The Merchant Adventurers' Answer to the Criticisms of the Hanse League
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| Date | 1582 |
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Entry
[S.P.D. Eliz., Vol. CLVII., No. 82.]
There are only two allegacions of the Hanses alledged against the merchantes of England called merchantes adventurers in their libelles exhibited to themperors maiestie which be of any moment to be answered unto, viz :- That the seid merchantes doo hold and kepe at Embden a monopolie in their trade and trafique of merchandize there ; Item, that there they hold and kepe a banke of usurie.
And for these causes in especiall and as of weight they travaile with themperours maiestie to remove them from the said towne of Embden and their trafique there. For answer to the first allegacion, the seid merchants doo saye that they neither doo kepe or intend to keepe, nor in any former tyme haue kept, a monopolie in their trafique at Embden or elswhere. A monopolie, as they thinke, is whereas one man, or many men of one Company or associacion, doo engrosse or buye uppe one or dyverse sortes of merchandize and so sell the same againe to their private gaine, to the disapoyntinge of all others of that first buyinge and sellinge of those merchandizes. The seid merchantes adventurers have of them selfes a governour and fellowship incorporated for mayntenance of goode maners and lawfull and orderly buyinge, sellinge and ordynarie tyme of shippinge, etc., all which are in mayntenance of the common wealthe of their wholle cuntrey and not in any unlawfull preiudice of any other cuntrey.
They in all buyinge and sellinge of their merchandizes have no buyinge or sellinge in common, no factor or agent of their common charge or for them in common in any wise. But every man a parte, of his owne particler stock and devise, dothe buye and sell to his owne use as secretly from the knoledge of others of the Fellowship as he cann ; and doo endevour by all lawfull meanes one to prevent an other in buyinge and sellinge of all their merchandize as mere straungers one to an other. There is no sett or lymyted price emonge them for buyinge or sellinge any commoditie, and in all experience yt is founde they buye and sell at different prices one from an other of the same merchandizes.
Their Fellowship, beinge only for comely governement, order and saftie in shippinge of their goodes in fleetes and shippes ordered and appoynted for defence of pirates, etc., cann never be truly termed neither hathe any thinge in yt like to a monopolie. For the slaunder of usury raised of the seid merchantes, they saye the same is merely malicious without cause. For they saye they have no common stock of wares or money to employ in loane or to sell. Sumtyme particlerly [sic] men soly and for their particler use delyver their money by exchange, as thexchange dothe goo betwene cuntrey and cuntrey, and as all other merchantes doo. Thexchange is no more governed by them [ [ then by all other merchantes, for it is in every mans owne disposition to make exchange of his owne as the mutuall oportunytie in respect of severall cuntreys maye require. Vsurie is in lendinge and forbearing for excessive gayne. But the seid Fellowship of merchantes doo not of their common stock lend at all, neither to their knoledge any particler man of their felloship lend for usury at Embden. And in their owne cuntrey all usury upon greate extreme penaltie is prohibited. [Endorsed] An answer of the adventurers to the accusatyons of the Hanses.
