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.

Prop. 18. Theorem 17.

The free Admission of Forreigners to exchange Timber, Pitch, Tar, Rough Hemp and Flax, all sorts of Dying-Stuffs, and many other Forrein Goods, for the Woollen and other Manufactures of England, may so much enrich the Nation, as the Goods exchanged may be made more valuable in the Manufactures, by employment of our own people.

11 Ax. 3. For any place will be so much enriched, as things are more valuable than the charge.

34 Pet. 3. But Timber, Pitch, Tar, Salt, rough Hemp and Flax, all sorts of Dying-Stuffs, & many other Forrein Goods, by employment of our People, may be made so much more valuable, than the Manufactures exchanged for them, in our building of Ships and Houses, in the Manufactures of Ropes,

Nets and Sails, and in Dying our Woollen and other Manu∣factures of England, as they are more and cheaper.

35 Pet. 3. And the free Admission of Forreigners to ex∣change these for our Woollen and other Manufactures of England, may make Timber, Pitch, Tar, &c. more and chea∣per in England.

Therefore it may so much enrich the Nation.

Annot.

As the free buying our Woollen and other Manufactures of England will encrease the Trade of our Woollen and other Manufactures, whereby the Inhabitants will be so much more employed in them; so by Exchanging Goods for our Manufactures, we to our own enriching, add another employment to our People; and this so much more valua∣ble than the Money wherewith the Goods are bought, as the Goods become more valuable in other Manufactures than the Money. And therefore it is an errour in the Act of Navigation, to permit all Nations to import Money into the Nation, and to restrain the importation of Goods to the English and Natives: for if we did too much abound in Money, this would be a burthen to the Nation, and of ill con∣sequence to the King and Subject. For if a man, as the case stands, may buy that for 100 l. which if Money were five-fold encreased, he shall pay 500 l. for it, he hath five times the trouble in it. And all Commodities being valued according to the plenty of Money, the Revenues of the Crown, and Leases granted by the Nobility, Gentry, and Church, would be but one fifth of the value, if the Money were five times more; for they must pay five times more for the Commodities renewed upon their Farms, and yet receive but the Rent at first reserved when the Commodi∣ties bore but ⅕ of the Money. And therefore it was a pru∣dent Institution of Cardinal Poole (who being chosen Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, when from the Spanish Indies the Money became so plentiful in England, that the Members of the University could scarce buy Bread

upon the Rents reserved on their Leases) to have one third to be paid in Corn, or so much as the prices of Corn should amount to in Cambridge market the Market-day before our Lady day and Michaelmas. And therefore if our Treasure were more than our Neighbouring Nations, I did not care whether we had one fifth part of the Treasure we now have.

I have often said in Coffee-houses, (and I am sorry I could not finde a more convenient place in England to speak it in) at the beginning of the War between the French and Dutch, That the French Nation would be exceedingly im∣poverished thereby, and to the undoing of many thou∣sands of the French: For the French Trade for Wines, Salt, Paper, Linnen, and other the Manufactures of France, was above all other Nations, carried on in Forrein Trade by the Dutch Navigation, whereby the Natives were employed, and the Kingdom and Natives exceedingly enriched: but the Dutch Navigation being removed by reason of the War, all these Commodities of France, which were Transported by the Dutch Navigation in Forrein Trade, finde not like vent; and by consequence, the Nation loses much of the wealth it gained thereby, and the Inhabitants their Employ∣ment. Nor is it in the power of France to redress this, with∣out restoring the Dutch Navigation: for admit the French King should take measures by our Act of Navigation, (as they say he does) and endeavour to establish a Forrein Trade of the Commodities of France by his own Subjects; and could make ships of Oyster-shells and Shingle, and in an instant create Factories, and make all the returns the Dutch do of the Commodities of France; and without Experi∣ence or Instruction make Navigators and Marriners at his will, of his Subjects; yet so, many of his Subjects as he makes Sea-men, so many sewet he will leave to plant Vine∣yards, make Paper, Linnen, Salt, and other Commodities of France, and so much lessen the Manufactures of France, as he encreases his Navigation.

But the Dutch War is but an accident of the time, and it is probable when the French King pleases, he may make Peace

with the Dutch, and so restore the Dutch Navigation again to the trade of France. But alas! who can ever untwist the Treefold Cord of the Law against Naturalization, the Act of Navigation, and the Freedom of Corporations here in England! Each of these is more mischievous to us here in England, than the Dutch-War is to France: for France, as it is a Kingdom above threefold greater than England, so in that proportion it is doubly more peopled, and therefore may much better endure the Sequestration of the Dutch Navigation, and establish it upon the account of the French than we can; our Coast being almost desolate, and so poor, that they can scarce maintain their poor; and so have nei∣ther Men nor Means to conserve the little Trades they have, much less to encrease them; and the Country scarce half In∣habited, and so the Lands of England not half improved: and at this day I believe the Nobility and Gentry have above twenty thousand Farms in their hands; and to take these from Husbandry, to people our Coast, and encrease our Navi∣gation, will leave so many fewer in the Country; yet to Eternity, for ought is known, we must continue in this Con∣dition.

Coroll. 1.

By the same reason, the free permission of For∣reigners to sell Timber, Pitch, Tar, Rough Hemp and Flax, and many other sorts of Forrein Com∣modities in England, may so much enrich the Nation, as they may be made more valuable by the employment of our people.

36 Pet. 3. For Timber, Pitch, Tar, &c. may be made more valuable by employing our people in building, and their Manufactures, as they are more and cheaper.

37 Pet. 3. And the free permission of Forreigners to sell these in England, may make them more and cheaper.

Annot.

Though Trade where the Commodities are consumed to loss, becomes so much more prejudicial, and impoverishes any place so much as such consumption is: And therefore as all beneficial Trades ought to be made free, and by all means encouraged; so it may seem reasonable, that destru∣ctive Trades where things are vainly consumed, and the em∣ployment of our people hindred thereby, as are our Trades to France and Spain for Wines; and to France for fine Lin∣nen, Lace, Points; and the importation of Dutch Black Clothes, and French Hats and Druggets, whereby the em∣ployment of our people is hindred, and so much of the Treasure of the Nation exhausted as is spent in our consump∣tion of them, ought totally to be prohibited; yet neerly looking into it, such prohibition will prove dangerous to our Trade at home and abroad, and also to the Peace of the Na∣tion.

For first, as every man stands in need of being supplied by another, so does every place; and therefore, if we should prohibit the Importation of the Commodities of France, though it be evident the Nation consumes them all to loss, (except Salt and Sails) yet we cannot then but expect the French will likewise prohibit the Importation of our Welch Frizes, and Exeter Carseys, Leather, Gloves, Ribbons, and several other Commodities; whereby the employment of all our Artificers in them, being taken away, they become mise∣rable, and the Lands on which the Wools and the Cattle were renewed, become less valuable. The reason is the same, if we prohibit the Importation of Dutch Black Clothes, who take off many of our White Clothes, and other Manufactures of England. Secondly, If we prohibit the French Hats, Druggets, and Dutch Black Clothes, we put our selves and the World upon the Monopoly of having only such as the English make, who will soon know the prerogative they enjoy hereby, and make the English pay more for worse work than they did before, and make them so dear and

bad, that we shall establish the Forrein Trade of such things to the French and Dutch; whereas the Importation of these will be an Awe upon the English, to make ours so good and cheap, as to supply us and the world better, or they will lose their employment. And Lastly, Such Prohibition causes Ha••red and Heart-burning between Princes, whereby often∣times Wars ensue, though under other pretences.

Therefore, if my opinion were worthy to be admitted, no Goods of any sort should be Prohibited: but if any be imported which are Luxuriously consumed, with little or no employment of the people, as the Wines imported are, they should pay the King the full value in their consump∣tion; but little or nothing, if they could be again Trans∣ported: for the importation is beneficial to the Nation, by improving the Rents of Houses, the employment of Peo∣ple in Lading and Ualading, and in vending our Corn and Provision to the Importer. But if an employment may happen to the People of the Nation, if things were not imported, as in fine Linnen, Lace, Points, Blacks and Druggets, encouragement should be given to all people to instruct ours in those Manufactures; and such duties for some time imposed on the Importation, that better hopes might be expected here, than otherwise, in working them.