Memorandum by Cecil on the Export Trade in Cloth and Wool
| Artifact Summary | |
|---|---|
| Artifact type | |
| Creator/author | Cecil |
| Date | 1564 |
| Period | |
| City and country of origin | |
| Abstract | |
Entry
[S.P.D. Eliz., Vol. XXXV., No. 33. In Cecil's hand.]
Reasons to move a forbearyng of the restitution of the entercourse to Antwerpe.
It is to be confessed of all m[en] that it were better for this realme for manny considerations, that the commodities of the same wer issued owt rather to sondry places, than to one, and specially to such one as the lord therof is of so great power, as he may therwith annoye this realme by waye of [MS. blotted]. Secondly, it is probable that by the carryeng over into Antwerpe of such a quantity of commoditees owt of the realme, as of late yeres is used, the shortnes of the retorn multeplyeth manny mar- chantes, and so consequently also this realme is overburdened with unnecessary forrayn wares, and if the trade therof shuld contynew but a whyle, a great part of the treasor of the monny of the realme wold be carryed thyther to answer for such un- necessary trifflees, consideryng it is to be seene that very lately the commoditees carryed out of the realm beyond the seas hath scantly answered the vallor of the merchandise brought in. And if the lawes for apparrell and taverns for excessyve abund- ance of wynes shall not be better observed, it is to be feared that the quantite of our english commoditees will be to small a great deale to answer the forrayn commoditees. Thirdly, it is to be thought that the deminution of clothyng in this realme wer proffitable to the same for manny causees ; first, for that therby the tilladg of the realm is notoriosly decayed, which is yerly manifest in that, contrary to former tymes, the realme is dryven to be furnished with forrayn corne, and specially the Citee of London. Secondly, for that the people that depend uppon makyng of cloth ar of worss condition to be quyetly governed than the husband men. Thyrdly, by convertyng of so manny people to clothyng, the realme lacketh not only artificers, which wer wont to inhabitt all corporat townes, but also laborers for all comen workes.
Wheruppon it followeth probably that it wer proffitable for the realme to have some alteration of the great trade of carrying of clothes out of the realme to Antwerp.
A second question.
But now the Question may be whyther the tyme as it is be mete to attempt such an alteration or no ; wherin ar to be con- sidered these thynges following : 1. The unhabilite of the merchantes adventurors at Embden to endure any longer from bryngyng ther clothes to Antwerp to be ther dressed and dyed, without which help there qualitie of clothes is not vendable.
2. The staye of clothyng within the realme, what inconvenience it may bryng. 3. The forbearyng of the revennew which ought to grow to the Queens Maiesty of hir customs, both uppon clothes and uppon forrayn commoditees to be brought inward. Answer.
Consyderyng the matter of it self wer to be wished to have the trade to Antwerp deminished, and that all redye a great part of the greeff is passed that tooched both the Queens Maiesty for hir customs, and the merchantes for there trade, it wer better to procede, and to devise how these incommoditees both to the Queens Maiesty, the realme, and the merchantes might be eased, as the casees may beare, than to make a reverss, without any fruict to be had or gathered of these troobles now passed. And in this behalf is to be considered :
First, for the Queens Maiestys customs, although the trade of drapyng and carryeng out of clothe shuld decaye, yet therby the quantite of woll to be sent out of the realme shuld evidently incress, and though it shuld comebut to the half of that quantite that was wont to be carryed by the staplors, yet, as the custom therof is at this daye, the revennew to hir Maiesty will farr excede the custom that is of the clothe, or that hath bene sence the increass of the customs. And where exception is taken by the subiectes of the twoo kynges of france and spayne, that the customs of cloth ar increased contrary to the treaty, by convertyng the trade of cloth into woll, they could not have any cause to fynd fault with the increass of the custom of wolls, for that the same is a trade of ancient tyme appertayning to the staplors of England, establyshed before the tymes of the treatyes.
Secondly, for the merchantes adventurors, consideryng they have alreddy borne so much as they have, and that therby it will fall out that the unhable and unsufficient merchantes not mete to be favored shall break of and discontynew, it is no evill pollycy to suspend ther trade from the low contrye, wherby the trade may rest in the handes both of a fewer nombre of merchantes, of those that be rycher and that will deale and trade lyke merchants with ther stockes, and not with the exchange, as all the yong merchantes doo.
Thirdly, for the stay of the clothyng in the realme, wherof is to be douted some inconvenience in the realme : first in that part is to be considered that this stey from antwerp will brede no stay of clothyng to such as make any collered clothes, or to them which make carseys, or to them of the north that mak course clothes, for that the vent of them remayneth as good as before, both into spayne, france, and into the est contreys. And the carseys that wer wont to be sent into Italy by experience may pass thyther from Embden. Wherfor the care that is to be taken is onely of such townes and contreys as make fyne whyte clothes. For order wherin, if the statutes that ar provyded for makyng of trew clothes, for prohibityng of men to be clothyars that have not bene brought upp in the faculty, and for such lyke [were enforced], it wold brede to make a smaller nombre of clothyars of that sort; and for the order of the multitud that now presently is therin occupyed, it wer to be hoped that if men of discretion and creditt wer appoynted to see therto ther might be devisees how to kepe that multitud occupyed, partly by procuryng the makers of those whyt clothes to dye and coller them, partly by employeng some of those people about handy craftes or other labors. And rather than therof shuld grow by Idlenes any inconvenience, it wer better to collect the sturdyer and stronger sort of the men, and to send them into Ireland to helpe the peoplyng of the contrees ther.
