free trade-第5节

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of　our　Ophir；　the　Milke　&　Hony　of　our　Canaan；　the　Indies　of

England：　and　therefore　desire's　and　deserve's　to　be　had　in　an

everlasting　remembrance。

　　　　The　Draperies　of　this　Kingdome　are　termed　Old　and　New。　By　the

Old；　are　understood　Broad　Clothes；　Bayes　and　Kersies：　By　the　New；

Perpetuanoes；　Serges；　Sayes；　and　other　Manufactures　of　wooll。

　　　　The　causes　then　of　the　decay　of　trade　in　these　Draperies；　are

either　Domestique　or　Forreine。　The　Domestique　causes；　are　some

Past；　some　Present。　Those　Past；　are　apparent　in　the　late

disturbance　of　the　Cloth…Trade；　which　is　so　obvious　to　every　man；

that　I　had　rather　passe　by　it；　then　presse　upon　it；　because　it　is

past：　and　I　would　to　God　that　so　were　the　effects　of　it　also。　In

charitie　we　may　thinke　it　was　good　in　the　purpose；　though　it

prooved　ill　in　the　practice。　For　thereby　the　Draperies　of　this

Kingdome；　are　much　diminished；　and　the　forreine　advanced　and

advantaged。　The　quantitites　of　which　last；　were　formerly　few　or

none；　but　now　they　exceede　our　highest　numbers　issued　out　of　the

land：　as　by　a　collection　thereof；　which　my　selfe　made　in　those

parts；　by　His　Majesties　speciall　parts；　by　His　Majesties

specially　command；　in　the　time　of　Secretary　Winwoods　service；　may

appeare。

　　　　These　present；　may　be　discern'd　in　the　Cloth…trade；　either

under　the　Clothier；　or　under　the　Merchant。　Under　the　Clothier；

either　by　ill　making　or　false　sealing　the　Cloth。

　　　　For　the　making　of　good　and　true　Cloth；　many　excellent　lawes

have　bin　invented　&　enacted　by　the　wisdome　of　the　Parliaments　of

this　land；　from　time　to　time。　And　the　Statute　of　4　of　the　King

Cap。　2　doth　seeme　to　bee　an　Epitome　or　Compendiary　of　all　the

former　Statutes　in　this　kinde。　In　this　Stature　is　prescribed；　the

true　breadth；　and　length；　and　waight；　that　may　conduce　to　the

making　of　a　true　and　perfect　Cloth；　Kersie　or　Manufacture。　If　a

Clothier　make　a　Cloth　of　lesse　waight；　then　is　set　downe　in　the

said　Statute；　he　offendeth　in　Quantitie：　If　of　lesse　breadth；　or

length；　or　of　forbidden　kindes　of　wooll；　hee　offendeth　in

Qualitie。　If　a　Clothier　offend　in　neither　of　these　by　his　owne

act；　yet　he　may　offend　in　both；　by　his　instruments　or　workemen：

Either　by　the　Weavers；　in　not　putting　in　the　stuffe　at　the

making；　or　by　the　Tuckers　in　pulling　out　the　stuffe　after　the

making　thereof。

　　　　A　Cloth　also　may　be　well　made；　&　yet　false　sealed。　A　Cloth

may　be　said　to　be　lawfully　made；　when　it　is　truly　sealed。　For

although　it　may　be　impossible　to　make　some　Clothes；　just　of　those

quantities　and　quanlities　prescribed　by　the　Statute；　as　the

Clothiers　terme　is；　A　man　cannot　cast　a　cloth　in　a　mould：　yet　I

hope；　they　will　give　me　leave　to　say；　that　it　is　possible　that　a

Cloth　may　bee　true　sealed；　though　false　made。　And　then　a　Cloth

ill　made；　and　true　sealed；　whereby　the　buyer　may　see　what　he　hath

for　his　money；　may　bee　said　to　bee　a　good　or　lawfull　Cloth

according　to　the　Statute。

　　　　Now　the　execution　of　the　Statute　for　Searching　and　Sealing　of

Clothes；　seemeth　to　be　referred　to　two　sorts　of　men：　which　are

either　the　Aulnager　or　Seacher。　the　former　may　seeme　originally

to　have　beene　an　Officer　appointed　for　that　purpose；　as　well　as

by　the　Notation　of　the　name；　as　by　some　Ancient　Statutes。　For

Aulne；　and　Aulnage；　and　Aulnagier；　are　all　French　words；　taken

from　the　measuring　of　Cloth。　And　thence　it　is；　that　in　that

tongue　they　are　wont　to　say　Auner　draps　to　measure　Clothes；　by　a

Trope　taken　from　the　Instrument　by　which　they　are　measured。

　　　　But　because　the　care　of　the　Aulnage　is　committed　to　so　Noble

and　Honourable　a　Personage；　that　will　not　suffer　any　abuse　in　the

execution　of　that　office：　and　the　said　Statute　of　4　Jacobi；　and

the　former　Statutes　of　39　and　43　Elizabethae；　doe　referre　the

Searching　and　Sealing　of　Clothes；　to　certaine　Overseers　or

Searchers；　so　called　by　the　said　Statutes；　I　will　proceede　unto

them。

　　　　And　forasmuch　as　Execution　is　the　life　of　the　law；　as　His

Majestie　in　his　high　wisedome　admonisheth：　and　the　Prudence　and

providence　of　the　State；　have　beene　very　great　in　devising　and

enacting　such　good　lawes　from　time　to　time；　as　might　tend　to　the

encreae　and　advancement　of　the　Drapery　of　this　Kingdome：　If

therefore　now　any　think　bee　amisse　therein；　it　must　needs　come

through　the　want　of　execution　of　those　lawes。　Hinc　illae

lachrymae！　This　Bonum　according　to　His　Majesties　Regall　rule；　is

not　Bene。　For　these　Overseers　and　Searchers　beeing　silly

Countreymen；　and　generally　not　expert　in　the　mystery　of　making　of

Cloth：　in　the　Search　whereof；　there　is　as　much　neede　of　skill　as

in　the　making：　for　how　should　they　finde　the　fault；　that　know　not

how　it　is　committed？　These　Searchers　I　say；　thus　being　ignorant

and　unskilfull　in　their　offices；　and　negligent　also；　（in　which

last；　it　hath　been　againe　and　againe　confest；　that　they　have　set

the　seales　of　their　office；　to　Clothes　they　never　search't　nor

saw）　needs　must　there　be　a　great　abuse；　in　the　execution　of　those

good　lawes。

　　　　Nay　I　would　I　could　not　say；　how　much　our　Nation　hath　beene

upbraided　by　the　people　of　forreine　parts　with　this　abuse；　that

the　Searchers　Seales　of　England　are　bought　and　sold　as　in　a

market；　and　put　on　the　Clothes　by　the　Tuckers；　and　other　the

servants　of　the　Clothiers；　as　if　the　same　had　beene　lawfully

Searched　and　Sealed　according　to　the　Statute；　when　as　the

Searchers　Eye　never　so　much　as　beheld　the　Clothes。

　　　　Wherein　the　people　of　the　Netherlands　are　so　exact；　that　you

shall　never　find　any　of　their　Countrey　Clothes　false　search't　or

sealed。　For　you　sahll　nave　a　Seale　set　upon　the　Cloth　when　it

commeth　from　the　Weavers：　anothe　whenit　commeth　from　the　Tuckers：

another　when　it　commeth　from　the　Dyers：　and　that　by　men　of　good

quality；　appointed　for　tha　purpose　in　every　City　and　Towne　where

Cloth　is　made；　termed　Curemasters：　so　called　from　the　Care　they

ought；　and　doe　performe；　in　the　execution　of　their　office：

wherein　indeed　they　are　so　strict；　that　you　shall　never　finde　any

of　the　seales　aforesaid；　set　to　any　manner　of　false　or　defective

Cloth。

　　　　For　indeed　the　Searcher　being　a　sworne　Officer；　ought　to　be

as　witnes　without　exception　betwixt　man　and　man：　that　when　a　man

seeth　the　Searchers　seale　set　upon　the　Cloth；　it　should　serve　as

a　true　Certificat　of　the　true　making　thereof。　It　is　a　great

impiety　before　God　and　Man；　to　be　a　false　witnesse　in　any　case：

but　these　Searchers　are　false　witnesse　ipso　facto；　when　they　doe

testifie　to　the　world　by　their　seales；　that　those　Clothes　are

good　and　true；　which　indeede　are　utterly　false。　And　which

aggravateth　the　matter　yet　more；　that　the　Kings　Seale　of　Armes；

which　is　testis　omni　exceptione　major；　should　also　be　set　to

Clothes　thus　falsely　searched　and　sealed；　whereby　not　only　the

Kings　subjects；　but　the　strangers　also　in　forreine　parts　are

deceived；　is　a　very　grosse　and　grievous　abuse。

　　　　Amongst　other　abuses　of　this　kinde；　one　precedent　come's　to

my　minde；　of　ten　Clothes　bought　not　long　since　by　a　Merchant；　of

a　Clothier　of　Wiltshire。　Which　Clothes　were　all　Sealed　by　the

Searchers　of　that　place；　for　good　&　true；　according　to　the

Statute。　but　being　tried　by　the　Merchant　Buyer；　and　afterwards　by

the　Sworne　measurer　of　the　Citie　of　London；　were　found　so

defective　in　length；　breadth　and　waight；　that　where　these　ten

Clothes　cost　but　60　lib。　or　thereabouts；　the　faults　in　these　ten

Clothes　came　to　neere　20　lib　which　ws　one　third　part　of　the　value

of　the　Cloth。　And　it　being　a　notable　comtempt　of　the　law；　the

Lords　of　His　Majesties　most　Honourable　Privie　Councell　were

informed　thereof；　who　were　pleased　to　send　down　a　Messenger　into

that　County；　and　fetch't　up　both　the　Clothier　and　Searchers；　who

worthily　under…went　the　Condigne　Censure　of　the　Lords。

　　　　Under　the　Merchant　also　the　Cloth…trade　suffereth　both　at

Home　and　Abroad。　At　Home；　by　Exporting　the　Materials；　either　of

Woolles　or　Wool…sels　from　the　Sea…coasts　of　England；　and　the

Kingdome　of　Ireland：　or　by　Over…lading　the　Cloth…trade；　either

with　any　generall　or　speciall　charge。

　　　　The　latter　I　cannot　pretermit：　for　as　the　chiefe　waight　of

the　Cloth…trade　lyeth　on　the　Merchants…Adventures；　so　also　is　the

burthen　of　charge　most　felt　under　that　trade。　For　the　Impositions

and　Imprest　money　by　them　laid　upon　the　Cloth；　for　defraying　the

charge　of　their　Government；　and　payment　of　their　Debts；　hath

driven　many　good　Merchants　out　of　the　trade；　and　given　the

Clothiers　occasion　to　complaine　of　want　of　Buyers；　and　thrust　the

trade　it　selfe　more　and　more　into　the　Strangers　hands。

　　　　And　abroad；　by　the　unfit　place　of　Residence；　which　the

Merchants…Adventurers　are　fallen　upon　in　Holland。　Whither　they

goe　with　great　perill　of　Shippe　and　Goods：　And　where　they　come

farre　short　of　that　they　hoped　for；　and　of　that　quicke　and　ample

vent　of　their　Cloth　they　found　in　Zeeland。　The　Agitation　of　which

remoove；　is　vehemently　suspected　to　have　moved　the　Merchants　of

Holland；　to　procure　Priviledges　of　the　States　Generall　to

Incorporate　themselves；　and　keep　Courts；　to　confront　the

Merchants…Adventurers；　which　they　never　did　before：　To　h