These exemplary Actions have long determined the question of Mare liberum, touching the Communitie or freedome of the Seas, which is acknowledged to be so, for Navigation, without that the same doth any manner of way prejudice the Distinct Dominions of the Seas of all Princes concerning fishing; that is to say, the fishing Trade. So that it is superfluous to alleage the opinions of Orators and Poets about the fishing heretofore in the Mediterranian Seas, neither doth it belong to this place to cite the Determinations of the learned Civilians which are mentioned in the Treatise De Dominio Maris. For the matter hath beene learnedly handled at the Councell Boord, before the Grave Senators, many yeeres since, by our Civilians and others, which (to avoid prolixitie) I doe omit.
Now from the Fishing we are come to Clothing or Drapery of the Kingdome, and the abuses thereof, as the fist cause of the dacay of Trade: wherein to use many distinctions of the new and old Drapery (unlesse it were to Reduce matters in statu quo prius:) shall be needlesse. And although the dressing and dying of Cloth, was insisted upon to be done in England in the yeere 1616. To establish the Manufacture within the Realme, (at which time 64 thousand Clothes were exported:) which was afterwards revoked:) I cannot omit to observe the Practises which were used by Combination with other Nations abroad, and domesticke intelligences at home, whereby many good Actions are overthrowne, to the generall hurt, and with little advancement to the particular.
It cannot be denied, but that the Drapery of forraine Nations (not only the making of Cloth in the Low Countries, but of late yeeres in Italy and Spaine also:) the Trade of Cloth is much diminished, both in the number made, and in the price thereof, which is a Canker to the Common-wealth. But this is not to bee cured by abating the price of our Cloth continually (as it were) striving to our undoing, to undersell other Nations; for Satan cannot cast out Satan, as the said Author alleageth: which mich hereunto be better applied, if the Simile were grounded; for in Phisicke one deletorious poison, is hardly tempred, but by one of equall strength. For the underselling of our Clothes will not make them more vendible, when the Accidents of great Warres doth hinder the same: wherein wee are to note two principall points.
First, that other Nations (buying heretofore our Clothes when they were sold deerer, by the one halfe in price then they be now) did never complaine that the Clothes were sold too deere, but they did alwaies complaine of the false making of our Cloth.
Secondly, that other Nations are as willing to sell unto us their forraine Commodities, as we can be to sell our Clothes to them; for those that make Clothes in their Countries, have no occasion to buy forraine Wares, or the Commodities of others, but seeke to sell them for ready money, or to bee payed at some thimes: whereby England hath a great advantage, and may enjoy the benefit of it, in selling their Cloth with Reputation, which is ever accompanied with Request, and causeth Commodities to be sold at good rates; whereas vilifying the price of Wares, can never establish a Trade, and make Commodities more vendible; for this course is violent, and Nullum violentum perpetuum.
