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 the want of monyes in England (as the waste of the treasure and the like;) will not be so sensible as now they are, especially when needfull Commodities of Trade, shal be imported from some places, which shall supply (as in times past) the exportation of much money, when the Commodities of Russia, being Tallow, Waxe, Hides, retransported into France and Spaine, did by exchange furnish the Realme with Wines, Corints, Raisons and the like Commodities.
The Want of Money there, is the first cause of the Decay of Trade, for without money, commodities are out of request. And when they fall againe into Permutation or Barter, Traffique is subject to the necessity of Merchants, which tendeth to the destruction of ne commonweale, and to the inriching of an other. And this is effected by the exchange, as the grave and wise Cousellors of State before mentioned, have very well observed, whereof Aristotle and Seneca could take no notice in the infancy of Traffique, which maketh me to forbeare to alleadge their opinions and definitions; howbeit Commercium is quasi Commutatio Mercium, which the said Author would turne againe by a change of wares for wares, and ot money for wares. No marvell therefore that hee doth invert things and runneth into a Labyrinth without distinction, betweene the thing Active, and the Passive, by approoving Money to bee the rule and square, whereby things receive estimation and price. And yet commending the Commutation before Money was devised to be coyned.
Aristotle saith, That Action and Passion are meerely Relatives, and that they differ no more, then the way from Thebes to Athens, and from Athens to Thebes. We will therefore leave this Merchant to walke betweene both untill hee can discerne the one from the other. And then he shall finde, that as the Liver (Money) doth minister Spirits to the heart (Commodities,) and the heart to the Braine (Exchange:) so doth the Brayne exchange minister to the whole Microcosme or the whole Body of Traffique. Let the heart therefore by the liver receive his Tinctured Chilus by his own mouth and stomacke, and the blood full of Spirits, shall fill all the Veines, and supply the want of monyes. The easie course and recourse of whose exchange, shall bring all things in time, and serve all mens turnes. For even as there are two Courses observed of the Sunne: the one Annual, and the other by dayly declination, rising and going under: even so much wee observe in exchange two Courses, the one according to Par pro Pari, or value for value: the other rising and falling from time to time, as wee have already declared.
The second Cause of the decay of Trade, saith he, is Usury, meaning Usury Politicke, wherein he is prevented to speake, because of a Treatise made against Usury by an unknowne Authour, and presented to the last Parliament, for whom he taketh great care, that hee be not abused as Virgill was by proclaiming too late, Hos ego versiculos feci, tulit alter honores. True it is that the said Authour doth not attribute unot himself the makeing of verses: but taketh the whole substance of his discourse out of other mens workes, published above twenty yeares since. Turpe est Doctori, dum culpa redarguit ipsum. Cato.
Usury in a Common-wealth is so inherent, and doth properly grow with the decay of Trade, as Pasturage doth increase, with the decrease of Tilling. Albeit in some respects, Trade is increased by monyes delivered at use or interest upon occasions, when the Usurer is glad to finde a taker up of his monyes, and doth pray him to doe the same, by reason of the abundance of money; which maketh the price of Usury to fall, more then any Law or Proclamation can ever doe. So that to abate the Rate of Tenne upon the hundred to eight (as the saide Tract against usury would have had the Parliament to do:) will be effected or course, which alwaies hath the greatest command.
This doth also much prevent, that the Rule of Concord and Equality is not so soone broken and overthrowne in Common-weales, some growing very rich, and others extreame poore, not able to live in their vocation: The most pregnant cause of discord, causing many times civill warres, as Corvelius Tacitus hath noted, and appeareth in another Treatise where the operations of Usury are described.
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.
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.
And in this place it may bee thought convenient to make an answer, to the imputation and false interpretation which the said Author maketh, in the last chapter of his Treatise upon the words mentioned in the Canker of Englands Common-wealth, wishing the amendment of the above said fault, That our Cloth might be sold at so deere a RAte, and according to the price of forraine Commodities, that thereby other Nations, should take upon them, to make our Cloathes. And the Remedie is added, by selling our Wooles deerer, whereof they must make them; for in those dayes of the latter time of Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory, and untill the second yeere of our most Gracious Lord King James, Wools were permitted to be Transported by the Staplers and others. And one makers of Cloth beyond the Seas, must needs have them to cover their Woolles in the Indraping, which is now prohibited, and the Case is altered; hereupon this Moderne Merchant out of his deepe Speculation; saith, which seemes to have in it, much more Dutch then English, to deprive this Kingdome of so Royall a Manufacture, whereby so many thousands of poore Families are maintained: imitating herein the Butchers flye, byting upon one place, which seemeth to bee gawld, as he saith, and leaving all the sound body untoucht. For my Writings which are extant in Print and Manuscripts, doe shew, that my continuall studie hath beene to seeke the welfare of this Kingdome, which caused forraine Nations to say, that I did savour of too much English, and had made my selfe odious thereby, so that I may justly Challenge the misapplied example of the great Commander of the Romans Belizarius, alledged by the said Author; for Envie (looking asquint, as if shee were borne under Saturne:) having deprived mee of the sight of one eye with forraine Nations; doth now endeavour to make mee blinde, to bring me to say, Date obulum Belizario, quem invidia, non culpa caecavit. The like part shee plaid with me, for the invention of Farthing tokens, by accusation, that there was an intention to bring the use of Copper moneys within the Realme; which Tokens are found to bee very commodious and necessary, whereby the waste of much Silver is prevented, the meere poore releeved, and many of their lives saved, and the Common-wealth cannot be without them, unlesse Leaden Tokes were made againe in derogation of his Majesties Praerogative Royall. Wise men have noted, that the due observation of vertue, maketh a Stranger grow naturall in a strange Countrie, and the vicious a meere Stranger in his owne native Soile: and to their judgements I shall alwaies appeale with the divine assistance, and also pray for Unitie and Concord where none is, especially where the Spirits of neighbouring friends shold be united by true Religion to make Justice flourish; to which end, Wisdome doth construe things in the best Sense. For if they had with Patroelius put on Achilles Armour, and rid on his Horse and durst never touch Achilles his Speare: Surely our Achilles Speare doth both wound and heale, as his did, and like unto the water of Dodona, both extinguish and lighten Torches, whose continuall vigilant care by many Nocturnall Lucubrations, hath no need to bee remembred by the sight of his Subjects bloud in sheetes, written within and without, proceeding of ?????? /??? a Revenging eye.
Returning to the Cloth Trade and the Clothier; with a consideration of the merchants Adventurours, Eastland merchants, Russia Merchants, and others, and the Wooll Grower, or the Gentleman; let us carefully observe them in particular and in generall, supposing their complaints were all heard at one instant together, as also dividedly, whereby Truth doth better appeare by observing their Pollicies, partly declared in the neglect of the fishing Trade. The merchants Adventurours having ingrossed into their hands by colour of their last Letters Patents, The sole Power of exporting all white Clothes, coloured Clothes, Kersies, Baies, Sayes, Serges, Perpetuanoes, and all other new Draperies, into Holland, Zealand, Brabant, and other parts of the low and higher Germany, hath abated the Trade.
For all Merchants Strangers, might and did heretofore export white Clothes out of the Kingdome, paying double Custome, which they now may not.
The Merchants of the Staple, from all the Staple Ports, As London, Westminster, Bristol, South-hampton, Hull, Boystone, and New-castle, have heretofore exported, either Cloth or Wooll, or both, which now they may not.
All other Merchants at large, as well as London, as of all other parts of the Kingdome have usually heretofore exported, coloured Clothes, Kersies, Bayes, Sayes, Serges, Perpetuanoes, c. which now they may not. So that all the Trade of the Merchants of the Staple, of the merchant Strangers, and of all other English Merchants, concerning th'exportation of all the Commodities made of Wooll into those Countries, where the same are expecially to bee vented, is in the Power of the Merchants adventurours only; and it is come to be managed by 40 or 50 persons of that Company, consisting of three or foure thousand. Nay one man alone, hath compassed into his hands, the whole Trade of coloured Clothes and Kersies for these parts, by the meanes of exchanges, and moneys taken up at Interest. It is impossible that the same number with the same ability, can manage the same Trade, as to the best profit in Times of warres, as in Times of Peace: Then much lesse can a lesser number, with lesser abilitie manage a greater Trade, in most Troublesome times, especially if they have borrowed 50 or 60 thousand pounds at use, for the service of the Company, and thereby engaged the Trade, and set themselves in debt; which causeth many of the best merchant Adventurours to give over Trade, and are become purchasers, or lenders of money at Interest. Many others of them have engaged themselves in the East Indian Company, which did carry away their money, and left the Cloth.
This small number to manage so great a Trade incourageth the Clothier to adventure to make false Cloth, because it is impossible, that so few Merchants can search and visit every Cloth, as it ought to bee done, and the Clothiers conscience is satisfied. For he saith that the falsest Cloth is answerable to the best price, because none may export but they, and therefore they will give what price they please for this deceitfull Cloth hath cause great iarres and differences betweene the English Merchants and the forraine Nations for Tare or Rebatements, and the generall Report of the falsenesse of English Manufactures, hath caused a wonderfull decay of the sale thereof.
The Trade thus limited to a small number of a Company, residing for the most part at London, is a generall prejudice to the whole Kingdome, which though it have made London rich, it hat made all the Ports and other parts of the Kingdome poore; for it enforceth needlesse and chargeable carriage and Recarriage of divers commodities, whereby they are endeared unto us, and it hinders all the Ports (being the Walls of the Kingdome) from having either forraine or domesticke Commodities brought unto them at the best hand, which causeth them to be almost desolate and forsaken: and it hindereth the Clothiers and new Drapers, (which dwell in remote parts:) from selling their Cloth and Stuffes at their next ajoyning Ports, for how can they sell, when there are no Merchants?
It causeth all Chapmen to give poore and faint prices for Wool, because when it is indraped, it may not more freely be exported to the best advantage. So that the Grower is hindered in the price of his Wooll, for every losse and prejudice that comes upon cloth and the Clothier, doth fall upon the Wooll, and the Wooll Grower. And the Clothier saith, hee is prevented of his best Chapmen for his Cloth, for that merchants Strangers, or other English merchants cannot worke upon the advantage of Markets and the Clothiers necessitie, which beates downe the price of Cloth; the price of Cloth beateth downe the price of Wooll; the price of Wooll beateth downe the price of Lands which cannot be improved; and forraine Commodities are freely taken in Barter for the Returne of our home Commodities; when moneys nor Bullion can be imported, as that beene declared: so that the Hammers at the Minte, where the pulses of the common-wealth should be felt, are the life and moving. And it is come to such extremitie with the Eastland merchants, that they cannot vent their Cloth in Barter of other Wares to make Returne, and by money their losse would be incredible.
Shall this be Proclaimed a Free Trade, when within ourselves, we are in Bondage, and have lost the benefit of the Two essential Parts of Trafficke, namely the Rule of money and exchanges? Let every man judge.
Today nothing of the dependances of Trade, as the increase of Navigation and Navigators, when Merchants heretofore had more freedome, and the Ports were furnished and frequented, with great store of shipping; which although they were but small of burden: yet every one had their severall Pilot and Mariners, which did daily supplie the Land, with plenty of Sea-men.
The Merchants Staplers have observed, that the Merchants Adventurers, have an inevitable opportunity of Combination, to set what price they please upon cloth to the Clothier, of Wooll to the Grower, and of all Commodities exported and imported; and likewise to lay what private impositions they please, upon any of the said Commodities, so that whether they doe well or ill for the Common-weale, there can be no apparant triall: for having power to barre all others from Trade, but themselves, they are like a Commoditie weighed in a Ballance, that hath but one end, where there can be no Counterpoize, and then it seemes to bee great weight, although it be never so light. So that this ingrossing of Trade into few mens hands, hath caused our home Trades to decay, our Manufactures to decrease, and our home-bred Commodities to lie upon our hands unsold, or to be sold at a low price, to the utter undoing of all sorts of poore people in England, and the great damage of all his Majesties loving Subjects; and whilest our merchants hinder one another from Trade, other Nations increase their own Manufactures, and enlarge their Trade; not only for the said Countries of high and low Germany, but also for Russia, Eastland, Poland and other places.
For the making of good and true Cloth, many excellent Lawes have beene made and enacted, especially in the fourth yeere of his Majesties happy Raigne; whereupon I have heretofore made a Demonstration which was exhibited to the Right Honourable the Lords of the Privie Councell, shewing the weight, length and breadth of all sorts of Clothes, and that Weight and Measure doth controlle each other, whereby the Merchant that buyeth the Cloth, may be enabled to finde out the fraud and deceit of the Clothier: but this should bee done before the selling of them, and that by honest Officers or Magistrates, according to the said Acte, whereof our great Booke (now under the Presse,) intituled Lex Mercatoria or the Law Merchant, doth intreat of more particularly.
The eight cause of the decay of Trade, is Th'exportation of the materials of Wools, and Wooll-fells, from the Sea-coasts of England, and the Kingdome of Scotland, and the Customes and Impositions laid upon Clothes at home and abroad in other Countries, especially the great Imposition in the Low united Provinces called Consumption Money, payed by the Retaile of Cloth or Drapery, only upon our English Clothes, and not upon Cloth in those parts, whereby their Cloth is more vented, and English Cloth in less Request.
Touching the exportation of Materials, there is a provident order taken, to prevent the same in England, by a late direction and Proclamation, prohibiting the exportation of Woolls, Wooll fells, Wool-yearne, Fullers earth, and Wood ashes. And the like will be done in Scotland; and for the better execution, there is a Committee appointed of certaine selected discreet persons under the great Seale of England.
The ninth Cause of the decay of Trade, are the Warres in Christendome, as also in other Countries out of the same, where our Cloth and Manufactures have been transported, increased by the daily losses sustained by Pirats, and continuall breaking of Merchants and Tradesmen; all which is meerely Heterocliton or opposite to Traffique, and they concurre all in nature, to the interruption and overthrowing of Trade; and this can never be divereted, prevented, nor remedied, by selling our Clothes or Manufactures cheape, to undersell other Nations, who meet with the said hinderances and interruption as well as we doe, in the Trade of the Clothes made by them: But Time and quietnesse must be expected in some measure. The price of Wool being fallen from 33 shillings the Todde, to 18 shillings and under disimproving the Revenue of lands, can never increase Trade, but improverish the Kingdome and all landed men.
Aristotle saith, that Riches is either Natural or Artificiall. The natural Riches, as lands, vines forrests, meddowes, etc. The Artificiall, as Money, Gold, Silver, Cloth, and all things metalline or mineral, and manufactures, proceeding of the Naturall Riches. And as both these doe receive their price and estimation by mony (as the Rule and square) so reason requireth a certaine Equality betweene them in the estimation of the value thereof, which dayly decreaseth by abating the price of our Commodities, and for the want of moneys; which in some unskilful merchants are much to bee blamed in making inconsiderate Barters for our Clothes beyond the Seas, wanting vente, and being (by the abuse of exchange) deprived to import moneys and Bullione. To conclude this point, let us remember, that the Protection of Princes in warres and against the Pirates, is to be maintained to prevent the decay of Trade.
The tenth and last Cause of the decay of Trade, is the immoderate use of forraine Commodities, and the lesse use of our home Commodities: for albeit that by the Superfluity of our native Commodities, Trade is procured; yet if that Superfluity do abound so, that thereby the price of it becommeth abated: The forraine Commodities being more used and worne, come in the liew thereof and are advanced, which bringeth an evident overballancing of Comodities.
This cause some Statesmen in France, to invent meanes how the Trade might be cut off, and that no Commodities should be transported out of the Realme, making account, that they could live peaceably within themselves and very good cheape, without giving or receiving any thing of other nations. This was much contradicted by Monsieur Bodine the great Polititian of France, as is noted in Englands View, who shewed that they had neede of the Stranger, and most especially of the Traffique with them: Insomuch, that although they could have lived without them in regard of Commodities: yet charity, humanity, and Policy willeth us to maintaine friendship with our neighbours, and rater to give them part of our blessings, then not to deale or Communicate with them. True it is, that it cannot bee denyed, that if any kingdome under the Sunne, can subsist of itself, none hath more cause of thankgiving unto God, then the Kingdomes of Great Brittaine and Ireland, so richly replensihed with all things serving and Victum Vestitum, for the Backe and Belly, as we terme it, not onley for our owne maintenance, but also for the supply of others. But God caused nature to distribute her bennefites, or his blessings to severall Climates, supplying the barrennesse of some things in one countrey, with the fruitfulnesse and store of other countries, to the end that interchangeably one Common-weale should live with an other. And therefore is Traffique and Trade so much to bee maintained and defended, where in all manner of rashnesse in the sale of wares is to be avoided, but by Policy to be prevented and upholden, according to the Policy of that valiant Captaine Sertorius, who did preferre the same before strength by setting the feeble Souldior to pull out the horses taile, which the mightiest man of his campe could not effect, using violance: when the feeble man did performe the same by pulling out the haires by little and little. Merchants can use the like Policie, when they want not monyes, and doe expect a convenient time to sell their Clothes with reputation.
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