England's improvements in two parts : in the former is discoursed how the kingdom of England may be improved ... : in the latter is discoursed how the navigation of England may be increased and the soveraignty of the British seas more secured to the crown of England ... / by Roger Coke.

Annot.

This permission will increase Navigation to and from the Ports of England; so will the Returns of these, and expor∣ting them again, and so infinitely. And in all these Trades and Navigations, the forrein Trades of our Manufactures and Growths, and Fish caught upon our Coasts, will receive this benefit, that if any part of the World wants any of these Goods, and but in a little measure stand in need of our Goods, these Goods of ours may finde forrein vent, which otherwise would not of themselves pay the charge of the Voyage. This permission also would create a constant Trade and Navigation to and from the Ports of England, whereby the people upon the Coast, and from all parts of England, would finde a constant employment, & infinite other benefits would accrue hereby to the Country and Lands of England, in Victualling Ships, &c. which can neither be foreseen or enumerated.

This King's Duties, and the employment of English Ships and Mariners, are usually opposed to this Permission. But the Opposition is without consideration of the nature of Trade, the King's Revenue, or Navigation: For Trade be∣ing a principle to the King's Revenue, and Navigation which depends upon it; both the King's Revenue and Navigation may be infinitely increased, as the forrein Trades of the Nation, or the forrein Trade of other Commodities driven from the Ports of England, are increased. But if men begin at the Consequences, viz. the King's Revenue and Navigation, and Tax Trade higher than it can bear; or restrain it only to such Ships, so that Trade hereby becomes lost, so does the King's Revenue, and the Navigation.

But because of the Importance of it, we will therefore more intently compare the Loss the King shall receive by this Permission, and what will be the damage of our English Navigation and Mariners; and if any be to either, whether it may not be otherways over-ballanced.

Herein I say, that this permission of Forreigners to inhabit

and Fish from the Ports of England, and to vend their white Herring in forrein Trade, and to import and export all sorts of forrein Commodities, and make Returns into the Ports of England, will not diminish the Kings Revenue, though they paid no Duties; nor the employment of English Ships and Mariners, for we employ no Shipping or Mariners in it, nor hath the King any Revenue thereby: whereas by it the King's Revenue would be hereby so much increased, as the consumption of Beer, Ale, and all other Exciseable Commodities are more; and our English Mariners, in all outward and inward Voyages, may finde employment. I do not believe (unless it be for French Wines imported and consumed in England) the King's Duties imported and exported out of Harwich-Haven (from whence all the Trade the Dutch drive in the East and North-East, might be better driven, than from all the Ports of the Ʋnited Netherlands) amount to 300 l. per Annum. Nor do we employ one Vessel or Mariner to any part of the World from thence, upon the forrein Trade of Goods imported: Even the Town of Tarmouth (which we so much boast of) is so far from carrying on any Trade upon this account, that, I am told, they cannot supply any part of the World with a piece of Norwich-stuff, though the Navigation between Nor∣wich and them be very commodious. Is it not a shame then, that such prodigious Trades and Navigations upon this account should from the other side of the Water be dri∣ven from worse and more incommodious Harbours, whilest we employ not one Vessel or Mariner in any of them? And what is affirmed of Yarmouth and Harwich, I believe, is as true of all the other Ports of England, except London. As Harwich is of all others the most opportune and excellent Harbour for the East and North-East parts of Europe; so is Falmouth for the South, South-East, West and South-West parts of the World. I cannot tell what the King's Duties for Goods imported there yearly arise to; nor whether within the Harbour there be any good Towns for reception of Mer∣chants, and Storehouses for Goods: But I think I may safe∣ly affirm, that in all Christendom is not so healthful and

delicate a place for Warehouses and reception of Merchants as Ipswich is: the Town so clean, though an even Level, that after the greatest Rains in the depth of Winter, a man in Slippers may walk the Town over without wetting his Feet: And though Ships of 200 Tun burthen may come up to the Key, yet every Street is watered with the purest and sweetest Water of any place I ever came in. To these may be added, that standing in the Bosome of the most Fertile County of Suffolk, which conjoyns with the no less Fertile County of Essex, it is, or, I am sure might be supplied with all sorts of Provisions by Land equal to any other. And if these two Ports were made free for Importation and Exportation of Goods by all Nations, and the same Revenue continued to the King; and that it were free for all people to inhabit in England, and to Fish, and Trade with Fish into forrein parts, and make Returns into England; I should be content the rest of the Ports of the Nation should enjoy their Priviledges so long as they pleased. The King of Sweden made Gottenburgh free but for seven years, which has made it the most flourishing Town for Trade in the North-East: So did the Duke of Florence Legorne, whereby it excels all other Ports in the Mediterranean; yet neither of these any ways comparable in any respect to Falmouth or Ipswich. But if this cannot be had, I must submit; yet I hope it will not be urged, it will be to the detriment of the King's Revenue, or hinder the English Navigation, or employment of our Mariners.

Another Objection made against the free permission of Forreigners to import Goods, is, that the greatest Returns which the Dutch make from Dantzick, is in Corn; whereby they supply their own necessities; which in case it were im∣ported into England, would make a glut here, and bring down the prices of our Lands. To this I answer, First, That the Dutch do not onely hereby supply themselves plen∣tifully, so as the prices of Corn are constant and reasonable, and so as whatever happens in other places, they never fear a Famine; but also upon all occasions supply other places with Corn, so as a Famine or scarcity of Corn becomes their en∣riching:

whereas we are never at any certainty in the prices of our Corn; but if a plentiful year happens, whereby Nature has disburthened her self of more than she can renew the future year, the Tenants are necessitated to vend it abroad at low prices, to pay their Rent; and when the dear year succeeds, it may be we pay double for the same Corn again. And I say also, it is Plenty in all things which makes Cheap∣ness; and therefore wherever Corn is plentiful, in propor∣tion to the people or Market, it will be cheaper. But in case our Towns in the Mediterrane parts of England were re∣plenished with all sorts of Artificers, and the Ports of Eng∣land abounded with the Dutch Navigation, the prices of Corn would bear a proportion to the number of Artificers and Mariners, and the means which by their Crafts and Traffick they should be enabled to buy Corn withal: We then should not need to fear the Importation of Corn or Irish Cattle. And I believe it would be a happiness equal to any Temporal, both to the Land-lord and Tenant, to have the prices of Corn constant and reasonable; and that such stores were preserved in all great and Navigable places, so as to prevent a Famine in England, and to supply other places which labour under it. Queen Elizabeth in the first Par∣liament of her Reign, permitted the English in any Vessels to import Corn, paying ordinary and but reasonable Du∣ties; which Law stands yet in force.