234 ^' ^* 1603. 



IV) By the ftrudure or roominefs of their fliipping, holding much 

 merchandize, though faiUng with fewer bands than our fhips, thereby 

 carrying their goods much cheaper to and from foreign parts than we 

 can ; whereby the Dutch gain all the foreign freights, whilft our fhips 

 lie fllU and decay, or elfe go to Newcaftle for coals. 



V) Their prodigious fiihery, of which they make fuch vafl returns 

 yearly. 



After thefe five propolitionS; he goes on to remark on the freedom 

 from cuflo.n allowed by the Dutch, for any newly ereded trade. That 

 even in France all nations may fredy buy and fell, being free of cuflom 

 outwards twice or thrice in the year. That at Rochel and in Britany 

 there is free cuflom all the year round, and alfo in Denmark ; except- 

 ing between Bartholomew-tide and Michaelmas. That the Hanfe 

 towns imitate the Dutch in thofe wife regulations, whereby they alfo 

 abound'in riches and all manner of merchandize, have plenty of money, 

 and are ftrong in fhipping and mariners, fome of their towns having 

 near one thouland fail of fliips. 



That the Dutch and other petty ftates ingrofs the tranfportation of the 

 merchandize of France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, and the Eafl 

 and Wefl Indies ; all which they carry to Denmark, Sweden, Poland, 

 and other northern parts, and bring back the bulky commodities of thofe 

 northern regions into the fouthern countries. Yet is England bet- 

 ter fituated than Holland for a general florehoufe. No fooner does a 

 dearth happen of wine, filh, or corn, 8tc. in England, than forthwith the 

 Embdeners, Hamburghers, and Hollanders, out of their florehoufes load 

 50 or 100 fhips or more, difperfmg themfelves round about this king- 

 dom, and carrying away great flore of coin and wealth, thus cutting- 

 down our merchants, and decaying our navigation, not with their natu- 

 ral commodities, but with thofe of other countries. 



Amfherdam is never without 700,000 quarters of corn, befide what 

 they dayly vent, though none of it be of the grov/th of their country ; 

 and a dearth of only one year in England, France, Spain, Portugal, 

 Italy, &c. is juflly oblerved to enrich Holland for feven years after. In 

 the laft dearth fix years ago in England, the Hamburghers, Embdeners, 

 and Hollanders fupplied this kingdom from their ftorehoufes ; and in a 

 year and a half carried away from the ports of Southampton, Exeter, 

 and Bridol, near L200,ooo; and from other parts of this kingdom, (more 

 particularly including London) it cannot be fo little as L2, 000, 000 

 more, to the great decay of your kingdom, and impoverilliing of your 

 people, difcredit and difhonour to the merchants, and to the land. 



The Dutch, &c. have a continual trade into this kingdom with 500 

 or 600 fliips yearly, with merchandize of other countries, floring them 

 up here until the price rife to their minds ; and we trade not with fifty 

 fhips into their country in a year. 



