the maintenance of free trade-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　are　diverted　from　us；　by　the　course　of　exchange　in　undervaluing　our　moneys；　as　hath　beene　declared。　The　losse　whreof　is　greater　to　this　kingdome；　than　all　the　moneys　employed　yearely　for　the　East　Indies；　cometh　unto；　which　without　due　consideration；　seemeth　to　bee　impossible。　So　that　wee　may　very　well　affirme；　that　by　this　Trade　the　Treasure　of　the　Realme　can　greatly　be　increased　unto　us　the　use　of　forraine　Commodities　at　reasonable　rates。　And　therefore　is　the　same　by　all　meanes　to　be　continued；　the　rather　for　that　the　Hollanders　have　declared　5　especiall　Reasons　for　the　continance　of　their　East　Indie　Trade；　which　are　not　to　be　neglected；　but　are　to　bee　pondered　by　all　Politians　and　Statesmen。　　　　　　1。　Because　the　Right；　Power；　and　freedome　of　the　Traffique　and　Trade　belongeth　unto　them　（iure　gentium）　aswell　as　to　any　nation　of　the　world；　which　the　Spaniards　did　call　in　question。　　　　　　2。　For　the　revenge　of　any　injuries　done　to　the　Hollander；　may　bee　recompenced　in　those　Countries；　which　was　heretofore　without　breach　of　Truce。　　　　　　3。　For　the　maintenance　of　their　Marriners　and　Shipping；　of　which　two；　they　abound　above　all　nations。　　　　　　4。　For　the　increase　of　Customes　and　meanes　raised　by　the　Buying　of　these　commodities；　their　Countrey　being　a　Storehouse　for　all　wares　and　merchandizes。　　　　　　5。　Because　that　by　the　continuance　of　the　said　Trade　（although　it　should　proove　unprofitable：）　They　maintaine　a　certaine　peace　and　assurance　in　the　course　of　their　government　which　consisteth　thereby。　　　　　　This　Trade　of　the　Hollanders　for　the　East　Indies　began　upon　the　Embargoes　made　in　Spain　of　their　goods　and　interruption　of　their　Trade；　wherein　they　did　associate　themselves　with　the　Germanes　to　disperse　and　vent　their　said　India　commodities　better　and　speedier。　　　　　　To　this　Argument　appertaineth；　the　consideration　of　the　Trades　out　of　Christendome；　maintained　for　the　most　part　with　ready　moneys。　As　for　Turkie　and　Persia；　wherein　the　abundance　of　Silver　and　Gold　come　into　Europe；　since　the　West　Indies　were　discovered；　is　to　be　noted；　which　hath　made　every　thing　dearer　according　to　the　increase　of　money；　which　like　unto　an　Ocean；　dividing　the　Course　into　several　branches　in　divers　Countries；　hath　caused　a　great　alteration。　But　England　doth　not　participate　by　the　Course　of　Traffique　a　proportionable　Competent　share　of　the　said　aboundance　of　moneys；　as　other　nations　doe：　albeit　not　many　yeares　since；　we　had　more　moneys　then　in　times　past；　before　the　saide　discovery　of　the　West　Indies：　But　we　must　now　measure　things　according　to　the　said　abundance；　which　is　much　diminished　by　the　continuall　exportation　of　moneys　for　the　East　Indies　from　all　places　of　Traffique。　　　　　　The　fifth　Cause　of　the　Want　of　Money　in　England；　hee　saith；　are　the　Warres　of　Christendome；　causing　exportation　of　moneys；　and　the　Pirates　hindering　importation　of　money。　The　latter　is　meerely　a　Prevention　or　Robbing　of　our　moneys；　which　are　supposed；　might　be　brought　in。　But　if　Pirates　did　not　take　some　of　our　moneys；　it　followeth　not；　that　the　same　should　come　unto　us　in　specie。　For　experience；　by　the　example　of　the　Spanish　Merchants；　diverting　the　Realls　of　8　from　us　（for　Gaine　to　be　made　in　forraine　parts：）　prooveth　unto　us　the　contrary。　Gayne　beeing　alwaies　the　Scope　of　Merchants：　and　to　proove　that　this　Gayne；　is　made　Really　onely　by　the　abuse　of　exchange　（which　otherwise　would　be　but　Imaginary）；　wee　have　already　declared。　　　　　　Now　touching　the　exportation　of　monyes　by　the　wares　of　Christians；　where　he　declareth　an　urgent　instance：　That　the　Riecks　Doller；　is　raised　（two　markes　Lubish　making　the　said　Doller：）　to　twenty　markes　Lubish　in　many　places　of　Germany；　whereby　abundance　of　money　is　drawen　unto　the　Mintes　of　those　Countries；　from　all　the　Mines　and　Parts　of　Christendome：　herein　he　is　much　mistaken；　for　when　moneys　are　inhaunced；　they　never　are　carried　to　the　Mintes　for　to　be　converted　into　other　Coyne。　But　they　remaine　currant；　betweene　man　and　man；　running　like　a　Poste…horse；　every　man　fearing　to　receive　a　losse　by　the　fal。　Neither　maketh　this　any　rule　for　merchants　in　places　of　Trade；　otherwise　then　that　they　may　take　knowledge　of　the　publike　valuation　thereof；　to　sell　their　Commodities　accordingly；　by　rating　the　price　of　exchange；　upon　their　former　observation；　which　being　neglected　or　done　in　part；　causeth　the　undervaluation　of　our　monyes　in　exchange。　And　this　is　the　immediate　Cause　by　him　first　alleaged　and　treated　of；　wherein　the　Commodities　are　no　more　Active；　then　Tenderdon　Steeple　in　Kent；　was　the　Cause　of　the　decay　of　Dover　haven。　　　　　　To　make　this　to　appeare；　let　us　note；　that　this　Rieckx　Doller　being　the　maine　and　most　usuall　Coyne　in　Germany；　Eastland；　the　United　and　Reconciled　Countries　under　both　Governments；　and　many　other　places；　was　valued　at　2　marks　Lubish；　every　marke　being　16　shillings　Lubish；　or　16　Stivers；　for　the　yeare　1575；　the　saide　Doller　was　still　coyned　in　the　Empire　for　32　Stivers。　And　was　so　currant　by　Valuation　in　the　Low　Countries；　wherby　the　said　shilling　Lubish　and　the　Stiver　Flemish　were　al　one；　but　the　wars　in　the　Low　Countries　hath　bin　the　cause　of　the　inhauncing　of　this　Doller；　which　was　brought　to　35　Stivers；　and　the　yeare　1586；　to　45　Stivers　by　intermissive　Times　and　Valuations　howbeit　at　Stoade；　Hamborough　and　other　places　in　Germany；　the　said　Doller　did　remaine　still　at　32　Stivers　or　two　markes。　And　as　the　said　Doller　did　inhaunce　in　price：　so　did　they　coyne　new　Stivers　accordingly；　sometimes　lighter　in　weight；　and　at　other　times　imbased　by　Allay　or　Copper。　And　yet　in　accompt；　the　Stiver　did　and　doth　remaine　the　ground　of　all　their　monyes。　But　the　said　Doller　holdeth　his　Standard　agreeable　to　the　first　Doller；　which　is　called　the　Burgundian　Doller　with　the　crosse　of　Saint　Andrew　coyned　in　the　yeare　1575　which　is　in　fineness　tenne　ounces；　and　twelve　penny　weight　of　fine　silver；　and　four　and　one　halfe　of　these　Dollers；　were　there　made　equivalent　to　our　20　shillings　Starlin；　as　a　Publicke　measure　in　exchange　betweene　us；　and　the　Low　Countries；　Germany　and　other　places　where　this　Doller　was　currant；　which　made　the　Par　or　price　of　exchange　to　be　24　of　their　shillings；　for　20　shillings　of　ours；　according　to　which　computation；　exchanges　were　made；　alwaies　above　that　price；　both　here　and　beyond　the　seas；　and　the　Stiver　of　the　Lowe　Countries　was　not　in　value　answerable　thereunto；　for　bieng　but　two　ounces　17　pence　with　fine；　their　32　Stivers　for　the　said　Doller；　（which　is　foure　pieces　and　one　halfe　144　Stivers：）　did　not　containe　so　much　fine　silver　in　them；　as　the　said　Doller　proportionably。　But　there　wanted　above　3　shillings　Flemish　in　the　pound　of　20　shillings　Starlin。　　　　　　Those　Dollers　have　since　beene　imitated　and　made　by　the　States　of　the　united　Low　Provinces　in　their　severall　Mintes；　as　also　by　the　Archduke　Albertus　in　the　reconciled　Provinces。　And　the　price　of　them　at　Hamborough；　Stoade；　and　other　places　was　inhaunced　but　one　Stiver；　that　is　to　say；　at　thirty　three　Stivers；　where　the　said　Dollers；　went　in　the　Low　Countries　by　valuation　for　45　Stivers　in　the　yeare；　1586；　at　which　time　the　Par　of　exchange　was　found　to　bee　twenty　foure　shillings　nine　pence　for　those　parts；　and　for　the　Low　Countries　at　thirty　three　shillings　4　pence；　which　was　so　agreed　upon　to　our　disadvantage；　for　according　to　the　saide　4　1/2　Dollers；　at　forty　five　Stivers；　it　maketh　thirty　three　shillings　nine　pence；　but　our　twenty　shillings　valued　at　tenne　Stivers　for　the　shilling；　was　the　cause　that　it　was　put　to　thirty　three　shillings　four　pence。　My　selfe　being　there；　a　Commissioner　appointed　by　the　Councell　Table；　with　Sir　Richard　Martin　Knight；　and　Monsieur　Ortell；　Monsieur　Coase；　and　Monsieur　Valcke；　Commissioners　for　the　States　of　the　united　Provinces。　　　　　　This　Doller　is　since　that　time　inhaunced　to　fifty　two　Stivers　in　the　Lowe　Provinces；　which　maketh　the　price　of　exchange　above　thirty　eight　shillings；　or　rather　thirty　nine　shillings：　and　shall　we　suffer　this；　and　not　alter　our　price　of　exchange　accordingly；　but　be　contented　to　take　thirty　foure　shillings　or　thirty　five　shillings；　and　after　that　rate　undersell　all　the　Commoditis　of　the　kingdome；　and　suffer　also；　（because　of　this　gaine）　our　monyes　to　be　exported；　the　Realls　of　8　to　bee　debarred　from　us　to　bee　brought　in　and　carried　to　other　Countries；　for　bringing　a　losse　to　the　importer；　which　by　inhauncing　of　the　price　of　our　exchange　（and　not　by　inhauncing　of　our　monyes：）　can　bee　easily　prevented？　as　heereafter　shall　be　declared。　　　　　　This　Doller　is　likewise　since　that　time；　more　inhaunced　in　Germany　from　time　to　time；　and　leaving　the　excessive　alteration　in　Remote　places；　let　us　note　the　Valuation　of　Hamborough；　where　it　hath　beene　at　fifty　foure　Stiners　the　Doller；　which　maketh　the　exchange　above　forty　shillings　of　their　money　for　our　twenty　shillings。　And　although　we　have　raised　the　price　of　exchange　from　twenty　foure　shillings　nine　to　thirty　five　shillings　or　thereabouts：　shall　we　rest　here　and　go　no　further？　have　we　reason　to　doe　it　in　part；　and　not　in　the　whole；　according　to　justice；　equality；　and　true　Policy。　And　shall　we　bee　like　a　man；　that　by　halting　in　jest；　became　lame　in　earnest？　I　say　againe；　Absit　ignorantia。　Thus　much　Obiter。

Chapter　II。

The　Causes　of　the　Decay　of　Trade　in　the　Merchandize　of　England。

　　　　　The　Moneyes　of　Christendome；　which　have　their　ebbing　and　flowing；　doe　shew　their　operation　upon　commodities；　making　by　Plenty；　the　price　thereof　deare；　or　by　Scarcity　better　cheape。　And　on　the　Contrary；　by　exchange　we　finde　that　plenty　of　money　maketh　a　Low　exchange；　and　the　price　of　monyes　to　fall　in　exchange：　and　that　Scarcity　of　money　maketh　a　fhigh　exchange；　and　the　price　to　rise；　overruling　both　the　price　of　moneys　and　Commodities；　which　beeing　observed　by　the　great　exchangers　or　Bankerers；　caused　them　to　invent　all　the　means　to　compasse　the　fame；　and　to　rule　the　course　thereof　at　their　pleasure；　having　the　maine　sea　of　exchange；　wherein　the　exchange　of　England　runneth　like　a　River　or　Branche；　and　is　overruled　by　the　generall　Currant；　which　may　be　prevented：　for　we　have　the　head　of　exchange　of　20　shillings　Starlin　for　the　places　where　most　of　our　Commodities　are　sold；　which　will　command　all　the　parts　&　members　of　the　body　of　Traffique；　and　procure　plenty　of　money；　whereby　the　other　cuases　of