TRade is the life of a State, Manufactures are the si­newes of Trade, and Mo­ney is the soule of both. There is such a necessary connection and dependen­cy between them, that the one cannot sub­sist without the other; The last doth ani­mate the second, and the second supports the first, and the first gives motion and quick­ning to the other two. Now of all sorts of Trade, Trafficke hath been alwayes esteemed [Page 2]the most noble, because the most hazar­dous; And Trafficke is most proper and use­full to Islands, whose security and power depends principally upon shipping, and na­vall strength. Amongst Islands, this of great Britaine hath been from all times held the most rich, and renowned, as well for the fertility of the soyle, and temperature of the ayre; As for the substantiall and necessary native commodities it affords in such plen­ty to advance Trade, and oblige all other Nations. Now there is no greater enemy to Trade than War, be it in what Countrey it will; our Neighbours the Hollanders ex­cepted, who by so long a habit of War seems to make a Trade of it; They are the onely men who by the advantage of their scitu­ation can fish best in troubled waters; wit­nesse the tumults of Germany, and these of England and Ireland. Yet forraigne war is not so great a disturber of Trade, nor halfe so destructive, as intestine; For as the fire that's kindled within doores, and in the bed-straw, as it were, rageth more violent­ly: so civill War ruines Trade faster than any other, and makes poverty and desolation [Page 3]post in one after the other, wheresoever it is kindled. Now the drift of this small Remonstrance is, to shew the great misery that may suddenly befall this Kingdome through want of Trade, and the evill effects it may produce.

First, for that the chiefest way of enrich­ing a Kingdome, is the expence of it's na­tive or home commodities (that can well be spared) in forraigne parts; if it faile, the Manufacture must cease, by which meanes many thousands of poore Families, which have no other maintenance by their daily labour, or by what each dayes worke will afford them, will be suddenly exposed to beggery.

Secondly, divers Workmen or Artificers, through want of imployment here, will doubtlesse goe into other Countries, and exercise their Trade, whereby it may come to the knowledge and practise of strangers, as I feare is already: being at the penning hereof informed, that in Zeland there are Loomes set up for Perpetuano's, and other Stuffs: And that in other places they are not idle, setting up daily Loomes for Cloth, &c.

It wil perhaps be objected, that if our Wooll (which is the chiefe materiall) be wanting, they will faile of the exercise of their Trade in forraigne parts: I answer, that such Wools may be had elsewhere, as will serve their turne, by the due mixture of such sorts as will fit and agree best together.

Witnesse, The store of course Cloth made in High Ger­many, where about 20000 English Clothes, narrow Lists (commonly called by the Mer­chant Adventurers, Franckfort sorts) each Cloth containing 28 yards in length, were yearely spent, and since not above 2000 ven­ted of the said sorts; the cause whereof, was that unhappy Project of dying and dressing of Cloth by Sir William Cockaine and others: which so much insenced the Germanes (for if it had taken effect, many Families of Clothworkers and Dyers would have bin destroyed) that they used their utmost en­deavours to practise the making of the said sorts of Clothes; which had such successe, that in a very short time the expence of those sorts of English Clothes, was brought downe from so great, to so small a number. That [Page 5] Project found the like or worse entertain­ment in Holland, and other parts of the Low Countries, where, before that time, many thousands of finer sorts of English Clothes were more vented then now are; so that it was observed, that whereas before the said Project was put in practise, there were about eighty thousand English Clothes of all sorts per annum, exported by the old Company of Merchant Adventurers, that in the new Companies time and since, not much above thirty thousand, whence this Inference may be easily drawne, That Inno­vations in a State or Common-wealth are al­wayes dangerous, and sometimes destructive.

Before the late war between us & Spaine, there were sent hence thither great store of knit Stockings; but the Importation of all En­glish commodities into that Kings domi­nions being prohibited, his Subjects put in practise the making of Stockings, and in those quantities, and at such easie rates, that since we have had peace with that King, it hath been free for English Merchants to import those of the Manufacture of our Countrey; yet very few are sent, for that [Page 6]they cannot be afforded at such low rates as those made there. That people did then also practise the making of Bayes, which tis pro­bable, had taken such effect, that if the warre had continued betwixt the two Kings som­what longer, the vent of English had bin there quite lost. Hence it followeth, That War with forraigne States is destructive to our Manufactures.

But admit that forraigne Nations, not­withstanding what hath been said, will in some measure have need of some of our Woollen Manufactures, we shall not be able to furnish them therewith, the chiefe mate­riall Wooll being wanting; which want must follow when our Sheep are destroyed; and with them, all other kinde of Cattell, if this most unnaturall war continue but a short time.

The Hollanders are an industrious and di­ligent People, and watch all opportunities to ingrosse all the Trade they can into their owne hands, they have certainly a vigilant eye over our Actions, that Lethargie which hath seized on us, will make them the more watchfull; they will make no little use of [Page 7]our distractions; they will be ready to take hold of what we let loose, and with great eagernesse pursue what we let goe; wee shall not so soone be out, as they will be in.

Lastly, if the Trafficke of this Kingdome be once lost, what will then become of it? what will then be preserved?

Our Ships, the wals of this Land will rot, and moulder away.

Our wealth and Estates will bee con­sumed, and no meanes left for recovery.

Tenants will be disabled from paying their Landlords, and they, viz. the Land­lords, for want of supplyes of moneyes by their usuall Rents, will not be able to fur­nish themselves, and Families with commodities needfull, vented by men of sundry Trades, viz.

• Woollen & Linnen Drapers.
• Mercers.
• Silkmen.
• Grocers.
• Habberdashers.
• [Page 8]Vintners, &c. together with most sorts of Handicrafts-men, or Artificers.

Part of the commodities wherein they deale, being native, or of our owne Coun­trey, both for the materials and Manu­facture, and part brought into this King­dome from forraigne Countries. Now those sorts of Trades-men failing of the vent of their commodities, the Trade of Merchants into other Kingdomes must cease, there will be no need of them, thence will follow the decay of Ships, Mariners, and sundry sorts of Artificers, Labourers, and many others that have their dependency upon them. This mischiefe will not be al­together confined and bounded within our owne Land, it will extend it selfe (like an Epidemicall disease) into all or most other Kingdomes where we have Trade: For, if we take not off the commodities of those Countries in exchange of ours, they must suffer, and that not a little by it, and for re­medy partly, for want of their accustomed [Page 9]imployment, and vent of their said commo­dities; and partly, by reason of the want of ours, be inforced to seeke out, and learne other Trades, and very likely pitch or fall upon the making of such as are here made: For, as in the Body naturall, there is such a sym­pathy and connection of the parts, that if any of them be distempered, the rest hath a sense thereof: so it may bee said of the Body of Trade, one Part hath such a dependencie upon another, that if any one faile in any remarkable manner, the rest will in time suffer thereby.

The Merchants Strangers, both here and abroad, in regard of these troubles, have withdrawne most part of their Estates hence, and will have shortly little in this Kingdome: We shall have no little want and misse of their monies, which we re­ceive of them here, partly by Exchange from forraigne Parts, made over, or remitted by our Factors, in returne of such commo­dities as we usually send hence to our said Factors; and partly, by the taking up of their monies here by Exchange, to be re­payed by our Factors abroad; which mo­nies [Page 11]are commonly imployed in the com­modities of this Kingdome, which hath been no little furtherance to the more abundant vent of our Manufactures, and hath been otherwise a great help to our Merchants, specially to some of the youn­ger sort, who had small stocks wherewith to begin their Trade; the want whereof, I meane of the Strangers Money, must cause a great decay of Trade; and if once gone, as is almost, though a present Peace should fol­low, it will not be so easily brought backe; They will in the Interim finde or use other wayes and meanes for imployment of the same.

By losse of Trade all sorts of People will faile of imployment in all parts, and so wanting meanes to maintaine themselves and Families, be driven into such straights (for Necessitas turpia coget) that they will lay hold on of what is next for their support; neither Lawes Divine, nor humane, will be able to restraine them, a generall confu­sion of, and in all things will follow. This Nation will become contemptible, and a scorne to all others, and be subject to be in­vaded [Page 10]and made a prey of by forraigne peo­ple.

Having thus briefly given a touch of the miserable effects the want of Trade may produce, which want (as beforesaid) must follow, if these sad distempers continue: I humbly leave the prevention to the Tru­stees of the Kingdome, whose hearts I be­seech God may be forthwith moved to take a matter of so great concernment into their serious consideration, not forgetting how easie a thing it is, Principiis obstare. And that as War in generall, so intestine War is one of the greatest scourges of God Almighty, and a visible Argument of his displeasure, and vengeance upon a People.