AN

ESSAY

To the Restoring of our decayed

TRADE.

That I may proceed in as good an Order as I can, (although I cannot pretend to Learning, or Ability to Compose a Book in a Methodical way,) but do wish that such a task as this, had been undertaken by some other, that might have been able abundantly better to have mannaged it, to satisfaction of the Reader; Yet by reason of my former imployment in the Trade of a Cloathier, and afterwards in the Office of Surveyor of one of the Ports of this Kingdom, at the Custom-House, I am experimentally enabled to speak to those things, which shall follow.

And if there fall not out such an Harmonious Order, in the ensuing Discourse, by the necessary connection, or orderly introduction of one thing to another, as might be expected, (as before in my Epistle so again,) I do humbly beg the best and most favorable construction, and censure of the matter; for having in my breast, the true heart, and Spirit of an English-Man, for his King and Country; I cannot bear with those dayly abuses, and evil practices, so frequently and notoriously put upon the King and Kingdom, but that I do reckon my self Obliged, in all duty and good conscience to my King and Country, to make them as publiquely known and manifest as I can, and then leave the Remedies, to be provided and answerably applied, by the Ministers of State, which I hope in a short time will be effected.

And here I shall endeavour, First, to make it to appear, that there is no Nation nor Kingdom in the World, that hath those advantages, whereby to inrich themselves, as this our Kingdom of England, by the Manufacture of our Wooll, and consequently to maintain our strength, and Honor; omitting to speak of many other staple Commodities, of this our Kingdom, though many Rich and Profitable, because I am intended to Treat principally about the Subject of Wooll, and the Manufactures thereof with the dependancies thereupon.

Now that such advantages as might accrue to the Kingdom are not laid hold on, and the Commodities improoved to what it might be, is too too evident to all men, that have any feeling of the case, or that do make any inspection into it; which may also be sufficiently confirmed to all others, by the sad complaints, and frequent moanes, that are dayly made concerning the miserable decay of Trade, to the great loss of many perticuler men, and to the King, and Nation in General, and principally in the Trade of Cloathing.

But if the Wooll of England, and Ireland were improoved to the best advantages, and secured from exportation to Forreigners, doubtless England would be the General Market for the whole Universe, for matter of Cloathing, and what would soon be the Riches, greatness, and Splendor thereof, (by the Almighties blessing) is not a thing very difficult to be imagined, by any sober judicious Person, Merchant, or Traveller.

And that no Nation hath such good Wooll, for the general Trade of Cloathing is evident, elce what makes so many Forreigners of other Nations, so greedy of our English Wooll, if they had as good, or near as good of their own, and how highly was it formerly esteemed, by the Dukes of Burgundy, and what benefit and advantage did that People under his government make of it; when they paid but sixpence the pound for our English Wooll, they returned it to us in Cloath at Ten shillings the Yard; by which may very easily be computed, what profit did redound to that people, in the working up the Wooll, which thing occasioned many English Families, to transport themselves into those parts, for their profitable livelihood and subsistence.

But after the Victorious Conquest, made by Edward the third, of Famous Memory, he caused to be ordered and set up the Manufactures of Wooll in this Kingdom, to the great increase of the Riches of his own People; the memory of whom, for his provident care for the wellfare of his People; is worthy to be perpetuated to all succeeding Generations.

And what now a days makes Holland, and France, so covetous of our Wooll, and what large quantities by sinister meanes, do they procure to serve themselves, and their Countries; and what Riches do they acquire to themselves thereby, may in some measure be guessed at, for by having our good English Wooll, they can mix their own course Wooll with it, and so make good Cloath, or Stuffes, which otherwise they could not do.

To instance perticulerly in the French, it is taken for granted, and sufficiently known, that their Wooll is very course, and of it self fit for little, but to make a sort of Cloath which is worn by Sea-men, and Fisher-men, &c. But by the help of our good Wooll, they make very good work, and send to other parts of the World their druggets, &c.

And by having our good English Wooll, they can spend two or three Packs of their own Wooll, mixing it with ours, by which meanes they make their Cloath and Stuffes pass very acceptably, both among themselves, and other Nations. Yea we our selves in England not being so wise, as we should be, for our own advantage, do buy the French druggets, &c. Made of our Wooll, mixed with theirs, and give great Prices for them too, when we do, or at least may make better of our own.

The care then being taken for granted, that English Wooll is the best, and most fit for Cloathing, Stuffes, Stockins, &c.

How necessary may it be rationally supposed then, for our own People to be imployd in the working up our own Wooll, and how many thousands would be imploy’d of the Poorer sort of people, about such work, who might thereby, gain to themselves a very comfortable living, and free the Kingdom from those great burdens in maintenance of the Poor; they being able by their Labour, (if Imploy’d) comfortably to provide for themselves; for it is not the numerous multitude of people in a Kingdom, or Common Wealth, that makes it to be Poor, that they cannot live one by another, but the contrary, if all were imploy’d, and set at work, as there is imployment enough to be had, they would prove the especial meanes, to make a Kingdom Rich; as may be clearly instanced by the Dutch, how many scores of thousands of their Poor people are imployed about the Herring Fishing, which makes them very Rich, and brings in yearly, near two Millions of Money, or other commodities necessary for the Land, which are equivalent to Money, besides what they spend in the Land; this may seem to some to be a thing incredible, but I am able to make it cleare to any intelligent Person.

Thus then by the neglect of our own Manufactures of our Wooll, flowes in like an inundation, the poverty of the Land; and hence arise those sad complaints, that fill every mans Eares, throughout the Kingdom, Alas! What shall we do to live, we have no Imployment; for if the Trade of the world abroad, for Cloath and Stuffes, &c. Be supplied from other Lands, which make their Cloath and Stuffes of our English Wooll, being Clandestinely Transported into Forreign parts; our English Trade for that commodity, must answerably decay; and if the English Merchant hath not vent for that commodity abroad, to other Nations, the Country Cloathier must strike off in a great measure, and consequently many of the Poor work folkes, are answerably taken off from their imployments, which formerly for many years, they had been exercised in, and so having no work, they get no Money, and so are reduced to a begging condition, or worse: these things are to be discerned clearly, without the help of a Perspective-Glass, by those that are in any measure intelligent in Politique affaires.

Thus the profit of the Poor, that they should get to themselves for a maintenance is lost, and the profit gotten by their labour to the Kingdom is also lost, in the General, and this is brought to pass by the quicksightedness, and diligence of our Neighbour Nations; who finding dayly the sweetness of the Trade, and so exceedingly enriching themselves, by our commodity, Viz. Wooll; doe endeavour more and more, to carry it on to their own advantage, whiles we in England, in the mean time neglect our own opportunities, and advantages, which do so clearely lie before us.

From what hath been before hinted, doth necessarily follow the vast dammage, and prejudice done to this our own Nation, and Kingdom, by the exportation of our Wooll; for the dammage doth evidently appear, thus.

Had not the French our English Wooll to work withall, they could not work up their own Wooll, into any Manufactures that should be acceptable, or saleable in other Countries, no nor in their own Land, but they would be ready as formerly to buy our English commodities; but now having our English Wooll so frequently among them, privately gotten from England, or Ireland; they mix their own Wooll with it, and work up two or three Packs of their course Wooll, with one pack of ours, so that every Pack of English Wooll exported from us, and carried to France is treble loss, if not more to England, and on the contrary so much profit to France.

Thus then any man may perceive, how Rich other Countries grow by our means, by obtaining our commodity to work upon, and there People also do generally live at a lower rate, and work cheaper by the day or otherwise, than our People in England do, by which means they may afford to under-sel us, as usually they do at a Forreign Market, so that hereby they do acquire to themselves, both good credit, as well as great profit: and this Originally as aforesaid is by our commodity; which if it was carefully looked after, by the Officers of the Customes, in the out-ports cheifly; there might be speedily, a good stop put to this their Trade, for if they got not our wool from England, or Ireland; they could not go on with this their Trade of Cloath and Stuffes, but the great negligence, or unfaithfullness of some Officers, belonging to the Customes, is the Principal occasion, of the exportation of our wooll into Forreign parts, and consequently of the loss of the Trade of the Nation, in so great a measure, in this perticuler; from whence followes clearely, and undeniably, the poverty of the Kingdom in general.

For one Trade depends upon another, as it is in the body natural, so it is in the body politique, in the body natural, one member depends upon another, and is serviceable to the other, by a natural Harmony and Correspondence, even so doth one Trade, or occupation closely, and necessarily depend upon another, here in England, and such a connection there is in this point, that if one chiefe Trade fail, very many also do fall with it, more or less, according to their proximity, or remotenes from it, in their dependance, and this may be applied cheifly, and principally to the Trade of Cloathing, and the Manufacture of wooll in other respects; how many several Trades are there, that must of necessity depend on the Cloathing Trade, as Card-makers, Spinners, Weavers, Fullers, Dyers, Cloath-workers, Packers, and those Trades which make Tooles, and instruments for these; are not also the Farmers at work, in the mean time, to provide bread for all these People, and their Families, and breeding up his Oxen, Sheep, Hogs, &c. That they may have Meat to eate, are not the Merchants and Sea-men, imploy’d in a great measure by this Trade, and these last mentioned (the Sea-men) are the men, who principally, and cheifly bring in the wealth of the Nation: the Gentry of the Land, and all sorts of Shop-keepers, are the receivers of this profit, which the Sea-men by their adventures, and industry do bring into the Nation; all sorts of Lawyers, Phisitians, and Clergy-men, are receivers, and get their Money by their Tongues, while the Adventurous Merchant, and undaunted Marriner, carries on the Trade of the Nation, exporting our native staple commodities (of the which through Gods abundant goodness,) this land of ours is so well stored, in several perticulers, as might be instanced in Tin, Lead, Cloath, Stuffes, Stockins, Herrings, of which might be an hundred times as many if look’t after, and Sale enough for them too, at Forreign Markers: but the Dutch run away with the profit of these goods, making two Barrels for our one; Pilchards are a very good commodity, of which we do get good store in the West Country, and they do bring in good profit to the Nation, either in Gold or Silver, or such commodities, as the Kingdom stands in need off.

By what hath been said, it plainly appears how from the highest to the lowest, there is a necessary dependance of one imployment upon another, and the falling off from one general Trade, occasions the ruin of many inferior Tradesmen, who had subsistence for themselves, and Families thereby; and this in our Kingdom of England, is seated principally, and cheifly, in the Trade of Cloathing, and the Manufacture of Wooll.

So that upon the failing of this Trade, of which there is too great a cessation and decay, in many parts of this Kingdom, there comes in inevitably such a general loss, to the whole Nation, for first and most principally the King loseth hereby, and that extreamly, not only because his Subjects are not set at work, and so are unabled to live comfortably, and to pay such Taxes, and impositions, as are requisite for his Majesties support, and defence against his powerful Enemies.

Nor in that the Honor, and splendor of the Kingdom, is hereby so much advanced and promoted, as it might be, but also because his Majesty looseth so great a revenue, which would accrue to him in his Customes, if the Cloathing Trade was carried on with Vigor, so that the effectual carrying on, or desisting from the Cloathing Trade, is of very high Concernment, and Importance to the King; in profit or loss, and so it runs through the meaner sort of People also, as hath allready in part been spoken to.

For what Customes come in yearly to his Majesty concerning the Manufactures of Wooll, in its several, and perticular sorts, of the Old and New Drapery, in all the Varieties of Stuffes, made now a days, and Stockins, by being Transported to Forreign parts, and what store of Money, and other goods, (equivalent to Money) being necessary commodities for the Kingdom, do they bring in again, for our Cloath, Stuffs, &c. so sold or bartered; and what Customs again do all those imported goods bring into His Majesties Coffers, may not be difficult to be computed, besides the imployment of so many Ships and Seamen, and training up young Seamen, than which nothing in this age of ours, is more necessary to be taken care about; for there is (I believe) the greatest want of this sort of men in the Kingdom, for although there may be enough found in the Kingdom, to Man His Majesties Royal Navy, and it may be some to spare, yet it is believed there are not neer enough for His Majesties Service, and for Merchants service too, which may many times be carried on both together, as occasion may require;

And if we do but look back a little, to a few Generations past, we may soon find what high Advantages have accrued to His Majesty in His Customs; and to the Kingdom in general, by the Cloathing-trade, being lively managed by the Merchants, and what worthy and noble Companies of Merchants, have been Associated and Incorporated; whose Trading hath for the most part, consisted in Woollen cloaths, as in the Merchant Adventures Trading to the East-lands, and in what esteem their Agents and Factors were in Forreign parts, and how Rich and great their Stock and Treasure hath been, in so much that they have been able to lend a very considerable supply and assistance to the King or Queen upon any Occasion; and Particularly and Eminently (may it be spoken to their Honor) their Assistance of Queen Elizabeth of most happy Memory, in the year Eighty Eight; and since upon any Occasion of the like nature.

Neither is here to be omitted that company which is called the East-land Company, whose principal Trading also consists in the same commodity of Woollen-Cloaths, by which they do furnish all those Eastern Countries about the Baltick-Sea, and to Russia, by which means also our discoveries of those Northern parts of the World, have bin made very Evident, and well known to Us, to the great Advancement of our Navigation to the Northward, as far as Green Land; and of late years hath given occasion of that Discovery about Hudson’s Bay, commonly now called the North-west Passage, made by that stout and adventurous Seaman, Captain Zachariah Gillam.

But the main and cheif Trades of all, are the Turkey and East-India Trades, and the Riches by those Companies procured, cheifly by Woollen-cloaths, So highly Advantagious to the King in His Customs, to the Companies in particular, and to the whole Kingdom in the general, as is not a thing easily to be known or computed.

How the Turkey Company in particular by their discreet management of the Trade in those parts, with that commodity of Woollen-cloaths chiefly, do bring into England, all the rich Goods from all parts of the Streights, and how the East-India Company, by their Trade in the same commodity, (in a great measure) do purchase the Rich commodities of India, Persia, China, and the South-seas, with the Odoriferous Drugs of Arabia, and all such Goods as those countries afford for necessary Use and Delight, although of late years the Dutch have wrought us out of a great part of the South-Sea Trade, of which more might be largely spoken concerning their usage of our English-men in those parts; but that it hath bin already sufficiently laid out in Print, to the veiw of the English Nation.

And to add a little to what was before intimated, what excellent Ships are annually built and prepared for the services of these two Honorable Companies, whose imployment as aforesaid, is principally for the Exportation of our Woollen-cloaths, and if we do look back but to thirty years past, four or five Ships of the Turk’s men of War durst not adventure upon one of our Smirna Ships, and also how worthy is it of Consideration, to take notice how many of our best Seamen, and Artists are bred up in those imployments by the two last worthy Companies Imployment; So that besides what Revenue is brought to the King in his Customs, by these great Sea-Trades of these worthy Companies mentioned, both for the Exportation of their cloaths, &c, and the Importation of all manner of Goods, by this Stock so purchased abroad in Forreign parts, our Merchants are grown marvellous Rich, in so much that they are able upon any necessary Occasion that His Majesty hath for Money, to furnish him at a weeks warning; and that which is worthy the noting also, our Seamen are grown of late years to be the most famous in the world, to the great glory, honor, and safety of His Majesty and the Kingdom, and all this is evident by what hath bin said, to arise cheifly (next to the blessing of Heaven) from the Manufacture of our Wool in England, by our own people, which how much it ought to be incouraged, and of what high concernment it is to the Honor, Wealth, and Security of the Kingdom, let the Sober and Judicious consider.

And if I should adventure to give my opinion freely, touching the matter in hand, I am very much induced to believe, that were it not for the Cloathing-trade (which imploys so many Ships and Men into several other Countries, and for the value of our Cloaths bring their Goods, by which means the poor also are set on work) that a great part of the Traffick and Commerce of the world would fail; and this Trade as formerly intimated, is, and may be most readily, roundly, and advantagiously driven in England; were we but so pollitique and carefully, as to keep our Wooll to our selves and within the King’s Dominions of England and Ireland, and to set the people closly to their work again.

And before I do leave the Argument I have ingaged in, let there be considered the good quantities of Cloath and Stuffs that did go over continually to Holland and Flanders, and by them there dispersed otherways; the large quantities of Stuffs and Bays that are sent over to Portugall, and thence Transported to Brazilia, &c., with a very considerable number of Cloaths and Stuffs that go to Spain, and by the Spaniards Transported to the West-Indies all over, the good quantities of Perpetuanies, and such like Stuffs that are carried out for Guinea, together of late days, with the large stores of Broad-cloaths, Kersies, Sarges Cottons, Pennistons, Duffels (or Hogs) Transported to our own Plantations of New-England and Virginia, with what also must supply Barbadoes, Jamaica, and our other Islands in the West-Indies, and forreign Plantations; all which are the manufacture of Wooll.

The Premises considered, I hope I may make bold to say, that setting aside all the rest of the Rich and Staple commodities of England, which nevertheless are as good as any Country can parrallel in the world, as Tinn, Lead, Iron, &c. this very commodity produced from our Wooll, is of more worth and value to England, (that is to say) will bring in more profit to the Kingdom of England, than all the Silks or rich commodities of any Country whatsoever; Yea doubtless more than all the Spices of the South-Seas, yea, I do believe, and I have reason enough to lead me so to do, than all the Spaniards Gold and Silver Mines in America; for none of these I am throughly perswaded, can any way equallize that yearly Revenue, that doth, or may come into the Kingdom of England by this one commodity diversly made up of our Wooll.

Neither doth any Nation in the world get so much by any of their Goods, as England doth by this, to the great enriching and advancement of the Merchant, and the Companies Stocks, trading and adventuring in these goods to Sea, the enriching of His Majesty, the encrease of our strength in Shipping, and consequently the breeding and training up of Seamen, and increase of them, wherein as before intimated, a great part of the welfare & safety of the Kingdom doth consist in these our days: and the incouragement of whom is of great concernment to the Kingdom, as the case now stands with England and her neighboring Nations; or as the case may hereafter fall out to be; for our Land is an Island, as is known well enough, not only to its Inhabitants, but to all Europe, and we have not, nor cannot have Castles and Garrisons round about the whole kingdom by the Sea-side to beat off a forreign Enemy, and to keep him from landing and invading our Nation; for in fair weather in Summer time, there may be landing in hundreds of places about the Kingdom, where there is neither Town nor Castle neer; but such is His Majesties great prudence and care for the safety of his Land and People, that he doth highly esteem and promote the affairs of Shipping, more than ever any of his Royal Predecessors have done, well knowing that his Ships and Seamen are the strength and security (next to the protection of the Almighty) of his whole kingdom.

I shall now endeavor to give some particular account, but very briefly, of the Profits arising to England, by working up our Wooll into Cloth: every two pounds of Wooll which is worth about twenty pence, will make a yard of Karsey, worth five or six shillings; and every four pounds of Wooll, worth about three shillings four pence, will make a yard of broad-cloth, worth eleven or twelve shillings: so that two thirds, is the least profit, that doth arise by putting our Wool into Manufactures; which doth amount to above 230 pounds sterling profit, in every Tun of Wooll so wrought up, accounting twenty hundred English wait to the Tun; so that if we should suppose, but an hundred Tuns of Wooll transported, out of the Kingdome, in a year to France unwrought, it will amount to 22400 ll. sterling, which is so much clear loss to the Kingdome, and trebble so much profit to France, by their working up three times so much of their own, with ours, as hath been formerly intimated: besides, it is worthy of consideration, that so many of our poor lye idle, and lose their imployment, being ready to perish for want of necessary food, notwithstanding the great plenty in the Land; and no Kingdome hath the like advantages, for the imployment of the poor, in any Trade or occupation (within doors) whatsoever, as we have for the poor in his Majesties dominion of England, about the old and new Drapery: and yet those poor, that had their hands full of work, in one kind or another, according to what they were most accustomed, either by sorting of wooll, mixing, breaking, carding, spinning, spoling, quilling, weaving, making of cards, picking of Tesels, and many other imployments, concerning the working up wooll into cloth, which have kept many thousands of men women and children at work, who knew not how to get a penny another way; but by this way of working, could in some comfortable manner live. When the trade of clothing was driven roundly, one family, that doth not get twelve pence a week now, have then received twelve, fifteen or eighteen shillings a week, which money went round to the Farmer for provision, or to the Shopkeeper for necessaries for their Families, and this again to the Merchant, or to the Landlords, according to each man’s Trade, and correspondence.

So that the profit arising, by the working up of our Wooll into cloth or Stuffs here in England, by our own people is almost unspeakable, and is the great and chief wheel in the Kingdome, to set all others at work, as hath been already in several Trades mentioned, and more do attend upon it, when it is made into cloth, as the Clothworkers, Drawers, Dyers, Fullers, Packers, Merchants and Seamen.

But then to enter into the consideration of the contrary, what an unspeakable loss is it to the Kingdome, to have such a Trade fall to decay, and so many thousands of poor must of necessity be multiplyed in the Land, which must beg, steal or starve, for want of imployment. But what think you if three or four hundred Tuns of Wooll in a year be exported out of the Kingdome (for so I have been informed) what a stroke doth that give, to the beating down of our Trade in England, and what a vast loss comes thereby to the Kingdome; and may we not justly be induced to believe, that the decay of our Trade in this respect, doth occasion the fall of the rents of Lands in the Countrey, and houses in the City of London and else where; so that the Nobility, and Gentry of the Kingdome, have a sensible feeling of the decay of this Trade of clothing, for all that the poor do get for their labour about this Imployment, goes from them again to others, as hath been already intimated, and so the money goeth round according to its figure, and passeth from one to another, according as one trade hath dependance upon another.

It may not be here unseasonable, to insert a word or two, concerning our Fullers Earth, for cloth cannot be perfectly finished without our Fullers Earth, to scoure and cleanse the fine clothes, that are milled with Castle sope, and all other midling cloths that are fulled with Sope; so that none but course clothes that are milled with Medicine can be well done, without the assistance of our Fullers earth, except at a greater charge, neither is there any other Countrey, besides our King’s Dominions, that have any Fullers Earth like ours in England; & it is so reported, that the Dutch have gotten enough of it into Holland to serve them for many years to come, which was certainly transported out of the River of Medway, (alias Chatham) for we have none in England, but what is about Maidstone, on the said River of Medway, that ever I could hear of, except at Wooburn in Bedfordshire, which is an Inland-town, and many Miles from the Sea; yet I have been a diligent inquirer into this matter: so that if the Transportation of this commodity, into Forrein Countries, was carefully looked after, it could not possibly be carried out of the Land, without a discovery of it, especially from the River of Medway aforesaid, so that forreigners must of necessity be at the greater charge, in finishing their clothes, which could not be done, without the help of our Fullers Earth. Now that there is a prohibition of Exportation of our Fullers Earth, to Forreign parts, is well enough known to the Officers of the Customehouse, but it is not looked after as it should be, for either some of them are negligent, not regarding their duties, and behaving themselves with that vigilance and circumspection, as such places of Trust do necessarily call for at their hands; or else they wink at such miscarriages, and suffer our Fullers Earth to be carried away, as the like is commonly done concerning our Wooll.

And although most part of our Lawes are binding enough with severe Penalties annexed to them, if they were but duly observed and well put into Execution, yet not one of ten thousand doth know the Lawes of Prohibition throughout the Kingdom, and how to put them into Execution; and although many people do certainly know that Fullers Earth is certainly carried out of the River of Medway, (alias Chatham,) and our Wooll commonly shipped off from Dover-Cliffs by night, from Rumney-Marsh, the Isle of Wight, Purbeck, and about Waymouth, and in several other parts of England; and too much from Southhamton: under the pretence of an Allowance by the Law, for the supply of Jarsey; Yet no body doth, or dareth to prosecute the Offenders for the breach of our good and wholesome Laws, because the very principles of Nature in every man, teach himself Preservation, and he that minds but that, is afraid to meddle with these offenders who are commonly Rich men, and strengthened both with Money and Friends in the Counties where they dwell; so that every man that is willing to preserve himself, his Estate and Family, is afraid of appearing against these Transgressors in the behalf of the King, though it be never so much conducible to the good and welfare of the whole Kingdom; for fear they should be dealt withal as I have been.

And while I am speaking about the negligence and unfaithfulness of the Officers of the Customs; give me leave in two or three words for a Digression concerning the importation of Forrein prohibited Commodities, to the utter ruine of many poor Tradesmen, with their Families in this our Kingdom; as Ribbon Weavers, and Silk weavers, and other such like Artificers in & about London, and several other parts of the Kingdom, that they are so miserably Impoverished that they are ready to perish, for want of necessary food, to keep life and soul together; (as our English Proverb is) notwithstanding the great plenty of all sorts of Provision in the Nation, (through the goodness and bounty of God to us.)

But all these errours, and miscarriages, might and may easily be prevented, by the care and vigilancy of the Custome Officers, especially in the out-Ports: But some Officers finding a perticular, and present profit, by being invested with a Golden Livery, do rather choose that, than to do their King and Countrey faithful service, although it be also running the hazard of losing their present Imployment, and future Preferment; for things of this Nature, are now grown to that height of perfidiousness, and confidence, (I might say Impudence) that two or three golden Decoys are sufficient to intrap an inclining Surveyor, and if there should chance to be a discovery, or a surprisal, there shall be all present help at hand, if need require, for the carrying off the matter smoothly, and Witnesses in any case shall not be wanting, to counterfeit Truth and Justice, when it is directly contrary; by which malicious, and unnatural courses, those that would be just and honest in their places and Offices, are disheartned, through the leud and deceitful practices, of these Catterpillars; who by such indirect Courses are disobedient to the Lawes, and the Smugglers that imploy them, do multiply great troubles, upon such as at any time discover these Offenders, yea and do violently prosecute them at the Law, to make them Examples and terrors to others, that so they might drive on their cheating trade without controul; and yet such honest well-minded men do nothing but their duty, but for that they have this odium cast upon them, they are called Informing Knaves, &c. notwithstanding the welfare of the whole Kingdome, doth in a great measure depend upon the discovery of such abuses.

How much necessary may it then be supposed that there should be very good incouragement given to such honest publique spirited men, as should diligently enquire after such sinister practices: and as it was before touched, those Smuglers are not only well acquainted with some Attorneys and Clerks, who will either use undue practices, or make delaies; but they make good interest with the Under-Sheriffs, in the Countyes where they drive their Trade; and then these Undersheriffs also have strange tricks and delays in their returns, in which some of them will take part with the Offenders, instead of executing the Law against them, so that such Offenders are incouraged; and by this means it is, that our Wooll and Fullers Earth, and other prohibited Goods, are exported so frequently out of the Kingdom, and Forrein prohibited Goods, and Merchandize imported; so that our Manufacture is in a great measure gone to decay: other Countries are greatly enriched, who also live at a lower rate, and work cheaper than our People in England, whereby our Trade is much taken off in Forrein parts, and our poor live idle, with the other inconveniences consequent thereto, as hath been already spoken to.

By this means it is, (in good part) that so much of the Treasure of the Kingdom is exhausted and drawn away to other Lands; the general complaint now, being what shall we do, there is no Money stirring; and Lands are reduced to a lower value than formerly they were.

Now, though all these Mischeifes do not flow in at one time and place, yet it is like a Pond that is soon filled with many Springs, when as one Spring would do it in length of time: that which may seem to be at first but a small Evil, will in process of time with constant Practice, destroy the happiness of the whole Kingdom; as a little Leak if not taken notice of and amended, will in time sink the greatest Ship or empty the greatest Cistern: even so will Offenders & unfaithful Officers, being the only persons in trust with those affairs, fill the Kingdom with Forrein prohibited goods and commodities, and empty it of our Wooll and Fullers Earth, with other prohibited goods; which evil Practices are now so frequent, that if not timely prevented by our Ministers of State, our Kingdom will be soon filled with Poverty, and emptied of Wealth and Happiness, by this loss of our Trade and Manufacture, which now is in so great danger of sinking, (and that without all hope) unless those that guide the Helm, do steer the great Concernments thereof into some secure Harbor, and there amend what may by searching be found amiss, by displacing such Officers as have proved in the least unjust, either by conniving at the Offenders or abetting and assisting them, to the great discouragement of those that are faithful in their Imployments; and that care also be taken that all due encouragement and countenance be shewed to such as are found to be just, faithful, and exact observers of the Lawes that are extant against such Smugglers and abusive persons.

And without doubt, there is much Wooll Shipped off from Ireland annually, unto forreign parts; which might be as well wrought up in the countrey among themselves, there being no want of people, and such as for the most part live a lazy kind of life, (as I have credibly been informed) or elce their Wooll (if they work it not up) might soon be transported over into England in twenty four hours time, or thereabout with a fair wind, and be wrought up in England, which would turn to a treble account of profit, as hath been already demonstrated; but this I shall refer to others, that are more knowing in the Irish trade; but I am very apt to beleive the reports that I have heard, concerning great quantities of Wooll carryed from thence, both to France and Holland; but to lay aside the informations of others, although very well worthy of belief in all points, I shall according to my promise, in my Epistle, speak to those things of which I have had some large experience.

I was a Clothier my self, and Apprentice to the Trade, many years, and afterwards set up for my self, and followed my Trade many years, thriving very well thereby, till about nineteen years agoe, that I was burnt out of all, and put upon the adventures of fortune; and taking notice of the occurrances of affairs, I did find large testimonies of the decay of Trade, with the occasions thereof, but while I did keep the Trade going, I have rode far and near, to get Spinsters, and other work folkes, and gave great Wages, as also did all other Clothiers, and yet could not procure half so many as we would have imploy’d: but suddenly after our disorders, and disregard to our Lawes as aforesaid, the Market fell, and many Clothiers were forced to leave off their Trades, because they could not vend their commodity.

All those poor people formerly so imploy’d, were ready to starve for want of bread, in and about those places, where the Clothiers left off and failed; and every day it grew worse and worse, and those confusions among us increased more & more, that very few men were of one mind, and hardly any at all, that minded the publique good: but now some thoughts are busied of restoring things to their Lustre, and trade to what it was before the decay.

Some wise men have been of the opinion, that the abating the interest of money, would greatly increase and advance trade, and very probable it might be a good lift to it.

Others again, being out of hopes of the recovery of the former trade, think men must imploy their wits, and knowledge, in the invention of some new sorts of Manufacture; and some covetous wretches, have been very ready to declare their opinion, that the increase of the interest of money, and the abatement of Servants and Workmens wages; to which, adding great frugality, and good husbandry, would make the Kingdome to be happy, and flourishing again; and many there are, that make it their business and study, to outwit and destroy other men, and under pretence of honesty, and many by clandestine means, swallow up the good and pious gifts, of our Ancestors, belonging to the Church and to the Poor; for in this our Iron age, men have left off to do good, and lost their obedience to the Lawes of the Land, and have ceased from the exercise of those two unspeakable graces, Faith and Charity.

And therefore truly I fear we have little hopes of happiness, or being restored to our Pristine flourishing condition, till we do return to our old obedience, and exercise our selves in love and good works, fearing God and honouring the King, and not giving our minds to change, but let every one endeavour to amend one, and strike off from the error of his own waies, and endeavour his utmost to discharge a good conscience, first to God, and then to mind the publique good, calling to mind the happy condition of Trade in the Reign of King Charles the first of blessed memory, when all men dreaded his Lawes, and lived in love one with another, which made the Kingdome flourish, in our trading with great success, and increase of Riches; and indeed we enjoyed so much happiness as made us proud, and forgetful of God’s mercies, and so murdered the best King in the world, by which we stript our selves of all but God’s just judgements upon the Nation, and left our selves certain of nothing but of uncertainties.