eight, and lastly to ten ounces; yet at this day it is worth but ten shillings and one penny, notwithstanding your majesty's late raising of your gold. Having thus raised his gold, he then devised to have plenty of silver brought into his kingdom, raised the royal of eight, being but two ounces, to three and threepence halfpenny, which caused great plenty of silver to be brought in, and to continue in his kingdom. France. The English Jacobus goeth for three and twenty shillings in merchandising. The French crown for seven shillings and sixpence. Also the king hath raised his silver four sous in the crown. North Holland. The double Jacobus goeth for three and twenty shillings sterling. The English shilling is there eleven stivers, which is two shillings over in the pound. Poland. The king of Poland raised his Hungary ducat from fifty-six to seventy-seven and an half Polish groshes, and the rix-dollar from thirty-six to forty-seven and an half groshes; the rix-dollar, worth in Poland forty-seven and an half groshes, is, by account, valued at six shillings and fourpence sterling, and here in England is worth but four shillings and sevenpence; the Hungary ducat, seventy-seven, is worth, by account, in Poland ten shillings and fourpence, and in England is worth but seven shillings and tenpence; the Jacobus of England, here current for twenty-two shillings, in Poland twenty-four shillings, at the rate of seven shillings and tenpence for the Hungary ducat. Now to turn the stream and riches raised by your majesty's native commodities into the natural channel, from whence it hath been a long time diverted, may it please your majesty to consider these points following: 1. Whether it be not fit that a state-merchant be settled within your dominions, which may both dispose more profitably of the riches thereof, and encounter policies of merchant strangers, who now go beyond us in all kind of profitable merchandising? 2. Whether it be not necessary that your native commodities should receive their full manufactory by your subjects within your dominions? 3. Whether it be not fit the coals should yield your majesty and subjects a better value, by permitting them to pass out of the land, and that they be in your subjects' shipping only transported? 4. Whether it be not fit your majesty presently raise your coin to as high rates as it is in the parts beyond the seas? 5. Whether it be not necessary that the great sea-business of fishing be forthwith set forward? If it please your majesty to approve of these considerations, and accordingly to put them in a right course of execution, I assure myself (by God's help) in short time your majesty's customs, and the continual comings into your coffers, will be exceedingly increased, your ships and mariners trebled, your land and waste towns (which are now run out of gates) better replenished, and your people employed, to the great enriching and honour of your kingdom, with the applause, and to the comfort of all your loyal subjects. May it please your majesty, I have the rather undergone the pains to look into their policies, because I have heard them profess they hoped to get the whole trade and shipping of Christendom into their own hands, as well for transportation, as otherwise, for the command and mastery of the seas; to which end I find that they do daily increase their traffick, augmenting their shipping, multiplying their mariners' strength and wealth in all kinds, whereat I have grieved the more, when I considered how God hath endued this kingdom, above any three kingdoms in Christendom, with divers varieties of homebred commodities, which others have not, and cannot want, and endowed us with sundry other means to continue and maintain trade of merchandising and fishing beyond them all, whereby we might prevent the deceivers, engross the commodities of the engrossers, enrich ourselves, and increase our navigation, shipping, and mariners, so as it would make all nations to vail the bonnet to England, if we would not be still wanting to ourselves in employment of our people. Which people being divided into three parts, two parts of them are mere spenders and consumers of a commonwealth, therefore I aim at these points following: To allure and encourage the people for their private gain, to be all workers and erectors of a commonwealth. To enrich and fill your majesty's coffers by a continual coming in, and making your people wealthy, by means of their great and profitable trading and employment. To vend our homebred commodities to far more reputation, and much more profit to the king, the merchant, and the kingdom. To return the merchandises of other countries at far cheaper rates than now they are, to the great good of the realm in general. To make the land powerful by increasing of ships and mariners. To make your people's takings in general to be much more every day than now they are, which, by God's help, will grow continually more and more, by the great concourse and commerce that will come by settled constitutions and convenient privileges, as in other parts they do by this their great freedom of trade. All this, and much more, is done in other countries where nothing groweth; so that of nothing they make great things. Then how much more mighty things might we make, where so great abundance and variety of homebred commodities and rich materials grow for your people to work upon, and other plentiful means to do that withal, which other nations neither have nor cannot want, but of necessity must be furnished from hence? and now, whereas our merchandising is wild, utterly confused, and out of frame, as at large appeareth, a state-merchant will roundly and effectually bring all the premises to pass, fill your havens with ships, those ships with mariners, your kingdom full of merchants, their houses full of outlandish commodities, and your coffers full of coin, as in other places they do, and your people shall have just cause to hold in happy memory, that your majesty was the beginner of so profitable, praiseworthy, and renowned a work, being the true philosopher's stone to make your majesty a rich and potent king, and your subjects happy people, only by settling of a state-merchant, whereby your people may have fulness of trade and manufactory, and yet hold both honourable and profitable government, without breaking of companies. And for that in the settling of so weighty a business, many things of great consequence must necessarily fall into consideration, I humbly pray that your majesty may be pleased (for the bringing of this great service to light) to give me leave to nominate the commissioners, and your majesty to give them power to call before them such men as they shall think fit to confer with upon oath, or otherwise, as occasion shall offer; that the said commissioners, with all speed, for the better advancement of this honourable and profitable work, may prepare and report the same unto your majesty. Your majesty's most loyal and true-hearted subject, W. RALEGH. |