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.
English Cloath and Stuffs serve all the world.
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.
Clothing more worth to England
than the commodity of any Country whatsoever.
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.
Encrease of Seamen.
The King’s care for the Security of the Nation.
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.