safely answer for my self and the main of my Discourse that it is wholly New and such as never before appeared in Print both as to the Manner Charges and Advantage of Planting either one or a thousand Acres in the way and at the Distances propounded I confess I am but a bad Writer and have been all my time more experienc'd in the Practice then the Theory of this kind of Husbandry yet having more consulted the Publick then my self I hope the Learned will indulge me and so I deliver things as they ought pardon the Rudeness of my words and expression A farther Advertisement to the Reader THough this Book came out tâ—us late yet it was finished at least the first and biggest part about three years since but I was not able to publish it by reason of my own great want and former Losses till I had obtained the Subscriptions of several Gentlemen in the Countrey who Reading it and approving both my Design and Method freely contributed to the Charges of this Publication ERRATA PAge 2 l. 25 r. within these few years p. 7 l. 4 for which in r. within ib. l. 29 r. dy-square p. 19 l. 32 after but 1. of p. 20 l. 9 r. that time ib. l. 18 for Masts 1. Mast. p. 22 l. 14 15 r. Incroachment p. 26 l. 12 for chalk r. shank p. 32 l. 33 so every r. very p. 33 l. 32 r. they will l. 34 r. of Trees p. 39 l. 14 for their r. the. p. 41 l. 22 after whole r. ground p. 49 l. 23 for parted r. planted p. 51. l. 5 for that r. after p. 63 l. 1. for de r. side p. 65 l. 20 after preserved r. in every Acre p. 66 l. 33 after small r. houses after p. 160 as far as 1691. for 141 142 c. 161 162 c. p. 161 l 32 dele the breadth cf. p. 177 l. 33 for whereby r. where p. 181 l. 13 for as r. when p. 182 l. 8 Anniseed r. Anniseseed p. 236 l. 19. for as in r. alike in p. 251. l. 17. for Rona r. Rova p. 253 l. 23 for Stars r. Scars Other Faultâ—less considerable and onely literal the Readers judgment will easily supply THE CONTENTS The First Book IN this Book is set down the great benefit that does apise from Trading which is the Strength and Riches of a People as also that the Kings of England are the Soveraign Lords of the British Seas and that the said Seas have by force of Arms been kept and protected from the Power of all other Nations or Kings in memory by undoubted Records ever since Edgar Etheldred Canutus the Dane Edward the Confessor William the Conqueror and all the Kings of England successively to this day You have in it also a Collection of certain Breviats of several Records now in the Tower of London proving the Soveraignty of the British Seas wholly to belong to the Kings of England demonstratedly the Examples of several other Kings and Princes how they keep by force of Arms all Seas within their Territories You have also here in passage shown the great use of Ships how they are the strength of a Kingdom or People and the chief Instruments of Trade And this part lastly is concluded with a short Declaration of the woful Wasts and Decay of all Woods and Timber in England especially in His Majesties Forests not only during the Troubles but to this very day together with some short Proposals for ppeserving these Trees that are now standing and growing planting wast Lands for a future supply and several wayes of improving Barren Lands The Second Book IS treated the Planting Forrest-Lands and other wast-Lands with Plants for Timber-trees also of all kinds of Earth Simple or Compound Rich or Barren and the manner and way of improving the same either by planting Seed or sets for Timber trees or Vnderwoods Likewise by draining or watering such Lands that require the same and Devonshiring or Burning thâ—se Lands grown over with Bushes Heath Furres Goss or such like Also the way of Improving all the said several sorts of Earths by Lime Marl Dung and many other such like Improvements likewise by Plowing Delving Trenching or Plow-trenching the said Land and sowing seed for Corn or Grass and of several Observations and Directions therein The Third Book YOu have set down the manner and way of planting one Acre of Land Statute-measure that is 16 foot and a half to the Pearch with seed or sets for Timber trees and Vnderwoods at several distances as from 1 foot to 4 Pearch Also the converting the said Woods to several uses with the Charges and Profit of performing the same and several Observations in planting the said Woods Also a Conjecture at the growth and Age of Timber-trees as Oaks that are now standing and grow which said Trees may be probably concluded to be the Production of the Earth at the Creation of the World together with Preparatory Directions by plowing and sowing with choice of Seed and Plants in order to the planting a thousand Acres The Fourth Book YOu have Directions to plant a thousand Acres of Land Woodland-measure 18 foot to the Pearch with Seed and Sets for Timber trees and Vnderwoods at the several distances before mentioned and that is from one foot to four Pearch Also here is set down the particular and total accounts of the Charges and Profit of planting of the said Land by Plowing or delving and sowing or setting the same with seed or sets As also converting the said Woods to several uses The Fifth Book IN this Book are Directions set down how to plant 200 Acres of Land as well for Pleasure as for Profit wherein there shall be pleasant Walks with Timber-trees and Groves of Vnderwoods and several Orchards and Gardens with Fruit Flowers and Herbs both for food and Physick variety of Fowl Bees Silk-worms Bucks Does Hares and other Creatures of several kinds And a short account of the Charges and Profit of keeping a thousand Doe-Cenies in Hutches the Profit amounting to 4500 l. per Annum Also Fish-ponds and Streams of Water stored with many kind of Fish and stocked with Decoy Ducks And the use and vertues of all the Plants growing in this Garden of Pleasure The Sixth Book YOu have a Description of the Islands of Orkney and Shotland with the manner and way of the Hollanders Fishing and Trading in those Seas and Islands Also a Diurnal or short account of Coasting from London to those Islands with a discovery of several Rocks and Harbours on that Coast Here is likewise set down that the Original of the Hollanders Trade which is now much increased and spread through a great part of the World was and is from the Fish they every year take on the Coast of England and Scotland And in this Book lastly is set down the great benefit that does arise from Trade with a short discourse that the Traffick of Europe hath been engrossed into the hands and carried
on all along by the Venetians Genoese Portugals Easterlings Hollanders and English and that the falure and decay of the one was the original rise to another Also a Composition which the Hollanders made with King Charles the First to pay unto his Majesty one hundred thousand pounds yearly and a hundred thousand pounds ready down The TABLE PAge 1 2 Discourse of Trade Page 3 4 5 6 Several records to prove that the Soveraignty of the British Seas do wholly belong to the Kings of England P. 7 8 Several proposals for the preserving timber-trees P. 9 10 Hammers and Furnaces for Iron great wasters of woods From p. 11 to p. 17 Several wayes of Improving Land From p. 18 to 22 Great Wasts committed by Keepers others Page 23 to 29 Observations and Directions to make a good serviceable and profitable Fence Page 30 31 The Charges of making the said Fence Page 32 The Original of Ground and Plants Page 33 to 40 Several kind of grounds not good to plant trees in Page 41 to 44 The choice of Seed and Plants P. 45 to 51 Directions to plant one acre of Land several wayes and at several distances Page 52 The Number of Seed and Plants given to Plant a thousand acres of Land at several distances Page 53 54 The best season of the yeat and the manner and way of plowing Ground in which to sow or set Seed or Plants P. 55 All kind of seed plants will not thrive in one kind of earth P. 56 to 59 Several observations in plowing sowing and setting seed and plants for Trees Page 60 to 63 Several observations in transplanting Trees P. 64 to 66 Several observations in planting for Under-Woods P. 67 to 71 Transplanting Trees of great bulk or growth P. 72 to 75 Observations in dressing or proyning Trees P. 76 to 80 The growth and age of Timber-Trees P. 81 Two several Chains to plant seed or sets by P. 82 to P. 103 is set down the profit of Planting a thousand acres of Land with seed or sets for Timber-trees and under-Woods Page 104 An account given of 29548000 acres of Land in England besides that which is allowed for the High-wayes P. 105 Loss of ground by reason of the Fence P. 106 to p. 125 you have an account of the charges by plowing and planting seed and sets for Timber-trees and under-Woods P. 126 to p. 159 you have an account of the Charges by delving the Land and planting seed and sets for Timber-trees and under-Woods P. 160 to 163 Planting pleasant walks with Timber-trees and Groves P. 164 to 169 The Charges and Profit keeping 1000 tame Conies P. 170 171 Several observations about sheep P. 172 175 Several directions to make an Aviary also a Fish-pond and several observations about Pigeons P. 176 The choice of Cows for a Dairy P. 177 to p. 183 A particular view of every part of the pleasant Land P. 183 184 An Alphabet of all Herbs growing in the Kitchin and Physick Gardens P. 185 186 187 Several Observations about planting Herbs P. 188 189 Directions to Plant Hops P. 190 191 192 A View of the Pleasant-Land P. 193 to p. 243 The Vertues and use of Trees and Herbs P. 244 to p. 248 Several Physical Directions P. 249 to p. 270 A Discourse of the Fishing-Trade of Great-Britain ENGLAND'S IMPROVEMENT REVIVED THE FIRST BOOK The Argument In this Book is set down the great benefit that doâ— arise from Trading which is the Strength and Riches of a People as also that the Kings of England are the Soveraign Lords of the British Seas and that the said Seas have by force of Armes been kept and protected from the Power of all Nations and Kings in memory by undoubted Records ever since Edgar Etheldred Canutus the Dane Edward the Confessor William the Conqueror and all the Kings of England to this day You have in it also a Collection of certain Breviats of several Records now in the Tower of London proving the Soveraignty of the British Seas wholly to belong to the Kings of England demonstrated by the Examples of several other Kings and Princes how they keep by force of Armes all Seas within their Territories You have also here in Passage shewn the great use of Ships how they are the Strength of a Kingdom or People and the chief Instruments of Trade And this part lastly is concluded with a short Declaration of the wofull wasts and decay of all Woods and Timber in England especially in his Majesties Forrests not only during the Troubles but to this very day Together with some short Proposals for preserving those Trees that are now standing and growing planting wast Lands for a future supply and several ways of improving Barren Lands HAving not long since in obedience unto his Majesties Gracious Declaration for the Fishing-Trade of Great Britain discoursed something of Trade in general and how it hath flourished together with its Decay throughout Europe as well as here in England and particularly of the Fishing-Trade and the great advantage that might accrue to this Nation thereby I think it needless to repeat here what I have other where more largely set down It is well known that Trade is the Life of all the habitable World and that by the extent thereof the Venetians and Genoese did engross the greatest part of the Wealth of Europe and by their Shipping which continually supplyed them with Men became a Terror unto all about them But when their Trading decayed their Strength and Glory did with it fall as if those two Twins who were happily born together were unwilling to survive each other After the Venetians and Genoese the Easterlings or Haunse Towns being Masters of the Trade were very powerfull at Sea and Land and in their own Bottoms transported our Staple Commodities all over Europe when we for want of Ships could only look on and see them grow rich by our encrease I need not tell how also by their Shipping the Saxons Danes and Normans invaded England being the more powerfull because Masters of a great Trade but when that began to fail their Strength and Shipping sensibly decayed After the Easterlings the Portugals discovering the way to the Indies by the Cape of good hope quickly became Ingrossers of the whole Trade thither and at once undermined the Venetians and all the Haunse Towns and encreasing with the strength of Spain became as formidable at home by Land as they were abroad at Sea But now in these years those great Trades are fallen betwixt Us and the Hollander only the Hollander by art and industry hath better improved his Interest and made himself rich by our Staple Commodities For the Original of all their Trade and Merchandise together with the great support of it was and is from the Fish they take in the Seas belonging unto England and Scotlandm with the Product whereof they are grown to that greatness that now they are and may be as ill Neighbours to England as the
Easterlings were Now although there have been many that by way of Argument and for discourse sake would goe about to prove that the Seas are free and Common and ought not to be bounded by any other Laws than their own Shoars and Sands yet the necessity of Order in Mutual Commerce and the safety of Mens Goods and Lives may teach us by the very light of Nature that Laws are as necessary for the government and preservation of such as frequent the Seas as of those that trade on the firm Land And though there be such Persons that dare presume thus to dispose of and at their pleasure dispossess his Majesty of this his undoubted Birthright the Royalties of the Seas which his Ancestors have held beyond all memory yet I hope he will never be unprovided of others to vindicate as much as in them lies by their Lives as well as their Pens that Right of his Crown and maintain those ancient Laws and Customs of his Kingdoms unto which all foreign Princes and Nations have freely submitted as by several Records yet to be seen in the Tower of London will evidently appear And because it is the general disposition of Men to choose rather to i emain in ignorance than to be at charges or by labour and industry to search and find out the truth of things to inform such as are willing at least at anothers cost not to be ignorant and strengthen the knowing they being many and very copious I shall here only give you a Breviat of so many of them as may suffice for this occasion 1. There is to be seen a Record therefore in the Rolls there Concerning Taxes and Tributes imposed upon Ships passing and Fishing upon our Coasts the Ordinance was made in the second yeare of Richard the second by the assent of Parliament 2. And to like purpose is that of Edward the fourth where it is manifestly exprest that the King appointed Wafters to guard the Fishers not only of his own Realm but Forrainers and Strangers that Fish upon his Coasts and that the Wafters tooke a Ratable proportion of Every Ship towards their Cost and Expences securing their Fishing and that these Wafters were to Prohibit all other Wafters whatsoever that presumed to take the Office upon them and to Commit them to Prison 3. Cambden in his description of the North Riding of Yorkshire sayth that the Hollanders in their Fishing for Herrings upon the North Coast of England did first obtain Licence from Scarbrough Castle 4. And all Neighbour Princes upon any such occasion have obteined Licence for their Subjects to Fish in our Seas as in a Truce of War agreed between Henry the 4th and the French King 5. Also during a Treaty between Henry the 6th and the Duchess of Burgundy those of Brabant and Flanders had Liberty of free Fishing granted them 6. And so it was in a another Truce between the said King and the Duchess of Burgundy 7. The like we find in a Truce between Edward the 4th and Francis Duke of Britain 8. Phillip the 2 d King of Spaine in the first year of Queen Mary Obtained Licence for his subjects to Fish upon the North Coasts of Ireland for the terme of 21 Years paying for the same yearly 1000 pounds which was accordingly brought into the Exchequer of Ireland and received by Sir Henry Fitton the then Treasurer there 9. And the King of France as others of his Predecessors by speciall Licence only of the King of England Fisheth upon our Coasts near Rye with a sett and Limited Number of small Boats and that only for Provision for his own Houshould 10. All States and Princes doe generally give Laws to pass and fish in the Seas Coasting upon their own Territories and also Impose Taxes and Tributes for their own Profit and Commodity 11. The Emperour of Russia compelleth all Fishermen within his Seas though it be many Leagues from the Maine to pay him Tribute 12. In the Seas and Islands under the King of Sweden they pay Taxes to him 13. The King of Denmark at his Wardhouse in the sound hath for every Licence a Doller and for the Seale and Rose a Noble of every Ship and for every Last of Herrings being 12. Barrels a Doller 14. The Duke of Medina Sidonia in Spain hath his greatest Revenues out of the Taxes lay'd on Fishermen 15. All Princes of Italy bordering upon the Seas Receive a proportion of like benifit 16. And the Hollanders themselves Impose Taxes on the Fish taken by their Fishermen in our Seas But I shall keep my self neare home and within the Soveraignty of our own Seas which our Antient Monarchs of Britain even from the first Memory that we can have of them were always most carefull to preserve for First the Antient Britains admitted very few or no strangers at all into their Service at Sea least turning Renegadoes they might upon occasion lay them open to the Incursions of their Neighbours the Gaules by discovering to them the manner of their Shipping which they kept as a very great secret and therefore when Julius Caesar came with an intention first of all to invade this Island Gaul though very near and in sight of it could not supply him with any that could give him a certaine Intelligence of the Place or which way unless in Vessels of his own or a few passage Boats used by Traders to get thether But these were Countermanded by a great Strength at Sea which the Britains were Masters of Shipps of a good Bulk and serviceable in that Age for fight which they continually employed to Round the Island and scoure the seas which course the Romans after they once came to be setled in the Isle put in practice and after something a better method finding here such Timber as they could not be provided with for that use in any other part of their Empire After the Romans Edgar King of the Saxons continually kept in readiness a Navy of 400 Ships which being divided into 4 severall fleets did every year after Easter take their Course to the 4 quarters of England where they remained to Guard and scower the Seas until the Winter following After Edgar then Etheldred for defence of the British Seas and Kingdom caused of every 310 hides of Land a Ship to be built which all meeting at Sandwich made the greatest Navy that ever this Kingdom set forth to Sea After him Canutus the Dane Maintained a mighty Fleet of Ships for the safety of the Seas and Kingdome and so the succeeding Kings to William the Conqueror I might instance in severall of our Kings of later Ages who to maintain the Rights and Priviledges of the Seas have set forth Mighty Fleets and by force kept off the Hollanders and other Nations till they by the increase of their Shipping have grown to that greatness both in Riches and strength that they think they may doe any thing and for some time have usurpt that right which undoubtedly
There are many Barrels of Herrings taken by the Inhabitants with their small Boats in the Sounds and at Sea not far from Land which are the gleanings of the Hollanders Busses for the Busses driving at Sea break the Skull or Shole of Herrings and then the Herrings flee near the Shore and through the Sounds where these small Boats with those Nets they have take them But if they had better Tackling and Boats they might take five hundred Barrels for one which would much enrich the Islands and by encreasing of Trade would augment His Majesties Revenue I was an eye-witness of the Hollanders Busses Fishing for Herring on the coast of Shotland not far from Ounst one of the Northermost Islands demanding the number of them was informed by several persons of quality that the Fleet consisted of 1500 Sail and that there were about 20 Wafters as they call'd them which were Ships carrying about 30 Guns a piece being the Convoys of the Fleet of Busses which said Busses were of the burden of about 80 Tun. There were also a small Fleet of Dogger-boats which were of the burden of 60 Tun and upward which did fish only with Hooks and Lines for Ling and Cod. Many of these Boats and Busses came into several Havens or Sounds to fit and trim themselves One thing was observable that within 8 or ten dayes after the Dogger-Boats went to Sea they came into the Sound again so full laden as they could swim The certain number of Dogger-Boats I could not learn but the general report was about 400. The Composition of the Hollanders as I was informed after my coming into England was an Annual Rent of 100000 l. and 100000 l. in hand and never having been paid or brought into the Exchequer as I could hear of there is in Arrearages above 2500000 l. an acceptable Sum and which would come very happily for the present occasions of His Majesty As for the Charges in Building Rigging and setting forth the Busses to Sea with Nets and other Materials for the Fishing as also Dogger-Boats for Ling and Cod I refer to several Books in Print as The Royal Herring-Buss Fishing and A Narative of the Royal Fishing both set forth by Mr. Simon Smith who is well experienced in those Affairs If God would please to put it into the heart of our Gracious King and his Subjects to set out such a Fleet of Busses as before mentioned for the Fishing-Trade being in our own Seas and on our own ground and that the Hollanders and all Strangers may be discharged from Fishing in those Seas and the Hamburgers Breamers and Lubeckers and all Strangers from Trading in the Islands of Orkney and Shotland and that onely the Subjects of the three Kingdoms may have the Trading and Fishing it would make our King one of the greatest Monarchs in the World for Riches and Glory and the Three Kingdoms the happiest people in Christendom and there would not be one wanting Bread but the hearts of the Subjects would be listed up with Praises to God and our King For it is well known that Trading is the life of all the habitable World and therefore much more of these Three Kingdoms which are but Islands and so populous that we are ready to devour one the other and if Trading be not encreased and maintained amongst us we shall in a short time be the most despicable People in the World and the derision of all Nations Having in thirty years experience in Travelling England Scotland and Ireland and other parts observed That without Trading no Nation can subfist which I humbly conceive I shall be able to make good against all opposers thereof which are enemies to your Sacred Majesty and these three Kingdoms And that if there be not an encrease of Trade powerfully carried on we are an undone People as I shall make more fully appear by my ensuing Discourse Now it is well known to all who are not quite ignorant of the course of Trade and Merchandise that the Traffick of Europe hath been engrossed into the hands and carried on all along by the Venetians Genoese Portugalls Easterlings Hollanders and English all which I shall briefly run through and shew how the failure and decay of One was the original rise to Another till the whole at present is divided between the Hollanders and us I shall begin with Venice That City therefore and Genoa at first two pretty equal Common-wealths by reason of that mutual advantage they had one of another and community of Trade to the same places were counter-ballances one to another in one thing the Venetians than the Genoese in another the Genoese than the Venetians being better supplyed for if the Venetians had better Shipping the Genoese had richer Merchants and a greater Bâ—nk and so they continued Till Venice disdaining to be confin'd in so narrow limits as was the compass of its City encreased its Dominion and adding to its Power greater Industry utterly undid the Genoâ—se undersold them in their best Commodities and so wore them out which they could well do being better in this continuance of time provided as to Men Mony and all manner of Provisions Hence they made themselves Lords of all the Trade of the Levant comprehending in it Turkey part of Africk and Italy and by multitude of Ships of their own transported the Commodities of those Countries into France England and the Netherlands They made their way also into the Indies and all over Persia by their Caravans and by Egypt and Aleppo returned thence all kind of Silks and Spices and sold them at their own Rates where ever they found the best vent and so they continued to do at excessive Rates though not without excescessive Gains by reason of the difficulty of conveyance till the Portugals discovered the passage to the Indies by the Cape of good Hope receiving in Exchange for the Commodities so Bartered the Staple Commodities of all the Countries they traded to Here in England they had for them Cloth Tin Lead c. and with which we our selves by our own Shipping cheaper and with greater gain might have supplyed Italy Turky and the greatest part of Africk Hence also that State at first confined to a few scattered Islands on which by degrees they built their City whither before they onely fled for security came to encrease and grow to that heighth in which now it is nay greater in all probability for by the decaying of Trade their Power and Dominion hath sensibly decayed By the greatness of their Trade they enlarged their Jurisdiction both upon the Levant Seas and very high into the Main-Land in Lombardy Graecia on the Dukedom of Milan conquered and purchased many considerable Islands in the Mediterranean as Candy Zant Cyprus and other places which lay convenient both for strength and security of the trade and Navigation of that Republick It would be tedious for me to recount how many Colonies they have dispersed over the World and that
Nâ—ture The scituation of our Country is such that for the convenience of all kind of Marts the World hath not the like and being seated between the North and South so that it is fixed as it weâ—e by Art and Nature the fittest Staple for both Northern and Southern Commodities Secondly our Ports and Harbours are fairer and safer having good Anchoring and more in number throughout the three Kingdoms than any Country in Christendom can boast of And then thirdly which exceedeth we have valuable Commodities as to the quantity and quality of them such as are the inriching of all those that trade with them So that if we are not our own Enemies and will be but a little industrious one quarter of that will serve and be enough in England which is but necessary and scarce sufficient in Holland adding thereto providence for the imploying our own Shipping and not any Forreigners we shall within few years have the greatest power at Sea and make our selves Master of all Trades and the Hollanders a Servant to that Wealth and Power of which at present he is the sole Mâ—ster But for the quicker advancement of so great and noble a Work there is necessary to be a Protection and Favour of his Majesty to all manner of Trades so that they be not carried on by Strangers and acted by them as at present it is in and about the City of London there being thousands of them up and down the Suburbs French and Dutch and others who live as it were upon the ruines of the poor free-born Citizens vending any unmerchandable Ware and at lower Rates than any other honest Tradesman can And this I humbly conceive is the reason why Trading hath been so bad and dead in this great City for these late years But the prudence of his Majesty is such and under his prosperous Reign all things so readily begin to run in their old Channel that we doubt not but in a little time Trading and Merchandize will do so too and not be any longer the burden of the Land for the lack of it but of the Sea in bringing it hither After men comes money and without this sure Foundation we shall never be able to make any Superstructure to stand There must be a Stock of Shipping Money and Commodities for Commodies in Traffick will bring in more Mony and Mony commands all Commodities and to attempt this without both or at leâ—st one of these two is like a Soldier going to Battel without his Offensive and Defensive Weapons with the one we offend all our Enemies the Engrossers of our Trade and with the other we defend our selves against their most powerful assaults In antient times Merchants and Tradesmen were very carefull to provide and lay up a Stock of Money for the building of Ships and buying of Commodities to Trade with But in these latter years as within 40 or 50 years they have disbursed much mony in purchasing Land and building stately Houses minding pleasure more than profit and have neglected Trade to the undoing of many of them and that great cause of the decaying of Trade Therefore to preserve and uphold Trade I humbly offer unto his Majesties consideration and His Honorable Council that all Merchants and Tradesmen within the Three Kingdoms may be restrained from purchasing Land above the yearly value in rent of pounds This being effected and the Fishing-Trade carried on will within few years make the greatest Bank of Mony and the greatest Trade in the Three Kingdoms to be equal if not greater than any Trade or Bank of Mony in the World For hereby great and vast Sums of Mony which are now consumed in continual Purchases will be expended only in and about Trade and Traffick in general and the best security for this Mony will be a settled Bank which all will of necessity use Having not read any of those Books which are in Print concerning the Fishing-â—rade but referring to several Books that I heard of and not knowing the number of Busses allotted or appointed to be bought or built neither how they shall be dissposed of as to their Ports or Harbours therefore I make bold to offer my judgement That a certain number of Busses be bought or built as also Dogger-boats the number of Busses to consist of 1000 or 1500 or thereabouts for that some years 15000 may as soon catch their Lading as 500 and therefore more considerable as to the charges of the three Kingdoms for a small number of Busses will not do the work The Dogger-boats which Fish only for Ling and Cod would consist of 400 or thereabouts These Busses and Dogger-boats being fitted for Sea to proceed in their Fishing that then they be sent or appointed to several Ports or Harbours of the Three Kingdoms that lie most convenient for the Fishing And that the Counties or Shires that these Ports do belong to be enjoyned to keep the same number of Busses and Boats perpetually well rigged and furnished to Sea for the Fishing as was delivered to them And if by reason that those Counties which have the most and best Harbours and that lie most convenient for the Fishing-Trade will bear the greatest burden by reason the greatest number of Busses will be sent to these Ports Then thirdly I humbly offer that the Undertakers of the said Counties have allowance out of the main Stock or Bank of Mony proportionable to their Charges And I do further humbly offer unto consideration that there be a Corporation made of all the Adventurers for the Fishing-Trade and that Merchants and Tradesmen be admitted into this Corporation And that this Corporation be armed with large Priviledges and ample Immunities for the Transportation of the said Fish I might also have told you of the Pilchard-Fishing and for Ling and Cod on the West and North-West of England and that great Pilchard-Fishing and Fishing for Cod on the West Coast of Ireland frequented by those of Biscay Galicia and Portugal but they are so well known that I forbear to mention them The Islands that belong to Scotland and lye on the North North-West and West of Scotland which are useful for the Fishing-Trade are in number 94. And whereas it is credibly reported that above 220 Fisher-Towns are decayed and reduced to extreme poverty for want of Favour Succour and Protection On the contrary by diligent endeavouring to make use of so great a blessing as is offered unto us by the Seas we might in a short time repair those decayed Towns and add both Honour Strength and Riches to our King and Country The Premises being taken into serious consideration it maketh much to the ignominy and shame of our Nation that God and Nature offering us so great a Treasure even at our own doors we do notwithstanding neglect the benefit thereof By the foregoing discourse of Planting and Fishing my great design will easily appear to all to have been chiefly the advancing of Trade for the improvement of which