The merchants map of commerce wherein the universal manner and matter relating to trade and merchandize are fully treated of, the standard and current coins of most princes and republicks observ'd, the real and imaginary coins of accounts and exchanges express'd, the natural products and artificial commodities and manufactures for transportation declar'd, the weights and measures of all eminent cities and towns of traffick in the universe, collected one into another, and all reduc'd to the meridian of commerce practis'd in the famous city of London / by Lewis Roberts, merchant.

CHAP. CCLXXIII. Of the Trade in general of England.

* 1.1WHen I consider the true dimensions of our English Traffick, as at this day to me it ap∣pears to be, together with the inbred Commodities that this Island affords to preserve and maintain the same, with the present Industry of the Natives, and the Ability of our Na∣vigators; I justly admire both the Height and Eminence thereof: but when again I survey every Kingdom and great City of the World, and every petty Port and Creek of the same, and find in each of these some English prying after the Trade and Commerce thereof, then again I am easily brought to imagine, that either this great Traffick of England is at its full perfection, or that it aims higher than can hitherto by my weak Sight be either seen or discerned. I must confess, England breeds in its own Womb, the principal Supporters of its present Splendor, and nourisheth with its own Milk the Commodities that give both Lustre and Life to the Con∣tinuance of this Trade, (which I pray may never either decay or suffer the least Diminution.) But England being naturally seated in a Northern Corner of the World, and herein bending un∣der the Weight of too too ponderous a Burthen, cannot possibly always and for ever find a Vent for all those Commodities that are seen to be daily exported and brought within the Compass of so narrow a Circuit, unless there can be (by the Policy and Government of the State) a Mean found out to make this Island either the common Emporium and Staple of all Europe, or at leastwise of all these our neighbouring Northern Regions.

* 1.2The staple Commodities of England, are Cloths, Lead, Tin, some new late Draperies, and other English Real and Royal Commodities, shipped hence in former times, yielded by their Returns from forein parts, all those Necessaries and Wants we desired or stood in need of: but the late great Traffick of this Island hath been such, that it hath not only proved a bountiful Mother to the Inhabitants, but also a courteous Nurse to the adjoining Neighbours: for what in matter of Traffick they have lost, we have been found to have gained, and what they have wanted, we have been noted to have supplied them with.

Hath the proud and magnificent City of Venice lost her great Traffick and Commerce with India, Arabia and Persia? England hath got it, and now furnisheth her plenteously with the rich Commodities thereof. Hath all Italy lost Venice, that fed it with those Dainties? London now supplieth her place, and is found both to cloth and nourish it. Hath France almost lost the excellent Commodities of Constantinople, Alexandria and Aleppo, and generally of all Tarky? London can and doth furnish it. Nay, is Turky it self deprived of the precious Spices of Iudia? England can and doth plentifully afford them. Will you view Moscovia, survey Sweden, look upon Denmark, peruse the East Country, and those other colder Regions, there shall you find the English to have been; the Inhabitants from the Prince to the Peasant wear English woolle•• Livery, feed in English Pewter, sauced with English Indian Spices, and send to their Enemies sad English leaden Messengers of Death. Will you behold the Netherlands, whose Eyes and Hearts envy England's Traffick, yet they must perforce confess, that for all their great Boasts, they are indebted to London for most of their Syria Commodities, besides what other Wares else they have of English growth? Will you see France, and travel from Marselia to Calais? tho they stand least in need of us, yet they cannot last long without our Commodities. And for Spain, if you pry therein from the Prince's Palace to the Poor Mans Cottage, he will Voto a Dios, There is no Clothing comparable to our Bays, nor Pheasant excelling a seasonable English Red Herring.

* 1.3The East India Company of London, are yearly seen to visit Persia, frequent India, and traf∣fick in Arabia and the Coasts thereof; and for our English Commodities, and some other expor∣ted hence, they are found to import Pepper, Cloves, Mace, Nutmegs, Cotton, Rice, Callicoe•• of sundry sorts, Bezoar Stones, Aloes, Borax, Calamus, Cassia, Mirabolans, Myrrh, Opium, Rhubarb, Cinamon, Sanders, Spikenard, Musk, Civit, Tamarinds, Precious Stones of all sorts, as Diamonds, Pearks, Carbuncles, Emeraulds, Jacinths, Saphirs, Spinals, Turquoises, Topazas, Indico, and Silks raw and wrought into sundry Fabricks, Benjamin, Camphire, Sandalwood, and infinite other Commodities; and tho, in India and these parts, their Trade equalleth not either the Portugals or the Dutch, yet in candid, fair and Merchant-like Dealing, these Pa∣gans, Mahumedans and Gentiles, hold them in esteem far before them, and deservedly have here the Epithet of far more current and square Dealers. And altho for the present this Trals and Company do suffer under some adverse Clouds, and groan under some unkind Losses, by the Falshood of the Netherlanders and sad Accidents at Sea, yet their Adventures and Acts are praise worthy, and their fair Endeavours for England's Honour, in point of Trade, merit due Commendations and just Applause.

* 1.4The Turky Company of London, for its Height and Eminence is now second to none other of this Land, for not yearly, but monthly, nay almost weekly their Ships are observed to go to and fro, exporting hence the Cloths of Suffolk, Gloucester, Worcester and Coventry, dyed and dress'd, Kersies of Hampshire and York, Lead, Tin, and a great quantity of the abovesaid India Spices, Indico and Callicoes, and in return thereof, import from Turky the raw Silks of Persia, Damasco, Tripoly, &c. Galls of Mosolo and Toccat Camlets, Grograms and Mohairs of Angora, Cotton and Cotton Yarn of Cyprus and Smyrna, and sometimes the Gems of India, and Drugs of Egypt and Arabia, the Muscadines of Candia, the Currans and Oyls of Zant, Zeffalonia and Herta, with sundry others, and in all these Parts are accounted also second to none, nor give place to any Nation, either in the Greatness of their Traffick, or in their fair and Merchant like Perfor∣mances.

* 1.5The antient Company of Merchant Adventurers of London, hold the same Proportion in the Iotegrity of their Dealings and in the Squareness of their Performance with both the afore∣named: their excellent Government, and their antient Orders preserved and maintained, is every where both applauded and commended. The Cities of Hamburgh, Rotterdam, and others in the Notherlands, by their submissive seeking for their Residence, and their Privile∣ges and Immunities granted them during that time, is a sure Testimony that speaks their Welcom every where, and an assured Token of that City's Decay, that with Leave from England, they furnish them with Cloths of sundry Shires, and some other Commodities month∣ly, as by the shortness of their Navigation they find it needful and proper to their Traffick, and from thence furnish England with Tapestry, Diaper, Cambrick, Holland, Lawn, Hops, Mather, Steel, Rhenish Wines, and many other Manufactures, as Blades, Stuffs, Soap, Latten Wire and Plates, and here also this Nation is accounted the most current and Merchant-like Nation that trafficks or hath any Commerce amongst them.

* 1.6The East Country Merchants, and the Moscovia Company, do also challenge a part in this great Trade of England, and add some Perfection to the Traffick of the City of London; nor doth their fair Dealing there, come behind any of their Fellow-Citizens, nor are they less esteemed than any other forein Nation there resident. They export hence principally Cloth, at the best Commodity, also Tin, Lead, with some Spices of India, and other Commodities, and return thence, Ashes, Claphoard, Copper, Deals, Rich Furs, Masts, Pipe-Staves, Rye, Tunber, Wainscot, Wheat, Fustians, Iron, Latten, Linen, Mather, Quicksilver, Flax, Hemp, Steel, Caveare, Cordage, Hides, Honey, Tar, Ropes, Tallow, Pitch, Wax, Rosin, and sundry others.

* 1.7What shall I say to the French Company, the Greenland Company, the Merchants trading into Spein, Barbary, Guiney, Benyn, Italy, Scotland and Ireland, but that they also challenge a great Interest in the Traffick of this City and Kingdom? for the French Merchants carry hence English Cloths, Kersies, Bays, Galls, Silk and Cotton of Turky, and for the same return Buckr••m, Canvas, Cards, Glass, Grain, Linen, Salt, Claret and White Wine, Woad, Oyls, Almonds, Pepper, some Silk Stuffs, and some other petty Manufactures.

* 1.8The Merchants trading into Spain, carry hence Bays, Says, Serges, Perpetuanes, Lead, Tin, Herrings, Pilchards, Salmon, Newland-fish, Calf-skins, and many other Commodities, and in return furnish England with Wines of Xeres, Malaga, Bastard, Candado and Alicant, Rosin, Olives, Oyls, Sugar, Soap, Anniseeds, Liquorish, Soda barilla, Pate, and sundry West India Commodities: neither have Spanish and Portugal any ill opinion of the Dealing and Traffick of the English Nation; for tho of all other Nations, they have the best conceit and opinion of their own Greatness and punctual Worth, and have of late changed the name of Mercador into Cergador, (how improper, I refer to their own Language) yet account they the English (next to themselves) the principal and fairest dealing Merchants in the World.

* 1.9The Merchants of England trading to Naples, Sicilia, Genoa, Legorn and Venice, &c. which here I term Italy, are not observed to have any Joint-Stock or Company, yet, to the Honour and Benefit of this Kingdom and City, transport hence Bays, Says, Serges, Perpetuanes, Ker∣sies, Lead, Tin, Cloth, and many other native Commodities, besides Pepper, Indico, Cloves and other Indian Commodities in great abundance; and for returns have Cloths of Gold and Silver, Sattins, Velvets, Taffaties, Plushes, Tabins, Damasks, Allom, Oyls, Glass, Aniseeds, Rice, Ve∣nice Gold and Silver, great quantity of raw Silks of sundry sorts, and divers other Commodi∣ties; and here likewise all other Nations willingly give place to the English, as the principal Mer∣chants that either abide amongst them, or negotiate with them. I need not insist here upon the Relicls of that famous Barbary Trade, nor yet mention the petty Adventures of the English to Guniney and Benny, tho otherwise they are concurrent to the Traffick of this Nation, neither go about to particularize the large Traffick of this Island to their Plantations of Newfoundland, Summer-Islands, Virginia, Barbadoes and New-England, and to other places which rightly challenge an Interest in the present Trade and Traffick of this Kingdom.

Therefore omitting what may be further said in this point, and having thus survey'd the Trade of this Island in particular, and shewed the Commodities exported and imported by every noted Company and Society, I shall now speak a word concerning the Navigation of this Na∣tion, which is one of the main and principal means by which this Traffick is observed to be preserved unto them at this day.

* 1.10I shall not need to look back into former Ages, nor trouble my self to search after old Re∣cords that express the Worth of the English Nation at Sea in old times; it sufficeth me to un∣derstand, and know that these present times wherein we live, are not any ways inferior (in this point) to the former, nor the real Value nor Valour of the English any ways decay'd or al∣ter'd from its former antient Greatness to its present Splendor: what they have done let Hi∣stories remember, and what they now do let the World witness and testifie throughout Eu∣rope. What Creek or Port in Europe have they not sought out and found? Nay how many of them have fought against Hunger, Cold and all Extremities, to find new Northern Passaget to the Southern Regions? * 1.11and tho the South Seas, and a great part of America be at this day de∣bar'd to them and their Navigation, yet their Wills herein are more bounded to their Princes Pleasure, in a faithful obedience to his Treaties of Peace with that Don that challenges those vast Countries, than any way in fear of his Greatness, or his Naval Power by Sea, as may witness their Attempts, Navigations and Plantations in many parts of that Country not limited or forbidden by that Treaty. * 1.12As for their Navigations to Africa, begin at Alexandria in Egypt, and so sail to Tunis, Argier and Ceuta, and thence along the Coast of Guiney and Benyn, to Cape Bona Esperansa, then to Mombasa, Melinda, Brava, Cape Guard fuy, and into the Red-Sea Gulf, and tell me where it is that they have not been, or what Place or Port is not acquainted with them. * 1.13And if you survey the Maritime Shore of Asia, and begin at Sues in the aforesaid Gulf, and so to Aclon, Dieu, Cambaia, Ormus, Surat, Goa, Cochin Mesulapatam, Pegu, Camboi, Cauch, Chi∣na, Maocau, and to the utmost Bounds of China, and the Isles of Japan and Cathay, and all the adjacent Islands, they have all been for many years both well acquainted to our Seamen, and not unfrequented by our Merchants and Traders; and for the Caspian Sea, the Euxine and the other parts of Asia comprised from thence by Constantinople to Scanderoon, and so to Ale∣xandria, every Week brings us Tidings of the current Advices of those places. To conclude then, by what hath been said, may be clearly discerned the present Height and Amplitude of our English Commerce, and the Greatness of Englands Navigation, the Continuation whereof my Devotions shall ever second, and my Prayer shall be, That neither our fained Friends, nor yet our froward Foes, may ever have just Cause to rejoice at the Decrease, nor least Diminution thereof.

Having thus happily ended my Peregrination, and drawn out the utmost Bounds and Li∣mits of this my Map of Commerce, and concluded there the Manner and Matter of the gene∣ral and particular Traffick of most of the eminent Cities and Countries of the World; I will now cast anchor, and finish in this place my Voyage, till the next fair Gale offers and pre∣sents it self, to imbark my Time and Pen in the Survey and Calculation of the Exchanges of Europe, as at this day they are seen practised amongst the Merchants of Christendom.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the Trade in general of England.
• * 1.2

  The real worth of the English Trade.
• * 1.3

  The East-In∣dia Company.
• * 1.4

  The Turky Company.
• * 1.5

  The Merchant Adventurers.
• * 1.6

  The Eastland and Moscovia Company.
• * 1.7

  The French Merchants.
• * 1.8

  The Spanish Merchants.
• * 1.9

  The Italian Company.
• * 1.10

  The Navigati∣on of the Eng∣lish famous throughout Europe.
• * 1.11

  In America.
• * 1.12

  In Africa.
• * 1.13

  In Asia.