A vvoorke of Ioannes Ferrarius Montanus, touchynge the good orderynge of a common weale wherein aswell magistrates, as priuate persones, bee put in remembraunce of their dueties, not as the philosophers in their vaine tradicions haue deuised, but according to the godlie institutions and sounde doctrine of christianitie. Englished by william Bauande.

The argument of the. vj. Chapiter.

That as the trade of Merchaundise is ne∣cessarie, so it is a greate cherishemente of fil∣thie lucre.

DIuers men ioigne to this art of tra∣uailyng by water, the trade of Mer∣chaundise, which doeth also furnish the life of man with sondrie commo∣dities. For neither cā any companie of men, either be associate together, or be nourished, without buiyng and sellyng of soche thynges as bee nedefull for the main∣tenaunce of their life: neither yet eche applie his arte and busines, without those thinges, which their traf∣ficque, not onely from nigh, but also farre countries, by passage ouer the seas, doth minister and make easie to be prouided. Although menne of old tyme, thought Merchaundise to be a thyng merueilous nedefull for a common weale, yet thei neuer held thesame, as a part thereof: bicause that Merchauntes wer in deede, more bent to seke outward goodes, then that thei would be∣stowe any tyme in followyng vertue, whereby thei might atteigne vnto the firste degree of happinesse in this life, whiche consisteth in quietnesse, and wante of trouble, as Aristotle wittily gathereth. But thei whi∣che dwell in a Citee, dooe not so embrace vertue, that thei can presume vpon soche quietnesse: forsomoche as one foloweth the Anuile, an other the Lome, an other, an other trade to get his liuyng, so that thei maie not so conueniently attend vpon that Philosophicall con∣templacion. Yea, moreouer the very course of thyn∣nes teacheth vs, that no citee can either be builded, or yet mainteined, by onely quiete and contēplatiue per∣sones. For the wealth whereof, the Merchaunt caried euen in the middle of the waues, shall dooe as moche good, as if he tariyng at home, should onely debate with hymself felicities, and conceiue in his mynde, a certain kinde of sittyng quietnes. For happie and ho∣ly is that labour wherein thou trauailest, that it maie helpe thy neighbour, forther the common profite, and redounde to the glory of God: by the fruicte whereof,

bee wee neuer so busie, yet we shall liue in quiete, and become scholers to God, and bee prepared to a blessed life. And this is the meanyng of that saiyng, whereby we be commaunded, to eate our bread in the sweate of our browes, and happely to vse the blessyng of that our labour.

Let not the Philosophers therefore, and their con∣tēplatiue life trouble vs, whiche in this worldly estate thei maie well seke, but shall neuer finde: for so moche as it hath an other marke, whereat we dooe not shote with our fleshlie, but spirituall iyes, whiche are hidde frō the wise of this worlde: So that it maketh no mat∣ter, whether he be a Merchaunte at home, or abroade, idle, or busied: So that he beare a good and vprighte minde toward the common weale, whiche without a∣ny deceipte, any guile, or vnreasonable enhaunsyng the price of thinges, he purposeth sincerely & godlilie to helpe, & by honest meanes to prouide for his liuing.

And as all other occupacions were, so was this vse of Merchaundise founde out, for a meane to get thin∣ges necessarie for mannes liuyng, whiche by quicke∣nesse of witte gathered force, and so encreased beyond measure: wherein the moste parte of men, rather seke for their owne gaine (the smell whereof is swete, from whence so euer it cometh) then that thei passe vppon the aidyng and releuyng of other mennes necessities. Therefore all Merchauntes bee had in a suspicion, for to moche desire of gain, and chiefly soche as be the least occupiers. For he that occupieth but a small quantitie of wares, must neades thereupon bee mainteined, ha∣uyng none other trade to liue by: and of that little, muste he neades gather so moche, as will beare hym out, and kepe his whole housholde: Yea, and so moche as he could not get (takyng an indifferente and reaso∣nable gaine) although he should occupie a great deale more. And hereuppon it appereth why. Tullie dispro∣ueth base Merchaundrie as vile, bicause it is not sa∣tisfied

with a meane aduauntage, when he saith: Mer∣chaundrie if it be small, is to be rekened as filthie: but if it be great and wealthie, bringing in moche on eue∣rie side, and impartyng to many without liyng, it is not moche to bee blamed. Yea further, if it bee saciate with competent lucre, or rather content, that, as from the maine sea, oftymes it landeth in the hauen, so like wise from the hauen, it growe to landes and heredita∣mentes, it seameth by good righte to deserue praise. Neither is that merchaunt commēded without a cause which forbeareth no maner of trauaill, whom no cold, no heate, no daunger of life doeth state, but that by an allowed and commendable meane, he will applie his busines, and enlarge the common profite, and deliuer hymself and his, from pouertie and famine. Whiche matter. Horace a famous maister, both in Philosophie and maners, declareth in these twoo verses:

The Marchaunt svvift to fardest coast of Inde, for vvealth he ronnes: His pouertie by fiers, by rockes, by seas, by shelues, he shonnes.

And therefore Marcus Cato tearmeth a Marchant actiue, as one that will not be weried, but watchfull and diligent to worke for wealthe, by these wordes: I take a marchaunt to be verie actiue in prouidyng sub∣stance, but subiect to many daungers, and full of mi∣series. Whom the Romains reputed so profitable and necessarie a member of their common weale, that if he chaunced to be harmed, they woulde be straight waies armed, and ready to reueng his quarel: whereof Tul∣lie putteth vs in minde, saiyng: Your elders ofttimes, if their marchauntes or mariners had bene iniurious∣lie handled, would haue waged warre for their sakes. Howe ought you then to be moued in your mindes, seinge so manie thousande of your Citizens be by the report of one messenger, & at one verie time, so shame∣fully

slaine? You must not therefore thinke Marchan∣drye to be as a thinge not necessarie, whiche the for∣mer times haue estemed so highlye, the trade whereof is more diuers, and more politickelye practised, then that it can be certainely knowen or descriu••d by anye arte. Before the battail of Troye there were exchaū∣ges vsed, when also thinges were valued at a price, as Sabinus and Cassius doe suppose, leanyng vnto Ho∣••ers au••thoritie, whiche writeth, that the Greakes bought theim wine for Brasse, yron, Skinnes, and o∣ther exchaunge of thinges.

Thence (saieth Homer••) the plumed Greakes ••et••e their vintage, some for Brasse, some for bright ••teele, some for felles, some for oxen, and other s••me for b••nd∣men. But Ner••a and Pr••culus maisters of an other schole (as Paulus the lawier affirmeth) hold this opi∣nion, that the price was made by payment of money, as by couenaunt, whereup••̄ bothe buiyng and sellyng were supported, and that bothe these kindes of con∣tractes were seuerall. Whiche their opinion they doe grounde vppon certayne verses in the same Iliades, whiche dooe conteine the vnequall exchaunge of Ar∣mour betwene Diomedes and Glaucus. Here Iupi∣ter Saturnes sonne tooke awaie Glaucus his vnder∣standinge, whiche chaunged armour with Diomede••▪ ••ideus sonne, golden for brasen, worthe an hundred o••••n, for the worth of. ix. oxen. Howbeit I wil tary no l••nger vpon these poinctes, for be it money, or be it money worthe, whereby these matters dooe passe, all is one, so that it be to the cōmoditie of mans societie.

But herein we ought to be more careful, le••t where as it shoulde be a profitable kinde of Tra••fi••que, it be∣come a shoppe of iniquitie, and a mar••e of c••••eteons∣nesse, not onely in the Marchauntes them selues dete∣stable, but also hurtefull vnto the common weale. For to what ende thinke you driue these priuate engros∣singes of wares, so disceiptful, and so of•• forbidden by

the Princes constitutions. What meane these vnlaw¦full Haulles begonne for the perpetuall vndoynge of their neighbours, but onely priuately to fede these ra∣gyng and inordinate desires, and to wipe men of their money. A most craftye practise, whiche is mainteined with the sweate of the neady, and cloketh her disceipt with lies, as with an instrument of truth. Thus much auaileth it thee to take all kinde of trauaile vpon thee▪ to leaue nothing vnassaied, and then to lease thy soul: whereunto if ye will ioygne euerye present daunger, continuall carefulnesse, and disquietnesse of minde, I can not see what thinge can chaunce more vnhappye, and more full of calamitie vnto manne. Thus saieth Ambrose. Is it not a vaine thinge for a marchaunt to trauaile on his iourney by night and by daye, to pur∣chase him selfe heapes of Treasure, to gather together wares, to be troubled at the price, for feare he sell bet∣ter cheape then he bought, to learne how the price go∣eth in euery place, and thē by much brute of his great occupiyng, either stirre theues to lie in waite for him, or els for desire of gayne, abidynge no tariaunce, ha∣zarde forthe vpon a storme, and so lease shippe and all? Also in an other place. O thou that buiest this world, and winnest hell, why turnest thou the industry of na∣ture into fraude and disceipt? Why doest thou desire the dearth of thinges? Why wisshest thou to the pore, barrennesse, that thou mayest haue greate plentye in thine owne house, though it be craftely gotten? for thy gaine is the losse of a great meanye.

I coulde rehearse a number which most shamefully haue conuerted the gain of marchandise into disceipt, ••aine martynge, riote, coueteousnesse, and thabuse of vnsaciable desire, so that thereby it hath turned to the disaduauntage of the common weale, for the aduaun∣tage whereof it was firste inuented. Whereby it hath come to passe, that althoughe many excellent men, as Thales Milesius, Solon, Hippocrates, as Plutarch••

reporteth, and also great Princes haue vsed the trade of Marchaundise▪ yet certaine vaine menne, ••hose onelye desire and studie, is to haue, whiche force nei∣ther of forswearynge, nor true swearynge, to make a man beleue that thing to be the best he can get, which in deede is of no value, to thent••nt their wares which be little worthe, maye be vttered the dearer, so highly•• dooeth he whiche will sell his wares, praise the same, accordynge to the Poetes saiynge: Suche I saye haue brought it into suche a contempt, that it is accomp••ed worthy to be despised, filthye, vnlawfull, and voide of all honestie, in so much that the ••••ebanes (as Aristo∣tle witnesseth) decreed, that no marchant should beare any common office, vnlesse ten yeres before he had ab∣stained from buiynge and sellynge, and in that tyme pourged him selfe of the suspicion growen of his for∣mer liuyng. This disceipt, fraude, p••riurie, filthines, detestable desire of gaine, vnhonest spendynge of the time, and a mannes earnest pinchinge, onelye to seke his owne commoditie, to the great detriment and ••in∣deraunce of others, hath brought the name of Mar∣chaundise into so shamefull an ignominie, that it is a comm••n saiyng: If a man be not apte to be a catche∣pol••, or ma••e bearer: then he is ••itte to be a Marchaūt, or a marchantes factour. As thoug•• that wer a thing of it selfe ••••ident, and of her owne nature shewed ••o euery man a waye howe to beguil•• other, and a trade of idle liuyng. Which thing may yet be holpen, if the magistrate will be watchefull, and b••inge these mar∣ket runners into an order, and prohibite the•••• that with such triflynge thinges as they bringe to sale, be∣inge sometime counterfaite, sometime to deare, they deceiue not suche simple Sou••es, as wyth those their lowde Lyes, othes, and perswasions be allured and driuen to beleue them: And that they seke not to spoile pore men of that whiche they haue painefully gotten. And the market beinge thus refo••rmed, the Citezins

maye haue the relie••e of those thinges, whiche other∣wise if they were left free for euery craftye marchaūt, to vse at his pleasure, might throughe negligence of the officers, turne to their great ••inderaunce.

Notes

• The commodi∣tie of the trade o•• Marchādise
• Soche as oc∣cupie them sel∣ues in worldly affaires, d•• ••l∣so please ••••••d in their labour
• Least occupi∣ers be moste suspected.
• Li. i. de offi.
• Cato calleth a Merchaunte Actiue.
• ••••chaung•• v∣sed in steade o•• bu••yng and sel¦ling fo•• mo••••y
• Iliad. 6.
• ••••chaung••n•• and bu••yng be ••••••ers things.
• Engrossynges of ••ar•••• and vnl••••••u•• hau∣•••••• be prohibi∣ted.
• Ambro. 2. de o••••ic.
• Marchant 〈◊〉〈◊〉 abide manye hazard••••▪
• S••me will not ••iche to vse ••e••••••••y, so that ••her••by th••y ••ay get •• p••n••
• •• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for ••o••••yng in ••t∣••••••ynge of wares.