and expert Merchants to foraine and remote countries will easily bee granted and confessed to bee both honourable and of singular reputation both to the Soveraigne in his particular and to the nation in generall I need not seeke farre for examples nor search much for arguments to make this good and manifest but only looke upon this our kingdome wherein wee live How had ever the name of the English beene knowne in India Persia Moscovia or in Turky and in many places else-where had not the traffike of our Nation discovered and spread abroad the fame of their Soveraigne Potency and the renowne of that peoples valour and worth Many parts of the world had peradventure even to this day lived in ignorance thereof and never dreamt of the inhabitants of so small an Iland had not the traffike of the Merchants by Navigation made it famous over all those remote Regions Nay the Portugals and Hollanders an obscure people in comparison of the English and enjoying but a handfull of those subjects that are comprehended under the Scepter of great Britaine have by this onely meanes given witnesse and good testimony to many powerfull remote nations of their countries worth and honour What brought the Portugall nation to be famoused in Affrica and Asia or the Spanish name to bee notable in America but her traffike and Commerce It is not our conquests but our Commerce it is not our swords but our sayls that first spred the English name in Barbary and thence came into Turky Armenia Moscovia Arabia Persia India China and indeed over and about the world it is the traffike of their Merchants and the boundlesse desires of that nation to eternize the English honour and name that hath enduced them to saile and seek into all the corners of the earth What part is there unsearched what place undiscovered or what place lyes unattempted by their endeavours and couragious undertakings most of which hath beene accompanied with such fortunate successe that they have contracted Leagues and Amity with the Mogull Persian Turke Moscovite and other mighty foraine Princes in their Soveraignes name and to his honour which even in our Fathers dayes was not
the Merchants would mightily flourish by this inlargement of trade Secondly diverse sea-Townes where this staple should be kept would be very much enriched Thirdly the Mariners and shipping of this Kingdome would hereby come to be very much enlarged and imployed Fourthly many poore people and other handy crafts men and labourers would be hereby set on worke and imployed Fifthly the honour and reputation of this Kingdome will be much advanced in other countries and much Bullion would thereby come to be imported Sixthly it will keepe all sorts of graine at a reasonable price both for the buyer and seller and the countrey should alwayes bee well provided with corne if dearth should happen and thereby also retaine our coine which upon such an occasion is usually exported Lastly the customes of England would bee much increased by intercourse of trade both by Importation and Exportation of all sorts of foraine commodities whereof we have no use our selves and whereof His Majesty hath at present no custome at all because there is no such course of trade in use Having thus shewed how this staple of trade is to be setled and what benefit it brings with it to that countrey where the same is erected and may bring to us were the same here setled and because in all Kingdomes it is a worke of time and much difficulty and that our ordinary States-men doe neither seriously consider nor truly weigh the reall benefits that arise to a Kingdome and people by the hand of traffike I will here in the last place for conclusion of this consideration shew that a maine Furtherer of a countries traffiâ—e and the only way for the preservation therof being once acquired is to settle by authority of the Soveraign a selected number of able and discreet Merchants with power and sufficient priviledge to examine the disorders of traffike and irregular Traders and to reduce the same to such orders and constitutions as may stand with the benefit and good of the Soveraigne his countrey and subjects and these Merchants to be either sworne and admitted into the Princes counsell or have a superintendency over the generall Commerce of the kingdom by themselves entituled as State-merchants or Merchant States-men the benefit of whose endeavour skill judgement and discretion thus authorised I shall by these few rules offer to the consideration of the Iudicious It is by all Statesmen accounted a truth undeniable that the wealth and welfare of all countries where the subject exerciseth traffike with forraine nations is mainely fâ—rthâ—red and much advanced by the regular orders and merchantlike rules thereof and more especially in that of Englands by nature commodiously seated to that end and of purpose the procurement of which wealth and welfare by the inlargement of Commerce and the well ordering and regulating thereof cannot be so fully effected nor the hindrances fore-seene nor the prejudices so soone avoided by a meere States-man as the same can be by a discreet Merchant qualified with power from the Prince to that purpose Secondly the importation of Bullion to the Princes Mint or exportation of his coyne out of his countrey cannot be so well fore-seene and prevented as by the Merchant who by the course of traffike knowes the impediments of the one and the preventions of the other Thirdly the under-valuing of the home-bred and native commodities of a Kingdome and the over-valuing in that Kingdome of forraine commodities with the discommodity of both to the common wealth nor the causes thereof cannot be so well knowne to a States-man nor by him be prevented as the same can to a Merchant qualified with power thereunto Fourthly the inlargement of trade by any new Inventions Plantations or Discoveries of new traffikes cannot be by any so well furthered as by a qualified Merchant who best knowes by reason of his trade what priviledges are fit to be granted what customes invvards and outwards to be imposed and for the incouragement of the Merchants and Vndertakers in these said courses Fifthly it is granted that the greatnesse of customes and other duties upon Merchants goods in all places diminisheth the trade of a Kingdome and the smalnesse of the same inlargeth the trade thereof now a meere States-man conceives not what commodities are fittest to be eased and vvhich are to be raised for the common good and profit of the trade of that Countrey Sixthly the generall imployment of all the poore of a kingdom in the workmanship of native and home-bred commodities and foraine materials imported now too little regarded by many States-men in many Kingdomes may with more ease and speed be put in Execution by a States-merchant then by a meere States-man as is seene in the dying and dressing of clothes in England and in the prosecution of the Fishing-trade lately here set on foot by the care and industry of divers noble personages and lost for want of experienced men in that profession to manage the same Seventhly as a matter worthy of a Princes consideration the furnishing of decayed haven Townes with inhabitants Mariners and shipping in a kingdome and the needfull helps and furtherances thereto with a profitable trade to maintaine both to their and the Prince and countries good is better performed by a Merchant then by a meere Statesman Eighthly the continuall furniâ—hing of a Kingdome with corne at cheape rates yea even in times of Dearth the want whereof some yeares past the last great Dearth inriched Holland for seven yeares following and impoverished England full as long by their exportation of two millions of pounds as is conceived that year out of all ports of this Kingdome in gold wherein a meer States-man knows not the way neither how to provide for the one nor yet how to prevent the other which notwithstanding a Merchant can with â—ase and better husbanddry accomplish and performe Ninthly the setling of a staple or freedome of trade in a kingdome in commodious and fit places with fit and advantageable priviledges and how the same is to be governed and directed and wherein to be restrained and limited is onely within the knowledge of a Merchant and fittest for his direction which a meere States-man doth not so well understand nor can judge of Tenthly Salomon saith that wisdome is better then the weapons of warre therefore a Merchant can in times of warres with foraine Princes better direct how to weaken his enemies in course of their traffike and preiudice them in the point of their profit and crosse their designed intentions for provision of warfare more then the best States-man can doe by open hostility Tenthly In concluding of a peace or in the making of leagues and amity with foraine Princes the Merchant can advise of the fitting conditions to bee insisted upon and obtained in the point of traffike for the advancement of his King and Countrey which a Statesman doth not so much regard nay many times not yet understand Twelfth
A Merchant that hath beene resident many yeares in foraine parts and sometimes hath remained all that time in one and the same Countrey and hath afterwards continuall advice from his Factors there resident by reason of his daily trading thither of all the occurrences of the place with their provisions made there for arming of hâ—rse foot or shipping must needs consequently understand thereof and the affaires of those parts better then those that never were thâ—re or but cursorily to see fashions and that peradventure many yeares before that time Thirteenth A Merchant knowes by his observations in course of trade that there bee some trades in a Kingdome which cannot subsist nor bee driven without exportation of the coyne of that kingdome and place or which cause the diversion of Bullion from the Mint of that place which are not to bee cherished as those trades are which doe neither all which a meere States-man cannot so well comprehend and take notice of Fourteenth A Merchant doth know that there be some trades againe which cannot subsist without this exportation of the coine of a kingdome and have a necessary dependance thereon which yet notwithstanding are to be cherished sometimes equall sometimes above other trades by reason that the same trade begets another advantageable trade that doth more profit to the kingdome then the exportation of that coyn doth prejudice the same which a States-man can neither discerne nor take notice of Fifteenth A Merchant doth know what decrees and ordinances made in a Kingdome doe further and enlarge the trade therof and which againe in themselves doe hurt and prejudice the same also what decrees and ordinances are enacted in foraine states or countries that are injurious and hurtfull to the trade and countrey where he abides and how to meet with and prevent the same by counter Decrees and Regulations which a meere States-man doth neither know nor can of himselfe prevent or have notice of Sixteenth A Merchant doth find by his traffike into foraine parts what commodities and what nations are eased by foraine Princes within their dominions to the end that by charging of some and easing of other some they covet to benefit some nations more then other and further the vent of some commodities more then others redounding to the prejudice and ill consequence of the Kingdome of his aboade and residency which the Merchant can in a short time both prevent and remedy to the good of that Kingdome where hee lives but the States-man cannot in a long time find out nor yet being found out remedy it till peradventure the remedy be worse then the disease Seventeenth A Merchant knoweth what commodities can bee drawne out of another countrey to the benefit of his owne and what commodities are carried out of his owne countrey to the prejudice as Iron-Ordnance are in England or benefit of another and can by regular orders in the course of traffike hinder the importation and exportation of what is hurtfull or any way dammageable to the Kingdome of his aboade and further the importation and exportation of such commodities as are prejudiciall to the traffike of the strange and remote Countrey which the States-man for want of knowledge in merchandising cannot effect or accomplish Eighteenth A Merchant can advance his Countrey by the importation of materials for Manufactories to bee wrought at home and by this meanes set multitudes of poore on work to the great benefit of the place of his aboade and can by reason of his travels into foraine parts where hee sees the naturall and profitable commodities of other Nations transport the same and sometimes plant them in his owne native soyle for his Countries good and honour which the States-man cannot without great difficulty performe and effect Lastly the Merchant best knowes what Decrees are constituted in foraine Countries that hinder the Navigation and diminish the shipping of the countrey of his aboade and what orders and injunctions are imposed at home that insensibly ruine and destroy the same either by meanes of grants made to private persons to the prejudice thereof or by innovations imposed by Farmers or other Vnder-officers that either destroyeth the same or tendeth to the discouragement of Sea-men which meere States-men cannot so soone discerne nor yet in fitting times remedy To conclude this point having thus shewed the courses that are used in sundry Countries for the setling preserving and augmentation of Commerce in generall and withall considered how farre in his owne person a Merchant is able to benefit and advance his Countrey and place of his aboade and how a staple of trade may bee erected setled and priviledged with fitting liberties to gaine an ample traffike where none is and shewed withall the commodities that arise to the Countrey where the same is so setled and maintained I will now for conclusion of this third consideration run through and briefly survey the marvellous care cost and paines that severall Princes have willingly beene at and undergone to compasse the same By what hath beene said then in this consideration and upon this point it may be gathered that the obtaining and acquisition of a traffike at the first is very difficult being as a precious Iewell which must be sought after courted and purchased with many priviledges liberties immunities and sometimes with the very example of the Prince himselfe because that the honour benefit and commodity that doth still attend it as I shall declare in the close of this discourse extends itselfe both to the Soveraigne his Nobles Kingdome and subjects in generall and to the end that it may appeare that all Iudicious Princes and Politick States men have thus judged thereof and found the effects of the same answerable to this my assertion I will here briefly declare and shew the industrious paines and painefull endeavours of sundry the wisest Princes of Europe to acquire purchase and obtaine this so excellent a Iewell The Dukes of Toscany being ever accounted expert Exchangers finding that their Dukedome by reason of the want of a Sea-port for the receit of shipping was very unfit to entertaine a trade by Navigation purchased the town and Territory of Leghorne of the Common-wealth of Genoa at the rate as some report of one hundred and twenty thousand Dollers it being then a poor Fisher-towne capable only to receive small Barkes and that of no considerable burthen and did for the inlarging of his traffike by sea adde a faire and pretty new built-Towne to the old fortifying the same with Wals Ditches Castles a Bannia for his slaves and a Lasseretta or a Pest-house to receive both the goods and persons of such as should arrive there from contagious and infected parts then he gave a dwelling to all for seven yeares gratis that would come to inhabit there then hee erected a watch-Tower with a strong mould to preserve the ships that anchor there from the violence of all weathers he gives his