Plantations or to any Port of England or Ireland it is Forfeit Ship Goods Guns Tackle and Ammunition Pet. 20. Navigation is the only mean of vending our Growths and Manifactures in Forein Trade unless it be into Scotland Pet. 21. The Act against the Importation of Irish Cattel made 18. and 20. Car. 2. cap. 1. hath abated the Trade of England with Ireland for Beer Hops and Bills of Excharge for Money all sorts of Hats and Stockings Cloth and Stuffs of all sorts Victualing Ships of all as well Forein as English c. Pet. 22. All the Canary Wines Imported into England are consumed in it Pet. 23. The Canary Wines Imported do exceed in value the English Commodities Exported into the Canaries I cannot exactly compute the excess but have it from good hands that the Canary Wines yearly Imported are about 13000 Pipes which are valued at 20 l. the Pipe which amounts to 200000 l. yearly and that our Commodities Exported do not neer amount to ¼ so much in value before we did exceed so much in drinking them we Imported them at 10 l. the Pipe and Traded to the Canaries only upon the account of our Commodities in Barter for the Wines Actions or Common Notions 1. Where the means of Improving any business are wanting that business will be so much diminished as the means by which it might have been supplied are diverted 2. Where any thing is wanting and decaied that thing will be so much diminished as the means of supplying it are interrupted 3. If the means of doing any thing be wanting that thing will be so much hindred as the means are diminished 4. The doing of things will be so much hindred as the means of doing them are hindred 5. Every thing will be so much diminished as is abated of it 6. Any business will be so much hindred by how much the means of improving it are excluded 7. Where the consumption of things imported does exceed in value the things Exported the loss will be as the excess is Prop. 1. Theorem 1. The Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much diminished by how much they might have been supplied by those men who are diverted in our American Plantations Subjects The Trades of England and the Fishing Trade Question Whether they be so much diminished by how much they might have been supplyed c. I say they are Ax. 1. For where the means of improving any business are wanting that business will be so much diminished by how much the means by which it might have been suppliep are diverted Pet. 24. But men are necessary to improve Trade Pet. 25. And before we had our American Plantations we wanted men to improve the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade Therefore the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much diminished by how much they might have been supplyed by those men who are diverted in our American Plantations Which was to be demonstrated Corollary 1. By the same reason the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much more diminished by how many men are diverted from supplying them in Repeopling Ireland since the Late Massacre and War there Corollary 2. By the same reason the Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are yet so much more diminished by so many men as extraordinarily died in the late great Plague 1665. Annotations upon this Proposition and the two Correllaries Before we had our American Plantations the Coasts of England were in a convenient manner Planted and the Multitudes of Inhabitants in England such that in the 2. and 3. Ph. and Mary 3. the Parliament taking notice that a great number of persons within the Realm had laid their Lands Farmes and Pastures to Feeding of Sheep Oxen Runts Schrubbes Steers and Heifers and such like Cattel having no regard to breed and rear up young Beasts and Cattel whereby was grown great scarcity of Cattel and necessary victual for sustenance of divers sorts of People within this Realm and more like to be if speedy remedy were not provided therefore several provisions were made for breeding and rearing of Cattel Experience had made tryal and proof of the goodness of this Law to be very beneficial and profitable to this Realm and therefore in the 13. El. 25. it was made perpetual and as a very profitable Law the Act of 7. Jac. 8. makes it to extend to grounds which were since inclosed or hereafter should be inclosed Before the Dutch became States or when at least they were but The Poor Distressed States besides our staple at Antwerp we had the sole Trade into Muscovy Turkey and up the Elb whereby Germany Denmarks Jutland Holstein c. were supplyed with our Cloth and Wollen Manufactures We did moreover supply Muscovy with Fish and in a considerable measure France Spain Italy and several parts of the World within the Streights And for the further encouragement of the Fishing Trade and for the preservation of the breeding of Cattel In the 5. Eliz. 5. It was ordained that Wednesday as well as Friday and Saturday should be observed as a Fish day within this Realm upon pain that every person offending should for every time he or they should offend forfeit 3 l. or suffer three Months Imprisonment without Bail or Mainprize and every person who was knowing thereof and concealed it for every such offence should forfeit forty shillings which Act yet continues in force but only the Penalty of eating Flesh upon Fridaies Saturdaies and Wednesdaies is reduced by the 35 Eliz. 7 to twenty shillings and the concealing of it by any Person knowing it to ten shillings Consequences of this Proposition and the two Corollaries After our American Plantations became peopled by us the Dutch began to partake with us in the Turks and Muscovy Trades our Staple at Antwerp diminished in a very great measure to intend the Trades to our Plantations we neglected the Fishing Trade whereby except the Trade of red Herrings which cannot be cured by the Dutch the Dutch in a manner became solely in a short time possessed of it and thereby have accquired this incomparable advantage above us in the Trade of our Plantations that as we imploy only our ablest men in trading to them who in the diversity of Clime and Diet are very subject to Diseases and Mortality and leave the impotent Women and Children at home without imploiment they imploy three times more men in the Fishing trade and four times more to the benefit of their State and also all manner of impotent People Women and Children and have this advantage above us in time of War as well as Peace that all hands imployed in the Fishing Trade are at home and serviceable when they are at War whereas the Inhabitants in our Plantations are of no use or benefit to us in War which was very apparent in our late War with them The Coast of England which should be the Glory Strength and Ornament of an Island in peopling of
little purpose By the first Proposition The multitudes of the English diverted into our Plantations hath diminished as well the Fishing Trade as the Trade of our Native Growths and Manufactures which is more diminished by our re-peopling Ireland since the late War and Massacre there and so much more diminished by how many extraordinarily died of the late great Plague and by the 6 Proposition the Growths and Manufactures of England in Forein Trade are diminished by the Act of Navigation and multitudes and entercourse of Foreiners are excluded by it whereby the Trade of England is every way interrupted and diminished And since the Rents of Land are valuable as the Trade of the place is It is from hence that the Rent of Land is so abated and fallen all over England but much more since the Act against Importation of Irish Cattel so as the end designed by the Law which was the raising the Rents of Land is so far from being attained that from these Reasons the Trade of England being more diminished by this Law the quite contrary hath ensued One of the Reasons alledged by the Act intituled An Act for the Encouraging of Trade made the 14 Car. 2. for the excluding Foreiners to Trade to our Plantations is to hold a greater kindness and nearer Correspondency between the English Nation and them which reason of mutual kindness I am sure will hold stronger between the English Nation and Ireland for if we lose them or any of them we lose no more than the Subjects in them who unless it be in reference to Trade are of no use to England whereas if by reason of this Act we lose Ireland or any part of it the safety of this Nation will be endangered thereby If the Importation of Irish Cattel had abated the Rents of England one half and thereby the Commodities of England had been reduced to half the price the Nation had not been poorer thereby however the Nobility and Country Gentlemen who were in Debt and the Poor Tenants who had Leases of their Farms would have been damnified and undone thereby but in General Navigation and the Trade of the Nation would have been advantaged by it The Reasons in the Act of Navigation are good for England against Foreiners Trading into our Plantations and so is the restraining them from the Trade of Ireland for otherwise other Nations especially the Dutch would have reaped more benefit by them than we should have done but without question our Plantations and Ireland too would have been much increased and inriched by a Free Trade more than by this restraint and by like Reason the Trade of England too would have been much more and the Nation much more enriched than now if no restraint had been put upon the Trade by the Act of Navigation For by the Act of Navigation the greater Trading part of the World are excluded the Trade of Ireland and by the Act against Importation of Irish Cattel upon the matter the Trade between England and Ireland is interrupted and destroyed and here let us see the Consequences hereof Consequences The Imaginary Reason that the Importation of Irish Cattel caused the abatement of the Rents of England is truly caused by the Act in the Southern and Eastern parts of England for the Northern People Welch and Scots taking advantage of this Law have raised the price of lean Cattel so excessively that very small or no profit arises to the Graziers when they are Fatted So as before the Act we bought cheap and sold cheap which was but reasonable whereas now we buy dearer and sell cheaper which is intolerable 2. Before the Act we could Victual Ships with good and substantial Food cheaper than the Dutch and upon all occasions the Dutch and French and other Nations when they were in our Harbours did take a very considerable quantity of our Provision whereas since the Act the Dutch and French Victual much cheaper in Ireland than we can do in England and in Holland and Zealand Irish Beef I am told by Traders thither is sold for a peny a pound so as having as the case stood but one advantage above the Dutch besides the excellency and conveniencies of our Harbours in Navigation by this Law we have given the Dutch a greater advantage over us than we had over them 3. Before this Act the Eastern and Southern parts of England did in a very considerable manner supply Flanders France Portugal and Spain with Butter which now we have interrupted the intercourse of Trade between England and Ireland we have thereby put the Irish upon necessities of making Butter which they do so much cheaper than is possible to be done in England notwithstanding the abatement of our Rents that they supply Flanders and France much cheaper than the English can whereby our Trade for Butter and Cheese is become much worse than that of Grazing of Cattel and now the Irish have established these Trades much more advantageous to them than their Trade was to us with their lean Cattel I understand no remedy hereof but they will increase their advantages and we must yet more continue losers 4. Besides the abatement of our Native Growths and Manufactures caused by the Act against the Importation of Irish Cattel as England was the Storehouse for all sorts of Commodities coming from our Plantations and other Forein Goods as all sorts of Dying stuffs Hides Fruit Sugars Tobacco's and of all sorts of Silks as well wrought as unwrought Ribbands Gold Silver and Silk-Lace so the Trade with Ireland was driven by Commutation of the Product of the mony for their Lean Cattel which being now interrupted this Trade of England with Ireland for these becomes proportionably lestened and diminished Whereas now they transport their Beef into France Holland Zealand and Flanders they make returns in the Growths and Manufactures of those Countries whereby the Irish Trade is become as beneficial to them as it was formerly to us 5. His Majesties Custom for the Lean Cattel is quite extinguished 6. The Shipping and Mariners imployed and built for this Trade are by this Act neglected and made useless about 100 Ships being before imployed in this Trade only 7. That as before English Shipping was generally imployed in the Trade with Ireland so the returns out of Ireland in Hides Tallow Wools and Yarn into Forein parts was in English Shipping whereas now we have not only lost the Profitable Returns of these Commodities but Forein Ships are only imployed in these Trades Proposition 8. Theorem 8. The Trade of England and the Fishing Trade are so much hindred by how many men and so much mony and stock as are excluded by Corporations Subject The Trade of England and the Fishing Trade Question Whether they be so much hindered by how many men and so much mony and stock as is excluded by Corporations I say they are Ax. 6. For any business will be so much hindered by how much the means of improving it
sure not by me These principles thus established this method or rule must be observed in the generation of knowledge One or more of the definitions or things or actions before known which are termed the subjects of the proposition must be assumed in every scientifical proposition either simply or conditionally wherein either some thing or act is propounded to be done which is termed a Problem which was not before known in any of the petitions or demonstrated propositions or some new knowledge in the Subjects propounded which is termed a Theorem which was not before known in the demonstration of this thing to be done or knowledge to be understood which are termed the Questions of the Proposition The major proposition must be an Axiom the minor proposition so made up of the Petitions and before demonstrated propositions and the Hypothesis if the Subjects be conditionally assumed conformable in all parts to the major proposition that the affirmation or question of the proposition or the contradiction if the demonstration be negative may flow into the conclusion Here Sir be pleased to stay a little and behold rational knowledge thus begotten how fair and lovely she is in her pure and simple nakedness how pleasant and easie are her ways and how excellent and noble is her extraction descended from eternal causes begotten by a mind so pure as partakes not any affection of any sensual appetite or passion Her ways all plain and before known and may be apprehended as well by youth of both Sexes as men of riper years Nor does knowledge thus begotten by the mind die with the body but though she be the daughter of time remains an eternal monument of the minds excellency being subject to no alteration wrimple or decay by any power of time or fate Oh Divine knowledge how is thy excellency imposed upon by Price Affectation Vain glory and hard Words How are thy ways obstructed by Faction Prejudice and Self-interest Whilst thy glorious beauty is never conspicuous but by denying these and frequenting the humblest paths If Sir I have more than becomes me insisted upon your patience I am so far from excusing my self herein that I acknowledge I have ofter before done it with this advantage to my self that as well in this as many other things I have had the honour to be confirmed by your more discerning Judgment This Treatise therefore presumes to inscribe your Name whereby it well hopes to be enlivened when it s own little worth shall find no other Monument so Sir I desire you to entertain a belief of me that no man more truly honours you or wishes you more happiness than SIR Your most devoted and obedient Servant Roger Coke PREFACE TO THE READER GOD hath endued other Creatures besides Man The Nature of Man with Sense Appetite and Fear so as excited by their Appetite and directed by their Senses without any subordination of one to another they pursue and attain those things which Nature had before provided for their subsistence and prompted by their innate impulse of fear they avoid and flee from those Creatures and things which are Enemies and hurtful to them But the case is otherwise with Man for God hath endued him with a Higher and Nobler Faculty of Soul in giving him understanding which by Reason not Love Hatred Fear or Desire Governs all his Actions for where these or any of them prevail those men never understand judg or act aright And Men not as other creatures live in Society and Subordination So that under the Laws of God and their Superiors men eat their bread in the sweat of their brows Nature of her own accord hath ordained subsistence necessary for other creatures Where as though God hath made all things for the use of Man yet nothing is useful to Man pure Water Milk and some of the fruits of the earth in their seasons excepted but as it is prepared by Humane Art and Industry While other Creatures live free and Independent from one another only Man stands in need and help of another And therefore where things are best prepared for Humane necessities and convenience there Necessity of Trade men most resort from whence Humane Society Industry and Civility is improved above those places where these are not and men but few And this is so well understood that Trade is now become the Lady which in this present Age is more coúrted and Celebrated The excellency of Trade than in any former by all the Princes and Potentates of the World and that deservedly too For she acquires not her Dominion by the Horrid and Rueful face of Warr whose footsteps leave ever behind them deep impressions of misery divastation and poverty but with the pleasant aspect of wealth and plenty of all things conducing to the benefit of Humane life and Society accompanied with strength to defend her in case any shall attempt to Ravish or Invade her Take an Instance or two herein When the United Netherlands made their defection from the Crown of Spain Spain was in its greatest height and riches after some Commotions ten of the Provinces did either return or were subdued to the Crown of Spain yet the other seven for neer 40 years together by Warr and Policy maintained themselves against all the Power of Spain untill the charge became so insupportable to the Crown of Spain that Philip the Second about the year 1607. was forced to seek a Truce from the States and afterward in the year 1648. Philip the Fourth a Peace Yet all this Warr was maintained by these States purely upon the account of Trade and that Forein for other means all the World knows they had none And though they were constantly assisted by Queen Elizabeth and the French Kings successively yet were all the Forces of England and France as constantly paid by the States In our late Warrs with them notwithstanding the extraordinary supplyes imployed upon that occasion and the losses sustained by the Dutch incomparably more than were the English yet this Nation by experience found that the Dutch upon the Account of their Trade supported the Charge of the Warr against all difficulties The Bounds set by Warr are Towns Forts and Castles whereas neither Land nor Ocean put any Period to the Jurisdiction of Trade The English and Dutch have of late by a furious Warr contended who should enjoy her but whilest these Covetous Combatants contend so fiercely for her the French King by all the Modes of France Courts her for himself yet this though Covertly carryed was perceived by some of the jealous Combatants who had rather enjoy her neither can tell how than wholly lose her to their Powerful and Courtly Neighbour But Warr is not the Mean by which this Lady may be won for though she be pleased to be Guarded by Arms yet will she never admit to be governed by them therefore if either English or Dutch had subdued other yet should not Trade have longer continued with either than
our Plantations have exhausted our men whereby our Trade and strength is abated and diminished so the Law against Naturalization debars any future supply of other men from Planting with us and the Law of Navigation excludes much the greater Trading part of the world from Trading with us from abroad and our Corporations restrain our Trade to as few at home so as Trade which ever flourishes in multitude and freedom is by us by all imaginable ways circumscribed taxed and reduced to a few While we are contriving newer and more severe Laws against the Exportation of Wool and neglect the careful inspection and management of our Woollen Manufactures whereby they have lost their Reputation abroad we put the world upon necessities of supplying themselves elsewhere and especially from Ireland whereby the Dutch not only partake with us in our Turkey Trade and up the Elb but the Dutch and French in our own Markets in England have a free and open Trade in Woollen Cloths and Stuffs and in the mean while our Wool becomes a Drug and of no price or esteem at home whereby notwithstanding the severity of all our Laws against the Exportation thereof great quantities are exported and so will be until we establish such a Trade in our Woollen Manufactures that men shall be better encouraged to work them here than elsewhere for all men will rather venture their lives than lose their means of living We neglect to give any encouragement in assisting Ingenuous and Industrious men in any undertaking for the Publick good I give one instance in the County of Suffolk and here in Clerkenwel The English during the late Dutch and French War did betake themselves to Weaving Poldavies or Buck which they did make into double Buck being two threds spun together and made of our English Hemp which Ipswich and Woodbridge men affirm to be better than any East Country Hemp for this use which made better Sails than any other and did manage a considerable Trade thereby to the great benefit of Suffolk but now the Dutch and French Buck is sold somewhat cheaper the English not being as yet so much Masters of the Trade as the Dutch and French This Trade begins to decline again and to be neglected for want of some small Encouragement which might be done by some small Imposition for some time upon the French and Dutch Buck until we should be enabled to work it as cheap as it is in France and Holland As we give no encouragement to our industrious Natives so we utterly discourage all industrious Foreiners from improving and increasing Trade I need not here repeat the discouragement put upon the Silk-throwers by the Corporation and Company of London wherein near 20000 people are imployed though the first introduction of Silk-throwing was by a Foreiner the worthy Father of Sir Thomas Chamberlain now a worthy Citizen of London because the Wisdom of Parliament hath provided security for the Silk-throwers But though the Weaving Silk be as much or more advantageous to the Nation yet certain ingenuous and industrious French Artificers who endeavoured to exercise their Trades last Summer in the Suburbs of London were Indicted at Hicks Hall by certain of the Yeomanry of the Company of Weavers Commissionated by the Bailiff Warden and Assistants of the said Company and committed to the New-Prison in Clerkenwel though the difference between the said Company and the Protestant Strangers using manual Occupation was upon the Address of the French and Dutch Churches depending before his Majesty and Council Nor could any relief herein be had though his Majesty in Council the 29. of October last referred the business to the Lords of the Committee of Trade until his Majesty in Council the 10th of November last was pleased to discharge them I need not here recite the benefits the Nation at this day reaps by the permitting the Walloons to establish their Trades at Canterbury Norwich Colchester and other places the Nation at least the Southern and Eastern parts know they are the best Trades we have now left Yet I cannot but take notice that within the memory of man the returns of Maidstone Market did not amount to weekly above 30 l. whereas since admitting about 60 Families of Foreiners in the thred Trade the returns are weekly now above 1000 l. to the incredible benefit of the Lands as well as all sorts of people adjoyning How pernicious this practice of excluding Foreiners must needs be to the Nation as it now stands if it be continued is understood by his Majesty And the French King so well understands how much it will conduce to the advantage of France to encourage the freedom of Trade by entertaining all sorts of Forein Artificers that in contradiction to all the Ecclesiastical Powers opposing it he hath granted free liberty to all sorts of Forein Artificers and Merchants to exercise their Consciences in all Ports and places in his Dominion and to have Churches allowed them with equal or more Priviledges than his natural Subjects Sure now it will be no ways prudent in us so to discourage any herein as to be entertained by the French King as well as Dutch So that all the good and beneficial ends designed by Trade viz. of imploying all sorts of Impotent People Women and Children of Strengthning and enriching our selves by Trade are quite inverted by us For the Fishing Trade and the Trades of Making Dying and Dressing our Cloaths and Stuffs wherein all sorts of poor people might have been employed is lost and neglected by us whilst we intend the Newcastle Trade the French Canary Turkey East-India Trade and to our Plantations wherein only lusty men are imployed and the Impotent People Women and Children are exposed to beggery and the publick charge Secondly Ireland and our Plantations Rob us of all the growing Youth and Industry of the Nation whereby it becomes week and seeble and the Strength as well as Trade becomes decayed and diminished I and the Law against Naturalization Bars us of any future supply And thirdly Our Affluence Luxury and irregular management of Trade renders us poorer and in a worse condition than if we had no Trade at all So as here Reader thou mayest understand the reason of the decay and falls of the Rents of Lands in England for by the 11 Petition the Rents of Lands are valuable as the Trade of the place is the Trade of England therefore being diminished the Rents of the Lands in England are consequently fallen and diminished in proportion to it REASONS OF THE INCREASE OF THE Dutch-Trade PART II. Wherein is Demonstrated from what causes the Dutch govern and manage Trade better than the English whereby they have so far improved their Trade above the English Petitions 1. MEN labour more industriously in Trade and upon easier terms in the Vnited Netherlands than in England 2. The Dutch have down the Rhine Maez and Scheld out of Germany France Lorrain Flanders and other Spanish Provinces greater