THE MERCHANTS REMONSTRANCE PUBLISHED In the time of the late Warre Revived and inlarged Wherein is set forth the inevitable miseries which may suddenly befall this Kingdome by want of Trade and decay of Manufactures With Copy of A Letter to the Kings Majestie presented unto Him at Hampton Court October 30. 1647. SHEWING 1. The want of such a due regard as was fit for the preservation of Trade in the time of the late Warre 2. Some of the bad effects it hath since produced 3. The offer of the Authors opinion what may best bee done for Remedy ALSO A Letter to the Right Honorable the two Houses of Parliament To the Army under the command of His Excellency Sir Tho. Fairfax And to the rest of His Majesties Subjects in generall Whereunto is annexed A Discourse of the Excellencie of Wooll manifested by the Improvement in its Manufactures and the great good thence arising before the late Warre By JOHN BATTIE of London Merchant Published by Authority London Printed by Ric. Cotes for William Hope at the Vnicorne in Cōrnehill neare the Royall Exchange 1648. To the Reader READER MY Profession being that of a Merchant thou must expect the Language and stile in this REMONSTRANCE answerable thereunto Let thy thoughts be upon the matter it selfe weigh it well for it is of such concernment to the welfare of the whole Kingdome that it must stand and fall with it Farewell John Battie To my much esteemed Friend Mr. Battie SIR I Perused with no lesse profit then pleasure your manuscript wherein you discourse with so much judgement of Trade discovering the causes of the present impairment thereof and how it may be improved hereafter Whereby I find that a publike soule and the affections of a good Patriot dwell in you things God-wot which are rarely found now in England such is the hard fate of the times wherein men scrue up their braines and stretch all their sinews to draw water to their own Mills only though to the prejudice of the Common-good But they are much out of their account who think that private fortunes can long subsist if the publike begin to languish unlesse a care be had of Ware River Middletons pipes will run but poorly and every one will find it in his private Cisterns This Tract of yours may serve for a true prospective to the English Merchant to see the visible calamities that are already upon him as also for a Larum bell to awake his slumbring spirits to a timely prevention of farre greater And well fare your heart for it So I rest Your faithfull friend to dispose of Iames Howell To the Reader OUr worthy Merchant shewed hath the pare Of a good Subject and his Countries friend And as a knowing man a man of Art He hath prescrib'd a way Trade to amend Let us the counsell then of Battie take It may revive us All and happy make A dang'rous wound admits not long delay Lest it prove mortall so may't be with Trade Whilst time is offered and when we may Let us apply the * Mea'cine he hath made Or rather us advis'd Trades wounds to cure Nothing in reason so certaine so sure However let 's unto our Merchant give Due thankes and praise for this his good respect Unto our Trade he showes how it may live Whilst many carelesse are and it neglect Of such wish we had lesse of Batties store And so farewell good friend I 'le say no more T. D. To the Reader PHysitian-like Battie showes the cause Of a disease that 's great 't is Trades defect Then he prescribes a medicine the knowne Lawes Which might it helpe then let 's not it neglect The like unto 't is not under Heaven Let 's pray and pray that it may be given And having thus prescrib'd a med'cine right On his discourse on Englands Gemme doth fall Whose splendour is so fulgent and so bright That dazle well it may the eyes of All Excelling all Gemmes else without dispute Let 's doe our best to keepe it in repute And to good Battie we are All much bound For the discov'ry he hath for us made Till then it seemed hidden in the ground Now let 's looke to 't the way he having laid In his small booke which great in worth doth show All which distressed England ought to know F. N. To Mr. Battie the Author IUdicious Friend thy Booke I viewed have The lines are few the matter much I finde And of such consequence that it doth crave The eares of All and All oblige and binde Their best assistance to afford and give It to observe All may the better live And live in peace abhorring thoughts of wars The spoyle of * That thou seekest to maintaine And free the Kingdome from unhappy jars Producing pounds of losse no penny gaine Profit and losse accompt doth tell us so But thou advisest a gaining way to goe Thankes we thee give thou showest still thy care Of this poore kingdomes welfare and it 's good And as before so now thou do'st declare Thy selfe for peace an enemy to blood At first thou sayd'st it would be Traffickes bane Together with this Kingdomes long wonne gaine And now good friend take this for a farewell That when pale death thy life hath ta'ne away This thy small Booke shall after Ages tell Thou did'it thy part to help our Trades decay Good men will joyne with thee they 'l not sit still But ready be to stop so great an ill R. P. To all the Merchants of England IN this small booke our friend doth open lay The cause the bad effects and onely cure Of a Disease that 's bad it 's Trades decay Me thinkes you should it feele and not endure So great an ill but presently extend Your utmost helpe and force it to amend For you my noble friends may well discerne Nothing is better for this Kingdomes good But you in speciall it doth concerne 'T is your chiefest welfare your livelyhood If you be forc'd from Traffick to desist How then will you be able to subsist And of our Merchant have a good esteeme He it deserves for he his part hath done This Kingdomes Trade and Commerce to redeeme From losse and keepe the gaine it hath long wonne And so my Merchants I bid you all Adieu Wishing good may of this Advice ensue G. T. To the Reader THis I le post over and you shall surely see That which our Nation wants it's excellency Commerce its welfare is the kingdomes gaine See Battie cares for All from King to Swaine He shall admired be in after times He proves our Fleece above great Philips Mines And when our Nation shall with Peace be blest The King and People live with joy and rest A due remembrance let of him be made He did his utmost to preserve our Trade He loves His King the Lawes Concord and Peace Knowing they are the meanes of Trades Increase When from these principles you start aside Let Plunder Famine
the Dominions of Spaine not any in those times nor before being there made And among the Merchants in Her Majesties time were Sir Thomas Gresham Her Majesties Cape or chiefe Merchant and Sir John Spencer an Alderman of London both of no little note the former famous for the building of the Royall Exchange so named by Her Majestie at his owne charge which cost with the purchase of the ground as I have heard 36000. l. or thereabout a great deale of money specially in those times The latter much taken notice of in regard of his great estate which was thought to be 300000 l. or rather more both which got a great part of their respective Estates especially the former by their Trade in English Cloth in the parts of Spaine before said But upon the breaking out into a warre with that King some great reason of State doubtlesse urging he not onely prohibits all Commerce or Trade with England but likewise the importing of all English Commodities by all others in amity with Him by which meanes His Subjects comming to want their usuall supplies of our Cloth fell into making of Cloth themselves procuring some Workefolke from abroad and is since so much increased that store hath been and is still sent into the parts of Italy and elsewhere so that we came wholly to lose the vent of that Manufacture not onely in those parts but also in others which make use of the Cloth of Spaine otherwise ours t is like might have found vent in the said parts Hence it followeth that warre with forraigne States is destructive to our Manufactures The totall losse then of our broad Cloth in Spaines Dominions and the great decay of the said Manufacture caused by the aforesaid project of Sir William Cockaine gave it such an incurable wound asit could never since bee healed nor like having contracted such a Malignant humour in the body of the Manufacture of our old Drapery that it corrodeth daily more and more like unto an exulcerated Cancer or Canker never ceasing untill it hath pearced the vitall parts And so is it like to bee with the Manufacture of our new Drapery viz. Bayes Kersies Perpetuano's Sayes Stockings c. which came to a great height in the time of King James and of our Gracious King Charles till of late giving such a life to trade that it seemed not to be very sensible of the decayed condition of our old Drapery but likewise it viz. our said new Drapery is already fallen into a very consumptive disease causing it to languish and waste much and unlesse some good meanes bee forthwith used to restore both old and new to some measure of strength againe they will daily grow more and more infirme till at last for recovery leave or forsake this our English Aire and goe into forraigne specially where they first received breath which was chiefly Flanders for till King Edward the thirds time wee had little or no broad Cloth made here in England but shipt out our Wooll for the parts of Flanders before said which in those times was to be had very cheape And the King foreseeing the great good the making of Cloth would bee unto this Kingdome attempted to put it in practise and to that end he procured sundry Workemen from abroad endowed them with sundry priviledges and immunities and put them upon making of Cloth which in processe of time tooke such effect that partly by reason of the want of our Wooll and partly in regard of the goodnesse and cheapnesse of the said Cloth Flanders came almost to lose that Manufacture but upon this Innovation or change Flanders prohibited the Importation of all English Cloth so that our Clothiers who had store on their hands could not vent them The King buyes the Cloth and burnes it lest the Clothiers should have been inforced for want of imployment to give over the making supposing it seemes that the people of Flanders would be inforced at last in some measure to make use of those made here The premisses considered the preservation of our Manufactury me thinks should bee as Thornes or Goads unto out sides to put us in minde that in all respects wee ought to have such an especiall care thereof as not to attempt any thing which may in the least expose our Manufactures to the hazard of losse no losse almost that can befall this Kingdome being comparable unto it But admit that forraigne Nations notwithstanding what hath been said will in some measure have need of some of our Woollen Manufactures wee shall not bee able to furnish them therewith the chiefe materiall Wooll being wanting which want must follow when our Sheep are destoyed and with them all other kinde of Cattell if this most unnaturall war continue but a short time The Hollanders are an industrious and diligent people and watch all opportunities to ingrosse all the Trade they can into their owne hands they have certainly a vigilant eye over our Actions that Lethargie which hath seized on us will make them the more watchfull they will make no little use of our distractions they will be ready to take hold of what wee let loose and with great eagernesse pursue what wee let goe wee shall not so soone be out as they will be in Lastly if the Trafficke of this Kingdome be once lost what will then become of it what will then be preserved Our Ships the wals of this Land will rot and moulder away Our wealth and Estates will be consumed and no meanes left for recovery Tenants will bee disabled from paying their Landlords and they viz. the Landlords for want of supplyes of moneys by their usuall Rents will not be able to furnish themselves Families with commodities needfull vented by men of sundry Trades viz. Woollen and Linnen Drapers Mercers Grocers Silkmen Habberdashers Vintners c. Together with most sorts of Handicraftsmen or Artificers Part of the commodities wherein they deale being native or of our owne Conntrey both for the materials and Manufacture and part brought into this Kingdome from forraigne Countries Now those sorts of Trades-men failing of the vent of their commodities the Trade of Merchants into other Kingdomes must cease there will be no need of them thence will follow the decay of Ships Mariners and sundry sorts of Artificers Labourers and many others that have their dependency upon them This mischiefe will not be altogether confined and bounded within our owne Land it will extend it selfe like an Epidemicall disease into all or most other Kingdomes where we have Trade For if wee take not off the commodities of those Countries in exchange of ours they must suffer and that not a little by it and for remedy partly for want of their accustomed imployment and vent of their said commodities and partly by reason of the want of ours bee inforced to seeke out and learne others Trades and very likely pitch or fall upon the making of such as are here made For as in the Body
other commodities usually imported into Spaine out of that vast part of the world well may I terme it so being judged to be the fourth part of the whole though a very great part not inhabited at least not by Christians O that wee had been so provident before this Kingdome was so unhappily engaged in a War as to have looked back to the times of King James of famous memory and before the said War to these of our most pious and prudent King Charles we should have seene what a flourishing Estate the Trade of this Kingdome to the inriching of many thousands was brought unto to what it was in former times when hardly a Merchants Ship of the burthen of 150. Tuns was to be had and since are many from the said burthen of 150 to 600 Tuns and some greater an undoubted signe of the great increase of Trade and no little addition to the strength of the Kingdome for the which wee have no little cause not onely to remember but also highly to commend the great wisdome and care of these two most worthy Princes but in stead thereof there want not some malignant and most unworthy spirits among us that are ready to cast foule aspersions upon them traduce their government blast their best actions and desire rather a perpetuall oblivion then a thankfull remembrance of their majestie O most transcendent and monstrous ingratitude both to God and man To God in not acknowledging his goodnesse in bestowing on us such great blessings To man for remunerating or returning so much evill forto much good Surely me thinkes if we as Tradesmen before we were ingaged as I say in a War had had the least thought of decay onely of Trade and had not looke further into the many more dismall calamities of the which we have already more then a bitter taste that would certainly befal this kingdome by a civil War it would or might have been motive sufficient unto us to have employed our utmost endeavors for its preservation but alas most of us like men demented or bereaved of their wits run a quite contrary course weedid what in us lay to further and hasten its destruction and to that end we could not be at quiet or at rest till wee were quit of our monies and redouble our diligence in and about the speedy advancing of that which would undoubtedly bee its bane and expose the kingdome to the hazard of utter ruine The Author having done with this discourse assumes the boldnesse to adventure on a few lines of Poetry which though it be out of a Merchants Road and may perhaps be thought by some not to become this subject hope never the lesse it will admit a candid construction the intention being good though in the manner or way of expression there may be failing To the Clothiers MY worthy Friends by what is said you feele At present more then many others doe Witnesse your want of worke with loom and wheele Joyne hand in hand and altogether goe Trade to uphold and Commerce to maintaine By losse you 'l perish All you 'l live by Gaine Thousands of you from youth to youths defect By daily labour live and well subsist But who will you maintaine who 'l you protect When you are forc'd from labour to desist Then Clothiers poore what will of you become Some beg steale others will and worse will some As some already out of the land they 'l flie And elsewhere seeke imployment as have said Their Art they 'l others teach which will the eye Or eyes put out of Englands Clothing Trade Then out will be the Wooll of England spunne And this our Kingdomes Trade almost undone But my good Friends let not your minds be bent Or have a thought to leave your native soile In forraigne parts to goe with full intent Others to teach which hazard may the spoile Of our Manufactures O that 's an Act Would be 'gainst Nature it would sure extract The vitall blood out of your mothers heart Which let be never on their Clothiers part To all English Merchants Trading in forraigne parts YOu that are Instruments of forraigne Trade Worthy English Merchants of much Renowne Forthwith bestirre your selves let not be said That you sate still and suffer'd to fall downe Your Countries Commerce 't is of that esteeme That nothing almost greater can you deeme As partly by this small booke is made appeare To which referre you needlesse to say 't againe But more I 'le adde to make it the more cleare Trade boldnesse gave to passe the Ocean maine Discoveries new in forraigne parts to make An Enterprize not small to undertake For men were oft to struggle and to strive With th' elements Fire Water Earth and Aire Which if be Conquerers of life deprive But they did boldly face them and out dare It showes a noble mind and spirit brave Death to contemne for Honor life to wave But on they went such dangers were not all From North to South from East to West they runne From rising of the Sunne unto the fall Passing the Aequator and when t' was done By labour much they came unto the shore Where yet they met with dangers more and more Danger by hidden Rocks by Shelves of Sand Danger by want of knowledge of the Tide Danger by an Enemy on the Land So that danger they found on every side Yet they went on they dangers did disdaine In hope they should what they desired gaine Profit and Honour and our Trades increase Were the chiefe things where at those men did ayme Will you by your remisnesse let them cease And not endeavour up to keepe their fame With so much danger wonne and so much cost No no by your neglect let not be lost But as before so now I say againe Bestirre your selves let nothing be in you Deficient our Commerce to maintaine Which will your Predecessors fame renew It will this Lands reputation keepe And carry 't still beyond th' Ocean deepe So will you Honour get so will you praise So will you profit get by forraigne Trade So you your selves and families may raise What more to stirre and move you can be said To you my noble Friends then onely this Youl'l get Earths happinesse and Heavens blesse If what you doe be in an honest way For God abhorres Actions foule and base And on th' actors doth heavy curses lay A curse of shame at home abroad disgrace A curse of poverty and all things scant But more then these of Heavens joy the want Adieu my friends I bid you All farewell By what have said it may be well foretold That Traders all must cease to buy and sell If these distempers still among us hold And hold they will without our royall King Whom God let 's pray in safety home to bring To the Seamen ANd now brave English Seamen one and All I come to you likewise to crave your Ayd You 'r the Managers of this Kingdomes wall Which cannot stand without
our Clothings Trade If Englands Manufactures find no sale Its strength by Sea and Land must surely faile The Wall broke downe imployment you 'l have none The lack of which expose you will to'th want Of worldly comforts none will you bemoane All needfull things for you becomming scant May put you on such things as are most base Thinke not on them let vices have no place Within your breast but thinke you on the Name And deeds of worth which may beget you praise Acts vertuous revive an honest fame And Credit that 's decay'd againe doth raise All what you doe doe in a gentle way You 'l then be Conquerers and gaine the day First humbly pray and then gently perswade Both high and low and men of all degrees That they would doe their best to keep up Trade Nothing with Englands Climate more agroes If lost be then assured one and All Downe must the welfare of this kingdome fall To the Citie of London LOndon the Magazine of Englands Trade All men doe thee admire for thy neglect In suffering Commerce thus away to fade Me thinkes that thou in chiefe shouldst it protect And doe thy best thy dying Trade ro'mend For thy well being doth on it depend Me thinkes thou shouldest farre more knowing be In point of Trade then many others are And therefore better should'st then they foresee That Trade by discord daily will impaire Untill that wasted is thy long wonne Gaine And nothing will be left thee to maintaine Thy Honour Credit Fame farre spread renowne With Trade will fall and none will thee regard All earthly goods will faile thee and fall downe Reliev'd thou shalt not be Complaints not heard What wilt thou doe what will of thee betide Neglected shalt thou be on every side These things well weigh'd and else what more have said Should thee out of thy Lethargie awake And forthwith thinke how to preserve thy Trade Which first let be by Prayer it may way make For other things that may the better tend To that which is most fit Trade to amend But as I others so I thee advise That what thou do'st be in a quiet way Thinke not on lawlesse wayes in any wise Lest that they cause of Trade greater decay And so adieu good Citie fare thee well Wishing that Peace may still within thee dwell To the Army ARmy looke to 't seeke now Trade to amend Delay't not longer let no by-respect Away you lead nor any private end Nor that in you be found the least neglect Lest be in this and future Ages said You were the greatest cause of losse of Trade In this small booke I have prescrib'd a way How that our Trade may sooner helped be As you respect this land and whilst you may In practise it to put doe all agree And 'cause it cannot be without our King Endeavour speedily Him home to bring With Honour and with safety then provide That He with confidence may so remaine Nothing in reason then will be deny'd Which may our losse repaire by a new Gaine It is the safest way Arreares to pay Which never can well be by Trades decay On other waye I would not have you thinke Arreares to gâ—â— lest more distempers grow But well consider we are at the brinke Of utter ruine your wild 〈◊〉 â—efore show It to prevent or else you ' hazard runne With this poore Kingdome quite to be undone So fare you well brave Army leave I take And pray God blesse all those that peace do make To the Kingdome A Skilfull Pilot plying for the shore And finding wind increasing more and more Bids tack about againe ply for the deepe That so the Ship we may in safety keepe If we so wise and provident had been We should not now such dismall times have seen But now we' are in them let 's all endeavour Out to get else we are lost for ever Borne for our selves we are not but the good Of that wherein we breath and have our food Our Countrey deare I meane and wasted land That growne so feeble is it cannot stand Unlesse forthwith supported which must be In such a way that we may all agree Then Trade will bettered be with the whole State Delay't not longer lest it be too late The King His helping hand offers to lay To take away the cause of Trades decay And what amisse is else why sit we still To joyne with Him it 's His desire and will Deepe are the Kingdomes wounds and dang'rous sure And knowing it let 's hasten to the cure And having much in roughest Seas been tost Let 's harbour take lest that our Ship be lost And we perish with it O that 's not all Our soules indanger'd and our Issues fall Concordia parvae res crescunt Discordia c. Small things to great by blessed Concord grow By Discord great decay and kept are low Concord maintaineth love makes two hearts one Discord doth them divide and makes them none Concord the hardest knot of strife dissolves Discord in Seas of troubles men involves Concord amongst the humours peace doth make Discord the soundest humours in peeces shake Concord causeth health health sweet life maintaines Discord much sicknesse sicknesse kills with paines Concord makes friendship twixt body and minde Discord their tie of friendship doth unbind Concord makes Musick sweet pleasing the eare Discord doth Hearings Organ smite and teare Concord makes hearts merry and full of joy Discord makes sadnesse and doth mirth destroy Concord preserveth people King and Crowne Discord first enervates and then pulls downe Concord Gods true worship doth well preserve Discord makes people from true worship swerve Concord keepes mens manners intire and sound Discord with vices foule makes men abound Concord makes learning flourish and Arts all Discord neglect doth cause then Arts downe fall Concord upholds Trade maketh it increase Discord Trade first weakens and then makes cease Concord of perfect order is the cause Discord disorder breeds destroyes all Lawes And what not else let 's concord then embrace And discord from us put and have no place The Authors Apologie NOw Reader I have done I 'le say no more Save onely this desiring that before Thou passest censure on what I have said Consider whence it came whereof 't is made First 't is of matter that 's within my Spheare As by the whole discourse is made appeare Then from a man of Trade a Merchants braine What could'st thou more expect then matter plaine Rough hew'd unpolished harsh and tart Voyd of all forme all shape and Schollers Art Both stile and language wave looke on the maine It is both King and Peoples losse and gaine The Land with Trade must stand with Trade must fal If lost adieu the welfare of us all Which losse to shunne I heartily thee pray That thou would'st take to heart our Trades decay I have prescrib'd * a Med'cine is 't would take It might both King and Kingdome happy make And so adieu good Reader I have done Give me thy hand and thou my heart hast wonne So shall we joyne in one as faithfull friends Seeking the publick good no private ends Postscript HEre are now Letters out of the parts of Italy advising the non-sending of any more of our Woollen Manufactures for that those of the like kind made in other Countries and sent thither are not onely better but cheaper But some perhaps will object that though for present wee lose the vent of our Manufactures wee may hereafter regaine it and that when Wooll comes to be had at such low rates as formerly which when that will be God knowes Let not such men flatteringly satisfi themselves with so vaine a hope but remember what hath been said of the losse of the totall vent of our broad Cloth in Spaine in the time of Queene Elizabeth and what hath been further mentioned of the late great increase of Woollen Manufactures elsewhere to the great decay of the vent of Ours and the no little impoverishing of the stook of the Kingdome Some things indeed if not totally lost are recoverable but would be a peere of the greatest indiseretion to expose a thing of such high concernment as have said to the Commonwealth to the hazard of losse when there may bee wayes of prevention And withall consider that when one State hath got a thing from another to it selfe which is or may be advantageous unto it it will use all the meanes possible to keepe and advance it I need not send you further off then our owne home for a president you may please to turne backe to Folio 5. in the Remonstrance and you shall finde what this State did in King Edward the thirds time to get the Manufacture of Broad Cloth from Flanders and what was afterward done to keepe it here in this kingdome Besides People in these times are more knowing in matters concerning Trade and have better meanes to improve them to more advantage then in former times many things which in former ages lay hidden and not thought upon have beene discovered in these latter and more will be in the future mans braine is still a working PAge 9 line 20. read may say p. 11. l. 20. r. entry p. 19. l. 9. r. that l. 15. waved p. 24. l. 3. r. in those p. 26. l. 32. r. 21 s. p. 27. l. 25. r. lesse that p. 30. l. 12. r. the FINIS * Known Laws ☞ * Trade ☞ * Known Laws
should be brought over as Merchandize into this Kingdome he might thinke it according to our English proverbe like the sending of Coles to New-Castle I give the more credit unto it being informed that the dearenesse of Wooll here and consequently of Cloth gave encouragement to some Merchant or Merchants to buy in Holland some English Wooll formerly shipt thither and reship it for these parts making entery or passing it in the Customebouse before the landing for Spanish or some other sort of Wooll Another of the bad effects and that no small one is the great decay or consumption of the Coyne of the Kingdome and that may bee made appeare sundry wayes I 'le onely mention two viz. the exportation or carrying of it out and want of Importation for supply And first for exportation The Scots have not drawne a little from us by severall wayes and some hath been sent into Ireland And then some Merchants chiefly in respect of the falling or lownesse of the Exchange caused by the decay of Trade the like not knowne in many yeares have exported it seemes great store of Gold much having been exchanged for Silver from 2 d. to 8 d. per pound and more as have been told by the which they have raised good profit which I could make to appeare if it were not to give encouragement to some men that are too greedy after their owne private gaine not caring in the least how much the Kingdome in generall may suffer by it to practise the like And as our Gold Coyne so our Silver it seemes hath by such like men been in no little measure transported into the parts beyond Sea being informed there have been severall summes from 100 l. and under to 500 l. sterling of late knowne paid in Holland at a payment And so much briefly for exportation Secondly the defect or want of supply by Importation and they are chiefly likewise two The first is want of the frequent Returne in forraigne Coyne and sometime in Bullion by divers Merchants for part proceed of our Manufactures exported in regard of the then highnesse of the Exchange which highnesse was principally caused by the amplenesse or largenesse of Trade Secondly the want of the King of Spaine or his Contractors Coyne and Bullion which was sent from Spaine by our Ships into the Downes and after a good part was brought up hither to London and coyned and the product partly remitted hence by bills of Exchange for Antwerp and partly charged thence upon their Factors here so that the said Coyne and Bullion becomming English remained among us Whence first did arise an Improvement of our Kings Revenew by the Minting or coynage Secondly a great addition to the Coyne of the kingdome Thirdly a benefit to Merchants in matter of Exchange Fourthly a profit to Owners of Ships and fiftly and lastly a great helpe or furtherance to the generall Trade of the Kingdome But the case being now altered the Mint as at present so is like for the future to have little to doe our houshold plate is melted coyned and the money wasted the Merchants bring in none for the reason before mentioned Spaines Contractors dare not send any for feare of a bad issue of these divisions and the Armies Souldiers guarding of the Tower adde unto theirs and other mens feares And to manifest the feare of the said Contractors sending any hither I am certainly informed that the value of sixty thousand pounds was lately sent by an English Ship named the Angell from Spaine for Amsterdam whence it may be easily conveyed in specie or kind or made over by Exchange for Flanders Spaine we heare and the Estates of the united Provinces are agreed 't is confidently beleeved they are not any hostile Act having of late been offered between them showes it to be so the agreement for some reason of Estate not yet published the Hollanders c. forbeare therefore yet openly to trade into the Dominions of that King but so soone as they safely may 't is very probable their Ships will bee the Conveyers of Spaines Coyne for the parts of Flanders and if once a conveyance be practised that way though these unhappy differences bee amongst us reconciled not any use to that purpose will be made of our Ships and that is likely so to be for I heare from a friend at the penning of this who came lately out of Zeland that some of Spaines money was landed at Middleburg brought from Spaine by a ship as hee supposed of that place And now againe as this was ready for the presse we have certaine notice of great store of Bullion and Coyne come from Spaine to Amsterdam sent thither by a Ship or Ships of Hamburg whence it may easily be as before said sent to Flanders c. And now having done with another of the bad effects partly caused by the decay of Trade not holding it fit to trouble your Majesty with more I come to the Remedy or Medicine wherein I 'le be very briefe consisting of no more then onely one Ingredient but is so soveraigne and of such efficacy and virtue that it will give some present ease to the Malady which done some other good helpes may bee afterward made use of to give it more to the restoring it to some measure of strength but not the least expectation of bringing it to its former vigour in regard the evill hath not onely taken deepe roote but is already growne to a great height And in this the Physitian may be a good patterne for us who meeting with an incurable disease as some diseases are in their owne nature is able by art to make it the more easie to be borne or when hee findes his Patient by reason of much paine to take no rest and that much danger threatens seemeth to neglect the cause of the disease and insists on that which more urgeth which is the giving of him ease lest the disease grow on stronger or other symptomes forthwith follow more grievous then the disease Even so it might be best for us to doe that which most urgeth that is the speedy endeavouring to save the remnant of our Trade lest worse Symptomes by our remisnesse and delayes then have yet befall Wee have letters lately from forraigne parts that say there is a peace concluded or great hopes thereof in Germany it must however at last so be it behoves us therefore in the interim to be the more carefull of preserving our Manufactures for the people in divers places in the Empire having made a notable progresse in making the like it may be much teared they may so proceed after a peace is setled that wee may come totally to lose the vent of all the Species or kinds of our said Manufactures as we did the vent of our Broad Cloth in Spaine in the time of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory never to be recovered But to the Soveraigne remedy or medicine before mentioned It is the speedy settlement as
I humbly conceive of the so much unsetled Estate of this Kingdome according to the knowne Lawes It is not the abatement of Tunnage and Poundage as the case now stands with us will much conduce to the saving or inlarging of Trade or to the better vent of our Manufactures it may rather prove of bad consequence for if wee make an abatement forraigne Princes and States which now make little account or esteeme of us witnesse the Emperour of Muscovia who hath taken all our Merchants priviledges from them which may prove the undoing of all our Trade in his Territories As also the Gran Signior by his so much adhering to the strange suggestions of Sir Sackvile Crow against our Levant Merchants which had like to have been the losse of all the Estates they had in his Dominions which to save cost no small summe of money and yet not knowne what the issue may be notwithstanding what your Majestie hath since done in their behalfe viz. by sending or dispatching hence of another Ambassadour and your effectual writing unto the Gran Signior touching that businesse it shewes however how sensible your Majestie is and was of their great and unjust sufferings but as have said if wee make an abatement of duties upon goods they in forraigne States may make an Inhaunsment now that they are fallen into the making of such Manufactures as are here made the better to advance and put forward the making of their owne and for other advantages they may make unto themselves thereby This Remedy oâ—Medicine may make the disease worse but timely application of the other will doubt esse make it better and more easie as have said to be borne for then will your Majesties Subjects of all degrees and in all parts be encouraged to go on with confidence in the usuall wayes of their severall professions and callings improving that little which they have yet left which otherwise will inevitably at last be consumed and the Trade of the Kingdome almost lost specially in forraigne parts which being chiefly in Woollen Manufactures must cease if the materiall be wanting which want must follow if that small remainer of Sheep be consumed and such a consumption will ensue together with the Workmasters of the said Manufactures some of them through want of meanes to subsist with by their usuall labour here in their native Countrey will doubtlesse as divers already as before said goe and seeks it in forraigne parts and others staying at home take other bad courses for their support as is in the Remonstrance set forth if these distractions still continue Thus have I as briefly as I could made bold to make knowne unto your Majesty according to my weake ability the most materiall of what hath been offered unto me touching this subject humbly desiring your Majesty would be pleased to make such a favorable construction thereof as he undoubtedly doth of your earnest and longing desire of a speedy composure of these unhappy differences and the welfare of your Majesties subjects That is Your Majesties most humble and loyall Subject John Battie TO THE Right Honorable the tvvo Houses of Parliament To the Army under the Command of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax AND To the rest of his Majesties Subjects in generall IT is the part of every true lover of his Countrey specially in a time of publick sufferings to employ his utmost endeavour for the generall good and not to have the least thought on particular or private ends then will he have his thoughts much busied about the state and condition of it which if finds good will bee ready in as much as in him lyeth so to keepe it if bad seeke an amendment and if danger threaten indeavour the prevention Now wee being still in a way of losing our Golden Fleece the onely life as it were of our Manufactures and consequently of all the considerable part of the Trade of the Kingdome it behoves us all to recollect and call up all the wisdome and knowledge wee have and imploy the same to the prevention of so great so irreparable a losse To which end or purpose I have taken the boldnesse to addresse my selfe unto His Majestie the head of our Body politique as in the first place I was and am in duty bound shewing the cause some of the bad effects and remedy of the melady of the which find His Majestie very sensible O that wee his Subjects were the like as also very ready to doe whatsoever in reason may be expected from a Gracious King And now I addresse my selfe unto you all being members of the same Body politique and the matter of equall concernment to both King and People humbly desiring that as His Majesty on His part so you would on yours be sensible of the sufferings of Trade and as He so you would also be ready to joyne together in a way of timely prevention of such further mischiefs as by decay of our Manufactures may befall it that your Children and all future Ages which shall succeed may not have the least cause of complaint against you for any remisnesse or neglect of or in a worke of such high concernment to the Commonwealth Which if they will be ready to say what a kind of men were our Forefathers The King was willing and ready but they not and so blame them for the non-discharging of their duty to their Countrey condemne them for their great ingratitude both to King and Kingdome and lastly cry out O that wee never had had our being from such Ancestors I need not in this place trouble you with repetition of any particulars mentioned in the Letter to His Majestie but referre you to the same of the which it is my earnest desire you will 〈◊〉 take a view as likewise of the ensuing discourse of the excellency of our Wooll in the improvement by or in our Manufactures Of all which and of what is here said that a benigne construction may bee made it is the humble desire of Him that is a true lover of all good men and a hearty welwisher of the welfare of this poore distressed Kingdome and to that end hee heartily prayeth for the removall of all feares and jealousies a totall forgetfulnesse of all errours and mis-understandings on all sides an unfained reconciliation of all differences between King and People as also between Subject and Subject and a speedy setling of a firme and lasting peace which ought or rather is and still will be the prayer of all good men as it is againe and againe of Him that is His Majesties humble and loyall Subject and the Kingdomes cordiall Servant JOHN BATTIE I crave leave to make this Addition occasioned by the Kings late Message to the two Honorable Houses of Parliament HAving this lying by me ready for the Presse came His Majesties Gracious Message from the Isle of Wight dated Novembr. 16. of the which all impartiall and unbiased men take speciall notice still declaring His