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Title:  Of a free trade. A discourse seriously recommending to our nation the wonderfull benefits of trade, especially of a rightly governed, and ordered trade. Setting forth also most clearly, the relative nature, degrees, and qualifications of libertie, which is ever to be inlarged, or restrained according to that good, which it relates to, as that is more, or lesse ample. / Written by Henry Parker Esquire.
Author: Parker, Henry, 1604-1652.
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much, and swell up to an excessive bulk, whilest fourty other Mer∣chants being over shadowed by him, can attain to no growth at all. Thirdly, As the stint of Clothes is now set, it remains larger then is made use of by diverse, the fourth part of our Merchants scarce ever buyes to the fourth part of Clothes that is allowable by the stint, wherefore it is a most indirect and preposterous thing to call that a monopolie, or straitning of Trade; which is the onely remedie against monopolie, & the meer effect of strait∣nsse in Trade.They which know the difference betwixt Common certain, and Common sans number; and see how the Husbandman in dressing his vine, makes it more fruitfull by paring away the luxuriant products of its fertility, wil easily judge by these stints, that the Merchants were grown too numerous for their Trade, and not that their Trade was grown too copious for their man∣naging. Sixtly, As our Trade cannot be called an ingrossing Trade, or a monopolie in respect of any other of its priviledges or powers, so neither can it be accused thereof in regard of our covinous, false dealing in Marchandize. Tis true, our Company in Qu: Elizabeths daies found much opposition from the Hans Townes, and in that bando which was procured against us, to remoove us from Stadt, the main pretence was monopolie used by the English Merchants, but for a further Account of that mat∣ter, we are to be informed: that the Hans Towns had antiently by their great skill in Merchandize, made themselves very fa∣mous, and procured to themselves priviledges in many Coun∣tries. Amongst other Nations also that did priviledge them, the English was not the last, or least.In London therefore they had the Steelyard assigned them with power to exercise Merchant Law there, for their own better re∣gulation: and amongst many other old immunities, they were to pay for wares brought in, and carried out one and a quarter per centum custome, and no more.This Custome whilest the cheife Trade of the land was in Wooll undraped, was no great losse to us: but after that the full Art of clothing was made ours in Ed: the 3ds. daies, and the Wooll Trade was almost quite decaied, our State found that it lost exceedingly by passing out cloth at the old Custome, and 0