The Dutch employ a thousand ships in carrying salt to the East Kingdoms; we none. They have 600 ships in the timber trade; we none; they send into the East Kingdoms 3000 ships every year; we 100 only. They carry goods from the East Kingdoms to France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy in 2000 ships; we have none in that trade. They trade to all the ports of France; we to five or six only. They trade with every one of our ports—with 600 ships; we with three only of these ports, and but forty ships.
Walker & Cockerell.
THE SOVERAIGNE OF THE SEAS, BUILT 1637
From a contemporary engraving by John Payne.
We neglect to take advantage of what we have. For instance, we send to Holland our cloth undressed; we let them take, for purposes of trade, our iron, our coal, our copper, lead, tin, alum, copperas, and other things on which we might employ thousands of people, and this country, which produces nothing, is enriched by carrying commodities about the world.
The arguments of Raleigh in favour of taking up the fisheries appear elementary. He thus sums up the advantages:—
“1. For taking God’s blessing out of the Sea to enrich the Realm, which otherwise we lose.
2. For setting the People on work.
3. For making Plenty of Cheapness in the Realm.
4. For increasing of Shipping, to make the Land powerful.
5. For a continual Nursery for breeding and increasing our Mariners.
6. For making employment of all Sorts of People, as blind, lame, and others, by Sea and Land, from ten or twelve years and upwards.
7. For inriching your Majesty’s Coffers, by Merchandises returned from other Countries for Fish and Herrings.
8. For the increase and enabling of Merchants, which now droop and daily decay.”
The trade of London during the first half of the seventeenth century decayed. The decay was due partly to the monopoly of the privileged companies, which stifled or discouraged enterprise; partly to the civil wars; partly to the Customs duties; and partly, it would seem, to a falling off in the vigour and enterprise which had marked the Elizabethan period. In trade, as in everything, there are times of reaction and of torpor. Meantime, in spite of everything, foreign trade increased. But Raleigh’s comparison between the trade of Holland and that of London shows how small our foreign trade was, in comparison with the vast bulk carried on by the Dutch.
After Sir Walter Raleigh’s “observations” let me quote Howell on the profession or calling of the merchant:—