1220 A. D. I 60 1. 



and ferved princes with their large and (lout fliips In time of war, we 

 iliall find at this time they have in a manner loft both the one and 

 the other long ago, when compared with what they formerly were. 

 And if her majefly (liould forbid all trade into Spain, after the example 

 of other princes, they would in fliort time be quit of the reft ; for 

 that trade is their chiefeft fupport at this inftant. Befides, of the fc- 

 venty-two confederate Hanfe towns, fo much vaunted of, what remains 

 almoft but the report ? And thole which remain, and appear by their 

 deputies, when there is any aflembly, are they able, but with much 

 ado, to bring up the charges and contributions, &c. for the defence 

 and maintenance of their league, privileges, and trade in foreign parts 

 and at home ? Surely no ! for moft of their teeth are out, and the reft 

 but loole, &c. 



The main aim of this author was to confute the allegations of the 

 Hanfe towns at the German diet, that the compatiy of merchant-ad- 

 venturers was a proper monopoly, as well as the attempts at home of the 

 fcparate traders, who were equally that company's opponents. 



Although what we have, in different parts of this work, already ex- 

 hibited concerning the Englifli merchant-adventurers company, may 

 feem fufficient to explain its nature, as being merely what is known in 

 England by the name of a regulated company, yet we thought a farther 

 authentic defcription of it by Wheeler their fecretary migtit once for 

 all be acceptable, viz. 



The compatiy confifts of a great number of wealthy merchants of 

 divers great cities and maritime towns. Sec. in England, viz. London, 

 York, Norwich, Exeter, Ipfwich, Newcaftle, Hull, 8cc. Thefe of old 

 time linked themfelves together for the exercife of merchandize, by 

 trading in cloth, kerfeys, and all other, as well Englifti as foreign, com- 

 modities, vendible abroad, whereby they brought much wealth home 

 to their repedive places of refidencc. Their limits are the towns and 

 ports lying between the river of Somme in France, and along all the 

 coafts of the Netherlands and Germany, within the German fea ; not 

 into all at once, at each man's pleafure, but into one or two towns at 

 moft within the faid bounds, v.dnch they commonly call the mart town 

 or towns, becaufe there only they ftapled their commodities, and put 

 them to fale, and thence only they brought fuch foreign wares as Eng- 

 land wanted, and which were brought from far by merchants of divers 

 nations ilocking thither to buy and fell as at a fair. The merchant-ad- 

 venturers do annually export at leaft 60,000 white cloths, worth at leaft 

 L6oo,coo, and of coloured cloths of all forts, kerfeys, bays, cottons, north- 

 ern dozens, and other coarie cloths, 40,000 cloths more, worth L400,ooo, 

 ill all one million Sterling, befide what goes to the Netherlands from 

 England, of v.7oolfels, lead, tin, faffron, coney-fkins, leather, tallow, ala- 

 bafter, corn, beer, &c. And our company imported, viz. of the Dutch 



