the maintenance of free trade-第13节

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　　　　　　This　is　to　be　done　only　by　his　Majesties　Proclamation　according　to　the　Statutes　of　exchanges；　prohibiting　that　after　three　moneths　next　ensuing　the　same；　no　man　shall　make　any　exchanges　by　Bills　or　otherwise；　for　moneys　to　bee　paied　in　forraine　parts；　or　to　be　recharged　towards　this　Realme　under　the　true　Par；　or　value　for　value　of　our　moneys；　and　the　moneys　of　other　Countries　in　weight　and　finenesse；　but　at　the　said　Rate；　or　above　the　same；　as　Merchants　can　agree；　but　never　under　the　said　Rate：　which　shall　be　declared　in　a　paire　of　Tables　publikely　to　be　seene　upon　the　Royall　Exchanges　in　London；　according　to　the　said　Proclamation；　and　the　said　Table　shall　be　altered　in　price；　as　occasions　shall　be　ministred　beyond　the　Seas；　in　the　generall　Respective　places　of　exchanges；　either　by　their　inhauncing　of　moneys　by　valuation；　or　by　imbasing　of　the　same　by　Allay；　which　by　a　vigilant　eye　may　be　observed；　and　will　be　a　cause　to　make　othr　Nations　more　constant　in　the　course　of　their　moneys。　And　this　will　be　executed　more　or　course；　then　by　Authority；　becuase　Gaine　doth　beare　sway　and　command　with　most　men。　　　　　　The　facilitie　hereof　putteth　me　in　minde　of　the　Geometricall　Axiom　or　Maxime；　observed　in　commedation　of　the　invention　of　round　Wheeles；　Circulus　tangit　Planum；　unico　puncta；　as　a　reason　to　draw　and　carry　Loads　with　a　small　strength；　whereas　if　they　had　been　made　square；　or　any　other　Poly…angle　and　proportion：　Forty　horses　would　not　so　easily　draw　them；　being　laden；　as　two　doth　now；　both　with　speed　and　ease。　Unto　which　this　Remedie　may　bee　aptly　compared；　which　（in　a　manner）　comprehendeth　all　the　other　Remedies。　　　　　　For　the　Merchant　Stranger；　being　here　the　Deliverer　of　money　generally：　will　easily　bee　induced　to　make　the　most　of　his　owne；　receiving　by　exchange　more　for　the　same　beyond　the　Seas；　and　the　English　Merchant　being　the　Taker　of　the　said　moneys；　will　not　bee　so　injurious　to　the　State；　as　to　give　lesse　beyond　the　Seas；　then　the　value　of　the　money　of　the　Realme　in　exchange；　contrarie　to　the　said　Proclamation：　and　if　hee　would；　the　Deliverer　will　not　let　thim　have　it。　Besides　that　the　Takers　occasions　are　enforced　by　necesssitie；　and　he　can　be　no　loser；　for　by　this　directio；　he　will　sell　his　Commodities　beyond　the　Seas　accordingly。　　　　　　English　Merchants　being　the　Deliverers　of　money　beyond　the　Seas；　and　the　price　of　exchange　altering　there　accordingly；　will　have　the　like　consideration；　and　the　Merchant　Stranger　will　provoke　him　thereunto。　And　if　there　be　no　Takers；　the　English　Merchant　may　bring　over　the　money　in　specie；　wherein　he　shall　become　a　Gayner。　　　　　　This　course　is　agreeable　to　Justice　and　the　Law　of　Nations；　and　will　not　hinder　th'exchange　to　rise　and　fall　as　formerly；　but　keepe　all　in　due　order；　with　those　considerations；　Cautions　and　preventions　as　shall　be　set　downe　to　prevent　all　inconveniences；　proceeding　by　the　inhauncing　of　money；　which　fall　generally　upon　all　men；　in　the　indearing　of　things；　and　particularly　upon　Land…　lords　and　Creditours　in　their　Rents　and　Contracts；　and　especially　upon　the　Kings　Majesties　Lands。　　　　　　Now　before　we　come　to　answer　some　objections　made　against　this　Remedie；　let　us　examine　what　Time　the　old　observer；　and　experience　the　best　Schoole…master　of　mans　life；　have　manifestly　touching　the　Raising　of　moneys　in　forraine　parts；　and　within　the　Realme；　it　being　one　of　the　34　defective　remedies　before　declared。　　　　　　It　is　recorded　in　an　ancient　booke；　that　the　inhauncing　of　the　Coynes　beyond　the　Seas；　was　the　cause　that　King　Henry　the　sixt　of　England；　did　raise　the　ounce　of　Starlin　Silver　from　20　pence　to　30　pence：　and　King　Edward　the　fourth　from　30　pence　to　40　pence。　And　after　him　King　Henry　the　eight；　after　many　sendings　to　forraine　Princes　about　Minte　affairs　and　exchanges；　（preceiving　the　price　of　money　continually　to　rise　beyond　the　Seas：）　caused　in　the　18　yeere　of　his　Raigne；　The　Angell　Noble　to　be　valued　from　6　shillings　8　pence；　unto　seven　shillings　and　four　pence；　and　presently　after　to　7　shillings　6　pence；　whereby　every　ounce　of　Starlin　Silver　was　worth　45　pence：　and　yet　there　was　nothing　effected　thereby；　the　money　still　altering　beyond　the　Seas；　whereupon　Cardinal　Wolsey　had　to　alter　the　Valuation　of　money　from　time　to　time；　as　he　should　see　cause。　　　　　　Afterwards　the　said　King　in　the　22　yeere　of　his　Raigne；　perceiving　that　divers　Nations　brought　abunance　of　forraine　Commodities　into　his　Realme；　and　received　money　for　it；　which　money　they　ever　delivered　to　other　Merchants　by　exchange；　and　never　employed　the　same　on　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme；　whereby　his　Majestie　was　hindered　in　his　Customes；　and　the　Commodities　of　the　Realme　were　not　uttered；　to　the　great　hinderance　of　his　Subjects：　as　is　there　alleaged：　His　Majestie　caused　a　Proclamation　to　be　made；　according　to　the　aforesaid　Statute；　made　in　the　time　of　King　Richard　the　Second；　That　no　person　should　make　any　exchange　contrary　to　the　true　meaning　of　the　said　Act　and　Statute；　upon　paine　to　be　taken　the　Kings　mortall　enemy；　and　to　forfeite　all　that　hee　might　forfeite；　which　tooke　effect　but　for　a　short　time；　and　no　other　was　to　bee　expected；　it　not　beeing　of　that　moment；　nor　the　principall　meane　to　doe　it。　　　　　　After　this　followed　the　imbasing　of　Moneys　and　then　all　the　price　of　forraine　Commodities　did　rise　immoderately；　which　made　the　native　Commodities　to　rise　at　the　Farmors　and　Tenants　hands；　and　thereupon　Gentlemen　did　raise　the　rents　of　their　lands；　and　tooke　farmes　to　themselves；　and　made　inclosures　of　grounds；　and　the　price　of　every　thing　beeing　deare；　was　made　dearer　through　plenty　of　money　and　Bullion　comming　from　the　West　Indies；　as　is　already　noted；　and　by　these　meanes；　was　the　Office　of　the　Kings　Royall　exchanges　neglected；　because　upon　the　Base　money　no　exchange　was　made；　and　other　nations　counterfeited　the　same；　and　filled　the　kindome　with　it；　and　so　carried　out　the　good　Staple　wares　of　the　Realme　for　it。　　　　　　This　raising　of　money　was　augmented　afterwards　by　Queene　Elizabeth　of　blessed　memory；　in　the　highest　degree；　by　one　full　third　part；　from　45　pence　the　ounce；　unto　60　pence　or　5　shillings　Starlin　Standard：　But　the　exportation　did　never　ceasse；　because　the　course　of　exchange　for　money　did　runne　alwaies　under　the　value　of　the　money；　still　affoording　a　gaine　betweene　the　said　exchange　and　money；　which　caused　the　said　exportation。　And　so　will　it　bee　stil；　if　this　be　not　prevented　by　Direction　in　a　paire　of　Tbles；　much　like　unto　the　Tables　kept　at　Dover　in　the　time　of　King　Edward　the　third；　to　receive　the　passengers　money；　and　by　exchange　in　specie　for　it　beyond　the　Seas；　which　made　them　to　leave　their　moneys　within　the　Realme；　and　this　course　of　exchange　so　directed；　is　the　onely　meane　and　way　to　restore　Englands　wealth　by　importation　of　money　and　Bullion；　advancing　the　price　of　our　native　Commodities；　and　to　prevent　the　Transporation　of　our　moneys：　and　all　other　Remedies　are　Defective；　as　experience　will　proove　and　demonstrate；　if　good　things　can　bee　favoured。　　　　　　The　Statue　of　employment　must　also　bee　observed；　to　make　the　Remedy　more　compleate　with　a　Register　also；　to　record　the　Moneys　which　forraine　Marriners　doe　receive　for　fraight　comming　from　Norway　and　other　places；　which　are　above　one　hundred　voyages　in　one　yeare；　as　also　many　other　Ships；　bringing　corne　into　the　Northerne　and　Westerne　parts　of　the　Realme；　and　exporting　money　for　it。　　　　　　The　Turke；　Persian；　and　Russian　have　herein　beene　more　Politicke　then　we；　keeping　the　price　of　their　exchanges　high　much　above　the　Valuation　of　their　moneys。　So　that　they　have　no　Trade　by　exchange；　nor　moneys；　but　onely　for　Commodities；　whereby　they　prevent　the　over…balancing　of　forrain　Commodities　with　theirs；　as　also　the　exportation　of　their　moneys：　albeit　the　use　of　our　Commodities　in　those　countreys；　is　very　great。　　　　　　The　Objections　made　by　some　against　this　Sole　Remedy　may　easily　be　answered；　for　they　are　grounded　upon　Suppositions　against　assured　experience。　　　　　　1。　Some　make　doubt；　that　the　price　of　exchange　being　risen；　there　will　be　no　takers　of　money；　and　then　the　deliverer　is　more　thrust　upon　the　exportation　of　moneys。　　　　　　2。　Others　say；　that　those　merchants；　which　have　sold　their　Cloth　beyond　the　Seas　shall　receive　a　losse　in　the　making　over　of　their　money　from　thence。　　　　　　3。　Others　say；　that　they　shall　not　be　able　to　vent　their　Cloth；　according　to　the　high　exchange；　expecially　now　that　the　same　is　out　of　request；　and　would　have　the　matter　of　reformation　deferred　untill　an　other　time。　　　　　　The　first　objection　is　answered　before；　That　the　taker　is　ruled　by　the　deliverer；　who　will　not　give　his　money　by　exchange　under　the　true　value　according　to　the　Proclaimation　to　be　made；　and　the　deliverer　being　the　Merchant　stranger　here；　will　sooner　be　thrust　upon　the　Statute　of　employment；　for　by　the　exportation　of　money；　he　shall　have　no　gaine；　whereas　some　of　the　discreeter　sort　would　not　have　that　Statute　too　stricktly　pressed　upon　the　Stranger；　because　the　Trade　should　not　bee　driven　into　their　hands。　　　　　　To　the　second；　the　Proclamation　limiting　a　time　for　execution；　giveth　Merchants　ability　to　recover　their　moneys；　or　to　sell　their　billes　of　debt　for　money；　or　to　buy　Commodities　for　them；　as　the　manner　is。　　　　　　To　the　third；　experience　maketh　a　full　answer