It having pleased God to give mee my birth and being in this good Land, and under the reigne of so great a King; whose peace and piety, whose prudence and policy, whose rare endowments of Nature and literature, absit omnis adulatio, doe lend to the Christioan and Pagan world such a glorious lustre, as that the other great lights in the Spheares thereof do seeme eclipsed: Icould not but thinke it my bounden duty, in all humble acknowledgement to Almight God, and devouted service to so mighty a King, to endevour to expresse the same, in some publique service for the publique good.
The rather for that there seem's to be a necessitie imposed upon all men, as much as they can, to performe this duety;according to that gnerall precept, Feare God, Honour the King: As if a man could not feare God, unlesse he honour the King: nor honour the King, without the feare of God.
And no marvell, when God himselfe setteth these duties in the frontispice or topof both the Tables of the Decalogue: The one Explicit in the first Table, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God:
The other Implicit in the second Table, Thou shalt honour the King: as if he were {Greek phrase omitted}, A Law and another Law: yea the whole Law comprised in these two: and these two termed the great Commandements, to give a deepe impression and a lively expression of so great a dutie.
Yea, he doth honour kings with this own title, as if hee would part with, & impart to them, some of his owne honour. Ihave saide yee are Gods: to which that of the Poet may seeme {Greek word omitted} to have an elegant allusion, Divisum imperium cum Ioue Caesar habet.
And this is it I confesse that hath raised and rowsed mine affections, to seeke out a subject, wherein I might set my self a task, & as it is in the proverb, might {Greek phrase omitted}, to performe some acceptable service, to so great a King, & so good a kingdome.
But what need I seeke that which seeketh all men? For what is at this time more enquired after then the Causes of the decay of Trade? And what can be more fit for my meditation, then that wherein I have had education? And what hath more relation to matter of State, then Commerce of Merchants? For when Trade flourisheth, the Kings revenue is augmented, Lands and Rents improved, Navigation is encreased, the poore employed. But if Trade decay, all these decline with it. Neverthelesse when Ilooke upon the face of the great body politique of this weale publique, and therein consider the high wisedome of His sacred Majestie, as the intellectual part of this Micorcosme, or alter orbis as Ceasar calles it: the prudence and providence of His Nobles, as the Eyes thereof; the great decay of Trade, the Nerves thereof: together with the parliamentation and consultation of all the parts together about these Causes and Remedies: I feare Ishall seeme {Greek phrase omitted}, to light a Candle in the Sunne, to offer my service in that, about which the choicest wits of the Kingdome are now in consultation.
But having had experience of His Majesties gracious interpretation of small services of his subjects employed for the publique: though others much more sufficient are sent before, yet could I not but expostulate with my selfe, what if I also runne after, and cast in my {Greek phrase omitted}, into this great Treasury.
Therefore if herein, any observations of mine, either Forreign or domestique, may administer any thing worthy the information of that Great common and yet not common Sense, Ishall esteeme my part most happily acted, to have employed my private paines for the publique good. The rather, for that, as there are many Causes discussed and discoursed of at this time, of the decay of Trade; so also are there many remedies: wherein if either the Causes be mistaken, or the remedies ill applied;the present sicknesse of the Trade, may be brought from a disease in fieri to an habituated and in facto, as the Phisitians Schoole hath it.
To find the cause of things, is a worke of Philosophy, and much felicitie: to finde out a fit remedy, is of high eminency:
But to apply the remedy, is a matter of State and Policy. And this leadeth mee to the Method of my discourse: which parts it selfe in twaine: viz. Into a double Quaere, of the Deformation and Reformation of Trade. In the former may be considered, the Causes and Effects thereof. In the Causes, the matter of forme of Trade. The master of Trade, is either Naturall or Artificial. The Natural matter of Commerce is Merchandize: which Merchants from the end of Trade have stiled Commodities. The Artificial matter of Commerce is Money, which hath obtained the title sinews of warre and of State.
Old Jacob blessing his Grandchildren, crost his hands; and laide his right hand on the yonger, and his left hand on the elder: And Money, though it be in nature and time after Merchandize, yet forasmuch as it is now in use become the chiefe, I will take leave of Method, to handle it in the first place.
