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
matters wherein he is surpassing others that hence the prouerbe is deriued that One doth vnderstand his Par or Equalitie be it in matter of exchange or monies whereby the course of commodities is ruled But this cannot properly be taken as a remedy against the dearth of things for it doth keepe a due equality in the price of all things and maketh not any alteration So that we may conclude as before that maister Bodine hauing mistaken the true ground of the matter he intreated of the remedies by him propounded are also incertaine For as we haue said before we are not in this regard to compare things within themselues in the Common-wealth where we do liue but betweene vs and other nations with whom we deale or traffike either by way of permutation of commodities for commodities or commodities for money in specie or by exchange Therefore let vs examine the course of commodities money and exchange whereby the wealth of a Realme may increase or decrease Riches as Aristotle hath defined are either Naturall or Artificiall And Plato before he did reuoke his opinion concerning equalitie when he willed al things in a Commonwealth to be common whereby euery man might haue enough and in regard of these words Mine and Thine wherby the propertie of things is distinguished did vse to say That there was no man that did gaine but another was a loser supposing both the Naturall and Artificiall riches to be appertaining and proper to some that were owners thereof Wherein he did note a kind of absurditie at that time in regard of his purpose But afterwards hauing had a due consideration of far greater absurdities that wold happen if to auoide strife and contention goods were common and consequently women and children wherby families whereof Commonweals are compounded wold be dissolued and ouerthrowne he did wisely reuoke his former opinion holding the matter to be impossible and incompatible For there can be no Common-wealth without a priuate wealth whereby these two words Mine and Thine were restored to their former and auncient credite which all good housholders or fathers of families are to consider in particular the Prince as the father of the great familie of a Commonwealth in generall as well touching the Natural riches of lands as of the Artificiall riches proceeding of the same and to make and moderate his charges and expences accordingly To which end first in regard of Naturall riches the knowledge of his dominions and territories is requisite to be considered of being compared with other Princes dominions which oftentimes are accounted to be more spacious then they bee By reason whereof we haue made this Geometricall description following whereby the spaciousnesse of one kingdome or countrey may be compared with another obseruing onely the difference of the number A Geometricall Description of the world The circumference of the Globe which according to the imaginarie accompt of Ptolomy containeth 360 Geometricall degrees of 15 leagues euery degree maketh in the whole 5400 leagues which we do reckon after one thousand measures of land for euery league of foure English miles or 60 miles for a degree The Diameter being 1718 2 11 leagues making the superficies both of water and land 9278 thousand 181 leagues euery league being 4666â…” measures square which maketh the whole globe of the world to containe 43 millions of millions 298 millions 170 thousand measures of land and water whereof the water being deducted accoumpting aboue two third parts of the whole and the other third for the earth there remaineth not accompting fractions and vnnecessarie numbers nine millions of millions 381 millions 627 thousand measures of land knowne to be inhabited wherof followeth a particular distribution vpon euery kingdome and countrie with a note of their situation Beginning our voyage from England the most renowned Iland in the world and trauelling all the world ouer which by water may be compassed in one yeare and a halfe as may be seene by the globe set foorth at the charges of Maister Sanderson by the voyages of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Thomas Candish knights we find England with the Ilands adiacent vnder her Maiesties dominion to containe 34 millions 438 thousand measures of land after the computation aforesaid Ireland the Iland which lieth most West of those that be of any fame containeth 21 millions 785 thousand measures Scotland being adioyned to England containeth 12 millions 250 thousand measures The most Westerne countrey of Europe is Spaine which is bounded the South with the Mediterranean sea on the West with the Atlanticke on the North with the Oceanus Cantabricus or the Spanish seas on the East with Fraunce from which it is seuered with the Pireney hils Vnder Spaine we reckon the eight kingdoms following Castile containing 31 886. m. Andaluzia 3 700. m. Granado 3 150. m. Nauarre 1 868. m. Portugal 12 600. m. Leon gallicia 9 520. m. Arragon 16 760. m. Biscay 4 666. m. Â All 84 150. m. measures of land Fraunce which is bounded on the West with the Pirency hilles on the North with the English seas on the East with Germanie on the Southeast with the Alpe hilles and on the Southwest with the Mediterranean sea containing 32 Prouinces Normandie 2 022. m. Campagney 1 785. m. Xantogne 1 791. m. Poitou 2 644. m. Berry 1 437. m. Limogis 140. m. Picardie 1 307. m. Anjou 840. m. Calis 46. m. Bulleyn 135. m. Languedoc 2 240. m. Dauphiney 900. m. Burgundie 757. m. Prouence 1 178. m. Vermandois 116. m. And Vienois Lionois Gascoine France Lorreyne Britayne Guien Nivernois Bourbon Auverne Velay Pierigueux Viemois and the rest Containing all 91 350. m. measures The next countrey vnto Fraunce on the East side is Germany which is bounded on the West with Fraunce and the Low countries on the North with Denmarke and the Danish seas on the East with Prussia Poland and Hungarie on the Southeast with Istria and Illiricum and the South with the Alpe hils and with Italie Vnder Saxonie Saxonia 3 750. m. Misnia 3 360. m. Turingia 1 120. m. Vnder Austria Lusatia 2 614. m. Slesia 5 558. m. Bohemia 7 000. m. Austria 6 300. m. Morauia 4 200. m. Beyeren 3 360. m. Assia 3 947. m. Heluetia 12 585. m. Basle and Swetia 2 992. m. Wirtenbergh 1 270. m. Embden 244. m. Collen 214. m. Salsburie 1 089. m. Cleues 257. m. Gulich 357. m. Westphalia 2 450. m. Ofnab 357. m. Pomerania 3 360. m. Marquis brandeburgh 6 293. m. Machalburgh 2 100. m. Franconia 6 440. m. Tiroll 3 360. m. Carinthea 1 634. m. Stiria 1 866. m. Count Palatin 4 450. m. Oldeburg Dulmar 462. m. Liege 571. m. Trier Ments Strasbourgh Spiers Wormes together 4 324. m. Â All 97 884. m. measures The 17 Prouinces of the Low-countries accompting 550 townes and 12 thousand villages bounded on the West with Germanie and Fraunce consisting of 4 Dukedomes 7 Earledomes and 6 Seigniories Brabant 1 502. m. Guildres 420. m. Luxenborgh
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
sell seeing that those nations doe bring their owne Commodities vnto our merchants to the places by them appointed which is in effect as much as VVill you buy And would not this be VVil you buy if in a dispersed and stragling manner our cloth were caried to al markets be yond the seas in seuerall places which would take away the desire of buying for he that buyeth doth it in hope of sale with a gain to the places where he intendeth to carrie the Commoditie Which Commoditie if hee knoweth to be extant in most places to be vented will quench his desire of buying and he that commeth to barter other Commodities for ours hath also the like cōsideration But let vs admit that our cloth would be aduanced in price when men shold by multitudes runne to the markets or into the countrey in all places to buy it what would be the euent of it It would not onely be sold beyond the seas with a smaller gaine and many times to losse wee being naturally inclined to make speedie returnes but we should also pay dearer for the forraine Commodities which we should obtaine by way of permutation or for the billes obligatorie of the Merchants to whom we should sell our cloth And if our merchants were cut off and that other nations should buy the cloth within the realme and so aduaunce the price therof as it hapneth most commonly in Fraunce and Spaine at the vintage time with their wines and raisins then forraine Commodities would be sold dearer vnto vs by them againe For the small gaine had vpon our home Commodities causeth vs and would cause them to seeke a better gaine vpon the forraine Commodities to the generall hurt of the realme and to the exhausting of our monies which to ballance the matter must supply the same So that the enhauncing of the price of cloth in this manner would be but an imaginarie gaine and bring in the end an exceeding losse to the generall Commonwealth whose welfare is to be preferred before any particular Cōmodity of any member therof And it were to be wished that labourers and workmens wages were augmented although our cloth should cost so much the dearer as we haue noted elsewhere and that with great regard the poore people were set on worke and by way of corporation their handiworke were vented which without incurring the compasse of Monopolie is very commendable in all Commonwealths and vsed in many countries Lastly that the Statutes concerning the maintenance of nauigation were duly executed The third cause saith Maister Bodine is the want of things proceeding of the excessiue trade of things or by the wast thereof Touching the trade of any particular Commodities of the realme we may well passe ouer as he doth and make onely our stay with the trade for corne Which if it were guided with that due consideration both for preseruation and transportation as is requisite would make plain the Prouerbe Fraunce cannot be famished to be more incident and proper to the realme of England then to the realme of Fraunce because that proportionably we haue more fertile ground for corne and that in all places of the kingdome then Fraunce hath but in some places For those countries where the vines do grow are vnapt for corne and must haue their prouision from the countries adiacent and many times out of England when our corne is thither transported being with vs too good cheap in regard of their wines and other Commodities The cōparison wherof being made and the goodnesse of our corne regarded will make manifest that to sell our wheate for thirtie shillings the quarter and other grains after the rate is good cheape and that the Prince notwithstanding may impose a great custome or licence for the transportation therof which transportation might be done moderately and according to the quantitie extant and for so much therof as might conueniently be spared if the Magistrate and those that are in authoritie had the rule of the market in such sort as the Venetians haue who by the means of the Iustices of euery prouince do know little more or lesse the quantity of corne in all places whereupon certaine substantiall men are appointed from time to time to haue a consideration of the quantitie or scarcitie therof which quantitie being known and in what places may be a direction to those that are in authoritie to consider what the realme may spare hauing a regard to the season of the yeare and making the price accordingly And when the price of corne is limited and made knowne in writing in certaine publike places on euery Monday of the weeke all ingrossers forestallers or others that buy corne to sell againe are preuented because that the price thereof is not in their owne power but by the direction of those honest men rated at all times according to the quantitie and as the haruest is distant or at hand which is so notified vnto all men as aforesaid Whereby the execution of the law for the making of the loues of bread is duly obserued without any trouble vnto the magistrate For the baker knoweth how to make his loues and of what waight deliuering the same according to the true waight by those men appointed vnto any man that doth call for it which the poore doth so well obserue for that his indigence giueth him cause that without troubling any officer he is sure to haue his penni-worth and if he shold find it wanting of his waight presently with the assistance of an Officer as it were the Constable he doth seaze vpon all the bakers bread then extant and taketh the one moitie for him and the other for the poore of the Hospitals And who would buy corne to sell againe being debarred not to sell at his pleasure or with gain and vncertaine what the price will be made by others And what baker is he that would make his loaues of a lesser waight when he must sell them by waight as aforesaid By these meanes is corne brought to the market and none may be sold but in the market and the Clerke of the market taketh notice therof and what is by licence transported is done vpon due knowledge and without defrauding the Prince of his custome To haue many store-houses in seuerall places of the realme in the principall townes is most conuenient for the preseruation of corn which when need requireth may be prouided from forrain countries when the vnseasonable times cause vs to haue scarcitie or want therof notwithstanding all the industrie and care of man Concerning the immoderate vse of forraine Commodities in wearing and wasting by cutting and putting into seuerall strange new fangled fashions we doe referre the examination thereof vnto those that haue authority to reprehend men of their actions wishing reformation where things are amisse And albeit that gay and sumptuous apparell is a demonstration of pride yet a country clowne may be as proude in a frize coat as a gentleman in a veluet