630 



A. D. 1688. 



Alfo that the tonnage of the royal navy, which in the year 1660 was 

 only 62,594 tons, was now increafed to 101,032 tons. 



II) D'Avenant farther acquaints us with what he niufl have been 

 perfectly well verfed in, as he was infpedor-general of the cufloms, that 

 in the year 1666 the farm of the culloms of England was but L390,ooo 

 yearly. Yet, from michaelmas 1671 to michaelmas 1688, being feven- 

 teen years, the cufloms yielded net to the crown L9, 447 ,799, which, at 

 a medium, was, per annum, L555,752. 



III) The fame able author gives us alfo a view of the gradual increafe of 

 the general rental of England, occafioned principally by the increafe of 

 commerce, and in part alfo by the great improvements made in lands, 

 by inclofing, manuring, and taking in wafte grounds, and meliorating 

 what was poor and barren, viz. 



The general rental of England, for land, houfes, and mines, before 

 we became confiderable in trade, viz. about the year 1600, did not ex- 

 ceed, per annum - - L 6,000,000 o o 



Which general rental we take now (1698) to be' 14,000,000 o o 



Moreover, in 1 600, the faid fix millions, at 1 2 

 .years purchafe, the common price of lands at that 

 period, was worth but - - 72,000,000 o o 



But the lands, &c. of England, at the rental of 

 fourteen millions, and worth 1 8 years purchafe, in 

 the year 1688, amounted to - - 252,000,000 o o 



How amazing is this alteration in the fpace of lefs than one cen- 

 tury. 



So profperous was the Dutch Eaft-India company at this time, ac- 

 cording to Conful Ker's Remarks on Holland, publilhed at Amfterdam, 

 1688, and fmce in Englifli, in Ker of Kerfland's memoirs, that they 

 were faid to have 30,000 men in conflant pay, and above 200 capital 

 fhips, befide floops, ketches, and yachts. 



The fame author, treating of the city and repubUc of Hamburgh, 

 .obferves, that its greatnefs and vafl commerce were partly occafioned 

 by the refidence of our Englifh company of merchant-adventurers, but 

 much more by the Netherland proteftants, who, in the duke of Alva's 

 time, forfook the Low countries and fettled here ; and by the proteftants 

 turned out of Cologne and other parts of Germany, even though Ham- 

 burgh be forced to keep 6 or 7000 men in pay, to guard againll the 

 continual alarms of the king of Denmark, or other neighbours, befides 

 two or three (hips of war to guard their merchant fliips from pirates, 

 yet their wealth and trade increafe dayly. And it is believed, that, 

 fmall and great, there are belonging to the commonwealth of Ham- 

 burgh, 5000 fail of fliips *. He adds, that the bank of Hamburgh, 



* Surely this author muft be fomewhat miftaken, even though he fliould include all the hoys, light- 

 ers, &c. employed in carrying goods upon the n'ver Elbe. ^. 



