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.
Treasure is exhausted.
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.
Unfaithful Officers.
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.
Wooll out of Ireland
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.
Clothiers leave off.
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.