IT hath been a thing for many years generally received, That the Design of Spain (and which, to this daie, hee still in his Councils carrie's on) is, to get the Universal Monarchie of Chri­stendom. Nor is it a thing less true (how little soever observed) that our Neighbors [the Dutch] (after they had settled their Libertie, and been a while en­couraged by Prosperitie) have, likewise, for som years, aimed to laie a foundation to themselvs for ingrossing the Universal Trade, not onely of Christendom, but indeed, of the greater part of the known world; that so they might poiz the Affairs of any other State about them, and [Page 2] make their own Considerable, if not by the Largeness of their Countrie; yet, however, by the Greatness of their Wealth; and by their potencie at Sea, in strength and multi­tude of Shipping.

For the clear and certain carrying on of which, there beeing none (that was) like to bee so great a Bar to them, in this their Aim, as the English Nation; nor any that laie so conveniently to keep up a Proportion of Trade with them. It concerned them, therefore, by all means and waies possible to discourage and beat out the English in all places of Trade, as far (at least) as was discreet for them, without too much Alaruming them; or having too early or hastie a Breach with them.

Their particular Practices to which purpose in the East-Indies, at Guiny, Greenland, Russia, with the seve­ral unfair Carriages (of som among them) to us, in those places; and even in our own Seas, is not intended to bee here mentioned: It sufficeth, that these following Advan­tages they had clearly gotten above us:

1. In the great Trade they did drive to East-land, and to the Baltick Sea; for Masts, Timber, Hemp, Pitch, Tar, Copper, Iron, Salt-peter, all sorts of Grain, Pot-ashes, &c. the like most necessarie Commodities.

2. In their Herring-fishing; imploying yearly upon the Coast of this Land onely, above 2000 Sail of Ship­ping

3. In the preserving and advancing their Manufactures; their Cloathing Trade of late arising and increasing (as it is judged) to above 60000 Cloths yearly.

4. In their East-India Trade; and by it, Monopolizing three sorts of Spices almost to the whole world; as, Cloves, Nuts, and Mace, and lately much Cinna­mon.

The means whereby they have pursued and upheld these Advantages, were

By the great number of Shipping they have constant­ly built; and by the manner of managing their Trade and Shipping, in a conformitie and direction to their Grand End:

For,

1. Few Merchant's Ships among the Hollanders were Ships of much Defence, unless these going to India; and so they were neither at so great a Charge of Guns in building them; nor did carrie a proportion of men, or victual (in setting them out) near, or answerable to English Shipping of the same Bur­then.

2. Several Trades they did drive in Fleets, with great Flutes, or Vessels, having never a Gun at all in them, nor more men then would possibly sail them, as most of their East-land Trade, their Herring-Buss Trade, and their Salt Trade, which were driven after this manner.

3. Those their Fleets were, and have been alwaies carefully and constantly attended with a Convoy at the Publick Charge; and which was alway ready before-hand, and had their directions given them not from the State, but from the several Admiralties; whereby they were held to their dutie, and strictly tied up to that service.

4. Much of the Trade which they did drive to the Southward (not in Fleets, nor with Convoy, but in single Shipping) they would often ensure in England; so that when loss came, it was wee somtimes that bare it, and our stock that was lessened and diminished by it.

By all which means,

1. They did engross the whole Trade of all Bulkie Com­modities (to themselvs singly), as Timber, Clap-board, Masts, Grain, Salt, &c.

2. And were, in som Commodities, able to go as cheap again for Freight, as wee: in som, half as cheap; and near in all, a full third penie cheaper then wee.

VVhich Cheapness of Freight produced again other great Advantages to themselvs; For

1. In som Commodities it was above 20 in the Hun­dred gain; in som 15; in others 10; and near 4 or 5 per Cent. in most; (which was a years Interest with them) And by which,

2. They were sure to get the preference of the Market of us in other Countries, and if occasion were, to under-sel us also as much per Cent. in all places, and upon all Trades; yea, somtimes in our own Com­modities: And this together with an easie pretence of the unsafetie of our English shipping through our late Troubles.

3. Compelled our Nation (that wee might maintein a Stock going with them) to hire and freight the Hol­land shipping, without which, indeed, wee could not well have held up a Trade here with them, either out or home: And this beeing once begun by som, was immediately (by reason of the Advantage of it) followed by as many others as could: VVhich (though a good and beneficial expedient for the particular Merchant) begat notwithstanding seve­ral very great mischiefs to this Nation in general:

For,

1. By this wee encouraged the building more and more [Page 5] of our Neighbors Shipping, and discouraged our own; which hereupon were laid up by the walls in great num­bers.

2. VVee encreased (by this) their great Trade for the Baltick Sea, and East-land, and gave them still the grea­ter opportunitie to make themselvs the Mart and Ma­sters over us, of all Commodities belonging to the build­ing or furnishing of Shipping, whereby their Trade still came home in a Circle; they (like wise men) laying such a Cours, as one part of it strengthened another.

3. VVee dis-obliged and discontented our own people and sea-men, and insensibly weakned the strength and defence of this Nation: For by this cours, wee must at length have been reduced to have hired their Marri­ners, when wee come to set out our Men of VVar: nor was it possible (had it held) to have prevented it.

4. They, by this means, carried away much unnecessarie Treasure out of this Nation, taken for freights; and so insensibly impoverished also this Countrie; our monie occasioning a Luxe to their people, while our own Sea­men starved at home for meer want, and through lack of imploiment.

5. As the Cheapness of their Freight enabled them to un­der-sel us abroad, in many Commodities carried to For­reign Markets by them, and by us, to sell: So it enabled them equally to over-bid us abroad for the Forreign Commodities, which they and wee bought, and to rais the price of them upon us, which while they had liber­tie to bring in hither, they either prevented our Mer­chant of the first of the Market, and then made us paie Sauce for them: or, if not, they carried them into their Countrie: on here watched the opportunitie of another seasonable vent of them. And thus they served us; as for all our Norway, East-land, and Russia Commodi­ties; so also lately in our VVines, Fruits, Oils, Cur­rans, [Page 6] &c. which were the Commodities of Spain, Cana­ries, and the Straights: By both these means (viz. by discouraging and beating us down abroad in the selling of som Commodities; and by raising and enhansing us abroad in the price, or buying up of others) conclu­ding with themselvs, to wearie us out at length from all Trade, and to have the sole buying and selling of all Commodities for us.

For this method and manner of managing their affairs, daily adding to Their stock, and answerably diminishing the Stock and Treasure of this Nation: and by laying it so, as it run thus in a Circle, each part of it (as wee said) strengthening another part: it would unavoidably have tended to a greater and greater disenabling us to hold anie Trade with them: and to have made themselvs, for Wealth and Shipping, the Masters over us: Of sufficient testimonie of which (over and above what wee have said also) wee might further see in the actual progress that they had gain­ed upon us in our Shipping.

For,

1. In our Trade of East-land, whereas wee did use for­merly to send thither 200 Sail of Shipping in a year, wee now did not send 16 Sail: The Hollanders in the mean time employing not less then 600 Sail thither; and whereby (had not a good Providence crossed or hinde­red a strict Alliance and Conjunction between som of those Eastern States and them) wee must soon have given them their Price, and been at their disposing for all Commodities belonging to Shipping: and then it had been too great an hazard for us (by anie Law made here) to have recovered our Trade from them.

2. In our Plantations they had three, if not four Sail of Ships, for our one: whereas they never suffered us so [Page 7] much as to Trade at all in any place or Plantation settled by them.

3. In India they have 20 Sail and above for our one.

4. At Spain, Canaries, Zant, with several other places in the Straights, where they formerly rarely laded hither one ship of Goods; they now lately laded hither more then wee.

And thus, in the waie and manner of the managing the Trade in their shipping, laie much of their vigilancie to gain their advantage and design upon us.

A second Cours (therefore) whereby they do and have upheld their Advantages above us, is, The greatness of the Stock they imploie, which (as wee now intimated) was more and more increased by the wisdom of this their Method in Shipping: And which, on the other side, as it did encreas and grow great, did enable them the more to give the Laws of Trade to us, both in the Government of the Exchange, and of the Markets abroad for Forreign Commodities.

A third Cours for the gaining and upholding their Ad­vantages of us, was, The singular and prudent care they took in preserving the Credit of most of those Commodi­ties which are their own proper Manufactures; By which they keep up the Repute and Sale of them abroad; taking hereby a very great advantage of the contrarie Neglect in us; and by this means, likewise, very much damnifying and spoiling us.

Which that wee may clearly see of what Import this one thing alone is to us, wee shall here set down certain ge­neral Canons or Rules belonging to Manufactures.

1. That although Divine Providence, in the greatness of his Wisdom, hath placed natural Commodities, som here, som there; yet no Manufacture or artificial Com­moditie, but may possibly bee had or transplanted into anie Countrie.

[Page 8] 2. That all Manufactures (especially such as are of Ne­cessitie) if they are of a certain goodness, They are (like Coin) of a certain value and price also; and so on the contrarie.

3. That two persons selling or making Commodities of a like goodness, hee shall have the preference of the Mar­ket, that will sell them the cheapest: And so two Nations likewise.

4. That the Cheapness of Manufactures, and artificial Commodities, doth altogether depend upon the plentie and cheapness of the matter, and upon the like cheap­ness of price, for Handie-labor.

And these (though few) beeing unalterable Laws in all Manufactures, it cannot but bee acknowledged, that it is through our want of the like Care, as our Neighbors, and onely through that, that the Hollander hath anie kinde of Woollen Manufacture:

For,

1. The matter of no Woollen Manufacture groweth in his Countrie at all; but hee is forced to fetch it from other places; whereas wee have it here, within this Na­tion, plentie.

2. The price of labor depending much upon the price of victuals, hous-rent, and other things necessarie, It is certain (especially to anie that know both Countries) that all this is much cheaper with us, then with our Neighbors, and are like so to bee.

3. Our Nation, as they were heretofore the onely work­men of these Commodities; so none can excel them for Art, Skill, or Goodness, were but encouragement given them, and an Order, Regulation, and Government of the Manufactures settled among them: And there­fore

It is not our Neighbor's singular Industrie above us, as [Page 9] it is the Carelesness of this Nation, in keeping our Manu­factures to their due contents, weight, and goodness. Their Neglect in settling a Regulation, Government, and Super­spection over them, and in Inflicting due and just punish­ments for the fals-making of them. That is (humbly con­ceived to bee much) the Caus of the so great thriving of our Neighbor's Cloathing, and of the so great Ruine and Decaie (on the contrarie) of our own Woollen Manu­factures, and of the people depending upon them.

A fourth Course taken by our Neighbors, Is, The Im­provements of Trade that they have made by their Trea­ties or Articles of Confederations with other Princes; and by making this their Care and Protection of Trade abroad in all places their Interest of State. Thus taking hold of the Juncture of Circumstances, and making use of the Neces­sitie of the King of Denmark, they have farmed the Sound of him: Thus also at the Treatie of Munster have they reserved a power of shutting us out of the Scheld, and have carefully in that Peace concluded on several other Articles and Provisions in order to the securing and pro­moting of their Traffick, And thus—&c.

A fifth Cours (and not the least means for the up­holding and encreasing their Trade) Is, The smalness of their Custom, or Port-duties; also their prudent laying on and taking off Impositions, for the furtherance of their own Manufactures, and for the Incouragement of bring­ing in som, and Discouragement of bringing in other Commodities; and of which they have given us two ill Instances, The one in laying on a great Tax upon our English Cloths and Manufactures; The other in forbid­ding our Cloths wholly to bee imported, if drest or died in the Cloth; of both which wee have had som caus to complain long, as beeing plainly an Inhibition of Com­merce, and if not strictly against the Laws of Nations; yet [Page 10] at least against the Cours of Amitie, Alliance, and Friend­ship.

A sixth Cours hath been, The Constant Reward and Incouragement given to persons bringing in Inventions; making of new Discoveries, and propounding things pro­fitable for publick and common Interest: which (how lit­tle a thing soever it may seem to som, yet it) hath ever been, and is constantly, a very great spur to In­dustrie.

And these are humbly asserted to bee the principal Cau­ses of their so much greatness and flourishing in Trade above us.

Other Causes that have been less principal and accessarie to these, are,

1. The Easiness or Lowness of Interest in that Coun­trie.

2. The great facilitating of their Trade by a Bank.

3. And last of all (the onely thing proper to them) the dearness and scarcitie of Land: and the dividing their Estates equally to their Children: whereby Trade is (as it were) continued in a Line without Interruption; the contrarie beeing customarie with us.