120 APPENDIX 



THE INCOMPARABLE BENEFITT OF THE FISHERY 

 IN HIS MATIES. SEAS. 1 



Whereas six hundred thousand pounds would sett up the 

 Fishery of England by raising a ffleet of ffive hundred Busses 

 of 70 Tunnes, the Busses all ready furnished for that imployment, 

 and also make wharfs which may be taken up and storehouses 

 where may be laid in provisions of all sorts. 



1. By giving an universall imployment to ye poor of this 

 Kingdome whereby they may all have comfortable subsistence, 

 the home-dwelling poore without taking collection, ye travailing 

 beggers without taking alms, the lusty rogues without stealing, 

 and the children of them all without being first habituated to 

 an idle course of life, to the saveing at least of one hundred 

 thousand pounds in the purses of the richer sort. 



2. By increasing his Mas. Revenue for the Custome of fish 

 outward and the Commodities returned for it inwards, wch with 

 some reasonable tribute from all forreiners that shall fish on his 

 Maties. Seas will probably raise the Royal Revenue to 200,000 

 more than now it is. But by how much more his Ma. shall have 

 this raised to him by the fishing, by so much less shall he need to 

 require the pecuniary aid of his subjects. 



3. By furnishing the Kingdom and ourselves with all variety 

 of fish, whereas heertofore we have used to buy great quantities 

 thereof of the Hollanders, both fresh and salt, and that for ready 

 money, as first Lobsters, a fishing not much used by the English, 

 also ye choyesest barrelled Cod wch the Dutch only had by reason 

 of their keeping the sea in whiter . Fresh cod likewise we comonly 

 bought of ye Hollanders att 40/ or 50/ for a hundred of them. 



For these and for Turbutts, Hallibutts and divers other sorts 

 of excellent fresh sea fish, wherewith his Matie., ye Nobility, ye 

 Citty of London, and other parts are supplied, and whereof 

 little is taken but only by ye Dutch, who only can keep them 

 alive in ther well boats, we paid them many thousand pounds, 

 and next for Salt fish we bought of them most of the pickled 

 herrings that were eaten in England, and so many of these we 



1 Sea Fisheries, Temp. Car. II. ; Additional MSS. British Museum. 



