The merchants mappe of commerce wherein, the universall manner and matter of trade, is compendiously handled. The standerd and currant coines of sundry princes, observed. The reall and imaginary coines of accompts and exchanges, expressed. The naturall and artificiall commodities of all countries for transportation declared. The weights and measures of all eminent cities and tovvnes of traffique, collected and reduced one into another; and all to the meridian of commerce practised in the famous citie of London. By Lewes Roberts, merchant. Necessary for all such as shall be imployed in the publique affaires of princes in forreigne parts; for all gentlemen and others that travell abroad for delight or pleasure, and for all merchants or their factors that exercise the art of merchandizing in any part of the habitable world.

CHAP. III.

Of Cities and Townes of trade in generall, mentioned in this MAPPE of COMMERCE.

MY purpose is not here to shew the antiquitie of * 1.1 Cities and Townes, according to their first ori∣ginall, nor the manners and custome used in their first foundation; neither yet speake of the divers kinds thereof, as at this day they are in them∣selves observed to be: But my intention is, in this following Map of irade, (having briefly shewed the common di∣vision of the 4. parts of the World,) to nominate and quote out, the chiefe and principall therof as they are knowne to be to Mer∣chants, and as they are found the most eminent and absolute in the trade of Merchandizing; and therewith distinguish the diversities that are observed to be therein.

An absolute and compleat City or Town, as some learned have * 1.2 set down and expressed, cannot subsist of it self without sixe prin∣cipall parts and helpes, for the supportation thereof; and without

which no City or Town can properly be said to be, or to have a being: First, it must have Victualls to feed and nourish it; and this is the proper taske and duety of the Husbandman and Shep∣heard. Secondly, it must have Armes and Armour to defend it, and offend its Enemies; and this is the proper taske and duety of the Souldier. Thirdly, it must have wealth and riches, as sinewes for its imployment, in private and publike affaires; and this is the pro∣per taske and duety of the rich and eminent inhabitants of this Ci∣ty. Fourthly, it must have Justice for criminall and civill causes, to punish the bad and reward the good; and this is the proper taske and duetie of Counsellors and Senators of State. Fiftly, it must have Religion and the worship of GOD duely and reverently perfor∣med in it, and this is the proper task and duety of the Priesthood: And Sixtly, to make it a compleate, able and absolute Citie, it must have Trade and Arts, practised therein, and this is the proper taske and duetie of the Merchant and artificer that inhabit it. Now though many Cities are seen sometimes defective, in some of these parts, and are not so well furnished as this rule and the ex∣actnes of a compleate Citie requireth; yet it is daily manifested to the judicious and learned in policies of State, and government of commonwealths, that Merchants, and such as exercise the trade of Merchandizing in Cities, do supply by their indeavours and abilities by traffique, most of those other parts and helpes here before specified; and which are or may be found deficient and wanting therein. For setting aside the worship and service of God, which is onely fit and proper to Divines and Church-men: The person and purse of the Merchant supplies in a faire measure, all the other parts beforementioned; for first the Merchants Navi∣gation and traffique, is seen to supply the City with corne, graine, * 1.3 cloth, &c. and all manner of provision, both for back and belly, delight and ornament, tending either to pleasure or need; and this way he performes the part of the Husbandman and Shepheard; His traffique is seen to supply the City with armes, armour, and all manner of amunition, either offensive or defensive; and thus farre he perfomes the part of a Souldier: His traffique likewise is seen to bring Riches into the common purse by customes, imposts, and such duties; and thereby may be said to perform the part of the wealthy and most eminent thereof. He is seen by his wisedome, tra∣vell, and experience abroad, to be able oftentimes to sit at the stern of the Cities government, punishing the vicious, rewarding the vertuous; and herein be performes the part of a Senator and Counsellor: neither yet is he wanting in many other particulars, to perform the duety of a good patriote and citizen, (not compri∣zed within any of these aforesaid limits;) for his traffique is seen to improve the Countries commodities, to set the poore and needy on worke, to invent new fabriques, stuffes and the like; to plant forraigne colonies, to settle peace and amity amongst Prin∣ces,

to build warlike Ships, to traine up Seamen; and to make the City and place of his abode famous and eminent by sundry other meanes, which I could exemplifie if need were in this place, and which at present I willingly omit.

Now then if the Merchant and the art of merchandizing be so excellent, and consequently necessary in a City, and bringeth with it so many benefits and commodities: how happy then is that City, where many notable and well govern'd Merchants are found to reside, and where their care of their own profit is so necessarily interwoven with the care of the commonwealths, and its good, that to themselves and to their Countrey; their labours and adventures do bring in thus mutually, not onely a commo∣dity, but also an honour: but to the matter, All Cities and Townes * 1.4 are not found in themselves proper for commerce and traffique, nor yet all of them fit residences for Merchants; therfore it is seen by experience, that trade hath setled it self principally in two sorts of Cities and Townes, and in such first the Inhabitants by inclina∣tion; and then Forraigners and Strangers by conversation, are ob∣served and noted to have planted themselves and established a trade therein.

Traffique then residing and abiding principally in two severall * 1.5 sorts of Cities and Townes, by daily observation are found to be such as these; the first is the Maritime, and these are they that have their scituation on the Sea shore or coast, or upon navigable Rivers and streames; and the second are they that have their scitua∣tion within some continent, and may be called land Townes and Cities, distant both from Sea and River. And though that in both these, trade and commerce is observable to be setled and dri∣ven; yet the manner and common form of this trade is found to differ much, as being both of them proper to two severall sorts of traffique and Negotiation. * 1.6

The trade observed then to be driven in Sea Townes or Cities, seated on navigable Rivers, is noted to subsist principally by na∣vigation, and by the easie transportation of merchandize by that commodiousnes, from one place to another; which is indeed the most proper and customarie way, whereby traffique is in these dayes seen to be maintained and preserved; for in many places thus scituated, it is noted that eminent Merchants do reside, who by reason of this neighbourhood of the Sea, and consequently of navigation, do hold a respondencie and trade from one fit place to another, over all the known parts of the habitable World, impor∣ting the commodities of all other Countries, and exporting the native commodities of the place it self; and of this sort is Marsilia, Amsterdam, Genoa, Venetia, Sivil, Lisborne, London, and many o∣thers, &c. But the trade observed to be driven in inland Townes and * 1.7 Cities, subsists by carriage of commodities by land, which in some places is done by Carts, in some by Camels, Caravans,

Mules, Horse, &c. as is at this day seen practised in many great Cities of the World; as at Aleppo in Turkey, at Spahan in Persia, at Agra in the Moguls Countrey, and such other, who injoy neither the benefit of Rivers, not yet the commoditie of the Sea it self by many miles distance; yet therein are oftentimes found residing many Merchants of great eminencie and a nample trade is discer∣ned therein, as may be seen in this following tract. And some∣times to adde some furtherance to this their want: some of these have a Sea port or haven, as the neerest whereto ships from other parts do come in; and do there both land and relade as occasion requireth, in which nature is Alexandria to Aleppo, Combrone to Spahan, and Sindy to Agra.

Besides which, I might here adde a third sort of Cities, where yet trade is noted to be setled, differing from both the former, and * 1.8 which cannot be comprised within either of the limits; and these are such as subsist by some excellent or curious manuall Arts or fabriques, as is Norimberg and others in Germanie, Roven in Nor∣mandie, Florence in Italy, and Norwich in England; and some others, whose trade subsists by the benefit of nature, producing of it self, speciall or needfull commodities for traffique, as doth Bordeux by Gascoine Wines, Zante by Corrants, Smirna by Cottens, Gilan in Persia by raw Silke, Ivisa by Salt, and the like: and where these are joyned by scituation proper for traffique to the former, they are found to be farre more absolute, eminent and compleat, as shall be discerned also in this following tract.

These are then the Cities and Townes which generally in this * 1.9 Mappe I handle, relating as neere as my observation and reading will permit me, the commodities that the place doth naturally afford for Merchandize, and the commodities the same is noted properly to vent; together with the time when the same is ei∣ther sent out or brought in, the quantity, how much; with all other such circumstances as are thereunto belonging.

Moreover it is to be noted, that in all Cities and Townes of * 1.10 traffique, there are alwaies found five particular places, that onely have a being and dependencie upon the trade thereof.

The first place is it where Merchants and tradesmen do assemble and meet at certain houres, and limited times of the day, to con∣ferre * 1.11 and treat together, concerning Merchandizing, shipping, buy∣ing or selling, and the like; as is seen to be the Royall Exchange of LONDON, the Burse in Antwerpe, the Piazze in Venetia, and the like in other places.

The second place is it where the Princes, customes, and dueties * 1.12 upon all Wares, either imported or exported by way of Merchan∣dize is seen to be paid and collected, where officers are appointed to attend the same; and where all Writs, as Cockets, bills of entrie, Certificates; and the like are granted, both to loade and land goods, either going out or coming in, and these are called by se∣verall

names, as in most places Custome-houses, Dattio, Commercios, and the like.

The third place is it where Merchants do keep their goods and * 1.13 wares in, where weighers, porters, car-men and labourers do hourely attend to be set on worke; where Brokers and Contracters are daily imployed in making of bargaines, shewing of Wares, transporting of bils of dept, and such like, as is seen in the Besistons and Basars in Turkey, Alfond•…•…ces in Barbary, pack-houses in the netherlands; and as was accustomed to be done in the stillard in London.

The next place is it where the publique beame is set up, by the authority of the Magistrate, to weigh all ponderous commodities * 1.14 bought or sold; to decide differences and controversies arising by weights and weighing, and where a sworn weigher, with labou∣rers at all houres attendeth upon Merchants occasions, and who by his place is to keep a Register of all commodities weighed, to serve if need shall so require; and in this nature is the weight-house called the Kings beame in London, the Domme at Amsterdam, the Viconte in Roven, the Romano in Marsilia, and such like in other places of trade.

The next and last place is it where the publike measures, both * 1.15 of length, of dry, and of liquid commodities, in every City are kept and set up by the authority of the Magistrate, to measure all measureable commodities bought or sold; to decide all differences and controversies arising thereabout; and where a sworn measurer is to give attendance with other necessary helpers at all houres to dispatch Merchants occasions, of which he is to keep a Regi∣ster to serve in time of need, as was seen of old to be the standard of Cheap in London, and as is found the like in other places.

And thus much shall serve to have said of Cities and Townes in generall, of trade, and of the principall places found therein, which have a dependence thereupon; which few Cities in the World, of traffique do want or are found to be defective in.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cities and Townes emi∣nent in trade, onely mentio∣ned in this Mappe.
• * 1.2

  Sixe parts re∣quired in a compleat City.
• * 1.3

  The Merchants purse and per∣son supplies many defects in a City of trade.
• * 1.4

  What Cities are found fit for trade and commerce.
• * 1.5

  Two sorts of Cities of traf∣fique.
• * 1.6

  Sea Towns of trade what.
• * 1.7

  Land Townes of trade what.
• * 1.8

  Townes of trade inmanu∣all arts and fa∣bricks.
• * 1.9

  The Cities of trade mentio∣ned in the Map of Commerce.
• * 1.10

  Five places in a City depen∣ding upon trade.
• * 1.11

  The Burse or Exchange.
• * 1.12

  The Custome house.
• * 1.13

  Magazines for commodities.
• * 1.14

  Kings Beame.
• * 1.15

  Met-house.