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Placcaets or Proclamations of those parts; the Jacobus pieces;

and other species of gold and silver; are there set at

indifferent rates answerable to their valuation here with us

respectively; which they there call permissie gelt; Proclamation

money: yet they have other devices to raise money; and draw it

away at their pleasures。 As either by their Banckes; when the

Banckiers will for their occasions give a greater price for mony

then the Proclamation suffereth; & then it is called Banck gelt:

or else by slacke paymasters; that for their owne advantage in

the raising of money; will pretend not to make present payment of

their debts; unlesse you take their money at a higher rate; then

either the Proclamation; or the Banck money。 Which being paid and

received; produceth a third kinde; which they call Currant gelt。

And so by the Connivence of the Magistrate; the same goeth from

man to man; and at last becommeth currant at an excessive value。

So they have Permission or Proclamation Money; and Banck Money;

and Currant Money; and all to draw dry the Currant of His

Majesties Coine。

    And thus the Hepatitis of this great Body of our being

opened; & such profusion of the life blood let out; and the liver

or fountaine obstructed; and weakened; which should succour the

same; needes must this great Body languish; and at length fall

into a Marasmum。

    I am not ignorant that there hath beene great abuse in the

culling of His Majesties Coyne; here at home; and in melting the

heavy money into plate: And that there is a great superfluitie of

Plate generally in private mens hands more then is necessary; and

farre beyond any example of former times; which must needes also

cause scarcitie of money: yet on the other side I cannot deny;

but that it is better to have the same in Plate; as a treasure of

the Kingdome; then turned into Coine; & so turned out of the

Kingdome; by the under…value thereof。

    Now the Mediat or remote reasons of the want of money in

England; are either Domestique or Forreine。 The Domestique are

generall; or special。 The general remote cause of our want of

money; is the great excesse of this Kingdom; in consuming the

Commodities of Forreine Countries; which prove to us

discommodities; in hindering us of so much treasure; which

otherwise would bee brought in; in lieu of those toyes。 For now a

dayes most men live above their callings; and promiscously step

forth Vice versa; into one anothers Rankes。 The Countrey mans Eie

is upon the Citizen: the Citizen upon the Gentleman: the

Gentleman upon the Nobleman。 And by this meanes wee draw unto us;

and consume amongst us; that great abundance of the Wines of

Spaine; of France; of the Rhene; of the Levant; the Lawnes and

Cambricks of Hannault and the Netherlands; the Silkes of Italie;

the Sugars & Tobaco of the West Indies; the Spices of the East

Indies: All which are of no necessitie unto us; & yet are bought

with ready mony; which otherwise would be brought over in

treasure if these were not。 A Common…wealth is like unto a

family; the father or master whereof ought to sell more then he

buyeth according to old Catoe's counsell; Patrem familias

vendacem non emacem esse oportet。 Otherwise his expence being

greater then his revenue; he must needs come behinde hand。 Even

so a Common…wealth that excessively spendeth the forreine

Commodities deere; and unttereth the native fewer and cheape;

shal enrich other Common…wealths; but beggar it selfe。 Where on

the contrary; if it vented fewer of the forreine; and more of the

Native; the residue must needs returne in treasure。

    The speciall remote cause of our want of money; is the great

want of our East…India stocke here at home。 Which is a matter of

very great consequence; and causeth the body of this

Common…wealth to be wounded sore; through the sides of many

particular members thereof。 For the stocke of the East India

Company being of great value; and collected and contracted from

all the other particular Trades of the Common…wealth; and a great

part thereof having beene Embargued and detained now for more

then five yeeres last past; and that not by a profest Enemie;

against whom we might have been warn'd and arm'd; but by a

friend; a neighbour; a next neighbour; one obliged to our King

and Nation more then to all the Kings on earth: this losse I say;

is not onley thus unkind; but is the more intollerable; in that

the Common…wealth hath lost the use and employment of the Stocke

it selfe; and all the encrease of Trade which the same might have

produced; in the severall Trades of the Subjects; whereby

abundance of treasure might have beene brought into this land in

all this time。

    It is said of Belisarius that Great and famous Commander of

the Romanes; that even Rome it selfe owed to him twice her life:

and yet at last was so unkinde to Belisarius as to put out both

his eyes; and exposed him to beg in a little Cotage built without

the gates; where hee often repeated this sentence to those that

passed by; Date obolum Belisario; quem inuidia; non culp

caecauit。 And certainely our Nation may challenge as much or more

of these unkinde friends; the Belisarius ever did or could of

Rome: and they shew themselves no lesse unkinde; to deprive us of

the light and life of this Trade of ours; and suffer this Nation

to use so muc importunitie for their owne。

    Homer reports of Patroclus; that he would needs put on

Achilles armour; and ride on Achilles horse; but Achilles speare

hee durst not touch; and thereby was knowne to Hector; with whom

he fought; not to be Achilles; and so lost his life。 These

friends of ours have sometimes put on; sometimes put off; I had

almost said; put out the Kings colours: They have sayled in His

subjects shippes; but that Histam fidei they have not used; or

abused rather; whereby they have beene discovered to the Indians;

not to be the subjects of the faith's Defender; as sometimes they

would have faigned; though to an evill purpose。

    The Romanes were wont to weepe; at the sight of Caesars blood

kept in an handkercher。 Caesars subjects blood is kept; not in

handkerchiefes but in sheetes; written within and without; the

memory whereof maketh the people mourne。 The cry thereof is gone

up: the King will remember it; the King of Kings will avenge it。

    Constantinus the Great; the father of Constantius; was wont

often to protest; that he made more account of one Christian then

of all his Coffers filled with treasure。 And the Comfort of this

Nation is; to bee the subjects of such a Sovertainge; who as

constantly as ever did Constantinus; hath againe and againe

profest; Not to account himselfe more rich or happie; then in the

prosperitie of his subjects。

    Thus much of the Domestique remote causes of the want of

money in England: the forreine causes follow。 Which are either in

respect of the warres in christendome; or the Trades out of

Christendome。 The warres in Christendome are forreine remote

causes of the want of money; either by causing the exportation;

as the warres of Christians: or hindering the importation

thereof; as the warres of Pirates。 I will take the warres of

Germanie for an urgent instance of the former: which have raised

the Riecksdaller from two Markes Lubish; to twentie markes

Lubish; in many place of Germany: whereby abundance of money is

drawne unto the Mintes of those Countries; from all the other

Mines and parts of Christendome。

    And for the latter; I will instance the warres of the Pirats

of Argier and Tunis; which hath robbed this Common…wealth of an

infinite value: the crueltie whereof many feele with griefe;

others heare with pittie; but the grivance remaine's。 Needs must

Christendome; and in it England; feele the want of money; when

either it is violently intercepted by Turkish Pirats; the Enimies

of God and man; or the instruments surprised; as men; ships; and

merchandize; which are the channels to convey it to us。 And

heathenish policie it is; or hellish rather; put upon the Princes

and people of Christendome by the Grand Seignour; to hold with

them an outward forme to amitie; and in the meane time by his

vassals; use a cunning and covert hostilitie。

    The other forreine remote cause of the want of money; are the

Trades maintained out of Christendome to Turky; Persia and the

East Indies。 Which trades are maintained for the most part with

ready money; yet in a different manner from the trades of

Christendome within it selfe。 For although the trades within

Christendome are diven with ready monies; yet those monies are

still contained and continued within the bounds of Christendome。

There is indeede a fluxus and refluxus; a flood and ebbe of the

monies of Christendome traded within it selfe: for sometimes

there is more in one part of Christendome; sometimes there is

lesse in another; as one countrey wanteth; and another aboundeth:

It commeth and goeth; and whirleth about the Circle of

Christendome; but is still contained with the compasse thereof。

but the money that is traded out of Christendome into the parts

aforesaid; is continually issued out and never returneth againe。

It is true; those trades tend to an admirable encrease of the

stocke of Christendome in wares: which if they were purchased

with the wares of Christendome; according to the true nature of

Commerce; the benefit were farre more excellent。 For Commercium

is quasi Commutatio mercium; a change of wares for wares; not

money for wares。 And it is Libera commeandi facultas; abiis qui

merces ultro citroque conuehunt。

    Or if the Common…wealth of Christendome were like to that of

Utopia; where gold and silver are of lesse esteem then Iron; it

were a brave exchange to lose money to get wares。 For the riches

of former ages did not consist re pecuniaria but pecuaria。 Whence

pecunia; as Plinie affirmeth; was so called a pecude; quia pecus

suit pecuniae fundamentum; & antiquitus pecunia pecudis effigie

signabatur。 But when Immooveable and Immutable things came also

to be in Commerce amongst men; as well as those things whic

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