The biting Usury & intolerable extortion committed by certain uncharitable men, commonly called Brokers for pawnes, is not to bee touched in a word, for this is the only the remarkable sin, (I meane extortion & oppression:) for which feedeth upon the sweat & blood of the meere merchanicall poore, taking 40, 50, 60& 100 upon the 100 by the yeare: besides Bill money and forfeiture of the pawnes, when charitable persons have offered above 20 yeares since, to give largely, and to lend moneys Gratis, as also after 10 in the 100 to supply by way of pawn-houses (by some called Lombards:) the need and occasions of the poore & mechanicke people; the neglect wherof sheweth that our hearts are overfrozen with the Ice of uncharitablenesse, which otherwise could not have so long continued; for it provoketh Gods anger against us in the highest degree. If these men had beene Jewes, I might have bestowed some Hebrew upon them in detestation of the word Neshech, which is nothing else but a kind of biting, as a dog useth to bite & gnaw upon a bone; otherwise to use many languages in a litle Treatise of free trade may seem impertinent.
The third cause of the decay of Trade he saith, is, the litigious Law suits, which as one way they increase by scarcity of money, which compelleth men to stand out in Law for a time, when they cannot pay untill they receive: So another way, when moneys are plentifull, men care the less for money, & pride causeth them to spend, & to go to law for every triffle, disputing De lana Caprina: true it it, that this Law warfare interrupteth trade, but to make the same to be one of the efficient Causes of the decay of trade, I cannot altogither agree therunto: but rather to the Remedies which shal be hereafter declared; albeit many men, are vexed, imprisioned & overthrowne, having spent their time & meanes in Law: which might have bin employed in trade for the good of the Comon-Wealth & their owne quietnesse.
I do likewise omit to intreat of transportation of ordnance & munition heretofore permitted, mentioned by the said author, &now prevented in some sort; neither was England in the yeere, 1588 in such great distresse to be termed in articulo temporis, when the merchants Adventurers did provide from Hambrough a ships lading with Powder and shot, as parcell of their dutie to assist the Kingdome, by God only preserved.
The fourth Cause of the Decay of Trade, or to speake properly, neglect of Trade, is, The admitting of forraine Nations, to fish in his Majesties Streames and dominions, without paying any thing for the same, whereby their Navigation is wonderfully increased, their Mariners multiplied, and their Countrie inriched, with the continuall labour of the people of all sorts, both impotent and lame, which are set on worke, and get their living.
Concerning this fishing Trade: there hath beene a continuall Agitatin above 30 yeeres to make Busses and Fisher-boats, but the Action is still interrupted, because other Nations doe finde too great favour and friends here to divert all the good intentions and endevours of such as (with the Author of this Discourse) have imployed their Time and good meanes therein; for the Merchants Adventurours, the Companie of Merchants Trading in Russia, and the East-land Merchants, did also oppose themselves against it at the Councell Table, and did alleage the reasons following.
1. The infringing of their Priviledges here and beyond the Seas.
2. The Interloopers advantage to interrupt their Trade under colour hereof.
3. The want of meanes to make Returne, both for Fish and Cloth also.
4. The inhauncing of the price of forreine Commodities.
5. The preoccupying of money to the hinderance of Cloth.
6. The dissolution of the joynt stocke of the Russia Company.
7. The incouragement of Strangers hereupon to make a Contract with the Russian Emperour.
8. The discouragement to undertake new discoveries.
9. The defraying of the Charge of Embassadours and other extraordanarie Charges for honour of the State.
10. The plenty of Fish, which those Countries have from time to time, and some other Reasons.
So that in conclusion, England (by their saying) cannot maintaine the Sea Trade and the Land Trade together; neither do they make account to make Returne in money, knowing that they should lose more thereby, then by the exchange of those Countries, or by Commodities. And albeit that all the premisses may bee moderated without hinderance to the said Companies: neverthelesse such is the condition of some Merchants, not understanding the Mysteries of exchange, and over-ruling otheres by their order of Antiuqitie in their Society: that neither Reason or experience can prevaile; insomuch, that whereas other Princes take their Duties of other Nations for fishing, and fish themselves also by their Subjects: yet England cannot resolve to doe the like, or at least take order for the said Duties.
In Russia many leagues from the Maine, Fisher-men doe pay great Taxes to the Emperour of Russia, and in most places, other Nations are prohibited to fish.
The King od Denmarke doth the like, and taketh great Tribute, both at Ward-house and the Sound.
The King of Sweden in like manner, and the said King of Denmarke now for the Kingdome of Norway.
All the Bordering Princes of Italy doe take Taxes upon fish within the Mediterranian Seas.
The like Taxe is taken by the Duke of Medina Sidonia for Tunny in the Spanish Seas.
The States of the United Provinces doe take an imposition upon fish, which is taken within the Streames, and Dominions of other Princes.
The Hollanders doe allow the Tenth fish, both in Russia, Lappia and other places, or pay a Composition for the same; as also moreover a Tribute in the Sound for passage, to fetch the said fish. And of mine owne knowledge, I am assured, they would willingly have paid the same unto England, or a good composition for it, had not the greedy lucre of some persons hindered the same.
