238 A. D. 1603, 



Iron ordnance, a jewel of great value, far more than it is accounted, 

 by reafon that no other country (but England) could ever attain unto 

 it, although they had attempted it with great charge. 



Raleigh, moreover, tells the king, that there were about 80,000 un- 

 drefled and undyed cloths annually exported from England, whereby 

 L400,oco per annum, for fifty-five years pad: (being above twenty mil- 

 lions), has been lofi to the nation ; which fum, had the faid cloths been 

 drefled and dyed at home, would have been gained, befide the farther 

 enlarging of traffic, by importing materials for dying, and the increafe 

 of cufloms thereon. Moreover, there have been annually exported in 

 that time, in bayes, northern and Devonfhire kerfies, all white, about 

 50,000 cloths, counting three kerfies to one cloth, whereby five millions 

 more have been loft for want of dying and drefling. 



Our bayes are fent white to Amfterdam, and there drefled, dyed, and 

 fhipped for Spain, Portugal, &c. where they are fold by the name of 

 Flemifh bayes ; fo we loie the very name of our home-bred commodi- 

 ties. 



Speaking again of the fifliery, he aflerts, that the great fea-bufinefs 

 of fifhing employs near 20,000 (hips and veflels, and 400,000 people year- 

 ly, upon the coafts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with fixty fiiips 

 of war. which may prove dangerous. The Hollanders alone have about 

 3000 fliips to filli with, and 50,000 men are employed yearly by them 

 on your majefty's coafts aforefaid ; which 3000 ftiips employ near 9000 

 other ftiips and veffels, and 150,000 perfons more, by fea and land, to 

 make provifion, to drels and tranlport the fifli they take, and return 

 commodities ; whereby they are enabled yearly to build 1000 fliips and 

 veiTels. 



King Henry VIT, defiring to make his kingdom powerful and rich 

 by an increafe of fliips and mariners, and for the employment of his 

 people, moved his fea-ports to fet up the great and rich fifliery, promif- 

 ing them needful privileges, and to furnifti them with loans of money ; 

 yet his people were flack. That by only twenty fifhing-bufl'es, placed 

 at one fea-coaft town, where no fliip was before, there muft be to carry, 

 recarry, tranfport, and make provifion for one bufs, three fliips ; like- 

 wile every fliip fetting on work thirty feveral trades. Thus thofe twenty 

 buflies fet on work near 8000 perfons by fea and land, and caufe an in- 

 creafe of near 1 000 mariners, and a fleet of eighty fail of fliips in one 

 town, v^^here none were before. 



In the conclufion he ftrongly recommends what he calls a ftate-mer- 

 chunt, from which he promifes a great increafe of commerce, manufac^ 

 tures, (hipping, and riches ; yet, as far as appears from his genei-al ac- 

 count of it, it feems to be no more than for the king to give him leave 

 to name a number of commiflloners, to be vefted by his majefty with 

 authority to take examinations upon oath, and in other refpects to re- 



